Komine

Komine Co., Ltd. was a manufacturer and exporter of lenses and photography products.

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Description

Komine Company, Ltd was a manufacturer and exporter of lenses and photography products. They used the Minec tradename for their products. The 1982 Camerart Photo Trade Directory provides this entry for Komine:

Komine Company, Ltd.
Manufacturers and Exporters
4-2,2-chome,Hatanodai,Shinagawa,Tokyo142
Cable Address: KOMINEMORO TOKYO
Tel:03-781-4414
Business Office:Suzufusa bldg.,16-12,1-chome,
kami-meguro,Meguro,Tokyo153
Tel:03-792-2421
President:Manjiro Komine
Product Lines:35mm interchangeable lenses

A later, 1993 edition of the Camerart Photo Trade Directory does not list Komine Co., Ltd. at all. Collectors of Vivitar lenses believe a company named "Komine" manufactured lenses for Vivitar with serial numbers starting 28x. This company is mentioned as a possible candidate but there is no concrete evidence to date that Komine Co., Ltd. manufactured lenses for Vivitar.

Minec Brand

Komine's primary product brand name was Minec and trademarks were filed for this name in several countries including Japan, Australia, Canada, and Germany.

Komine filed a trademark for Minec in Australia on 28 November, 1978 for "photographic instruments, especially lenses for photographic instruments, and parts and accessories thereof". The filing has since expired. On 9 March, 1979 Komine filed a trademark for Minec in Canada to cover photographic apparatus and instruments, lenses for photographic apparatus and instruments, extension tubes, and converters. The trademark was expunged on 4 October, 1996 after the company failed to renew it. The filing claims that Komine was using the Minec trade name in Japan since 6 June, 1977 (under registration number 1274692). The filing lists Riches, McKenzie & Herbert LLP of Toronto, Ontario as their Canadian law firm. The address listed on this filing was: KOMINE CO., LTD., 4-2, HATANODAI 2-CHOME, SHINAGAWA-KU, TOKYO, JAPAN. Komine filed a trademark for Minec in Germany on 10 September, 1984 to cover photographic, cienmatographic, and optical equipment. The trademark filing was cancelled on 28 November, 2000 at the company's request. The company listed their address only as Tokyo, Japan in this filing.