# HP blocking using 3rd party ink cartridges in printers again **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 21, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-blocking-using-3rd-party-ink-cartridges-in-printers-again/984365 "2023-05-21T18:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-blocking-using-3rd-party-ink-cartridges-in-printers-again/984365/1 "2023-05-21T18:55:02Z")
apparently this has been tried once before and hp was successfully sued but they’re trying again > **[HP outrages printer users with firmware update suddenly bricking third-party ink](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/03/customers-fume-as-hp-blocks-third-party-ink-from-more-of-its-printers/)** > > HP's approach to DRM continues rubbing people the wrong way. Now my question is this Keurig tried the same thing years ago with its k-cups but all everyone did was copy the technology and pit it on their product couldn’t the ink people do the same ? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-blocking-using-3rd-party-ink-cartridges-in-printers-again/984365/2 "2023-05-21T19:00:43Z")
My Epson printer doesn’t like 3rd party cartridges. Found some refilled Epson’s on Amazon that work perfectly at 1/3 the price of new. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2023, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-blocking-using-3rd-party-ink-cartridges-in-printers-again/984365/3 "2023-05-21T19:35:49Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > Now my question is this Keurig tried the same thing years ago with its k-cups but all everyone did was copy the technology and pit it on their product couldn’t the ink people do the same ? There are ways they could use encryption technology such that they could verify that a cartridge has the correct secret codes, but while still making it almost impossible to copy those codes. Of course, this would make the cartridges much more expensive, but that’s a win-win as far as they’re concerned. Alternately, they could use a combination of technology and law. Put some distinctive pattern on their own cartridges, and make the printer refuse to work unless the cartridge has the correct pattern on it. Then, apply for a trademark on that distinctive pattern (since it is, after all, being used to identify a particular company’s products). This one would be relatively easy to circumvent technologically, but if anyone did it on a large enough scale to attract HP’s notice, they could sue them over it. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-blocking-using-3rd-party-ink-cartridges-in-printers-again/984365/4 "2023-05-22T18:35:20Z")
How about Re-filling the cartridge with generic ink? Would that work or does the printer require new cartridges? ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-blocking-using-3rd-party-ink-cartridges-in-printers-again/984365/5 "2023-05-22T18:39:35Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > How about Re-filling the cartridge with generic ink? The chip tracks the ink usage. Once it has dispensed the 30mL of ink that was originally loaded, it’s dead. I’ve got an Epson EcoTank printer which avoids all this crap. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-blocking-using-3rd-party-ink-cartridges-in-printers-again/984365/6 "2023-05-22T19:22:53Z")
Ink jet Printers are primarily cheap devices to sell expensive ink cartridges. That’s been the business model for a long time. Totally different from dot matrix. Ribbon cartridges used to be very reasonable. I haven’t tried buying any for the Epson printers sold today. > **[5 Best Dot Matrix Printers - May 2023 - BestReviews](https://bestreviews.com/computer/printers/best-dot-matrix-printers)** > > Our team of experts has selected the best dot matrix printers out of hundreds of models. Don't buy a dot matrix printer before reading these reviews. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2023, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-blocking-using-3rd-party-ink-cartridges-in-printers-again/984365/7 "2023-05-22T19:35:00Z")
At some point earlier this year my HP printer decided that I was enrolled in their Instant Ink program and told me that I had to submit my CC info to print anything. So it sits gathering dust. Fortunately, I don’t need to print very often.