HP Printers Now Reject Budget Cartridge Ink

[Hellken 1,658]

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37408173

 

Excerpt:

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Dutch printer ink vendor 123inkt said it had received more than 1,000 complaints in one day.

HP said that during its last firmware update, settings had been changed so HP printers would communicate with only HP-chipped cartridges.

It also said some devices already had the functionality built-in.

123inkt said it did not believe that a firmware update had been issued since March 2016, suggesting the change had been pre-programmed to roll out this month.

HP said such updates were rolled out "periodically" but did not comment on the timing of the last instalment.

"The purpose of this update is to protect HP's innovations and intellectual property," it said in a statement.

It has angered some of its customers as HP branded cartridges are notably more expensive than unofficial brands.

'Cartridge problem'

Reported error messages include "cartridge problem", "one or more cartridges are missing or damaged" or "older generation cartridge".

One contributor to HP's support forum said the firmware had been updated "without my permission" and an error message now said the ink cartridge was damaged.

"I use it daily for work and now am in trouble," he wrote.

"Others must have the same problem. Is there a way to stop HP from doing this to people who have bought their equipment?"

The HP OfficeJet, OfficeJet Pro and OfficeJet Pro X printers are affected.

 

 

 

http://www.geek.com/news/hp-screws-scores-of-customers-with-ink-cartridge-timebomb-1671409/

 

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It’s a well-known fact that one of the best ways to flush your extra cash down the toilet is to buy an inkjet printer and use first-party ink. HP just proved why in a big, big way.

For years now, most “genuine” ink cartridges for inkjet printers have shipped with embedded chips. Their purpose? Why, to keep your printer running in tip-top shape, of course… by ensuring that you’re not using a cartridge that’s too old, too close to being empty, or manufactured by someone who doesn’t really know how to make ink cartridges for your printer.

That’s what OEMs like HP want you to think, but it’s really all about profits. You can’t sell a decent inkjet printer for $50 and hope to make any money. You can, however, lock your customers in for consumable purchases and then charge them double what a third-party does for ink.

 

 

 

Don't you hate it when companies secretly update their firmware to deceive and cheat their own customers into things they never agreed to?

[BugeyedDragon 412]

that's very dumb, it reminds me of a content id false strike companies issue on youtubers.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

Welp, I guess HP doesn't want my business.

[APSMS 1,892]

Stick with Brother. We used HP inkjets for years and they were always trouble (but cheap!).

Got some used Brother printers at a thrift store, a laser all-in-one and a CMYK All-in-one. Refills are cheap, plentiful, and widely available, and we've had almost no problems with them in the 7 years we've had them.

[Hellken 1,658]

There's an article limit for SMH apparently. Just posting this here just in case you are unable to read it.

 

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HP outrages printer owners after it blocks the use of cheap ink cartridges by stealth

• Esther Han

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Technology giant Hewlett-Packard is copping an international backlash after thousands of owners of its printers were suddenly blocked from using cheaper, third-party ink cartridges.

How to 3D print a lattice

Using similar technology to that which could be employed to print coral, this 3D printer makes everyday objects intriguing again.

And consumer advocacy group Choice says it will begin investigating whether HP has breached Australian Consumer Law.

Early last week, HP printer owners using non-HP ink cartridges began to complain they were receiving error messages such as "cartridge problem", "one or more cartridges are missing or damaged" or "older generation cartridge".

HP wants its customers to stop using third-party-made ink cartridges. Photo: Ramin Talaie

Manufacturers and sellers of ink cartridges speculated that HP had pre-programmed a failure date of unbranded cartridges in the firmware of certain printers. The last firmware update was in March.

The "timebomb" went off on September 13.

 

HP has since confirmed that it did indeed add stronger protections around its "innovations and intellectual property" via a firmware update. It also says this measure had been pre-installed in its other printers.

"Beginning in 2015, HP implemented updates to the firmware related to the security chip in HP OfficeJet, OfficeJet Pro and OfficeJet Pro X printers that maintains secure communications between the cartridge and the printer," it says.

