HP files patent infringement suit against four Hong Kong and Taiwan companies

HP files patent infringement suit against four Hong Kong and Taiwan companies

According to numerous reports, including The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News, Hewlett Packard has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court in San Francisco alleging that four Chinese companies, based in Hong Kong and Taiwan, infringed on its patents in ink cartridges and converted more than 300,000 original HP printheads and sold them worldwide as produced by Hong Kong-based Mipo. In addition to Mipo,other defendants include MicroJet Technology, PTC Holdings and SinoTime Technologies. MicroJet Technology is a Taiwanese printer cartridge maker, PTC Holdings is headquartered in Hong Kong, and SinoTime Technologies is a U.S. affiliate of Mipo.
 

HP has accused MicroJet of infringing upon six of its patents in ink cartridges and alleges that MicroJet sold these items under its own name or as part of generic or private-label cartridges sold to other companies, including Mipo and PTC. The suit further alleges that Mipo listed the patent-infringing cartridges on internet sales outlets such as Amazon.com and Craigslist. HP alleges that company representatives bought the products in question from Amazon.com between April and June 2009.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Hewlett Packard seeks to ban the defendants from selling the alleged patent-infringing products in addition to using its products (as in the allegation that the defendants converted original HP printheads). Together with other monetary awards, HP is seeking triple the damages suffered resulting from the alleged patent infringement.

Speaking on behalf of MicroJet, a company representative said that their lawyers are researching the situation but that Hewlet Packard never contacted them prior to the suit. While the representative confirmed that Mipo is a customer of MicroJet, he added that MicroJet has no ties to either SinoTime or PTC.


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