Patento.absurdium

The fine folks at ImageX have filed their first test suit to try and establish a legal precedent for their patents. Selecting the financially strapped iPrint as the first target seems an irrational choice if the goal is to prove lost revenues and recoup damages.

As noted before, this company appears to be developing the foundation for a series of law suits against industry players, and is carefully building a base of both commercial and legal precendent by targeting smaller players.

ImageX Files Lawsuit Against iPrint for Patent Infringement
KIRKLAND, Wash., Aug. 29 -- ImageX (R), Inc., the leading provider of online solutions for distributing, managing and producing sales and marketing materials, today announced that it has filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington against iPrint Technologies, Inc. for infringement of U.S. Patent number 6,429,947, which covers technology that automates the prepress process. ImageX also has filed a preliminary injunction motion requesting an expedited hearing, citing that iPrint should be prohibited from continuing its use of its online print technology.
"We are taking this action after informing iPrint on multiple occasions that its product is likely infringing of our patents and after receiving no response from iPrint," said Rich Begert, president and CEO. "ImageX has made a significant investment in developing cutting-edge technology that is revolutionizing the print industry. We intend to take all necessary steps to ensure that this investment is fully protected and its full market value is realized. We believe we will prevail on the merits if compelled to litigate this action in court." [WhatTheyThink?]

With luck, ImageX will not get a pass on this suit. Although it's unlikely, let's hope that iPrint forces the issue and places ImageX in court where a thorough analysis of their patented technology can take place.