HP Updates Its Printers to Only Work With Official Ink Cartridges

HP is causing outrage after releasing software updates that stop some of its printers from printing if third-party ink cartridges are detected.

As Ars Technica reports, HP's decision to do this was first noted on Reddit by user grhhull. Before installing the latest firmware update for their printer it would show a "can't guarantee quality" message if unofficial ink cartridges were detected. However, after the update was installed the printer simply refused to print because the ink cartridges "contain a non-HP chip."

HP calls its cartridge authentication system "dynamic security" and describes it as a way to "protect the quality of our customer experience, maintain the integrity of our printing systems, and protect our intellectual property." For owners of HP printers, it means you are being forced to pay whatever price HP decides to charge for its cartridges even if cheaper alternatives exist.

The company confirms that recent printer updates are implementing this change to requiring HP-approved ink. It's unclear which printer models are or will be affected by this change in the future. Some of HP's printer listings go so far as to state, "Cartridges using a non-HP chip may not work, and those that work today may not work in the future." It seems the only way to avoid your unofficial ink cartridges no longer working is to not install HP's printer updates.

It's surprising HP decided to do this as the company has gotten into trouble for doing it before and ended up paying millions in compensation through multiple lawsuits. Australians claimed $100,000 in compensation back in 2018, Italy fined the company $10.5 million in 2020, and a class-action lawsuit is slowly making its way through the US court system. HP even stopped blocking some third-party cartridges back in 2016, but has never admitted to any wrongdoing.

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Ars Technica attempted to get HP to explain why it decided to implement this change now, but it provided only "vague" responses. As one commenter on Ars rightly points out, HP sells its printers at a loss and then attempts to generate a profit through cartridge sales over a printer's lifetime. So if you aren't buying the official cartridges, you are effectively costing HP money.

Consumers can ultimately vote with their wallets by choosing to buy a printer from another brand instead. In our Readers' Choice survey, Brother is PCMag readers’ printer brand of choice. 

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