Print-Rite Settles with Canon

Arnald Ho, Chairman and CEO of Print-Rite, has told Recycling Times that his group of companies has settled with Canon on the recent coupling gears lawsuits in New York’s Southern District Court and the United States International Trade Commission (USITC).

According to the company’s official statement, “The Print-Rite group, including Print-Rite N.A. Inc., Union Technology International (Macao Commercial Offshore) Company Limited, Print-Rite Unicorn Image Products Company Limited, Innotex Precision Limited, and Print-Rite Holdings Limited (collectively, “Print-Rite”), has reached settlement agreement with Canon. It resolves both the ITC investigation and the district court case accusing Print-Rite of patents infringement.”

Print-Rite said it’s finalizing its plans for introduction of redesigned cartridges that avoid Canon’s patents, and it will inform customers as soon as the new cartridges are available for sale.

Print-Rite has been awarded numerous patents for its innovations and has over 2,200 patents and pending applications worldwide and remains committed to continued investments to benefit and protect its customers.

Recycling Times reported on January 29, 2014, Canon USA filed lawsuits in New York’s Southern District Court against 18 toner cartridge remanufacturers and other aftermarket suppliers. As was revealed by Canon, five Print-Rite related companies became defendants in this case, including Print-Rite Holdings Ltd, Print-Rite N.A., Inc., Print-Rite Unicorn Image Products Co., Ltd, Union Technology Int’l (M.C.O.) Co., Ltd and Innotex Precision Ltd. The OEM asserted the companies infringed patents related to its OPC drum gears of toner cartridges used in more than 50 models of Canon and Hewlett-Packard laser beam printers. Thus, Canon sought damages and injunctive relief. According to Canon, those companies have infringed its U.S. Patent Nos. 8,135,304; 8,280,278; 8,369,744; 8,433,219; 8,437,669; 8,494,411; 8,532,533; 8,565,640; and 8,630,564.

At the beginning of May, Canon filed a complaint with the USITC against 33 manufacturers, distributors and sellers of toner cartridges for infringement of nine patents. Print-Rite’s five related companies were listed again. Canon claimed the companies had infringed nine of its patents (Nos. 8,135,304; 8,280,278; 8,369,744; 8,565,640; 8,630,564; 8,676,085; 8,676,090; 8,682,215; and 8,688,008); the patents related to a “dongle type rotating arm on the OPC drum used in more than 50 models of Canon and Hewlett-Packard laser beam printers”. Canon requested the Commission to issue a general exclusion order, or, at the very least, a limited exclusion order, forbidding entry into the United States of all toner cartridges and components that infringe the asserted patents.