Canon Names Larry Thorpe National Marketing Executive, Broadcast and Communication Division.

Business Editors

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2004

Canon U.S.A., Inc, a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), today announced the appointment of Laurence J. Thorpe to the position of national marketing executive for the broadcast and communications division.

A visionary who helped pioneer HD and digital production in the broadcast and motion picture industry, Thorpe recently retired from his post as senior vice president of content creation systems for the broadcast and production systems division at Sony Electronics Inc. Thorpe will help Canon expand Canon's already dominant position in the broadcast lens market.

"We are very excited about Larry's appointment," said Toru Yamasaki, director and general manager, broadcast and communications division at Canon U.S.A., Inc. "As a well respected leader in the broadcast and film industry, Larry brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Canon's already successful broadcast lens business."

Thorpe is a renowned expert in the field of video acquisition, and is a leader of the HDTV movement in the U.S. His impressive list of accomplishments includes pioneering HDTV market development in the U.S. Thorpe also holds ten patents in the field of broadcast development.

Thorpe joined Sony Electronics in 1982, where he spent more than 20 years leading the industry in HDTV development. Prior to Sony, he worked for RCA's Broadcast Division from 1966 to 1982, where he developed a range of color television cameras and telecine products. In 1981, Thorpe won the David Sarnoff Award for his innovations in automatic studio color cameras.

From 1961 to 1966, Thorpe worked in the Designs Dept. of the BBC in London, England, where he participated in the development of a range of color television studio products.

Thorpe is an IEE Graduate (1961) of the College of Technology in Dublin, Ireland and received his Chartered Engineer (C. Eng.) and MIEE distinction in 1966 from the Institution of Electrical Engineers in London, England.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and is ranked #39 on the Business Week list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2003. Canon Inc. achieved global revenues of $29.9 billion in 2003; $9.8 billion of which came from Canon Americas. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

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EDITORS Please note corporate contact information for this division:

For more information, please call Canon broadcast and communications division at 1-800-321-4388 or visit www.canonbroadcast.com.