HP and Freshfields successfully defend printer cartridges in Munich

In a series of lawsuits concerning various patents, Hewlett Packard Development is taking action at Munich Regional Court against several European and Chinese companies of the Ninestar Group. One of them is CaiLuo which sold Doreink brand printer cartridges on platforms such as Amazon. According to HP, the Doreink cartridges use HP’s patented technology.

The latest ruling concerns patent in suit EP 2 335 120, entitled “Partition Map”. This protects a partition table in a printing system that optimises access to and use of printing parameters in the cartridge storage device. HP accuses CaiLuo Technology of infringing this patent with its replicas of printer cartridges types 963 XL and 912 XL.

The 21st Civil Chamber agreed with HP’s assessment. The panel, presided over by Judge Georg Werner, ordered CaiLuo to cease and desist, provide information, render accounts, destroy the products, recall them and pay damages (case ID: 21 O 4925/24). According to JUVE Patent information, the defendant will appeal the decision.

CaiLuo is a subsidiary of the Chinese Ninestar Corporation, one of the world’s largest printer cartridge manufacturers. Both are based in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai and the latter is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The defendant sold the infringing printer cartridges for HP printers on Amazon, among other platforms, under the brand name “Doreink”.

More to come

Hewlett Packard Development brought four patent infringement suits against CaiLuo Technology at the Munich Regional Court. In addition to EP 120, EP 3 530 470, EP 3 688 602 and EP 3 183 121 are also subject to infringement suits. For EP 470 and EP 602, the Chinese defendant largely acknowledged the plaintiff’s claims (case IDs: 21 O 4021/24 and 21 O 4928/24). In proceedings concerning EP 121, the court dismissed the action at first instance. An appeal against this decision is pending (case ID: 6 U 2238/25 e).

Further actions concerning patents EP 470 and EP 602, which CaiLuo Technology has acknowledged, are pending at the Munich Regional Court against Ninestar and some of its European and Chinese group companies (case ID: 21 O 3846/25 and Az. 21 O 3916/25).

Additionally, HP is taking action regarding printer cartridges against another Chinese company by the name of Ouguan Electronic Technology and a German distributor Andreas Rentmeister at the UPC. The patents-in-suit EP 2 826 630, EP 3 530 469 and EP 3 835 965 originate from the same patent families as those in the Munich Regional Court proceedings. The patent owner claims these are infringed by successor models of the printer cartridges challenged at the national court (case IDs: CFI_449/2025 and CFI_515/2025).

Chinese desk

A Freshfields team led the action on behalf of Hewlett-Packard Development. Düsseldorf-based partner Frank-Erich Hufnagel and counsel Corin Gittinger of the Berlin office led the case.  The associates Henning Gutheil, Vanessa Werlin and Richard Wunderlich assisted. The firm also represents Hewlett Packard in the UPC proceedings against Dolby.

Patent attorneys Michael Lohse and Eva Liesegang of mixed firm Boehmert & Boehmert provided technical advice.

ZhuHai CaiLuo Technology relied on CBH Rechtsanwälte. Litigators Paul Szynka, Hannes Jacobsen were assisted by Julian Kammüller. The team cooperated with patent attorney Katja Dauster of Ruff, Wilhelm, Beier, Dauster & Partner in technical matters.