Nikon to buy out Red Digital Cinema

Nikon will acquire Red Digital Cinema to manufacture its professional camcorders.

Here's What We Know

Red was founded in 2005 by Jim Giannard, who is the founder of Oakley, a company known for its sunglasses. This company is engaged in the production of digital films. In 2016, more than 25% of the top films on the domestic film market were shot with Red cameras. In addition, many popular YouTubers use Red cameras.

In its early days, the company was a leader in 4K digital cinema production. For example, they are known for their involvement in the creation of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit, which was shot at 48 frames per second. However, over time, competition in the industry has intensified, and Red needed new strategies to stay ahead.

A few years ago, Red and Nikon ended their legal disputes with each other. Red has a broad patent on compressed RAW video, which has led to numerous lawsuits. Other manufacturers such as Sony, Apple and Kinefinity have also been affected by these lawsuits. Most of them stopped supplying compressed RAW or entered into agreements with Red, probably paying royalties or cross-licensing. It's now up to Nikon to be proactive in protecting its interests in this key patent in digital video.

Source: Nikon