By Lucy Sherriff for The Register.
This story has been reproduced with permission.
In a statement, the company said it was pursuing the matter in
Germany because that is where the refill kits are found. It did not
specify which patent it alleges has been infringed, but said that
the violation was discovered as part of an ongoing, global "testing
and enforcement" effort.
"Over the past year, [this initiative] has uncovered ink patent
infringements by other companies that offer generic ink supplies
through refilling stations or 'private label' brands," the company
said.
Pradeep Jotwani, senior VP of HP's supplies, imaging and
printing group, commented: "With more than 4,000 supplies patents,
representing a deep heritage of innovation, research and
development, HP will continue to vigourously defend intellectual
property violations wherever and whenever they are discovered."
HP's supplies business is where it makes its highest margins.
The company's long-running press "education" campaigns extolling
the virtues of HP original inks and papers over refills and generic
alternatives, are testament to how jealously it guards this
lucrative market.
© The Register
2006
