On Monday 22 August Canon Inc. (“Canon”) filed proceedings for patent infringement against General Plastic Industrial Co. Ltd (GPI) and their subsidiary, Katun Corporation (Katun) in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
The patent in question is U.S. Patent No. 11,392,056 (the “’056 patent”) entitled “Developer Supply Container and Developer Supplying System” and was issued to Canon on the 19th July this year (2022).
Canon alleges that GPI and Katun have imported and sold “unauthorized” toner supply containers for use in one or more Canon copying machines in the United States and, according to Canon, the toner supply containers infringe one or more claims of the ’056 patent.
Katun has now issued a statement. “Katun is confident the products it is selling for use in Canon applications are non-infringing and we will work diligently to reach resolution on the issue with Canon,” said William McIntyre, General Counsel for Katun Corporation.
“Katun continues to lead the aftermarket industry for over 40 years in providing IP-compliant, high-quality products. Working together with our owners, GPI in Taiwan, we continue to invest significant resources into ensuring IP-compliance. This includes using robust processes and procedures, employing several intellectual property specialists, and relying heavily on subject matter expertise.”
