Leica's new daddy

[shaaktiman]

I just got this in my email. Why did they send this out and what are the implications for us users? Anyone know anything about this?

Dear Leica friends,

SOCRATES Privatstiftung, Vienna, Austria, today informed Leica Camera AG that on
February 10, 2006 its share of voting rights of Leica Camera AG has exceeded the
50 % threshold. The share of voting rights held by SOCRATES Privatstiftung now
amounts to approximately 50.04 %, approximately 50.04 % of which are
attributable to SOCRATES Privatstiftung according to section 22 (1) sentence 1
no. 1 of the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz). SOCRATES
Privatstiftung holds 100 % of the interest in ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH,
Salzburg, Austria, which company in turn holds approximately 50.04 % of Leica
Camera AG.

Concurrently, ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH, Salzburg, Austria, today informed
Leica Camera AG that on February 10, 2006 its share of voting rights has
exceeded the 50 % threshold. The share of voting rights held by ACM
Projektentwicklung GmbH now amounts to approximately 50.04 %.


With best regards,
Leica Camera AG
Corporate Communications
http://www.leica-camera.com/

 

[bob cole]

I just got this in my email. Why did they send this out and what are the implications for us users? Anyone know anything about this?

Dear Leica friends,

SOCRATES Privatstiftung, Vienna, Austria, today informed Leica Camera AG that on
February 10, 2006 its share of voting rights of Leica Camera AG has exceeded the
50 % threshold. The share of voting rights held by SOCRATES Privatstiftung now
amounts to approximately 50.04 %, approximately 50.04 % of which are
attributable to SOCRATES Privatstiftung according to section 22 (1) sentence 1
no. 1 of the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz). SOCRATES
Privatstiftung holds 100 % of the interest in ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH,
Salzburg, Austria, which company in turn holds approximately 50.04 % of Leica
Camera AG.

Concurrently, ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH, Salzburg, Austria, today informed
Leica Camera AG that on February 10, 2006 its share of voting rights has
exceeded the 50 % threshold. The share of voting rights held by ACM
Projektentwicklung GmbH now amounts to approximately 50.04 %.


With best regards,
Leica Camera AG
Corporate Communications
http://www.leica-camera.com/

Leica Camera AG -- just like all publicly owned companies in Germany as well as the United States -- is required by law to announce major changes in its ownership...Until now, Leica Camera's majority owner, with about a third of the stock, was Hermes...Projektentwicklung was its second-biggest shareholder....LEICA announced today that Projektentwicklung of Austria --its second-largest investor -- was now its biggest investor, with just over 50 percent. What Leica Camera has not done in any meaningful way has been to identify any of the people, other than to list the members of its management board without saying what relationship these people haveProjektentwicklung with either Hermes or
Projektentwicklung....It does seem clear, however, that Projektentwicklung of Austria feels comfortable that Leica is now a going concern and worth its bigger investment...regards, bob

 

[nksyoon]

Socrates and ACM Projektentwicklung are owned by Michael and Andreas Kaufmann of Austria. Their wealth was estimated at 1.1 billion euros in 2004 by an Austrian magazine. Both Michael and Andreas Kaufmann have been members of the Leica board since 2004 when they became shareholders through ACM Projektentwicklung.

 

[SamTheMan]

I don't know much about it, but I did hear a rumor that Canon was going to purchase Leica as Leica is having cash issues. Again, just rumor.

 

[captainslack]

So, to translate that from Businessese into English: SOCRATES Privatstiftung has taken over Leica from Hermes?

Which begs the question: who the hell is SOCRATES Privatstiftung?

 

[traveller]

Here you can read their "About us"

So, to translate that from Businessese into English: SOCRATES Privatstiftung has taken over Leica from Hermes?

Which begs the question: who the hell is SOCRATES Privatstiftung?

 

[traveller]

I don't know about the romors concerning Canon, but Leica has definitly cash issues

Facts & Figures

I don't know much about it, but I did hear a rumor that Canon was going to purchase Leica as Leica is having cash issues. Again, just rumor.

 

[Frank Granovski]

SOCRATES Privatstiftung, Vienna, Austria....

Well, they speak the same language so they'll be able to commincate.

 

[captainslack]

*sigh*

It'd be so nice if someone with an interest in PHOTOGRAPHY would take over Leica. 🙁

 

[jano]

I just keep thinking to bill & ted's excellent adventure.. SO-crates hahaha 😛

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Just as Ford bought Jaguar, Aston Martin, Landrover and Volvo premium car brands we'll see another camera company (Cosina?) buying Leica in a few years.

Also Bentleys are made by Volkswagen, and Rolls-Royces are made by BMW now.

 

[Avotius]

hm...it would be nice to see someone else buy or work with leica to make an afordable rangefinder for those of us who cant afford the expensive m7 and mp, the used market isnt helping any either. Just imagin if suddenly leica came out with a 1000 dollar camera make in cooperation with....canon, or nikon or someone who has the infastructure...the used market, while still hot, would not be so nessesary for us poor blokes

 

[Kim Coxon]

Just a thought. I thought Zeiss has just done that not to mention CV. Leica can get away with highly inflated prices for "special editions" because of the name. I am sure many of these do not cost that much more to produce. If they produced "budget" cameras, they would lose this advantage and have to beat ZI and CV which many think do an equally good job already.

Kim

hm...it would be nice to see someone else buy or work with leica to make an afordable rangefinder for those of us who cant afford the expensive m7 and mp, the used market isnt helping any either. Just imagin if suddenly leica came out with a 1000 dollar camera make in cooperation with....canon, or nikon or someone who has the infastructure...the used market, while still hot, would not be so nessesary for us poor blokes

 

[scigeek]

(much cut) to make an afordable rangefinder for those of us who cant afford the expensive m7 and mp, the used market isnt helping any either. Just imagin if suddenly leica came out with a 1000 dollar camera (much cut) for us poor blokes

Leica 111c?