Tricia Judge looks at the U.S. International Trade Commission’s focus on trade problems that affect the industry. The USITC has launched a recent investigation into trade in remanufactured goods.
The OEMS are taking a tough stance on patent-infringing products in a time that has seen more of these types of actions than ever before. Scores of industry players are still importing infringing products, and every dealer and distributor of infringing products is a potential target for a lawsuit. The folks who dabble or deal in these products are not good industry citizens; they are stealing customers and then misleading them. Misled customers often become confirmed OEM customers, because they never want to repeat a bad experience with a "compatible" cartridge. Report any suspicious products or misuse of the STMC logo to the Int'l ITC. Visit www.i-itc for more information.
In this column, Tricia Judge, attorney and executive director of the Int’l ITC, provides insight on industry legal issues.
Within days of each other, two ITC members reported suspicious competing products that they had discovered in their respective states of California and Texas. Both involved brand-new products, but with differences in the packaging. Both were bought by previous customers at comparatively low prices, even to those offered by remanufacturers.
The voided warranty issue is a common one in the printer marketplace, so it's important to know your rights. Here's how it goes: A customer requests service from the authorized dealer or salesperson, who discovers that the customer is using remanufactured or aftermarket (non-OEM) supplies, then tells the customer that using these supplies voids the printer warranty. But in the printer industry, it is rare that the customer has actually forfeited the right to buy outside supplies. Warranties can only be voided when the third-party product caused the damage to the printer.