HP Settles Brazilian Ink Cartridge Patent Litigation
Orange County — Hewlett-Packard has reached a deal with the Brazil-based Rio Branco, distributor of the Brazilian brand Maxprint, to put to rest litigation over HP’s integrated printhead inkjet cartridges, the company said Wednesday.
The matter was “amicably resolved,” HP said in a statement. Maxprint acknowledged that HP’s patents are valid and enforceable, as a condition of the settlement. The Brazilian company agreed to stop selling the cartridges in question in Brazil and in other countries where Maxprint-brand cartridges are sold.
HP is allowing Maxprint to sell any remaining inventory until Dec. 1, after which all infringing product sales by Maxprint will be cut off. Maxprint will also reimburse part of HP’s litigation costs.
The settlement resolves litigation HP filed in the Brazilian State Court of São Paulo in April 2011 alleging Maxprint was importing and selling HP-compatible inkjet print cartridges in Brazil that infringe HP patents.
HP has also reached agreements with several other companies regarding the sale of the same print cartridges in Brazil, as part of a wider patent enforcement program in the country. Those companies include Canal Verde, Ecologic Technologica, SOS Cartuchos and Suprijetof, all based in São Paulo, Edeltec of Maringá, Extralife Industria E Comercio of Santana de Parnaiba and Mipo Technology Ltd. of Hong Kong.
Each of the companies confirmed that the HP patents are valid and enforceable, that the products are covered by these patents and that each company would immediately take steps to cease offering or selling those products in Brazil, HP said.
“We are committed to pursuing legal enforcement to protect our technological innovations—not only the company’s intellectual property, but also the value we deliver to our customers,” Matthew Barkley, HP’s program manager for its Intellectual Property and Brand Protection Programs, said. “We will continue to monitor the marketplace for intellectual property infringements as part of our commitment to worldwide testing and enforcement efforts.”