Supreme Court of Washington recently gave a green signal for hearing the Patent case filed by Lexmark International, which makes toner cartridges for use in its printers, can use Patent law to stop companies from refilling and selling the cartridges.
Lexmark sold the cartridges in question on the condition that they shall not be reused after the ink ran out.
Impression Products, a small company in Charleston, W.Va., nonetheless bought Lexmark cartridges in the United States and abroad, refurbished them and sold them more cheaply than Lexmark does.
Advocacy groups including Public Knowledge and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a brief supporting Impression Products, saying Lexmark’s approach was part of a disquieting trend.
Article source: Nytimes