[BC] Larcan Shutdown update

[Mike McCarthy]

On Fri, July 18, 2014 12:03 pm, Kyle Magrill wrote:
> I'd be careful not to underestimate the Chinese manufacturing capability.
> They might very well have bought TTC to learn how to make a
> reliable TV transmitter.
>
> Also, in China, one factory makes a great product while the one next door
> makes a similar looking product that doesn't work very well. There are
> lots of high quality manufacturers in China, but also tons of low quality
> ones.    The trick is to use a manufacturer that understands the need for
> quality.  They do exist in China.

The same can be said for Japan, Tiawan, and Korea both historically and
now. Even the USA. Everyone has their high quality folks and their bottom
servers.

China as a whole the past 50 years has developed a reputation for less
than honorable activities however. Even when spoken with a straight face.
And that problem permiates all levels of manufacturing quality there. What
they can't buy (like TTC/Larcan), they attempt to obtain by less
scrupulous means. And when they get caught, it's messy.

Now, if the Chinese really did enforce the universally accepted laws on IP
like Japan and others now do, then it might be a different story. The
folks at Sony, Matsusita, and Smasumg, et al have really driven the point
home for their governments to protect their vested IP interests also
requires respecting those of their competitors.

Until China develops high value products from scratch with condsiderable
investment across multiple industries only to see them stolen by some
company in say, Bangladore, they will never get away from being today's 
world's manufacturer looking to make things at the lowest cost possible.

MM