Equipment

A major patent infringement row broke out on the first day of Interpack today (24 April) after Japanese firm Ishida was granted an injunction against three rival Chinese makers of multi-head weighers.

High Dream, Jinyi and Saimo were ordered to remove multi-head weighers from their stands or cover them from 3.45pm today, following the injunction yesterday from the Regional Court of Düsseldorf.

Ishida Europe marketing director Paul Griffin said: "We have taken this action against the infringers to protect our technology and our ideas. In doing so, Ishida is helping to maintain quality standards in the industry."

However, Saimo vowed to fight the injunction and UK head Alan Ross said the company was seeking advice from a German lawyer.

If the company managed to overturn the injunction, Ross said it would seek compensation.

"We truly believe we are not infringing anyone's patents," he said. "We are a big company with 77 development engineers."

Saimo is able to continue to show other products on its stand, including its new SVF-1 vertical form, fill and seal system.

High Dream's European sales manager, Rodger Luo, said the firm was also seeking advice. If it failed to overturn the injunction, he vowed High Dream would "come again to Interpack in 2010".

He said Ishida had initially contacted High Dream with its concerns six months ago but did not hear any more from the firm until the eve of Interpack.