Czech Distributors Halt Sale of Infringing Toner Cartridges

Czech Distributors Halt Sale of Infringing Toner Cartridges

According to Spravnytoner.cz, Royal Office & Telecom S.R.O. (hereinafter referred to as Royal Office), one of the largest sellers of cartridges in the Czech Republic, has agreed to halt the sale of infringing compatible toner cartridges following a court dispute over patent claims by Canon Kabushiki Kaisha. It has also agreed to cover all legal costs associated with the case.

Royal Office & Telecom S.R.O. is one of the largest sellers of compatible toner cartridges in the Czech Republic. It sells cartridges under the trade name Printwell through its own online stores as well as other third-party online stores, including Officentrum. Among its products, the compatible toner cartridges for laser printers CE505A/CF280A/CRG719, brand Printwell, EAN (PIN) 8594030120545, are said to interfere with the rights of Canon, specifically its patent under the title “Process cartridge, electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and electrophotographic photosensitive drum unit”. This patent is valid in the Czech Republic and other European Union member states.

The lawsuit against the Royal Office was filed by the Association of Toner Renovators, an organization aimed to renovate toner cartridges in the Czech Republic. Despite not collaborating with Canon, the Association pursued legal action without claiming full compensation. The case was brought before the Regional Court in Prague, where Royal Office fully acknowledged the claim. Consequently, the company agreed to discontinue the sale of the aforementioned toner cartridges and compensate the costs of the court proceedings. The settlement and Royal Office’s commitment to preventing anti-competitive conduct were approved by Judge Mgr. Alena Šindelářová, who presided over the case.

The Association of Toner Renovators believes that the court’s decision sets an important precedent for other sellers. The Association is preparing further lawsuits against the seller.

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