The Honorable Paul J. Luckern issued an Enforcement Initial Determination on April 17 that finds Ninestar, which sells ink cartridges under the “G&G” and “OA-100” brands, repeatedly imported into the United States and sold after importation cartridges that infringe certain patents owned by Epson in violation of the General Exclusion Order and certain Limited Exclusion Orders and Cease and Desist Orders issued on October 19, 2007 by the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”).
The decision recommended that the ITC impose a penalty of US$ 20,504,974.16 jointly and severally against Ninestar Technology Co. Ltd. of Zhuhai, China and its two affiliated US companies, Ninestar US and Town Sky.
The judge also found four other companies violated the ITC’s Orders and recommended penalties in the amount of US$ 9,700,000 against Mipo International Ltd. and Mipo America Ltd., as well as US$ 700,000 against Ribbon Tree USA Inc. doing business as Cana-Pacific Ribbons Inc. and Apex Distributing Inc.
The penalty against Ninestar is the largest penalty that has ever been recommended by an ITC judge.
Penalties have been assessed only infrequently in the reported history of the ITC. They are collected by and for the United States government.
Filed under: Industry News | Tagged: 3rd party compatible inkjet cartridges, inkjet, ITC |
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