HP’s long-running use of firmware updates that block third-party ink and toner cartridges is drawing scrutiny again – this time under a new global sustainability standard that explicitly forbids the practice.
The International Imaging Technology Council (Int’l ITC), a trade group for cartridge remanufacturers, says HP’s latest printer firmware rollout conflicts with the requirements of the General Electronics Council’s (GEC) updated Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT 2.0.
If a third-party ink cart can introduce a “cyber threat,” your unbelievably shoddy firmware would be the problem, you disingenuous Hamburglars.
Good, it’s about time
Nobody buys HP anymore , HP stands for Has Problems
Nah… My office does, and then pays a vendor to handle the issues (I work in IT, fixing those problems is literally my job) and they still cheap out on knock off toner (some of which works). It makes me sad…
Yeah, the problem is that they’re anti-consumer.
It’s also rampant assholery, but that’s harder to legislate.
I’ve started thinking recently about business practices and printing and “Apple printer” jokes, and, well, Apple was making printers in the olden days when I was a baby.
So, they could be making very expensive, but good printers, with no cartridge DRM whatsoever, now.
That would possibly be a good thing, and with such regulations pressing at the opposing business model, could even be a financially good variant.
OK, I think I’m starting to show fanboyish traits. I sort of really liked Apple when I was a kid, but later I started seeing iPhones around and I didn’t like their change from home computers and iPods to that.
Next step: When a 3rd party cartridge is detected HP will degrade print quality just enough to make them unusable while blaming the cartridge manufacturers for the problem.
Stop giving them ideas!
One reason I have no printer anymore… this fucking ink scam.
