XEROX ACCUSES SHARP…PATENT INFRINGEMENT

[Anonymous]

Xerox accuses Sharp of patent infringement
(May
2006) – Xerox Corp. filed suit this week against competitor Sharp
Corp., accusing the Japanese company of infringing on patents related
to its copiers, printers and multifunction machines.
The
14-page lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Marshall,
Texas, accuses Osaka, Japan-based Sharp and its U.S. subsidiary of
infringing on nine patents. The suit doesn’t name which specific
products violate the patents, and Xerox spokeswoman Christa Carone
would not detail which machines are involved.
“This is a lawsuit
that’s about Xerox protecting our valuable intellectual property,
something we take very seriously,” Carone said. She declined additional
comment.The patents cover areas including paper feeders, faxing
functions, control devices and software for xerographic devices, the
lawsuit said.The Rochester area’s fourth largest employer is seeking
unspecified damages, including payment for past violations, and asks
that Sharp be forced to stop selling products that violate the
patents.A spokesperson for Sharp could not be reached for comment.The
suit was filed in Texas because Sharp has an operation in Dallas. It
was unclear how long Sharp has to respond to the filing. Shares of
Xerox closed up 24 cents at $14.81.

[Author]

May 5, 2006 at 11:40 AM