Print-Rite Announces Suit with Epson Over Patent Rights

Print-Rite Unicorn (Print-Rite) has publicly confirmed it filed a suit against Epson, in China, in order to enforce its Chinese patent related to inkjet cartridges. This follows the court now issuing the notification of receipt of the complaint. RT Media broke the news earlier today, China time, having seen documents, filed on September 18, 2015, where Print-Rite, one of the largest remanufacturers in the world, has taken action in the YiChang Intermediate People’s Court against the defendant Epson China and Yichang Chuxing Weye Computer Limited Company.

According to the court documents, which are all in Chinese, Print-Rite believes that certain models of inkjet cartridges sold on the Chinese market under the “EPSON” trademark, infringes its patent. The purpose of the claim is to have Epson stop their infringement of our patent and to collect damages for the patent infringement, in accordance with Chinese law. Print-Rite has been researching and developing its own patented technologies since 1996. It claims to now hold more than 2,400 imaging patents, more than any other Aftermarket cartridge remanufacturer in the world.

Its first patent was for a filling system for inkjet cartridges and the inventor of that technology is still working in the company. The purpose of the claim is to have Epson stop their infringement of our patent and to collect damages for the patent infringement, in accordance with Chinese law.” According to its statement, Print-Rite says, “Throughout the development, sales and marketing process, Print-Rite respects the intellectual property rights of other companies and individuals and expects others to do the same.

Print-Rite is committed to taking legal action against anyone who does not respect Print-Rite’s intellectual property rights.”Arnald Ho, the Founding Chairman of Print-Rite, the first remanufacturer of print consumables to commence operations in China almost 35 years ago, told RT Media, “We invest heavily in the patenting process and respect the intellectual property of others.”Print-Rite, a major sponsor and exhibitor at RemaxWorld Expo in Zhuhai, China this week, will hold its annual Print-Rite Innovation Awards to identify inventions and innovations, and honor and reward inventors.

The presentations commence at 2:30pm on October 16 at the new Zhuhai Convention & Exhibition Centre. The lucrative print consumables industry, worth about US$80 billion globally, has seen legal battles abound in the last 3 years. Printer OEMs including HP, Canon, Brother, Samsung, Lexmark and Epson have been fiercely defending their intellectual property rights mainly with the Aftermarket. On October 2, 12 US Federal Circuit judges sat for a historic full bench, “en banc” hearing over the ongoing patent right dispute between OEM Lexmark International and cartridge remanufacturer Impression Products, in Washington DC. The issues relate to patent rights on the first sale of cartridges outside the USA (existing Jazz Photo patent law), and prebate cartridges sold inside the United States (existing Mallinckrodt patent law).Patent attorney Ed O’Connor, representing Impression Products expects the judges’ decision to be made mid-January.