DOVER, NH  -  Heidelberg Web Systems has initiated a patent infringement lawsuit against MAN Roland, Inc. and MAN Roland Druckmaschinen, AG alleging violation of patents related to Heidelberg’s Sunday press models and blanket sleeve technology for web offset printing.  The case has been brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, where Heidelberg Web Systems is headquartered.   In deference to pending litigation, Heidelberg will not comment on specific aspects of the case.   "As a longstanding technology leader in the web offset printing industry, it is incumbent upon us to respect the intellectual property of our competitors while, at the same time, defending our own proprietary technology," according to Heidelberg Web Systems president Werner Albrecht.  "Respect for intellectual property sustains an environment of competition, fairness and incentive that benefits the entire printing industry.  This environment is essential to the ongoing research and development efforts and fosters the technology breakthroughs that our customers depend upon."   Heidelberg currently holds more than 150 patents related to blanket sleeve technology, a feature of its Sunday web offset presses.   Heidelberg installed the first web offset press with Sunday press technology in 1993 and has now sold more then 200 Sunday presses.   Heidelberg has previously defended its patent position for Sunday press technology, winning a favorable judgment in 2000 against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and its U.S. subsidiary, Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses U.S.A. Inc., and successfully defended the Sunday press against MAN Roland’s 1995 charge of patent infringement.   Heidelberg’s Sunday press technology has been a catalyst for growth and profitability among web offset printers worldwide for more than a decade.  Sunday presses can deliver efficiency and productivity advantages over conventional presses by allowing higher print quality at higher speeds on wider paper webs with less paper waste.   Heidelberg’s research and development efforts related to improving and expanding the application of the patented Sunday press technology are ongoing.  The most recent breakthrough is the new eight-pages-wide Sunday 3000/32 commercial web press model introduced in October 2003.