*NEWS*HP RESOLVES INK CTG PATENT LAWSUIT

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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. 

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March 9, 2007 at 11:38 AM