HP RESOLVES INK CTG PATENT LAWSUIT

[Anonymous]

HP resolves inkjet patent suit
PALO
ALTO, Calif. Hewlett Packard Co. said Tuesday it resolved a patent
dispute with a Chinese maker of inkjet printer cartridges.The
settlement resolves a lawsuit HP filed in federal court last year
against Chinese cartridge maker Ninestar Image Co., in which HP alleged
Ninestar was violating HP’s patents for replacement printer cartridges
that work with HP printers.

Financial terms were not disclosed.
At
HP’s request, the U.S. International Trade Commission also launched an
investigation of the matter.In a prepared statement, HP said Ninestar
agreed that HP’s parents were valid and would stop selling the
cartridges in the U.S. and other countries.

Hewlett-Packard Settles Inkjet Patent Suit
Hewlett-Packard 
said a Chinese maker of inkjet cartridges that had infringed H-P
patents will no longer sell the offending wares in the U.S.H-P
announced a settlement with Ninestar on Tuesday, nine months after
suing the company in U.S. federal court and filing a complaint with the
International Trade Commission. Ninestar makes replacement ink
cartridges that are compatible with several H-P printers.According to
H-P, Ninestar has acknowledged the validity of H-P’s patents and has
agreed to stop selling the cartridges in the U.S. and in certain other
countries where the patents are held.A representative from Ninestar,
which is based in Guangdong, China, but has offices in Montclair,
Calif., was not available for comment.Inkjet cartridges provide a key
portion of H-P’s $6.2 billion annual profit, and the company regularly
cracks down on companies it believes are infringing its
patents.Tuesday’s settlement comes as H-P faces a new threat to its
inkjet business. Photo giant Eastman Kodak has announced plans to sell
inkjet printers and replacement cartridges. Kodak says its technology
will allow it to sell replacement cartridges for half the price of
those available today. 

[Author]

March 9, 2007 at 11:38 AM