UTec Claims Its Products Will Not Be Affected by Canon General Exclusion Order

Union Technology International (MCO) Co. Ltd. (UTec), master distributor of Print-Rite products, recently sent customers an email affirming that its products will not be affected by the general exclusion order (GEO) that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is expected to issue this month in the Canon toner cartridge investigation.

The email was from Arnald Ho, Managing Director of UTec and Founder and Chairman of Print-Rite. It said that the firm’s U.S. attorney has confirmed that the company’s products will not be influenced by the GEO.

UTec has been widely promoting its use of a non-twisted gear design, on products like OPC drums and toner cartridges, since about a year ago.  Print-Rite was awarded a U.S. patent on its “NoTwist” gear design last year.

Now, UTec promises that because its products do not infringe, they will be readily available to customers even after the ITC issues a GEO. Mr. Ho says, “We will continue to export our products to the U.S. market and you can rest assured of a coninuous supply of quality and safe products from UTec.”

Mr. Ho stated that with a heavy investment in research and development, long-term dedication to innovation and insistence on fair trade practices, UTec is committed to working closer with consumers to attain long-term sustainable growth. They believe their strategy of developing proprietary technologies and respecting third-party intellectual property rights is one of the critical success factors in the market.

On the other hand, Actionable Intelligence expects there will be obstacles in getting products into the United States. It opines that asserting that one’s products do not infringe is not enough to get them into the country. It says companies like UTec will have to work with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Intellectual Property Rights Branch, which is responsible for interpreting the ITC’s remedial orders and preparing instructions for ports of entry into the United States.