The monochrome laser MFP market has improved both worldwide and in Western Europe in recent quarters. For example, International Data Corporation (IDC) reports that worldwide monochrome laser shipments grew 5.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013, with most of this growth due to the MFP segment (see “Worldwide Hardcopy Peripheral Market Kept Growing in
The worldwide market for low-end monochrome laser MFPs is finally improving following several dismal years. With the Western European hardware market finally showing some signs of life, printer vendors are jockeying for market share in this market segment. UK-based market research firm CONTEXT has shared some vendor market-share data for monochrome laser MFPs with print
German ink manufacturer OCP recently announced new inks for the Canon CL-146, CL-246, CL-446, CL-546, CL-646, and CL-746 cartridge series, as well as the high-yield XL versions of these cartridges. The new set consists of dye-based cyan, magenta, and yellow inks; OCP states that its previously released BKP 44 pigmented black ink for certain Canon
The battle between the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and patent troll MPHJ rages on, with the lawyers representing both sides wielding their sharpest weapons: paperwork and minutiae. MPHJ filed the lawsuit against the FTC on January 13 (see “Patent Troll MPHJ Files Suit against the FTC”). The suit alleged unlawful interference and threats, specifically
On April 1, Canon, Inc., amended the 11 patent-infringement lawsuits against various third-party supplies manufacturers and resellers that the OEM had originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York at the end of January (see “Here We Go Again: Canon Sues Firms for Infringing Various Gear and Drum Patents”).
InfoTrends has published an interesting look at how the North American office-equipment market fared in 2013 in terms of shipments and market share. Rival research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) recently reported its estimates for the worldwide hardcopy peripheral market for the fourth quarter and full year 2013 (see “Worldwide Hardcopy Peripheral Market Kept Growing
The low end of the monochrome laser hardware market crashed in 2009, as the worldwide economy plunged into recession. Following a rebound in 2010, the monochrome laser market declined again in 2011 and 2012, due to a series of natural disasters affecting manufacturing capacity and supply chains, the sovereign debt crisis impacting the European economy,
Canon has resolved yet another patent-infringement dispute in Europe related to its toner-bottle intellectual property (IP). On March 20, Canon announced that it had reached an out-of-court resolution with UK-based PPC Solutions Ltd. According to the brief press release: PPC Solutions has agreed to cease making, disposing of, offering to dispose of, using or importing,
Earlier this week, Canon U.S.A. announced two new A3 color MFPs, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C5235A and C5240A. Tom O’Neill, director of marketing for Canon U.S.A., tells us the new machines will replace the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C5235 and C5240 that Canon introduced roughly a year and a half ago (see “Canon Announces New imageRUNNER ADVANCE Platform”).
At the end of January, Canon filed 11 patent-infringement lawsuits against 18 companies that manufacture or sell third-party toner cartridges for various Canon and HP-branded laser printers in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (see “Here We Go Again: Canon Sues Firms for Infringing Various Gear and Drum Patents”). What