Time and Ink Running Out for Printer Cartridges?

News agency Reuters has reported that Tokyo based Recycle Assist, manufacturers of recycled ink cartridges, has lost a long-running court battle with Canon – it began in 2004 – over infringement of patent rights. Japan’s Supreme Court ruled in favour of Canon, dismissing an appeal in lower court and granted it an injunction blocking further sales and imports of cartridges. It will take a while for the implications of the judgement to become apparent but it could spell trouble for the hundreds of companies making and selling refilled, recycled and ‘compatible’ cartridges, and not just for Canon model, potentially it could have far-reaching effects across the whole industry.