• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Film producer developer law?

darinwc

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Dec 14, 2003
Messages
3,164
Location
Sacramento,
Format
Multi Format
Iirc, there was some regulation that prevented Kodak from developing film it sold?
Is that still around?
In this post film world, is that still needed?
 
Eastman Kodak was the subject of a number of US government anti-trust actions almost 100 years ago which resulted in a 1921 Consent Decree whereby they were prevented from selling "private label" film as well as being prevented from selling film with the processing included in the price. In addition, there was a 1954 Order which required them to share information with and sell chemicals to competitors who wished to compete in the market.
In the 1990s Eastman Kodak sued and succeeded in having the 1921 Order terminated.
Outside the US, "process paid" Kodak film was not prohibited.

EDIT: here is a link to a report of the ruling that terminated the 1921 and 1954 Orders: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-2nd-circuit/1300513.html
 
outside of the US, Kodachrome was almost always sold with processing included. the label had a suffix of "P" example KM-135-36P to indicate processing included film.
 
Ah, thank you for the history lesson!

it seems to me that if Kodak wanted to bring back Kodachrome or whatever, including processing would be a good way to make a little extra money on niche market films.