Seiko Epson was founded in 1942 and is a maker of information-related equipment including printers, projectors, electronic devices, and precision products. It boasts an impressive patent portfolio for a company of its size, with over 16,000 patents granted and more than 5,700 pending in the United States alone; it placed 18th in a 2014 survey published jointly by IAM and MDB Capital Group that identifies companies with over 1,000 active US patents. A master tactician when it comes to effective use of its intellectual property, Seiko Epson was one of the first companies to join defensive patent aggregator RPX and can leverage on its IP strength to bring disputes to a swift and favourable close. In 2011 it forced a settlement agreement with Taiwanese ink cartridge manufacturer UBAR in a utility model suit before the Taiwan courts, and a 2013 patent infringement dispute with Dynamic Cassette International was likewise resolved before the case went to trial at the UK High Court.