The OEM has begun legal proceedings against dozens of companies, claiming patent infringement.
Canon has taken out lawsuits in various district courts across the USA, accusing dozens of entities of patent infringement, via 32 separate lawsuits. The accused companies include such well-known aftermarket names as Aster, Ninestar Corporation, Static Control, and Print-Rite.
The alleged infringements all refer to the same collection of patents held by the OEM, and all concern its Process Cartridge, Electrophotographic Image Forming Apparatus, and Electrophotographic Photosensitive Drum Unit.
The patents in questions are the 9,746,826 patent (‘the ‘826 patent’); the 9,836,021 patent (‘the ‘021 patent’); the 9,841,727 patent (‘the ‘727 patent’); the 9,841,728 patent (‘the ‘728 patent’); the 9,841,729 patent (‘the ‘729 patent’); the 9,857,764 patent (‘the ‘764 patent’), the 9,857,765 patent (‘the ‘765 patent’); the 9,869,960 patent (‘the ‘960 patent’); and the 9,874,846 patent (‘the ‘846 patent’).
Canon is accusing the companies of infringement, via the import and/or offer of sale of toner cartridges, containing elements allegedly contravening these patents. The cartridges alleged to be in violation of Canon’s patents are for us in a range of Canon and HP laser beam printers, including models from Canon’s imageCLASS, imageRUNNER, and i-SENSYS lines, as well as HP’s LaserJet Pro and LaserJet Enterprise ranges.
According to the OEM, 21 defendants infringed all nine patents cited. These companies are:
- ACM Technologies
- Apex Excel Ltd (operating as ShopAt247)
- Arlington Industries
- Aster
- Bluedog Distribution
- CLT Computers (operating as Multiwave, and MWave)
- EIS Office Solutions
- Frontier Imaging
- Garvey’s Office Products Inc.
- Ink Technologies Printer Supplies
- Kuhlmann Enterprises Inc. (operating as Precision Roller)
- LD Products
- Master Print Supplies (operating as HQ Print)
- Online Tech Stores LLC & Imaging Supplies Investors LLC
- Print After Print
- Print-Rite
- Reliable Imaging Computer Products
- Zinyaw LLC (operating as both Supply District, and TonerPirate.com)
A further 20 companies have been accused by Canon of violating seven of the nine aforementioned patents – all but the ‘729 and ‘764 patents. These companies are:
- 9010-8077 Quebec (operating as Zeetoner)
- Acecom Inc. – San Antonio (operating as InkSell.com)
- Billiontree Technology (operating as Toner Kingdom)
- Ereplacements LLC
- Fairland LLC (operating as ProPrint)
- FTrade Inc. (operating as ValueToner)
- GPC Trading Co. Ltd. (operating as GPC Image)
- Hong Kong Boze Co. Ltd. (operating as Greensky)
- I8 International (operating as Ink4Work)
- Kingway Group
- Linkyo Corp. (operating as SuperMediaStore.com)
- Ninestar Corporation
- Static Control
- V4INK
Of the 32 lawsuits brought, four were in the District Court for the Eastern District of New York; two each were in the District Court for Arizona, and the Northern District of Illinois; and single lawsuits were brought to the Northern, Western, and Southern Districts of Texas, the Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee, the Southern District of Ohio, the Northern District of California, and the Middle District of North Carolina. The remaining lawsuits were all opened in the Central District of California.
Court papers seen by The Recycler show that in all 32 cases, Canon is seeking a Trial by Jury to both rule that the patents were infringed by the defendants, and also to permanently enjoin the accused from “further acts of infringement.”
The OEM also seeks damages from all of the accused companies, as well as payment of all its legal costs in relation to each lawsuit.
