The US International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a seizure order on behalf of Epson against Straightoutaink.
The order was handed out by the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) to Straightoutaink in relation to the inkjet GEO awarded to Epson in the 337-TA-565 case. Earlier this year, another seizure order was handed out on behalf of HP Inc. in March.
72 orders were issued last year, with the two final orders to June Shen and Green Project. In early 2016, 11 were issued in January to: Smart and Easy Corp.; Appearances International; BCMY Corp.; Electric Zone Inc.; Ninestar; Prime Depot; Smart A Inc.; and then seven in February to Appearances International, Blue Planet Trading, Elmart Inc., MC Max, LLC, OW Supplies Corp., Topmay Inc and US Inker Technology.
Four were issued in early March to Amazon, JD Johnson, Ovacor Inc and Universal Ribbon Corporation, before seven more were handed out to five different companies later that month, including: two each to David & Yonathan Trade and United Toner LLC; and one each to Graphic Toners Inc; Katech Imaging; and Revol Trading. Another two reported in April included one for HT Tech Inc. and for Wando LLC.
In May, eight more were handed down to the following: three to Compandsave.com Inc; and one each to Compu-Imaging Inc; GMC Online Trading LLC; Quantum Tech International Inc; Spectrum Imaging LLC; and Xcess Technology Inc. In June, 11 more were issued, with six issued to LTS Consumables, Inc., Prinko Image Co. (USA) Inc., Carla Seminario, Smart and Easy Corp and Emerald Recycling LLC.
The Recycler also reported in June on five orders for EC Enterprise Inc., Laser Pros International, SID Trading Inc., Tech-Optics, Inc., and Widenrich Imaging Technologies LLC, Elmart Inc., PTS Portland Trade Services Inc., and Quantum Tech International Inc. Four more were handed out in July, to Inscribe Inc; Parcel Pack Express; Emerald Recycling LLC; and YMCK Systems Inc.
In September two orders made sure that 2016’s orders passed 2015’s total, with three handed to Audioland Electronic Corporation, before two further orders were handed out in October to 99 Ink Inc., and another in November to Straightoutaink. In addition to the three for Green Project in December 2016, two were handed respectively to Discount Ink Inc. and Golden State FC LLC.
In 2017, two more were handed out to A Smart Choice 3G and Manoj Diora, after the first of the year was handed out to CBD Group. Clover Technologies/Cartridges Are US had been handed an order for infringing the ‘723 GEO at the start of the year, but this was later rescinded, with Matt Gavronski, Clover Technologies Group’s Associate General Counsel, telling The Recycler that “while the cartridge components in question were initially denied entry by Customs, the components were found not to violate the GEO and have been released to Clover”.
Additionally, another order was recently rescinded, having been issued in 2016 to Green Project, and which also referred to the ‘723 HP Inc inkjet GEO from 2011.