The company had been accused of infringing patents relating to its 3D printer’s design, but Chinese IP authorities declared the accusation invalid.
Print-Rite’s CoLiDo Duo 1.0 3D printer
The case was begun by Zhuhai CTC Electronic Co., Ltd., and claimed that the design of Print-Rite’s first CoLiDo 3D printer model – the 1.0 – had infringed its patents, but the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China “officially declared” the case “invalid”. Print-Rite stated that “this means all patent infringement accusations [against] Print-Rite’s CoLiDo 3D printer are invalid”, with the case references 201330341637 and 201320463657 being those concluded.
Commenting that “actions speak louder than words”, Print-Rite noted that “we have to stress that we respect intellectual property rights”, adding that “this is a core part of our DNA as being a leader in the aftermarket industry. We carry on outperforming ourselves in innovation and setting standards in the industry”.
78 patents have been granted to Print-Rite for the CoLiDo range of 3D printers, with 38 of these “granted on the basis of invention”, while three are currently being processed. Print-Rite said that the “mission” of its 3D printers is to “develop 3D printing technology and provide accessibility to 3D printers to enable everyone to enjoy the beauty, creativity, and utility of 3D printing technology. We are committed to this mission as always”.
Print-Rite first announced its 3D printers in April 2014, with the first CoLiDo printer officially launched in June 2014. The company’s range expanded to three more models in October 2014, and it presented a seminar about 3D printing at Remanexpo@Paperworld 2015.