HP has secured a significant legal victory against Digital Revolution BV, the operator of the 123inkt online shop, in a Dutch court ruling that prohibits the sale of infringing printer cartridges across the European Union. The court ordered the company to pay daily fines of €5,000, capped at €500,000, for each day it fails to comply with the injunction. Digital Revolution must also hand over all infringing stock to HP, disclose its supply chain, and recall products from professional buyers. HP brought the case after test purchases revealed that the cartridges sold by Digital Revolution were relabeled versions of HP products with original labels and QR codes indicating they were first marketed outside the EU. Despite Digital Revolution’s defense, the court upheld the validity of HP’s design rights, emphasizing the uniqueness of certain aesthetic features like rounded corners. This ruling is a significant win for HP in protecting its intellectual property and could have broader implications for the third-party cartridge market in Europe.
