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February 22, 2006
Spilled Ink
Seiko
Epson has a well-established corporate policy of proactive patent licensing.
That proactivity is again evidenced by suing 24 companies before the U.S.
International Trade Commission (ITC), and in Portland, Oregon district court for
design and utility patent infringement over printer ink cartridges. Up to 30
patents are involved in these actions.
Last October, Epson successfully settled with U.K. firm CybaHouse to stop infringement. Other firms bowing to Epson's patent proclivity include Environmental Business Products, as well as Hong Kong-based Multi-Union Trading and its U.S. subsidiary Dynamic Print USA.
Epson is the world's second largest inkjet printer maker, behind Hewlett-Packard. Like razors and razor blades (razor blades being the money spinner), ink cartridges are the cash cow in the inkjet printer product line, not the printers themselves.
Posted by Patent Hawk at February 22, 2006 5:00 PM | Patents In Business