Starlinger: Further lawsuits against Chinese copycats

Back in summer 2024, Austrian machine manufacturer Starlinger took legal action against two Chinese machine manufacturers who copied its patented ‘Ad*Star’ bag making technologies.

Starlinger has now taken legal action against the two Chinese companies Wenzhou Huazao Machinery Technology Co., Ltd. and Wenzhou Zhengong Machinery Co., Ltd., as well as against a customer of the two companies, Zhejiang Liying Packaging Co., Ltd., for infringement of several patents. These relate to Starlinger's ‘ad*starKon’ bag making machine for the production of ‘Ad*Star’ box-bottom valve bags made of plastic fabric. Among other things, Starlinger developed the bottom triangle former (wing opener) used in the machine and holds patents for it in numerous countries, including China.

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‘As an innovative technology leader in the field of woven plastic packaging, we will not stand idly by and watch others exploit our pioneering inventions,’ says Starlinger's CSO Harald Neumüller. "Like all pioneers in the industry, we are strongly committed to research and development, which means protecting and defending our innovations and rights. We will continue to take legal action against copiers of our pioneering technology and against packaging manufacturers who buy from them.‘

Starlinger filed the first patents for the ’Ad*Star" box bottom valve bag and the associated production technology, which the company developed itself, back in 1995. Both the bag and the converting line have been continuously developed over the decades and supplemented and improved with additional features. According to the company, Starlinger's ‘Ad*StarKon’ is now one of the fastest, most efficient and most reliable converting lines for block bottom bags made of plastic fabric worldwide. Bag manufacturers are expected to produce over 32 billion ‘Ad*Star’ bags per year on these systems, supplying cement factories, fertiliser and chemical granulate manufacturers, and rice, sugar and flour producers.

The court proceedings against Huazao and Zhengong and their customers are currently ongoing. A court ruling is expected shortly.

More information: www.starlinger.com

Starlinger & Co. GmbH, Vienna, Austria

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