Hewlett-Packard and three companies have settled several ongoing patent disputes concerning printer ink cartridges, although HP is still seeking legal action against seven other vendors for similar patent violations.
HP announced on 17 March that it had ended its dispute with three different companies and it was close to settling with a fourth vendor. The complaints stem from a 23 September, 2009 filing with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC). The HP complaint specifically related back to the sale of HP 02 compatible inkjet supplies that HP claimed violated certain patents.
As part of the new agreement, HP announced that it had settled patent disputes with two companies – InkPlus Toner.com and Comptree Ink – concerning the sales of these specific types of inkjet cartridge. The two companies agreed to stop selling their version of the ink cartridge and to pay HP an undisclosed amount of money.
In addition, HP announced that it is close to agreement to settle with another ink cartridge company called SmartOne Services. The specifics of that settlement were not announced.
Finally, HP announced that a judge agreed to end the investigation into a fourth company – Zhuhai Gree Magneto-Electric – after the vendor agreed to stop selling the cartridge.
The judge reviewing the case has also issued a default judgment again the other companies that were part of the original complaint. That part of that case is now under review by the ITC. Those companies include: ABCInk, EZ Label, and CDR DVDR Media; Mipo International; Mextec Group; Shanghai Angel Printer Supplies; Shenzhen Print Media; Zhuhai National Resources & Jingjie Imaging Products; Tatrix International; and Ourway Image.
While HP is still the world’s largest supplier of PCs, the company is also major supplier of ink and ink cartridges for printers. During the first financial quarter of 2010, HP’s imaging and printing division saw revenues of about $6.2 billion.
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I am flabbergasted that HP thinks it can get good publicity out of a lawsuit which is entirely about continuing its practice of gouging money from users.
There is very little information here about the actual result of these lawsuit, but it appears to be completely against the interest of users - ie manufacturers of cheaper ink cartridges have agreed to stop making them.
The HP "patents" are of little value except as a means to stop people opening up the HP ink market to fair competition, and it is outrageous that the company has been allowed to do this.
More people should realise that HP is actually propped up by its ink division, which makes more money than HP's servers.
And its efforts to keep people using wasteful expensive ink systems is also having a major impact on the environment.
the only thing to say in its favour is that a lot of other so-called "printer" vendors (actually ink suppliers) are nearly as bad.
But HP is the master of this sort of extortion.
Disgusted IT manager
nice article, this will help me!
There is very little information here about the actual result of these lawsuit, but it appears to be completely against the interest of users - ie manufacturers of cheaper ink cartridges have agreed to stop making them.
This genuine HP black inkjet print cartridge prints laser-quality black text and graphics. It's designed for superior reliability and ease of use. When used in conjunction with HP printers, this genuine HP inkjet print cartridge provides proactive alerts.
I really do not think this is a good bit of PR from HP.