Ceramic inkjet firm KeraJet filed the lawsuit against rival Spanish firm Cretaprint in 2011, before the latter’s acquisition by EFI in January 2012. KeraJet president Jose Vicente Tomas Claramonte had accused Castellon-based Cretaprint of infringing a patent that he said related to his company’s ceramic tile printing technology, but the claim was thrown out in January this year by the Commercial Court in Valencia. The court ruled that the claim was meritless and that KeraJet’s patent was invalid because it did not involve an inventive step. Claramonte appealed the ruling at the Provincial Court of Valencia which, on 15 July, backed the original verdict, ruling that the patent is null and void and relates to EFI Cretaprint’s technology. EFI’s General Counsel Bryan Ko said: “The Provincial Court has confirmed what we believed all along: that this lawsuit was baseless and that Mr. Tomas Claramonte’s patent is invalid. “We now look forward to decisions from the German and Italian courts in lawsuits filed by EFI, and expect the patent will be invalidated in those countries, too.”...

Ceramic inkjet firm KeraJet filed the lawsuit against rival Spanish firm Cretaprint in 2011, before the latter’s acquisition by EFI in January 2012. KeraJet president Jose Vicente Tomas Claramonte had accused Castellon-based Cretaprint of infringing a patent that he said related to his company’s ceramic tile printing technology, but the claim was thrown out in January this year by the Commercial Court in Valencia. The court ruled that the claim was meritless and that KeraJet’s patent was invalid because it did not involve an inventive step. Claramonte appealed the ruling at the Provincial Court of Valencia which, on 15 July, backed the original verdict, ruling that the patent is null and void and relates to EFI Cretaprint’s technology. EFI’s General Counsel Bryan Ko said: “The Provincial Court has confirmed what we believed all along: that this lawsuit was baseless and that Mr. Tomas Claramonte’s patent is invalid. “We now look forward to decisions from the German and Italian courts in lawsuits filed by EFI, and expect the patent will be invalidated in those countries, too.”...

The group recently consolidated its Leeds and Bradford direct mail facilities at Bradford. Around 70-75 jobs out of a total of 265 at the facility are potentially at risk. Chief executive Patrick Martell said: “We intend to carry on printing at Bradford but we don’t believe there is enough volume in enclosing to do it profitably. “We are in discussions that may or may not lead to job losses.” The group didn’t move all of the enclosing machines originally located at Leeds when it consolidated the two sites. Martell said that while overall volumes for direct mail were declining, the medium remained attractive. “We don’t think it’s going to disappear altogether, there’s just less of it. There’s a good market for added-value direct mail such as multi-channel campaigns that drive online interaction.” The Bradford facility typically operates seven days. The print side includes web, sheetfed and digital print kit. It runs two 32pp short-grain Manroland Lithoman web presses with inline finishing, a B1 Komori SP40 double-decker sheetfed perfecting press, a Roland 700 and two HP Indigo digital presses. It has produced campaigns for major brands including Google, Vodafone, RBS and Ford. As well as direct mail, the site also produces commercial print such as brochures and catalogues. The £330m turnover group is approaching its financial year-end. The consultation process could take up to 45 days....

The £4.5m-turnover division has invested around £50,000, excluding site refit costs, on new laser printing and ‘intelligent mailing’ equipment, incorporating tracking and auditing technology, that enables the firm to print secure individual documents or multi-page mailings with unique barcoding, matching them to single or multiple envelopes. The investment includes 10 accredited HP3015 laser printers to add to its existing fleet. Meanwhile two Pitney Bowes DI950 inserters have been installed at the site site to support the new facility. The spend also includes eight HP Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) printers with eight corresponding operator consoles. The new facility supports Checkprint’s secure business outsourcing work including cheque, cheque remittance, statement, utility bill, invoice, customer communication and PIN printing and mailing. Chairman Martin Ruda said: “This gives us a single self-contained environment, which customers like, and enables us to flow the work through much more cost effectively than we previously have been able to.” He added: “Our cheque bureau service has been a feature of our activities for some time but what we have increasingly found is that our clients, including a number of financial institutions, are looking for a complete end-to-end, fully tracked and audited service in one self-contained, secure environment for the type of documents we are managing for them.” Ruda said the upgraded service would also offer cost and time savings for clients. The investment coincides with Checkprint’s 20th anniversary, which it celebrated last month. Plans are in place to add to Hinckley’s 55-strong workforce this year to meet continued growth, Ruda said, with a 7% increase across the group in 2012 and further growth anticipated in 2013....

The £4.5m-turnover division has invested around £50,000, excluding site refit costs, on new laser printing and ‘intelligent mailing’ equipment, incorporating tracking and auditing technology, that enables the firm to print secure individual documents or multi-page mailings with unique barcoding, matching them to single or multiple envelopes. The investment includes 10 accredited HP3015 laser printers to add to its existing fleet. Meanwhile two Pitney Bowes DI950 inserters have been installed at the site site to support the new facility. The spend also includes eight HP Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) printers with eight corresponding operator consoles. The new facility supports Checkprint’s secure business outsourcing work including cheque, cheque remittance, statement, utility bill, invoice, customer communication and PIN printing and mailing. Chairman Martin Ruda said: “This gives us a single self-contained environment, which customers like, and enables us to flow the work through much more cost effectively than we previously have been able to.” He added: “Our cheque bureau service has been a feature of our activities for some time but what we have increasingly found is that our clients, including a number of financial institutions, are looking for a complete end-to-end, fully tracked and audited service in one self-contained, secure environment for the type of documents we are managing for them.” Ruda said the upgraded service would also offer cost and time savings for clients. The investment coincides with Checkprint’s 20th anniversary, which it celebrated last month. Plans are in place to add to Hinckley’s 55-strong workforce this year to meet continued growth, Ruda said, with a 7% increase across the group in 2012 and further growth anticipated in 2013....