Allrightythen. The details of the ANN today indicate a negotiation is underway and "nothing material has changed to the financial, clinical or technical aspects of CYP001". Sounds good to me.
RossTheMac: "The purpose of this extension is to enable the parties to seek to accommodate certain requests made by Fujifilm in relation to structural aspects of the GvHD license agreement". Sounds.good.to.me.
IMO the ANN can be read as a form of saving face for both parties, and updating us on progress because the deadline came around. It's a pragmatic move by CYP under the circumstances considering who they are in negotiation with and how they should go about it.
Difficult to convey the subtle etiquette of Japanese business shenanigans but I think it's worth highlighting a few basic principles that might be in play. Close your eyes... visualise Ross the Mac replaying in his mind by bedside candlelight the discussions he's had with FUJ. Imagine these peculiarities woven into our current state of play. Might help you sleep. Probably not.
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Negotiating with Japanese:
- The Japanese normally negotiate in teams, each member of which has a different specialty.
- The members of the team may change or increase, as the Japanese wish as many members of their company as possible to get to know you.
- There will be a senior staff member present who will dictate tactics, but he is rarely the one who does the talking.
- Each member will ask questions within the field of his or her competence, using the best linguist as the interpreter.Their questions constitute an information-gathering process only.
- They are not about to make a decision based on your answers.
- However strong the team, they will have to refer back to the head office. Therefore, no decision will be made at the first meeting and probably not at the second.
- Their decisions will eventually be made by consensus; therefore, no person will stick out as an individual.
- The second meeting tends to go over the same ground as the first, but the questions will be in more depth — and will come from a different team.
- The Japanese negotiators bring their company's position to the table with little authority to change it, so there is little flexibility in their position.
- Flexibility is more evident between meetings, when they have checked with their head office.
- The Japanese are willing to go over the same information many times to avoid later misunderstandings and achieve clarity, although the ambiguities of their own speech style often leave Westerners far from clear on their intentions.
- They are cautious, skilled in stalling tactics and won't be rushed.
- Their decisions are long-term, for example: Do we want these people as partners in the future? Do we trust them? Is this the right direction for the company to be heading? Big decisions take time.
https://www.*.com/negotiating-with-japanese-2014-5
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FCDI IPS facility is slated for a March 2020 ribbon cut - keeping that in mind might help (re)align some timeframes and understand the urgencies FUJ have here.
Frustrating for sure. It is what it is. Don't lose face. Game on!
IMO etc.
(20min delay)
