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acecolor · 发表于 2009-5-6 13:07:54

U.S. ITC Judge Recommends US$ 20.5 Million Penalty Against Ninestar, Which Sells Ink Cartridges under the "G&G" and "OA-100" Brands, for Violations of Orders to Cease and Desist from Continued Infringement of Epson Patents（http://www.epson.co.jp/e/newsroom/2009/news_20090501_2.htm ）
纳思达公司违反美国国际贸易委员会的禁止令，继续向美国出口侵犯爱普生专利权的“G&G”和“OA-100”品牌墨盒，美国国际贸易委员会行政法官建议对纳思达公司处以2050万美元的罚款。
Paul J. Luckern法官认为纳思达公司违反美国国际贸易委员会2007年10月19日颁发的普遍排除令、有限排除令和禁止令，继续向美国出口侵犯爱普生专利权的“G&G”和“OA-100”品牌墨盒，因此，Paul J. Luckern法官签发了初步执行裁决。
该初步执行裁决建议美国国际贸易委员会对珠海纳思达公司和其两家美国附属公司美国纳思达公司和Town Sky公司处以20,504,974.16美元的罚款。Luckern法官也发现有另外四家公司违反美国国际贸易委员会的裁决，因此也建议对麦普国际公司和麦普美国公司处以970万美元的罚款，对以Cana-Pacific Ribbons 名义开展业务的Ribbon Tree美国公司和Apex公司处以70万美元的罚款。对纳思达公司的罚款是美国国际贸易委员会行政法官有史以来建议的最高罚金，美国国际贸易委员会历史上也很少对被告处以罚款，该罚款将由美国ZF征收和收缴。
2006年至2007年，美国国际贸易委员会经过调查，认为涉案的爱普生专利是有效的、可实施的，并且有上千款产品侵犯了爱普生的这些专利，因此，美国国际贸易委员会于2007年10月19日裁决发出了普遍排除令、有限排除令和禁止令。2008年，美国国际贸易委员会决定对几家中国和美国公司是否违反裁决继续向美国进口和销售侵犯爱普生专利权的墨盒展开执行程序调查，Luckern法官的裁决就是这一执行程序调查的结果。
2009年1月，Luckern法官举行了执行程序的审判，纳思达公司作为被告参加，其余四家公司缺席。根据审判中提交的大量证据，法官认为所有被告将侵权墨盒进口到美国和/或者进口后在美国市场销售的行为违反了普遍排除令、有限排除令和禁止令，Luckern法官驳回了纳思达公司所有的答辩。
– TOKYO, Japan, May 1, 2009 –
The Honorable Paul J. Luckern issued an Enforcement Initial Determination on April 17 that finds Ninestar, which sells ink cartridges under the "G&G" and "OA-100" brands, repeatedly imported into the United States and sold after importation cartridges that infringe certain patents owned by Epson in violation of the General Exclusion Order and certain Limited Exclusion Orders and Cease and Desist Orders issued on October 19, 2007 by the U.S. International Trade Commission ("ITC").
The decision recommended that the ITC impose a penalty of US$ 20,504,974.16 jointly and severally against Ninestar Technology Co. Ltd. of Zhuhai, China and its two affiliated US companies, Ninestar US and Town Sky. The judge also found four other companies violated the ITC's Orders and recommended penalties in the amount of US$ 9,700,000 against Mipo International Ltd. and Mipo America Ltd., as well as US$ 700,000 against Ribbon Tree USA Inc. doing business as Cana-Pacific Ribbons Inc. and Apex Distributing Inc. The penalty against Ninestar is the largest penalty that has ever been recommended by an ITC judge. Penalties have been assessed only infrequently in the reported history of the ITC. They are collected by and for the United States government.
Judge Luckern's ruling arises from enforcement proceedings that were instituted in 2008 by the ITC to determine whether the seven Chinese and U.S. companies continued to import into the United States and sell after importation infringing ink cartridges in violation of the ITC's General Exclusion Order, Limited Exclusion Orders and Cease and Desist Orders that were entered on October 19, 2007. These Orders were entered after the ITC completed an investigation in 2006-2007 and determined that patents belonging to Epson were valid, enforceable, and infringed by over one thousand accused products.
Judge Luckern conducted an enforcement trial in January 2009 that was defended by the Ninestar companies. The other four respondents defaulted. Based on the extensive evidence presented at the enforcement trial, the judge found that all of the enforcement respondents imported into the United States and/or sold after importation infringing cartridges repeatedly in violation of the ITC's General Exclusion Order, Limited Exclusion Orders and Cease and Desist Orders. The judge also rejected all of Ninestar's defenses.