Printer manufacturer Lexmark International Inc. scored the first point in a lawsuit against Static Control Components Inc. (SCC) Wednesday, when it won a temporary court order requiring SCC to stop making and selling a microchip used in remanufactured laser printer toner cartridges.
SCC"s Imaging Division supplies components to companies that remanufacture laser printer toner cartridges by refilling, refurbishing and repackaging them.
Lexmark filed suit against SCC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on Dec. 30, alleging violation of the Copyright Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Lexmark said in a statement Thursday. SCC"s Smartek chips infringe on Lexmark"s copyright software, and are being sold by SCC to defeat Lexmark"s technological controls, thus allowing unauthorized remanufacturing of Lexmark Prebate toner cartridges, Lexmark said.
Chief Judge Karl S. Forester ordered Wednesday that SCC must cease making, selling, distributing, offering for sale or otherwise trafficking in the Smartek microchip for Lexmark T520/522 and T620/622 toner cartridges, until Lexmark"s motion for a preliminary injunction has been heard, court records show.