Canon Pulls Counterfeit RitoTech Toner From Amazon as Spain Investigates Europe’s Cartridge Crisis.

Canon is turning up the heat on the aftermarket toner industry, announcing that Amazon.com removed certain third-party cartridge offerings after Canon alleged they infringed its U.S. patent, including RitoTech cartridges sold by Ritotech Supplies, which Canon identified in its enforcement action. Canon’s September 17 announcement The move comes as Europe faces its own growing controversy over allegedly illegal and non-compliant toner cartridges. A new investigation in Catalonia featuring ETIRA president Javier Martínez reports concerns about compatible cartridges entering the European market without meeting applicable requirements for chemicals, labeling, traceability and environmental compliance, while citing ETIRA’s claim that one in three cartridges entering Europe is illegal. Porta Enrere investigation The Toner Police question is simple: how long can alleged counterfeit and non-compliant toner sellers continue operating before Amazon, customs authorities and regulators shut them down? Canon’s latest Amazon action suggests OEMs are increasingly willing to go directly after individual listings, while the Catalan investigation highlights the potentially much broader regulatory and environmental problems surrounding questionable compatible cartridges. For toner dealers, the warning is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: cheap compatible toner may come with far more baggage than just a low price.