Owners of HP printers are expressing their outrage on social media. Photo: Ramin Talaie

"These printers will continue to work with refilled or re-manufactured cartridges with an Original HP security chip. Other cartridges may not function."

Social media and online help forums are awash with complaints from incensed HP printer owners who for years had relied on affordable cartridges."It is completely outrageous that HP has

 completely sabotaged my HP printer just as I was going to print some very important documents," wrote user Martin35 on HP's official support forum.

"The printer is now telling me that my ink cartridges, which have up to now been working perfectly, are now missing or damaged or are older generation cartridges which will not work in my printer. What a load of nonsense."

There are signs that HP has been deleting posts and replies about the error messages in a possible act of covering up the extent of the customer outrage.

Consumers have long opted to use unbranded ink cartridges as they are far cheaper than the official ones. In most cases, the cost of replacing cartridges can quickly surpass the cost of the printer.

Modern ink cartridges contain both software and hardware components to improve print quality, reduce mistakes and communicate its status.

This advancement has allowed manufacturers to sabotage the works of third-party players who profit from re-filling and re-manufacturing cartridges.

A price analysis by Choice found that HP's yellow ink 3.5ml cartridge costs $5128 per litre - far more than luxury items such as Chanel No. 5 perfume at $3514 a litre.

Choice is concerned that HP is locking customers into buying only its expensive ink.

"Even worse, it's doing this after consumers have already bought the product, meaning they haven't given their customers the opportunity to vote with their wallets and buy a different printer," says spokesman Tom Godfrey.

"If consumers bought an HP printer relying on the fact that it could use non-HP ink, and HP has unilaterally taken that functionality away, then there is a risk that the company is breaching consumer law."

In particular, Choice is assessing whether HP may have misled or deceived their customers under section 18 of the Australian Consumer Law.

"After years of being able to use non-HP ink, consumers have a reasonable expectation that they will be able to continue to choose which ink they will use," he says.

An HP Australia spokeswoman says its printers are designed to be compatible with re-filled and re-manufactured cartridges that use original HP chips.

"In many cases the firmware, which serves to protect HP's innovations and intellectual property, came with the concerned HP OfficeJet, OfficeJet Pro and OfficeJet Pro X printers," she says.

"The security update was also included in a firmware update which was sent only to customers who either agreed to updates at the time of set-up or who accepted updates in subsequent communications."

I can't believe HP would do something like this. They deserve to be sued for putting a hidden timebomb in advance in the printer's firmware. Once the customers bought it they activated it without their consent. There are laws against deceiving customers.

[Cyclone Boom 16,829]

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...which serves to protect HP's innovations and intellectual property...

Serves to protect their profits more like.

At the end of the day, that's what this is all about. Trying to stop 3rd parties from milking their cash cow.

The manner in which HP's enforced this change is very questionable indeed. If it was clearly made known to consumers beforehand, that's fair enough. However, people have bought printers while being unaware these restrictions would even possibly be enforced. Quite honestly, that just doesn't seem right.

Also for most people, if it runs fine, who really needs the firmware updating anyway? What's next, social media integration? It's just another recent example of control being taken away from the end user.

[NMUSpidey 3,956]

"Most people" doesn't cover it.  I think you could expand that to say "almost every last person who has a printer."  How many people do anything more than print off the occasional photos or a paper for school or work?  Are these causing HP's intellectual properties or innovations to come under threat?  This might be a sign that going wired with printers really wasn't that bad of an option if everything working through the internet causes huge issues like this for big companies like HP.

[Cyclone Boom 16,829]

Yeah, most was being generous.

I guess this issue also extends to general household items. Sooner or later everything will be connected in some form, even vehicles. Not that the internet doesn't have a use in everyday life -- of course it plays a massive role. Just using it for non-essential functions is unnecessary. Besides, it also opens up lots of potential security holes, which wouldn't be a concern if the devices weren't connected in the first place.

If people needed an update, they'd buy a new printer!