Canon and Sinocopy Settle Patent Infringement Dispute Over Toner Cartridge Technology in China

Canon Inc. announced the successful resolution of a patent infringement dispute involving its toner cartridge technology against Shanghai Sinocopy Industrial Co., Ltd. and Zhongshan Sinocopy Electronic Co., Ltd. (collectively, “Sinocopy”). The litigation originated from a lawsuit Canon filed in 2022 at the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court of China, asserting infringement of Canon’s Chinese invention patent No. ZL200780002318.1.

In 2024, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court ruled in favor of Canon, determining that the toner cartridges produced by Sinocopy infringed upon Canon’s patent rights. Following this judgment, Sinocopy filed an appeal challenging the court’s decision.

Subsequently, Canon and Sinocopy engaged in settlement discussions and reached an agreement. Pursuant to this settlement, Sinocopy withdrew its appeal, thereby rendering the original judgment of the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court the effective and final ruling in the case.

As part of the settlement, Sinocopy agreed to cease all infringing activities related to Canon’s patented toner cartridge technology. Additionally, Sinocopy committed to paying Canon an undisclosed financial sum as compensation for the infringement.

This resolution marks a significant enforcement success for Canon in protecting its intellectual property rights within the Chinese market. It underscores Canon’s ongoing commitment to vigorously defend its patented innovations against unauthorized use.

Canon’s patent enforcement activities extend beyond this case. In recent months, Canon has initiated multiple take-down actions targeting unauthorized toner cartridge listings on various e-commerce platforms globally. For example, in February 2026, Canon successfully removed infringing toner cartridge listings from European Amazon platforms based on European Patent No. 4,350,447.

Earlier enforcement efforts include take-down activities on Amazon.com in the United States grounded on U.S. Patent No. 12,321,128, as well as actions on Lazada Singapore’s platform. Canon also participates actively in anti-counterfeiting campaigns, including collaborations with the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and involvement in international working groups focused on combating counterfeit goods.

Canon’s comprehensive approach to intellectual property protection combines litigation, settlement, and proactive enforcement measures to safeguard its innovations and brand integrity worldwide.