Xingraphics wins patent case against Agfa

Corporate spin almost obscures the result of the bitterly fought court case between the Belgium and Chinese platemakers.

While Agfa claims the Dutch patent court confirmed validity of its key patent on positive thermal plates, Xingraphics is the real winner with the court finding it did not breech copyright and awarding it legal costs. Agfa tried to put the best face on the judgement by maintaining that ‘non-infringement by Xingraphics [was] not proven.’

The long battle has seen the two companies at loggerheads over technology originally licensed from Lastra, which Agfa bought five years ago. Agfa threatened distributors and printers with legal action if they handled the Chinese-made Xingraphics plates.

The decision clears the way for even more aggressive penetration of the Xingraphics plates into the market. In Australia Ferag holds the agency and is reporting plenty of interest from the industry.

Safwen Hijazi, vice-president Xingraphics, welcomed the decision. "Today's judgment is a major step forward for our organisation, our valued partners, and of course our customers worldwide that deserve to have access to an alternative thermal CtP plate technology that is of equal to or higher quality than our competitors, without being threatened.”

"We are grateful to our Dutch team of lawyers who have demonstrated that Agfa's negative and harmful accusations which were largely directed at our partners were, as we have always indicated, unfounded, so this judgment will allow us to put that part of this negative campaign by Agfa to a close."

The decision has not stopped Agfa from foreshadowing ongoing legal action including requests to seize further consignments of Xingraphics plates in Europe. In a statement it flagged an appeal –the Agfa Graphics team will now prepare the necessary additional evidence of the infringement of the Agfa Graphics patent in order to obtain a decision in favor of Agfa.