Will Canon allow EF lenses to work on future RF bodies?

Distinctly Average wrote:

Steve Balcombe wrote:

Sittatunga wrote:

Steve Balcombe wrote:

Sittatunga wrote:

There are quite a few third party RF mount lenses available if you don't need EXIF data or AF, so there doesn't seem to be an actual enforceable ban.

In Europe there has been a right to make aftermarket accessories for many years, decades in fact. But there is no obligation on the part of the manufacturer to provide any information to help. More importantly this right doesn't overrule any patents which might be protecting whatever goes on inside the RF lenses. So you not only have to reverse engineer, you also have to come up with a solution which doesn't infringe Canon's IP.

A solution which doesn't infringe IP is pretty much the definition of reverse engineering. .

Well, yes, it is :-). I only meant to comment on one thing you said, which was that "there doesn't seem to be an actual enforceable ban" on lenses which don't communicate with the body. That's correct, and it's a matter of law in Europe at least - I don't know about elsewhere.

I have a Laowa 85/5.6 2:1 macro with an RF mount, and Canon will never be able to take any action against it.

IIRC, there are different sets of rules regarding software to that of firmware to that of communication protocols. Unfortunately there is some overlap which makes everything a minefield. I was recently reading about one car manufacturer who don’t fit rear speakers in their £45k+ car unless you buy an overpriced pack. Unfortunately it is not like times of old where you could find some speakers that fit and wire them in. In this case the rear speakers have to communicate via the can bus using a proprietary protocol. So when a third party tried to build their own the blood sucking lawyers flew in. To me it seems that all companies are engineering ways to circumvent those aforementioned laws, deliberately making it very hard for third parties to earn a living and taking away consumer choice at the same time. The whole walled garden has to end and current only the EU seem to have the balls to try.

You would know far better than me about that side of it, thanks for fleshing it out.

The EU - sounds like something we should sign up for.