Vistaprint Found Not Guilty of Patent Infringement

A Bermuda-based subsidiary of the Netherlands-based company Vistaprint has successfully defended itself in a patent lawsuit filed by rival ColorQuick. The case was filed by ColorQuick in a US District Court in Texas back in 2009, and a Texas jury has now ruled after a five day trial that Vistaprint was not guilty of violating a ColorQuick patent which covers computer-based technologies for document and media printing.

Vistaprint is a well-known supplier of online printing and promotional materials. They serve the small business and consumer retail marketplace, and the company said they were happy with the trial results. They said that the trial sends a message that the company will spare no expense in defending itself from wrongful allegations. They hope the outcome will ward off similar suits in the future, in an industry where patent lawsuits are a frequent occurrence.

Vistaprint is a Dutch-based company, with a Paris headquarters and a US office in Lexington, Massachusetts. The patent suit by ColorQuick had alleged that Vistaprint infringed on ColorQuick patented processing systems and methods for files, as well as data preparation methods for print jobs. The case was known as ColorQuick LLC v. Vistaprint Limited. These kinds of suits are all too common in the printing industry, where the large players seem to be constantly involved in some sort of suit or counter suit over patented technology. In addition, such litigation can involve large risks and expenses for all those involved.

Vistaprint itself has filed several lawsuits against key competitors including 123Print and Drawing Board. Other major competitors to Vistaprint include Sykes Enterprises and TeleTech Holdings. Vistaprint retains a solid reputation in the industry, with its CEO being named 2008 CEO of the Year by the Mass Technology Leadership Council. The company continues to provide low cost printed products to millions of customers in 120 countries.