Ailing Seiko Epson Stifles Competition
Seiko Epson Corp. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, filed lawsuits in a US District Court against 24 firms who manufacture after-market ink cartridges for Epson printers, citing Patent Infringement
Seiko Epson’s complaint, filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), calls for a general exclusion order banning the import or sale of less expensive third party cartridges in the U.S.
Epson is able to sell cheap printers because its business model is such that profits can be gained from the sale of replacement ink cartridges. However, Epson is not so interested in fair competition, from outward appearances. And who can blame them? After posting a 56 percent drop in quarterly profits last month, and with more losses forecasted, the company can barely afford to play on an even field.
Meanwhile, the question for consumers becomes: would you buy a toaster that accepted only one brand of bread?
