Ruling in Seiko Epson case by US International Trade Commission could see the end of third-party inks.

The days of cheap third-party inks look well and truly numbered as Seiko Epson’s long running legal battle against 24 Chinese, German and Korean importers looks set for a comprehensive victory.

The US international trade commission delivered the last rights to cheap third-party inks for Epson printers in the US on October 22 when it upheld an earlier ruling that declared 11 patents involving ink and ink cartridges did in fact belong to Seiko Epson.

Among orders issued by the ITC included a General Exclusion Order that prohibits all importation of infringing cartridges into the US as well as a Cease and Desist Order that further prohibited sale and distribution.

The Final Determination delivered by the ITC is subject to a 60-day review by US President George W. Bush however either way, it doesn’t look good for ink cartridge importers.

According to an Epson release, importers can still bring into the US offending cartridges during the review period but only if they post a hefty bond of $US13.60 per cartridge. If the President knocks back the Final Determination, importers must cease importation immediately.

It has long been known that most inkjet printer manufacturers make vast profits from their replacement inkjet cartridge sales so it is unsurprising companies such as Seiko Epson have vigourously defended their market.

However, for long-suffering consumers who have had to pay high prices for replacement ink cartridges, the option of using cheaper third-party replacements looks to be drying up fast.

Consumers wanting to use lower-cost third-party cartridges from now on will need to choose their printer and their brand of printer more carefully.