• Slarm@alien.topB
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    11 months ago

    There are just two insightful comments on the PetaPixel article:

    Allen Mac:

    It’s likely due to patent issues - patent trolls demanding outrageous loyalties for using their ideas.

    Mick:

    100%, I guess they’ve got some large corporate client who has asked for this feature, so they’ve done a deal with the patent owners and offered it as the patent licensing fees they wanted, plus development costs. I doubt Sony is making a profit on this feature, they’re doing it to sell more cameras.

    That would make a lot of sense. I hope it is the case and not just milking it. On a body that expensive adding upcharged soft/firmware without a good cause is repulsive. Sony took a huge share of the market by dropping FF mirrorless, but with their competitors showing up ready to fight I don’t think they can afford to pull this stuff off unless they get into a cabal together…

    • Omnitographer@alien.topB
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      11 months ago

      A patent makes no sense here, an overlay on a screen is something computers have done for decades. I certainly can’t imagine how anyone could have a patent for something done by the bespoke hardware of each camera manufacturer.

      • Sarkos@alien.topB
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        11 months ago

        You’d be amazed at the ridiculousness of patents. Apple has a patent for detecting phone numbers in text.

    • ZeAthenA714@alien.topB
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      11 months ago

      Meh, every time there’s a company that makes a greedy or stupid move there’s someone to comment “it’s probably because of patents”, but it’s almost never the case.

      Sometimes companies are just greedy.

    • sturmen@alien.topB
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      11 months ago

      This makes the most sense to me. Assuming this is true,it would be idiotic of Sony to pay even $1 to those trolls on every camera they sell for such a niche feature. Better to pass the cost on to the people that desperately need it and pay for it out of corporate coffers anyway.

      • frankchn@alien.topB
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        11 months ago

        Seems like that particular patent has expired due to the non-payment of fees in 2014:

        PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362