June 28th, 2007
Using Recycled Ink Cartridges Means I’m a Pirate Now?
By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews
An article at News.com caught my eye today. It wasn’t so much the subject itself, rather the implication. The title of the story is “Can cryptography prevent printer-ink piracy?” The gist of the article is using cryptography tech to make it more difficult for printers to use cheaper ink from “unauthorized sources”. What got my goat was the way they said it:
Cryptography Research Inc. (CRI), a San Francisco company, is developing chip technology aimed at helping printer manufacturers protect this primary source of profit. The company’s chips use cryptography designed to make it harder for printers to use off-brand and counterfeit cartridges.
“We’re not saying we can end piracy (emphasis mine), but our system is designed to recover from failure,” said Kit Rodgers, CRI’s vice president of business development. Source: News.com
We Say: I understand they are focusing on cartridges that try to pretend they are new when they are not, or those that masquerade as a certain manufacturer’s when they are not … but this tech could also make it more difficult for legitimate refillers and recyclers as well. I mean, the majority of the money in the printer biz is in the consumables. Limiting my choice to expensive cartridges direct from, say HP, is good for them, but bad for consumers. Whenever I tried to use refilled cartridges in my old HP inkjet, for example, I would have problems. I switched to a Canon as they don’t use such chips.
Take a look at the comments on the story; most are really hot about this topic. While the article does address the legitimate refilling industry in latter parts, I can see this being used, if printer manufacturers want to, in the same way HP has used their expiration chips. And that would be great for their bottom line, but bad for our wallets.
Mike says:
I have refilled my cartridges for YEARS, and I will quit printing before i buy the ridiculously high priced ink from the manufacturer!
It makes no sense to sell printers for as low as $30, then to turn around and say you have to spend $60 to get new ink.
I like the multiple color cartrisges in a printer because of the ease of replacing, and not discarding other colors that might be full, but if you add up the cost, you are usually OVER what the cost of the older style cartridges with all 3 colors in them would be.
It is a scam, plain and simple.
Mike
If I would have the brains to develop a printer that used bottles of ink rather than cartridges, I would be a billionaire.
June 28th, 2007 at 3:47 am
MissingFrame says:
It probably should be pointed out that this isn’t the only industry with this business model. Cell phones, software from console games to virus checkers, Monsanto seeds, rent-to-own, need I go on?
All of them are scams, but people buy into them. When you run a business you find customers are more willing to spend $10 a month for years and years rather than a one-time fee of $100.
June 28th, 2007 at 6:30 am
Mark says:
Keep in mind that there are numerous scam artists out there who provide shoddy product that provides very little actual ink and that causes real damage to equipment. It’s not unreasonable for printer manufacturers to want to protect against this sort of true “piracy” (which is a term used in the copier world for a very real and very damaging problem).
It’s unfortunate that the casual user and honest purveyor are caught up in the net, but sometimes that can’t be helped. And remember: printers are cheap because the printer companies make their money on toner and ink. You don’t even want to THINK about how expensive the equipment would become if the manufacturers lose their revenue stream from ink and toner.
June 28th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Clint says:
Canon’s newer printer have cartridges with chips in them, which is why I stopped buying Canon.
I agree when I have to buy the expensive OEM cartridge I will just stop printing.
June 28th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Mort says:
Its unreal that anyone would go along with this your BUYING the printer not some sort of license for it, you should be able to do as you please.
If you bought a car would you let yourself be locked into only one brand of gas?
With Marks reasoning in a comment above YOU would be a pirate.
The consumer is becoming a sheep led to slaughter by corporate greed with the help of the politicians you elect.
June 28th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Randall Lind says:
This is why I brought a Used HP Lasejet 4000 off ebay with a 30,000 page count. The black toner cartrisge does 10,000 pages before I need to buy a new cartridge.
Cost me $115 14 months ago and it still printing nice in dark. I don’t care about color.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Chuck Eckert says:
I use refilled cartridges I get for my HP from a business here where I live called Cartridge World. It is a national chain and they will either fill your cartridges or just swap then out. No problems what-so ever so far.
As to the comment by Mike about inventing some way for his printer to use bottles of ink–sorry Mike–but that has already been done. I saw the device at a computer show here in Florida not long age. Uses bottles of ink and hooks up to any make or model of printer.
What I find interesting about this is-you can buy refilled cartridges from the different manufacturers–I think anyway–so how does one know for sure that they are really using their ink and not having one of the various refill companies fill them with whatever ink they use.
I have never had any damage done to a printer by ink–from any source–that I know of anyway.
June 28th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
JohnB says:
One consideration on buying refills is the printhead. It it is a part of the cartridge, the life expectancy of the printhead and the cartridge may be the same, and refills may not be worthwhile. If the printhead is part of the printer, the ink formulation may have a significant impact on printer life. So — be careful…
June 29th, 2007 at 6:43 am
ridn4free says:
FATWALLET RULES - SD DROOLS
June 29th, 2007 at 7:04 am
Joey says:
>>>And remember: printers are cheap because the printer companies make their money on toner and ink. You don’t even want to THINK about how expensive the equipment would become if the manufacturers lose their revenue stream from ink and toner.
June 29th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Toner Cartridges says:
It’s hardly as ridculous as it seems, its not the fact that just ink is overpriced, but more so that everything is overpriced, mass produced,and made to fall apart. Think people would pay more for machines to pay less for ink? I know I would if and only if the machines were built to last, but that would never happen. Since that is how the companies make their money.
July 5th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Mr. Harding says:
I’ve been refilling cartridges for years on dozens of printers I’ve placed into local schools. NEVER had any problems refilling, only with the chips in newer ink cartridges. Canon was great for years but then also jumped on the chip band wagon. It’s not piracy in any sense of the word. Once I buy the product I can do with it as I please. If I do anything to void the warranty that’s my problem. I’ve seen more problems related to FAILED chips then on any cartridges that were refilled. Even with warranty covered you have to forgo using your printer for several days until you get the warranty covered replacement. This should be illegal because you could argue that the manufacturer could deliberately cause a chip to fail (like a date code) knowing the vast majority of people will just buy a new cartridge.
November 29th, 2007 at 1:00 am