Aster launches patent-free drum gear for US market

October 29, 2013

The manufacturer has launched the gear in response to the GEO (General Exclusion Order) issued by Canon in the toner gear case.

Aster stated that its newest toner cartridges contain GearTek, its patented gear technology for OPC drums “that eliminate the risk of infringing Canon’s patents on OPC drum gears” as well as enabling Aster’s “continuing supply to the USA market”.

Pointing out that “most of the remanufactured and compatible laser printer cartridges” manufactured and remanufactured “can’t be sold in the USA market because their OPC drum gears infringe Canon’s patents”, Aster adds that GearTek “develops a totally different OPC drum gear that is patent-free”, allowing it to “continue supplying the US market with replacement toner cartridges”.

Aster is not the first aftermarket company to proclaim that its products are not affected by the GEO – in the past six months, Static Control, General Plastics, UTec and Supplies Wholesalers have all announced that they are unaffected by the court order, with each manufacturing gears that don’t infringe Canon’s patents.

Leon Yin, President of Aster Graphics, stated: “Aster has long recognised the importance of intellectual property rights. After years [of] large investments and R&D, Aster has worked out a patent-free gear solution that eliminate the risk of infringing Canon’s patents.

“Stable and continuous supply is quite important for long-term cooperation. I’m glad that our customers’ business[es] [have] not been interrupted by the GEO and their market share continues increasing.”

Categories : Products and Technology

Tags : Aster Graphics IP USITC