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Ninestar Files Ink-Cartridge Patent-Infringement Lawsuit

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This week in the irony department, The Recycler reported today that China’s Ninestar – itself in the past accused of toner- and ink-cartridge patent infringement by Canon Inc., as well as ink-cartridge patent infringement by Epson and HP Inc. – is suing another Chinese company for ink-cartridge patent infringement.

According to The Recycler, Ninestar reported that in late April, Zhuhai Gongbei customs in China seized 360 ink cartridges – designed for use with HP inkjet printers – that are suspected of infringing on Ninestar’s intellectual property..

Ninestar said it “found the above mentioned cartridges was suspected of infringing its own IP and submitted an application for intellectual property protection measures on the goods involved on the spot.”

Ninestar originally began legal proceedings against Zhuhai Zhengyin in 2018, accusing it of infringing its Chinese patent No. ZL201220712945.2, which the Ninestar  acquired for its independently developed ‘Negative Pressure Generating Mechanism’ – a technology the company designed to offer “good control of negative pressure” in its ink cartridges that are designed for use with HP inkjet printers.

A Chinese court subsequently ordered Zhengyin to pay an undisclosed amount in damages to Ninestar, and prohibited Zhengyin  from making, selling and offering for sale the infringing cartridges.

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