It is not the first time that the Hp group, a US technology company formerly known as Hewlett-Packard Company, mainly active in the office device sector, such as printers, is suspected of limiting compatibility with third-party cartridges via software, starting with refurbished (i.e., refillable) ones.
WHERE IS THE PROFIT IN PRINTER SALES?
After all, just a quick visit to an electronics store is enough to realize one fact: printers, especially home ones, have very low costs. Cartridges, on the other hand, are very expensive. This is where the margins are made, provided that user loyalty can be achieved.
For this reason, formulas such as subscriptions are foreseen: the printer itself notifies the manufacturer that the ink is running low, triggering the shipment of new cartridges directly to the home. A winning business model, however, challenged by the existence of refillable cartridges which, according to calculations by Yahoo Finance, generally cost users 60-70% less than brand new ones.
DOES THE LATEST HP UPDATE MAKE REFURBISHED INK UNUSABLE?
Smoke, or rather ink in the eyes of manufacturers. This is why some claim that when manufacturers cannot secure loyalty by fair means, they resort to more underhanded methods. In addition to the French example from 2024 linked at the beginning of this article, now the American International Imaging Technology Council, a non-profit association representing manufacturers of remanufactured cartridges for laser and inkjet printers in North America, claims that Hp prevents the use of third-party cartridges on several models through a security device known as Dynamic Security, a feature that can disable those not recognized as original.
THE ACCUSATIONS FROM IITC
This is done through a firmware update, 2602A/B from last January 29, which, acting on eleven models, would cause the devices to reject third-party cartridges, as the association denounces in a statement: “Countless eco-friendly remanufactured cartridges have become unusable.” The International Imaging Technology Council also claims that similar initiatives violate environmental protection standards EPEAT 2.0 introduced by the General Electronics Council: “This action conflicts with article 8.1.3 of EPEAT 2.0, which Hp participated in drafting and approving, and shows how HP prioritizes profit over environmental integrity and its sustainability commitments.”
“Hp – the International Imaging Technology Council’s strike – presents itself as a leader in sustainability, circular business models, and responsible product design, but instead of proactively aligning its products and practices with the highest environmental standards, such as EPEAT 2.0, HP prioritizes profit and waits for external control or the threat of non-compliance to enforce change.”
“It is well known – IITC continues – that most of Hp’s revenue in the imaging sector is tied to the sale of printer consumable cartridges, not the printers themselves.” The case, immediately picked up by the well-known site Ars Techica, for now, despite the media buzz, has not yet led to official comments from the US-based Hewlett-Packard.
