HP Fails To Dodge Lawsuit Over Blocking Users From Using Their Printer Scanner If Ink Cartridges Aren’t Installed

fry@fry.gs to Technology@lemmy.world – 561 points –
HP Fails To Dodge Lawsuit Over Blocking Users From Using Their Printer Scanner If Ink Cartridges Aren’t Installed
techdirt.com
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They'll get a slap on the wrist fine that nowhere near accounts for the amount of money they made doing this.

True but this also sets precedent for other cases which is an overall win. But i do wish the fines were bigger I agree with you there.

They need to do a percentage of revue, rather than a fixed price for businesses. Affects bigger companies harder, but let's smaller ones still work through it.

Fine of at least 150% of money earned, though they'll just say it earned them nothing

It sets the size of the fee the company will need to pay to do it.

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HP has one of the worst customer experiences out there. I don't understand why people keep buying HP trash.

People use it because hp printers are cheap, but the users dont know what they are putting themselves into by buying hp.

software locks are inherently immoral and anti consumer.

By itself there is nothing immoral in software lock, but the way it is used here is immoral. It is common understanding and expectation that the scanner should work if there is no ink, thus locking scanner is doggy technique. Locking printer if you do not have ink, however, is totally fine, since it prevents printer damage.

but i only want to print black and white! fuck magenta's issues.

I miss old printers that would offer to print in black & white or composite black depending on which cartridge is low ☹️

I am sure you can do it in print settings.

@Num10ck Put a black cartridge where the color cartridge should be?

70% of the time, they're different sizes. And if they aren't, then the little chip on them let's the printer know it isn't the correct cartridge.

If only it were so simple...

If someone ever made dummy cartridges they would sell nicely, I suspect.

HP has locked down their cartridges so much that even third party hack ones require extracting the chip from a genuine cartridge.

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I love how so many comments and replies ascribe some form of ‘guilt’ to this, as if HP employees would feel shame. This doesn’t really mean anything to a company that size.

One of the great things about moving to the UK is that, despite all its problems, consumer protection Europe is so much better than in the US.

Next they need to be charged for the ink itself... Literally the most expensive liquid on the planet, more than fucking LSD!

And a hearty fuck you to HP Sales execs, may their children fritter their unearned stock grants on glow in the dark drink umbrellas.