EFI is claiming victory in an ongoing patent lawsuit filed against it in Spain, which accused the US print software and technology company and its recent acquisition, Cretaprint, of infringing on digital inkjet printing technology patents owned by rival, KERAjet.
EFI bought the Spanish ceramic tile inkjet printer manufacturer, Cretaprint, in January 2012. However, in May 2011, prior to EFI’s purchase of the company, the president of rival KERAjet, Jose Vicente Tomas Claramonte, launched the patent infringement lawsuit against Cretaprint in relation to its ceramic digital inkjet printing systems.
According to EFI, Claramonte had claimed that EFI Cretaprint infringed his patent—a claim the Commercial Court in Valencia rejected earlier this year. The court ruled that the infringement claims were meritless and that the patent is invalid because it lacks an inventive step.
Now, a Spanish appeals court has also rejected Claramonte's claims. On July 15, 2013, the Provincial Court of Valencia affirmed the lower court's decision, rejecting Claramonte's appeal and confirming that the patent is null and void as it relates to EFI Cretaprint.
"The Provincial Court has confirmed what we believed all along—that this lawsuit was baseless and that Mr. Tomas Claramonte's patent is invalid," said Bryan Ko, EFI's General Counsel. "We now look forward to decisions from the German and Italian courts in lawsuits filed by EFI, and expect the patent will be invalidated in those countries, too."
Following the rejection of the case by the Commercial Court in Valencia earlier this year, Ghilad Dziesietnik, EFI’s chief technology officer, said the decision was a reassuring reminder of the value in Cretaprint’s technology and EFI’s acquisition of it.
“EFI has been a leading innovator in the print industry since our founding, and we acquired Cretaprint based on their demonstrated innovation and success in the ceramic inkjet market,” says Dziesietnik. ”The victory confirms EFI Cretaprint’s place as a leading innovator in the ceramic inkjet printer market, and we look forward to continuing to bring our innovative customer-focused printing solutions to our customers throughout the world.”