PVI to buy E Ink for $215 million

You may not know who Taiwan-based Prime View International is but the makers of the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader sure do. See, PVI is the company that builds the electronic paper displays for the world's most popular ebook readers. Now, it's also the expectant owner of US-based E Ink and all the associated patents that come with. The deal, if approved by government regulators, is expected to close by October.

[iFargle @ Jun 1st 2009 4:21AM]

Why doesn't Sony or Amazon pony up the money? Or more?

[Plothole @ Jun 1st 2009 5:02AM]

E-Ink doesn't actually manufacture the screens themselves. PVI supplies the ones found in the Sony Reader and Amazon Kindle, among others.

[Plothole @ Jun 1st 2009 5:03AM]

*So it wouldn't be very efficient for them to buy them. (especially not Amazon)

[KillaKam @ Jun 1st 2009 4:25AM]

Gotta love that picture...

[Miles @ Jun 1st 2009 4:28AM]

I still want one of these eInk ebook readers.
I can't even imagine how great it'd be to have all my manga and ebooks on the go.
No more trips to the library either.

[Boards of Canada @ Jun 1st 2009 4:56AM]

Yeah, I know what you mean... Im a big fan of France and Belgium comics (Bande Dessine) for which I use my laptop but for black and white manga, a Ebooks reader would be a must. Still I think 300$ is just too expensive for this device. I'll wait for a Sony at 199$ before buy.

[Jon Doe. @ Jun 1st 2009 10:05AM]

Wait for it to go color. The graphic novel (Read: Comic Book) industry is going to be all over e-ink like Fat Albert on a Hoho.

[miko34 @ Jun 1st 2009 4:45AM]

Hold on. We need this company in America.
We don't have that many left.

Let me go check my wallet first. I might have some--
Oh crap.

[tobz1000 @ Jun 1st 2009 7:41AM]

Maybe you shouldn't've spent all weekend impulse buying those cute little proprietorships, eh?

[Plothole @ Jun 1st 2009 4:59AM]

I wonder how this will affect companies like Plastic Logic and Polymer Vision?

[lian996 @ Jun 1st 2009 7:17AM]

I have the Sony PRS-505 and I have to say its one of the best purchases I've made in quite awhile. While it doesn't have the free wireless of the Kindle, I love the looks compared to the Kindle and reading with it is truly a pleasure (this coming from someone who used to read novels on computers and phones). Muuuuuch less eye-fatigue and the battery lasts for what seems like ever.

I also wasn't too worried about finding books for it since there are many places to find *cough* "free" versions of many popular books online...

[Jim E @ Jun 1st 2009 7:47AM]

I'm fine with some international buyouts but this one really upsets me. We actually invent something cool here and then we sell the patents off with the whole company. I don't agree with Amazon buying them (that would give one brand too much control over the technology), but I do think it should stay here in the US. You know they are making money (at least I hope they are).

It could be they view this as a "stop-gap" technology until other screen methods can mimic the readability as well as perform like standard backlit displays. If that is the case they may be cashing out while they can, but I still disagree with the sale.

[sam @ Jun 1st 2009 9:28AM]

'You' invented something cool there... and then got another company in Taiwan to actually manufacture it? Sorry, I think it's a bit late to be calling foul on globalisation when the Taiwanese company turns round and buys the American one.

I'm sure there are many cases where US companies have bought out overseas innovators, too.

I was thinking about complaining that this reduces competition, but in fact it doesn't; before this there was (as I understand it) basically no competition for e-ink displays anyway.

[Michael Leung @ Jun 1st 2009 7:58AM]

So... the rights to the tech or the tech itself? I'm feeling really stupid today.

[stromm @ Jun 1st 2009 9:52AM]

When is the US government going to realize that foreign ownership of US "based" companies is bad for our economy?

Non-US countries are smarter though. You don't see too many US companies owning businesses outside the US. Not anymore at least.

[tekd @ Jun 2nd 2009 4:20PM]

It's not bad for your economy, half the companies in China are half-owned by foreign companies and it's plenty good for their economy.
The only time it's bad is if almost all the companies in your country are foreign-owned and the companies basically strip away natural resources and charge insane prices because of a lack of competition...but that doesn't apply to most cases.
Quit being paranoid.

[xconan @ Jun 3rd 2009 12:18AM]

you probably also want toyota manufacturing plants out of smyrna and mercedes out of the south so that people will buy gm vehicles??? flawed logic.

[sweet greggo @ Jun 1st 2009 10:31AM]

The Kindle's price just went up $50.

[Jon Doe. @ Jun 1st 2009 12:29PM]

No because the majority of the Kindle's price is due to the lifetime of Sprint Access on their EVDO network. The e-ink display is a minor point in the price. That and do you actually think the company gives price breaks to US companies? If so I would say you are quite possibly the most naive person on the planet when it comes to business.
No this will do NOTHING to the price.

[Jon Doe. @ Jun 1st 2009 12:22PM]

Meh. Wait until the US becomes a third world country and the jobs and companies will come back. *blinks* Huh? You thought I was kidding? OK only just partially. Manufacturing crap in the US is expensive. Cost of living and frankly consumerism needs to make its way to China/India/Middle Eats at which point there is no reason for US companies to flee the US. It will take a generation to get there, but it will. Meantime people in the US need to come to the realization that China is going to ellipse us within 20 year. The US will always be a major power in the world, unless we REALLY FUBAR something up.
But simply put China has too many resources (Both material and man.) to be anything but a world leader. The only reason they haven't yet is one they are trying to put a square peg into a round hole with simply brute force. Look at the Three Gorges Dam project? Look at polution in Beijing. Too damn fast. And the result is going to be a mess. Also they have no freaking clue what to do with inland cities and resources that are being ignored for massive development for the coastal cities\region. I fully expect another uprising within 10 years as people in the poorer parts of China realize that other parts are getting massive preferential treatment. Once that settles....they are going to be a massive force to deal with.
Which is why for 8 years I've looked at Bush as some tard who is so preoccupied with some shiny quarter on the ground that he's missing the semi barreling down on him. Lets see if Obama can hear the horn honking at him. The problem with him is that he has almost a decade of a disaster to clean up, thank you Shrug, before we can really "deal" with China. (Which in a way we are with trying to get schools to a level that doesn't suck butt, modernize our infrastructure, and actually have foreign relations.)

We'll see what happens. *shrugs* Meanwhile loosing a single company to another country is the least of our worries. Its like getting preoccupied with a pin prick while your hand has been cut off and its hemmoraging badly. Now if there are enough pin pricks, yah. Deal with it.
But for now. Auto industry anyone?