Creo and Presstek both claim patent lawsuit win

Creo announced that is was pleased that the US Court of Appeals affirmed the company’s on-press imaging technology for digital offset presses does not infringe any Presstek patents. Creo originally filed suit in 1999 requesting the Court to rule that its technology in question did not infringe or induce press makers to infringe Presstek patents. The claim arose after accusations by Presstek to Creo customers and prospects that Creo infringed Presstek's patents.

"We are pleased to see that the Court has reconfirmed the uniqueness of our imaging technology and that our technology does not infringe Presstek's patents," said Dan Gelbart, Creo president and chief technology officer. "We look forward to continued success in our DOP (digital offset printing) Imaging System business and to supplying our partners with our DOP kits."

As the case went to court Presstek counter-sued and the Court combined the two cases.

In its findings the court also affirmed Presstek's on-press imaging patents (patenets '368 and '205) are valid. The patents relate to image error correction, the apparatus for imaging and the method of imaging. Creo had asked the court to declare Presstek’s patents invalid.

"We are pleased that the court has again upheld the validity of Presstek's on-press imaging patents," said Edward J. Marino, Presstek's President and CEO. "Presstek invented, and leads the market in, on-press laser imaging. The strength of our patent portfolio, together with the performance and reliability of our DI products has brought us into partnership with some of the world's leading press manufacturers."

"Presstek's products are specifically designed to address the needs of the largest and fastest growing segment of the printing industry, short-run colour," said Marino. "We believe that on-press imaging is the future of the printing industry, and that Presstek will continue to lead the market into the future."