- published: 12 Jul 2012
- views: 10038
Canon Inc. (キヤノン株式会社?) is a Japanese multinational corporation that specialises in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, including cameras, camcorders, photocopiers, steppers and computer printers. Its headquarters are located in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.
The company was originally named Kwanon by Goro Yoshida after the Buddhist bodhisattva Guan Yin, known in Japanese as Kannon. In 1934 it produced a prototype for Japan’s first-ever 35 mm camera with a focal plane shutter. In 1947 the company name was changed to Canon.
Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory is the predecessor of Canon Inc. and was founded in Tokyo in 1937 by Takeshi Mitarai, Goro Yoshida, Saburo Uchida and Takeo Maeda.
Today, the company produces digital compact and SLR cameras, photographic lenses, video camcorders, printers and analog and digital copiers for the office, including its line of imageRUNNER and imagePRESS digital multifunctional devices.
Canon was granted more than 2000 patents in the U.S. in 2008. It regularly places in the top five in the total number of patents granted.
Canon (Latin canon from Greek κανών "measuring rod, standard") may refer to any standard or convention. The corresponding adjective is canonical. English canon may also represent Latin canonicus "one who is canonical".
As a proper noun, Canon may also refer to:
A company is a business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be made to exist in law and then a company is itself considered a "legal person". The name company arose because, at least originally, it represented or was owned by more than one real or legal person.
In the United States, a company may be a "corporation, partnership, association, joint-stock company, trust, fund, or organized group of persons, whether incorporated or not, and (in an official capacity) any receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, or similar official, or liquidating agent, for any of the foregoing." In the US, a company is not necessarily a corporation.
In English law and in the Commonwealth realms a company is a body corporate or corporation company registered under the Companies Acts or similar legislation. It does not include a partnership or any other unincorporated group of persons, although such an entity may be loosely described as a company.