QTR-Quadtone RIP

Carl Schofield wrote:

>I wonder how long they will be able to rely on importing 
>cartridges, given the constant court challenges by Epson.
>This recent one was noted this AM on the DPR printing forum:
> http://www.wideformatonline.com/content/view/678/86/

>Does this recent ruling affect MIS?

Even assuming some companies do not infringe the patents, fewer competitors
probably means higher prices.

Note that I believe the exclusion order should not issue.   Even if they can
qualify as a domestic business due to some subsidiaries here, the law does
not support exclusion by the ITC (as opposed to Epson using normal private
remedies) when competition in the US is damaged, which it will certainly be
if third party ink providers are damaged.

The law provides, in part:

"Section 19 U.S.C. 1337.  Unfair practices in import trade 
...
(d) Exclusion of articles from entry 

(1) If the Commission determine ... that there is a violation of this
section, it shall direct that the articles concerned, imported by any person
violating the provision of this section, be excluded from entry into the
United States, UNLESS [emphasis added], after considering the effect of such
exclusion upon the public health and welfare, competitive conditions in the
United States economy, the production of like or directly competitive
articles in the United States, and United States consumers, it finds that
such articles should not be excluded from entry..."

At this point it's more political than anything, which may be why Epson put
some sort of facility in Texas.  Pardon my cynicism.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 




On Oct 29, 2007, at 4:54 PM, Paul Roark wrote:

>>> ... With no 3rd party inks for your 3800, ...
>
>> At the end of September MIS received some 3800 funnel fill 
>>test  cartridges.
>> They were looking for beta testers then. ...