*NEWS*EPSON BATTLES AFTERMARKET & WINS

Toner News Mobile Forums Latest Industry News *NEWS*EPSON BATTLES AFTERMARKET & WINS

Date: Thursday March 17, 2005 11:11:00 am
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  • Anonymous
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    Epson Battles the Aftermarket and Wins
    Court Rules PrintRite Brand Remanufactured Cartridges Infringe
    Epson’s Patents

    According to a news release
    from Epson,a federal judge has issued a summary judgment ruling in a patent
    infringement lawsuit against Multi-Union Trading Co.Ltd. that decisively holds
    that the defendant’s ink cartridges infringe Epson’s patents. The lawsuit was
    brought in April 2001 in Portland, Ore., by Epson America Inc., Epson Portland
    Inc. and Seiko Epson Corp. against Multi-Union Trading Co. Ltd., a Hong
    Kong-based company that is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of
    aftermarket ink cartridges. The infringing cartridges are often sold in the
    United States under the PrintRite brand and in generic packaging.

    Rejecting the defendant’s
    arguments of non-infringement and patent invalidity, the Court found that 23
    models of cartridges sold for use in Epson printers infringe Epson’s principal
    patent claims.

    However, according to
    Associated Press reports, the judge did not order that the inkjet cartridges
    made by Print-Rite Holdings, Multi-Union Trading Co. and Dynamic Print USA Inc.
    be removed from the market. Instead, a trial is scheduled for September on
    several defenses against the claims and a request for monetary damages made by
    Epson.

    A cursory review of the decision reveals that the Court found that
    patented technology for dot matrix printers also includes inkjet printing
    technology, as Epson had argued.

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