this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2026
218 points (99.5% liked)

Technology

82621 readers
3580 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws
218
HP's ink-blocking firmware may violate new global sustainability rules (www.techspot.com)
submitted 3 hours ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to c/technology@lemmy.world
20 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

HP's long-running use of firmware updates that block third-party ink and toner cartridges is drawing scrutiny again – this time under a new global sustainability standard that explicitly forbids the practice.

The International Imaging Technology Council (Int'l ITC), a trade group for cartridge remanufacturers, says HP's latest printer firmware rollout conflicts with the requirements of the General Electronics Council's (GEC) updated Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT 2.0.

top 20 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 7 points 1 hour ago

I did tech support for HP DeskJet printers in 1996 - the 600, 600C, and 660C. I had a DeskJet around that time, but that was the last one I got because they started screwing around with the drivers.

Back in the 80s/90s, HP made some great printers. Had a LaserJet 4 that lasted a long long time.

But not long after I moved on to another job - I never bought HP again. And that's now been a recommendation for literally 30 years.

Do not buy HP!

Also, unless you print a LOT of pictures, don't buy inkjets. The ink has so many issues. Get a laserjer. Brother is a good simple brand. I have had a Brother color laser since 2018 and it's still chugging along perfectly. I'm on around my second set of cartridges because I don't print a lot. But whenever I do print, it's there and ready to go.

There's a couple of other brands that are alright, too.

But do not buy HP. Jesus, people, it's been a full generation of people since this has been true! Nobody should be buying HP inkjet crap!

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 43 points 2 hours ago

If a third-party ink cart can introduce a "cyber threat," your unbelievably shoddy firmware would be the problem, you disingenuous Hamburglars.

[–] TomMasz@lemmy.world 7 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

It's also rampant assholery, but that's harder to legislate.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 1 points 1 hour ago

But it would make a good law outlawing corporate assholery as a whole and might make a difference. Imagine a world in which corpos are not allowed to fuck over anyone, not their supplier, their partners or the customer... the world would be different.

[–] atropa@piefed.social 26 points 2 hours ago (5 children)

Nobody buys HP anymore , HP stands for Has Problems

[–] 69420@lemmy.world 1 points 20 minutes ago

I used to work with a lot of HP's industrial printers. The automated maintenance routines always take so damn long, and they break all the time. We always said HP stands for Have Patience.

[–] ozymandias117@lemmy.world 2 points 42 minutes ago

The last time we tried using them, the computer came with Windows 98...

They were horrible back then, not really sure how they are still in business.

[–] W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 hour ago

I thought it stood for Horrible Product.

[–] Bahnd@lemmy.world 6 points 2 hours ago

Nah... My office does, and then pays a vendor to handle the issues (I work in IT, fixing those problems is literally my job) and they still cheap out on knock off toner (some of which works). It makes me sad...

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 6 points 2 hours ago

Yeah, the problem is that they're anti-consumer.

[–] Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world 28 points 3 hours ago

Good, it’s about time

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I've started thinking recently about business practices and printing and "Apple printer" jokes, and, well, Apple was making printers in the olden days when I was a baby.

So, they could be making very expensive, but good printers, with no cartridge DRM whatsoever, now.

That would possibly be a good thing, and with such regulations pressing at the opposing business model, could even be a financially good variant.

OK, I think I'm starting to show fanboyish traits. I sort of really liked Apple when I was a kid, but later I started seeing iPhones around and I didn't like their change from home computers and iPods to that.

[–] NinjaTurtle@feddit.online 6 points 1 hour ago

The way apple is now, you would only be able to print (wirelessly) through Apple products. And probably also DRM ink cartridges on a "security" basis.

Old Apple is not the same as current Apple.

[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (2 children)

Next step: When a 3rd party cartridge is detected HP will degrade print quality just enough to make them unusable while blaming the cartridge manufacturers for the problem.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 3 points 1 hour ago

Yeah, the colors will always be off in a random direction in the RGB spectrum, this is easy to blame on the cartridge manufacturer

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 9 points 2 hours ago

Stop giving them ideas!

[–] heiligerbimbam@lemmy.wtf 3 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

One reason I have no printer anymore.. this fucking ink scam.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Me too - the print shop can deal with the issues, i have no problem paying a little extra for not having the headache of troubleshooting printer crap. Although I might get myself a B/W Brother printer for the everyday stuff - my ex sadly got my old one.

[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

I have a Brother color laser - was cheap and it just works.

[–] W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 hour ago

Switch to laser and that problem goes away.