Zwei lawsuits for German ink vendor

Hewlett-Packard has filed a second lawsuit against Germany-based Pelikan Hardcopy Deutschland GmbH over an ink cartridge who-dun-it.

HP previously sued Pelikan alleging cartridges being sold in Germany as "remanufactured" H06 and H08 color cartridges are, in fact, new products and violate three patents involving HP ink cartridge design.

The new lawsuit, filed in Cologne District Court, hits Pelikan on the package. HP alleges that Pelikan marketing describing the cartridges as a remanufactured product constitutes misleading advertising.

At least Hewlett-Packard appears more confident on its stance against Pelikan since the last lawsuit. In May, HP told us the cartridges "appear new to us." Now the company has shifted to citing "tests by HP" that indicate the ink cartridges are new. ®