Epson Press Release

Recharge makes settlement with Seiko Epson Corporation to cease trading of third-party inkjet cartridges for Epson printers

07 August 2006 - In on-going activities to protect its intellectual property rights, Seiko Epson Corporation (“Epson”) has agreed to settle with Recharge Inkjet Technologies Limited (“Recharge”), an internet retailer (trading under the name CartridgeMonkey.com) based in Bolton, UK.  The settlement terms include Recharge undertaking not to infringe Epson’s patents and registered designs, and making substantial settlement payment to Epson. The full terms of the settlement are confidential.

Mr Scott, director of Recharge said, “Following discussions with Seiko Epson Corporation, we have discontinued our range of ink cartridges compatible with Epson branded printers because of concerns that they may infringe Epson’s intellectual property rights. CartridgeMonkey.com will continue to stock the full range of Epson original inks and Epson multi-packs, so our customers continue to benefit from the many significant long-term benefits when using ink cartridges manufactured by Epson.”

Nick Butler, Managing Director, Epson UK said, “Genuine Epson ink is the highest quality ink you can use for your Epson printer.  Our investment into research and development has ensured that we are providing premium quality output for our customers and that both our ink and our printers work in harmony together.  We welcome CartridgeMonkey.com’s decision to remove the cartridges complained of and its recognition of the importance of respecting Epson’s intellectual property rights.”

About Epson
Epson is a global leader in imaging products including printers, 3LCD projectors and small- and medium-sized LCDs. With an innovative and creative culture, Epson is dedicated to exceeding the vision and expectations of customers worldwide with products known for their superior quality, functionality, compactness and energy efficiency. Epson is a network of 90,701 employees in 120 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and to the communities in which it is located. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., the Group had consolidated sales of 1549.5 billion yen in fiscal 2005.