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The International ITC Files Complaint Vs. Hp Over Firmware That Blocks 3rd Party Toner CartridgesImaging supplies trade association the International Imaging Technology Council (Int’l ITC) has filed a complaint with the Green Electronics Council over HP Inc’s new firmware that blocks printers from using third-party supplies.
Las Vegas (NV), USA, Imaging supplies trade association the International Imaging Technology Council (Int’l ITC) has filed a complaint with the Green Electronics Council over HP Inc’s new firmware that blocks printers from using third-party supplies.
The Int’l ITC – which is being joined in this action by the United Kingdom Cartridge Remanufacturing Association (UKCRA) – is challenging claims by HP that its printer products meet certain criteria as defined by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).
The EPEAT criteria were developed over a two-year period by a group of stakeholders, including government officials, OEM manufacturers – including HP – and members of the aftermarket that included the Int’l ITC and UKCRA. This team developed the IEEE 1680.2 standard for environmental assessment of imaging equipment, as well as subsections 4.9.2.1 and 4.9.4.1 which direct that all EPEAT imaging equipment will: Allow use of non-manufacturer cartridges and non-manufacturer containers. [Provide] documentation that the cartridge or container is not designed to prevent its reuse and recycling.
The Int’l ITC asserts that HP’s “aggressive” firmware, which locks out aftermarket cartridges, violates these provisions. The Green Electronics Council is the body charged with overseeing this programme, including ensuring the integrity of the EPEAT system.
“HP Inc.’s outrageous new firmware shuts off a printer when it detects a non-HP cartridge, which frustrates consumers and their cartridge suppliers alike,” said Tricia Judge, Executive Director of the Int’l ITC. “This is clearly contrary to the EPEAT criteria [and] they shouldn’t get to claim to adhere to a higher environmental standard.”
Last week, HP confirmed it would be introducing a new hardware pricing model that would tie in users to using HP original supplies if they bought a subsidised printer.
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