[German]They've done it again; despite class action lawsuits, damage awards and very bad publicity because of their firmware updates sold as "dynamic security updates"; which discourage users from using third-party ink cartridges. This refers to the inkjet printer manufacturer, the Hewlett Packard company. At the moment, numerous users are again reporting that they have fallen into this trap.
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I had regularly reported here in the blog about how the manufacturer Hewlett Packard modifies its inkjet printers via firmware in such a way that third-party ink cartridges can no longer be used (see article links at the end of the article). Many users fall into this trap because the printers are connected to the Internet and the firmware updates automatically. Or a firmware update is sold as a security update, but blocks third-party ink cartridges along the way.
New cases here on the blog
Due to the articles about problems with third-party ink cartridges here on borncity.com, my blogs act as a honeypot, so to speak. In mid-February 2023, a user posted this comment to my blog post Class action lawsuit against HP over blocked cartridges:
Going out today to buy a different printer. A business practice that is as mean and sneaky as what HP has done does not deserve another dime of my $. This type of control should be disciplined. Let's show HP that we have power by not purchasing anymore of their products.
It seems that an HP printer stopped working with third-party cartridges after a firmware update. And at the end of February 2023, there was another comment from Michael Hall on the same post with the following content:
I used my HP Office jet pro 7720 since the original cartridges ran out by using refillable ones.
I got round the threatening message somehow but cannot remember how I did it!The new message as it seems says 'incompatible cartridge' with other mumbo jumbo which will not go away and will not let me print even black only.
Years ago now I complained to HP about the touch screen that was unresponsive and they knew it but did nothing. I also complained about the fact that although the printer was set to print one page it had a mind of it's own and printed exactly as it wanted sometimes 5 copies when I set it to 1…… Why isn't HP done for wasting world recourses = paper at three times what a normal printer would use and of course the waste in ink that I have paid for…………compensation required I think?
The user can no longer use his HP Office jet pro 7720 with third-party ink. The third in the group then left this comment on the above article as of March 11, 2023.
Same story across the globe. Experience horrible service from HP in Singapore. They have deliberately slowed down the opening of the App, and without that, the printing and Scan won't work.
Shame on you HP!!! You are evil. May the company shut down for good soon!!!
Another comment from February 2023 can be found here. Since it was just "normal noise", I've only kept an eye on the issue so far.
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Confirmation on reddit
Via the following tweet, I became aware of this Ars Technica post, which again addresses firmware updates that lock HP users out of using third-party ink.
A week ago, a user on reddit.com published this post, writing:
HP have updated their printers to outright ban 'non-HP' ink! They no longer shows the "can't guarantee quality" message, but instead cancels your print completely until you inset a HP ink cartridge. After contacting HP, they advised "this is due to the recent 'update' of all printers"
The statement: HP has updated its printers to no longer use "non-HP" ink! The printers no longer display the message "We cannot guarantee the quality", but will stop printing completely until users insert an HP ink cartridge. After the user contacted HP, they told him that this was due to the recent "update" to all printers. The HP support page states:
HP Printers – Dynamic Security Enabled Printers
HP printers are designed to work with original HP ink and toner cartridges. As is standard in the printing business, HP printers use a process to authenticate cartridges. In certain HP printers, this authentication process includes dynamic security measures. Dynamic security relies on the printer's ability to communicate with the security chips or electronic circuitry on the cartridges. HP uses dynamic security measures to protect the quality of our customer experience, maintain the integrity of our printing systems, and protect our intellectual property.
Dynamic security equipped printers are intended to work only with cartridges that have new or reused HP chips or electronic circuitry. The printers use the dynamic security measures to block cartridges using non-HP chips or modified or non-HP electronic circuitry.* Reused, remanufactured, and refilled cartridges that reuse the HP chip or electronic circuitry are unaffected by dynamic security.
Firmware updates delivered periodically over the internet will maintain the effectiveness of the dynamic security measures. Updates can improve, enhance, or extend the printer's functionality and features, protect against security threats, and serve other purposes, but these updates can also block cartridges using a non-HP chip or modified or non-HP circuitry from working in the printer, including cartridges that work today. Most HP printers can be configured to receive updates either automatically or with a notification that allows you to choose whether to update or not.
In the HP forums and websites OfficeJet 7740, OfficeJet Pro 6970 and other models as potentially affected by the latest firmware update. Arstechnica also lists HP OfficeJet 6978 and 6968. In the meantime, HP has protected itself from claims for damages with corresponding notices for some models. In any case, there is a lot of anger among those affected – here with me, HP has been on the list of companies to boycott for about 17 years already because of their product policy. Have any of you been affected by this latest firmware update?
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