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IPFS News Link • Business/ Commerce

HP Has Added DRM to Its Ink Cartridges. Not Even Kidding

• https://www.wired.com, Brian Barrett

Just to be clear, this isn't a solution for you. It's a solution for them. Got an OfficeJet, OfficeJet Pro, or Office Jet Pro X printer? As of last week, reasonably priced third-party ink cartridges no longer work. For a company like, say, 123inkt, the Dutch outfit that sells HP-compatible cartridges and first noticed the change, it's DRMaggedon.

HP's at least upfront about it. Brazen, even!

"The purpose of this update is to protect HP's innovations and intellectual property," the company told WIRED. Which is true. If only it protected HP's customers as well.

Lockdown

HP has long installed a security chip in its cartridges and printers. If you use knock-off cartridges, you've probably seen a warning at some point that it isn't HP-approved. Annoying, but that's about all. Last year, though, HP implemented a firmware update in enterprise printers that, as of last week, locked out any cartridges but its own. As the company says, "other cartridges may not function."


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