The Associated Press reported this week that Hewlett Packard Co. agreed on a settlement with three companies for infringement of the patent for ink cartridges. The details of the case have been reported by "Korea IT Times.com."
HP reportedly filed against a total of 11 companies, and the remaining companies, including Mipo International Ltd. of Hong Kong, have received a default judgment against them. "[We] expect the [International Trade] Commission to rule in favor of banning the importation of these goods from the companies," says HP.
This kind of ink cartridge infringement would have been a big issue in the past because the company's ink business has long been dismal, up until recently. Now, however, its ink cartridge business has been one of the most profitable services among HP's, trumping HP's personal computer division by 2.5 times greater in operating profit compared to last fiscal year.
