Epson announced Epson America, Inc., Epson Portland Inc., and Seiko Epson Corp. reached a settlement with Planet Green Cartridges Inc., in its lawsuit accusing infringement of its ink cartridge patents and the unlawful selling of remanufactured cartridges across online retail venues. Under the terms of the settlement, Planet Green agreed to cease selling infringing remanufactured cartridges on its websites and Amazon’s storefront. The financial terms of the settlement are confidential.
The lawsuit was filed in April 2023 as part of Epson’s continuing efforts to combat a persistent culture of infringement and unfair competition that can be found not only with newly built compatible cartridges, but also with remanufactured cartridges.
“The settlement with Planet Green Cartridges ultimately benefits consumers, retail and distribution channels and the larger industry, underscoring the importance of respecting intellectual property rights and upholding a fair marketplace,” said Jilana Miller, assistant general counsel, Epson America. “Protecting intellectual property rights encourages innovation, which benefits consumers with the introduction of new technologies.”
Epson’s innovation has resulted in leading the industry with the launch of EcoTank printers that include supersized, easily refillable ink tanks and EcoFit ink bottles to help reduce the amount of cartridge waste ending up in landfills. EcoTank printers eliminate the need for cartridges entirely, and the time, energy and resources necessary to collect and ship empty cartridges for remanufacturing.
In the suit against Planet Green, Epson alleged infringement of claims from U.S. Patent No. 8,454,116 that were adjudicated in well-publicized actions filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”), resulting in a General Exclusion Order barring the importation of all newly built and remanufactured cartridges that infringe the claims. The settlement underscores Epson’s ongoing efforts to ensure legitimate resellers are allowed to compete fairly for sales of supplies for Epson printers in a market ecosystem promoting fair advertising and informed purchasing decisions.
About Epson
Epson is a global technology leader whose philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.
