The complaint, filed with the International Trade Commission (ITC), alleges that the VIM plates infringe two Presstek US patents and its trademark.

The company is seeking an order to stop the importation and sale of the Di-R plates in the US.

VIM chief executive Avigdor Bieber said in a statement: "We will vigorously defend ourselves from Presstek's meritless claims."

Klaus Schleicher, group product director digital printing business unit at Presstek, told printweek.com that the firm has patents on its intellectual property across the US, Europe and parts of Asia and that it would defend its patents against infringement in these territories.

VIM's Di-R plates are distributed in the UK by NCS Supplies, which was recently acquired by Litho Supplies.

A spokesperson for Litho Supplies told printweek.com that the company "hasn't decided what products [from the NCS deal] they are going to sell. "They wouldn't take it on if there are any problems around [patents and trademarks]."

The patents alleged to have been infringed describe "Lithographic printing plates for use with laser-discharge imaging apparatus", according to the US PTO.