Trading printer supplies in a safe way.

„Resellers dealing with compatible consumables would be well advised to examine their sources of supplies very carefully and seek assurance from their suppliers that the merchandise does not infringe any intellectual property rights”, wrote German ChannelPartner on their website on 4th of December. This information gains new importance through the temporary injunctions which Samsung obtained against some resellers in Germany end of November. But how do you carry out your duty to inspect products?

Samsung’s action, which other original equipment manufacturers have already taken, may only be the thin end of the wedge. Whether it is the dealer or the end-user, it is rarely possible in practice to check the patent situation of an inkjet or toner cartridge in detail. It is a bit like the quality of printer supplies. You are only able to reliably assess it once it is too late. There are however a few indicators  which are often sufficient to identify a counterfeit.

If you look for compatible printer supplies, legal certainty is guaranteed to you by KMP. The largest family-owned company in Europe within the industry and founding member of ETIRA respects the intellectual property rights of both OEMs and competitors.

The appropriate consideration of each particular patent situation is an essential element of the product development process at KMP. To manage this challenge and to ensure legally compliant products, our own IP-experts cooperate with several patent attorneys in Munich, where the European Patent Office is located. KMP takes this action as a fair competitor in the market and therefore we can guarantee that KMP products are free of rights of third parties.