NOS 4" b&w from Ali Express

[centralradio]

Sony had better things to do like buying out Hollywood and letting their electronics empire go to crap...The Feds should of blocked the buyouts instead of getting their pocket money...

What a shame.....

[Pio1980]

Originally Posted by jhalphen

Hi to all,

The Chinese 4" flat CRT type 04MC has a TOSHO "made in China" label, see photo.
The Sony 4" WatchMan model FD-40A has a 4" CRT designated as 04JM, see extract from schematic.

Questions:
- does TOSHO manufacture in China using a Sony licence?
- unlicenced clone?

Unless the Sony patents have already run out, i don't see Sony sitting back doing nothing if someone stole their design.
From memory, WatchMans appeared circa 1983, so +20 years forward the patents have indeed expired.

Best Regards
jhalphen
Paris/France

I'd think the IP rights are obsolescent and basically not worth defending in the age of LCD technology. Sort of like vidicons in the CCD/ CMOS era as limited interest curiosities with limited real utility value.