History
IBM originally developed and patented infrared cleaning, and subsequently licensed this patent to Applied Science Fiction (ASF). Canon has a patent cross-licensing agreement with IBM and was able to use the IBM's infrared cleaning patent. Canon couldn't use the trademarked Digital ICE name, so instead calls it Film Automatic Retouching and Enhancement (FARE). Other companies, like Hamrick Software and LaserSoft Imaging, independently developed infrared cleaning algorithms which are completely different from IBM's patented algorithm.
ASF subsequently went out of business, having spent all their money trying to develop dry film development in a kiosk when film sales significantly dropped. Kodak purchased the assets of ASF, but hasn't done anything with any of ASF's technologies.
Read more about this topic: Infrared Cleaning
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“In history an additional result is commonly produced by human actions beyond that which they aim at and obtain—that which they immediately recognize and desire. They gratify their own interest; but something further is thereby accomplished, latent in the actions in question, though not present to their consciousness, and not included in their design.”
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