MAC at it again!

[j. rivera]

I was checking out the Robet White, UK website when I stumbled upon an

interesting tidbit. Seems like our friends at MAC are asking RW not

to ship cameras to the US. They (incorrectly) state that individuals

are not allowed to import Mamiya cameras. Don't you just love big

companies that believe in free trade?

[rolland_elliott]

I think with the explosive growth of the internet in many Asian Countries Mamiya America Corporation (MAC) will have a harder and harder time preventing gray market goods from reaching USA shores.

 

I'm sure Mamiya's new AutoFocus 645 AF camera will be available much cheaper from Asia than the USA. I just got the brochure yesterday and they say it won't be available in the USA UNTILL OCTOBER OF 2000! Yet They have ads plastered all over the place sounding like its available now. Plus it doesn't have aperture coupling with older Manual Focus lenses! Sorry, Mamiya, take a lesson from Nikon, we want backwards compatibility. Peace Rolland

[andreas_carl]

Is the following true????

 

"Some firms and individuals outside the USA have from time to time offered Mamiya products for shipment to the USA. Shipment of products from outside the USA is prohibited and will be seized by U.S. customs, as it is in violation of the Trade Mark protection under the rules of the United States Customs Service for import protection in accordance with 19 C.F.R. Part 133, and Section 526 (a) of the Tariff Act.

You are urged to purchase your Mamiya products from an authorized dealer, and avoid purchases and payments to firms outside the USA which could result in seizure of the ordered products and loss of your payment."

 

I am not a lawyer, but how could buying overseas possibly infringe on trademark protection????

[paul_wilson2]

According to a customs agent I talked to, what Mamiya is saying is not true. A person has the right to import(by bringing it in on their person or by having it shipped to them) one example of any trademarked item.

 

The problem is, MAC is not a big company and therefore cannot compete in any other way. Basically, they're trying to save their own asses.

 

Considering the prices of tickets to the UK in the off season (< $200), it would be worth it to fly over for a weekend and buy the camera if MAC actually is succesful in stopping shipments.

[paul_wilson2]

As for the 645AF, I saw one at Hunt's Photo near Boston. If Hunt's has one as lame as they are, everbody does.

[gary_helfrich]

I wonder when MAC is going to wake up and smell the coffee? Sooner or later Mamiya will decide that MAC is a liability, rather than an asset. Who knows how many sales they have already lost to MACs' price gouging in the United States?

 

It is 2000, not 1950. Distributors rarely benefit either the consumer or the manufacturer these days. They are just parasite in the distribution channel. The fact that a single photographic equipment shop in the UK such as Robert White can have a significant effect on MACs' sales says quite a bit about the inefficiency of MACs' distribution in the United States.

 

The only hold that MAC seems to have is that they hold the Mamiya trademark in the United States. Mamiya should change the name of it's products that are exported to the United States, and tell MAC to take a leap. Or they can stand by the sides while their competion shifts to dealer direct distribution and steals most of the market.

[frank_ward1]

I wonder if a thread like this could survive on the Mamiya web site? Maybe it's time for a MAC boycott. Frank

[morthcam]

People have posted questions/complaints about the "trademark" issue at the Mamiya user forum before, and they don't last long.

[david_henderson]

Why all the fuss about Mamiya? From what I can see the prices of virtually all medium format equipment in the USA are very much ahead of those in UK and Asia. Mamiya are no more guilty than Bronica, Hasselblad etc in this respect. Yet the same retail channels used by the MF importers sell 35mm equipment very much cheaper than in the UK at any rate, which demonstrates that they at least are potentially pretty efficient. When the US buyer starts to bypass the domestic channels in volume a number of things will happen. Firstly some entrepreneur will set up an import for resale business - this is happening now in the UK on cars in a big way. Secondly the retail channel will beat up the "official" importers because they will be losing business. Third, the manufacturer will make noises in the direction of supporting their importers but increasingly will actually do little or nothing to inhibit the "grey" business because they'll want to preserve their volume and share. Fourth, the official importers will eventually be dragged, albeit kicking and squealing, into line with international pricing.

 

So I guess the answer isn't to exchange comments about the unfairness of it all- but to make the point of buying through more efficient? Less greedy? channels which is the only message that MAC and others like them are ever going to hear.

[andrew_schank]

The other medium format cameras cost about the same in other countries, as I have priced them. The only one that is priced way out of line in the US is Mamiya. My source in Japan got some heavy duty threatening letters from Mamiya for advertising even USED EQUIPMENT on e-bay. The told him they would seize the cameras in customs. Idle threats I believe.

[paul_rigas1]

I posted a fair message on the MAC forum. They killed it very quickly. The world is small and getting information about less expensive sources is a piece of cake. Customs could care less about protectionist stuff. What they look out for are mass shipments of fake Rolex's and the such. They also would like a bit of duty once and a while. I have plenty of experience importing and exporting non-photo items and have purchased Mamiya photo products from overseas with no problems.

[m._bettencourt]

Concerning grey market equipment, the U.S. distributors better wake

up soon, as competition will drive prices everywhere, including th

USA. With the expolsion of the internet, the day is quickly coming

to when EVERY consumer worldwide will be able to order online from

ANYONE they wish including MAC!. If you think that is the end of the story, wrong again, what about TAXES??. As you can see by eBay,

it is already causing a VERY big headache for U.S. customs and

local states which by and large are not able to collect. Very

interesting times indeed.