HP is back targeting aftermarket cartridges through Europe’s new Unified Patent Court.
Less than a year since HP prevailed against Lama France, another legal battle over printer cartridges has landed at the Unified Patent Court (UPC). In the latest development, HP has filed for provisional measures in a new cartridge-related case, targeting German reseller Andreas Rentmeister e.K. and Chinese manufacturer Zhuhai Ouguan Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.
The action, filed on 28 May 2025 with the Düsseldorf Local Division, cites two patents, EP2826630 and EP3530469, covering “fluid cartridges” for inkjet printers. HP alleges the defendants are infringing key aspects of these patents and is seeking an interim injunction to block sales and imports across all UPC-participating countries.
This marks the third cartridge case at the UPC in under 12 months, suggesting that the UPC is the latest vehicle to get EU wide action.
Vanessa Werlin of Freshfields represents HP. The case, ACT_24346/2025, is being heard in the first instance by Presiding Judge Ronny Thomas, with Judges Jule Schumacher and Rute Lopes. Proceedings are in English.
The defendants span both ends of the supply chain. Rentmeister, based in Freiburg, operates under the “Toneroffice” brand and supplies compatible printer cartridges online in the German market. Ouguan, based in Zhuhai, China, manufactures chip-equipped inkjet cartridges, which are typically marketed as compatible with major OEM brands, including HP and Epson.
HP requests provisional measures, a form of urgent relief available under the UPC, intended to stop infringement before a full trial concludes. Such measures could include a Europe-wide sales ban, customs seizures, or destruction orders if granted.
EP2826630 and EP3530469 were granted in 2019–2020 and share a common priority date of October 2010. The patents describe ink cartridges with embedded memory components and features related to fluid capacity control, chip communication, and cartridge authentication — all typical of modern OEM inkjet systems.
While the full details of the accused products are not yet public, HP’s filing implies that Rentmeister and Ouguan are distributing or selling cartridges that fall within the scope of these claims.
The patents come from a family that HP has previously asserted in both U.S. and European jurisdictions. This suggests a deliberate legal strategy to control cartridge markets and limit chip-based aftermarket solutions.
This is HP’s second UPC filing in under a year. In November 2023, the company secured a mixed result in HP v. Lama France before the Paris division. One patent (EP1737669) was upheld and found infringed, while another (EP2089230) was revoked. The court also rejected Lama’s antitrust-based defence.
Then, in 2024, Canon filed suit against Katun and its parent company GPI in the Düsseldorf division, alleging that their toner bottles infringed European Patent EP 3 686 683 B1, which covers gear-driven components used in Canon’s toner delivery systems.
These three cases confirm that OEMs now see the UPC as a preferred venue that offers pan-European enforcement, procedural speed, and strategic leverage. Instead of battling in multiple national courts, OEMs can now file once and potentially shut down entire distribution chains across the EU.
Next Steps
The court has yet to issue a ruling. If HP’s application is granted, it may force the immediate withdrawal of allegedly infringing cartridges from the European market before the defendants can mount a full defence.
