HP Updates Its Printers to Only Work With Official Ink Cartridges
HP is causing outrage after releasing software updates that stop some of its printers from printing if third-party ink cartridges are detected.
As Ars Technica reports(Opens in a new window), HP's decision to do this was first noted on Reddit(Opens in a new window) by user grhhull. Before installing the latest firmware update for their printer it would show a "can't guarantee quality" message if unofficial ink cartridges were detected. However, after the update was installed the printer simply refused to print because the ink cartridges "contain a non-HP chip."
HP calls its cartridge authentication system "dynamic security(Opens in a new window)" and describes it as a way to "protect the quality of our customer experience, maintain the integrity of our printing systems, and protect our intellectual property." For owners of HP printers, it means you are being forced to pay whatever price HP decides to charge for its cartridges even though cheaper alternatives may exist.
The company has confirmed that recent printer updates are implementing this change to requiring HP-approved ink. It's currently unclear which printer models are or will be affected by this change in the future. Some of HP's printer listings(Opens in a new window) go so far as to state, "Cartridges using a non-HP chip may not work, and those that work today may not work in the future." It seems the only way to avoid your unofficial ink cartridges no longer working is to not install HP's printer updates.
It's surprising HP decided to do this as the company has been into trouble for doing it before and ended up paying out millions in compensation through multiple lawsuits. Australians claimed $100,000(Opens in a new window) in compensation back in 2018,
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