Anthem

2025-08-16T14:12:36Z

Silent: Added description of the server shutdown and reference to EA terms of service.

{{StubNotice}}{{InfoboxProductLine
| Title = Anthem
| Release Year =2019
| Product Type =Action, role-playing Video Game
| In Production =Yes
| Official Website =https://www.ea.com/games/anthem
| Logo =Anthem logo.png
}}Anthem is an always-online multiplayer action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by [[Electronic Arts]] (EA). The game was released on February 22, 2019 on the PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One. On July 3, 2025, EA announced that Anthem's servers will be shut down on January 12, 2026.<ref name=":022">{{Cite web |date=2025-07-03 |title=Anthem Game Update |url=https://www.ea.com/games/anthem/news/anthem-game-update |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250704091220/https://www.ea.com/games/anthem/news/anthem-game-update |archive-date=2025-07-04 |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=EA}}</ref> As the title is exclusively online-only, the closure of the servers renders the game unplayable, even offline.<ref name=":022" />

==Consumer impact summary==
EA shutting down the game servers has led to consumers who've spent money and time on the game to no longer have access to the product they rightfully paid for, even for offline use. As a result of said actions, many consumers feel disdain towards the brand, their current and future offerings or the industry as a whole.

==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
{{Placeholder box|Replace the placeholder text in the sections below with the incidents that affect this product and a short summary. Also replace the link so it point to the right product line or company article.}}
===Server shutdowns (''2025.07.03)''===
{{Main|link to the main article}}
On July 3, 2025, EA announced that the Anthem severs would be sunset on January 12, 2026. Since the game was designed to require connection to the Anthem servers, the game would become unplayable following the shutdown of the servers. According to the terms of service that all consumers must agree to in order to play the game, this action by EA to revoke the purchase form the consumer is legal and permissible so long as 30 days notice was provided.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ELECTRONIC ARTS USER AGREEMENT |url=https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/WEBTERMS/US/en/PC/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=tos.ea.com}}</ref>
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...

Incidents affecting all of the product line/company's products can be found in the product line/company article: [[Product line title]]/[[Company article title]]

==See also==
[https://consumerrights.wiki/Ubisoft#The_Crew_shutdown The Crew shutdown]

[[Stop Killing Games]]
==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Electronic Arts]]
[[Category:Video games]]

Brother printers causing issues with third party inks

2025-08-16T13:48:02Z

Silent: Minor edit to Impact on Consumer Protection section. Added a bullet about consumer choice and reworded another to focus more on consumer rights

{{ToneWarning}}
[[Brother Industries Ltd.|Brother]] has had a reputation for allowing the use of third-party toner and being more consumer-friendly than competing printer companies. In recent years, they've implemented firmware updates that discourage the use of toner made by companies other than Brother. The printer then repeatedly warns the user that using toner not manufactured by Brother could damage the printer. There are anecdotal reports that Brother's firmware update causes a deliberately lower print quality when using toner that is not from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). These updates disable color registration & other features, encouraging the use of toner manufactured by Brother over other toner options.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Skye |date=2025-03-05 |title=Brother printers are quietly sabotaging third-party toner with firmware updates |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/107022-brother-printers-quietly-sabotaging-third-party-toner-firmware.html}}</ref>

==Exploitative practices==
*'''Post-Sale Function Removal''' – Firmware updates retroactively remove previously available features, such as automatic color registration, for users using non-OEM toner.<ref name="reddit">[https://www.reddit.com/r/printers/comments/s9b2eg Brother MFC firmware update - non-genuine toner now disables critical features.]</ref><ref name="reddit-2">[https://www.reddit.com/r/printers/comments/w60687/brother_mfcl3370cdw_firmware_downgrade_needed/ Brother MFC-L3370CDW Firmware Downgrade needed]</ref>
*'''Vendor lock-in via DRM''' – Printers continue to function with third-party toner but print at lower quality unless OEM toner is installed.<ref name=":0" />
*'''Anti-consumer software practices''' – Firmware updates cannot be easily rolled back, preventing consumers from restoring lost functionality.<ref name="github-fwupd">[https://github.com/sedrubal/brother_printer_fwupd/issues/9 Brother printer firmware downgrade discussion.]</ref>
*'''Deceptive practices''' – Printers do not reject third-party toner but intentionally cause a toner failure, which discourages use of third party toners.<ref name="hackernews">[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31860131 Tell HN: Brother printers now locking out non-OEM paraphernalia.]</ref><ref name="reddit-2" />

==How it works==
1. Consumers purchase a Brother laser printer that previously accepted third-party toner.

2. A firmware update (e.g., W1.56) is pushed, which does not notify users of any major functional changes.

3. After updating, users report that:

*Color registration fails automatically, misaligning prints.<ref name="cups">[https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CUPS/Printer-specific_problems#Updating_the_firmware ArchWiki - Printer-specific problems with Brother.]</ref>
*Brother support acknowledges that installing OEM toner will resolve the issue instantly.<ref name="hackernews" />
*Older firmware versions are removed from Brother’s servers, preventing downgrades.<ref name="github-ohbrother">[https://github.com/CauldronDevelopmentLLC/oh-brother/issues/30 Discussion on firmware rollback for Brother printers.]</ref>

==Impact on Consumer Protection==
*Consumers no longer have the right to use their choice of ink provider without compromising on functionality.
*Consumers who were previously able to save money by buying third-party toner are now required to purchase expensive OEM toner to maintain optimal functionality.
*Brother’s positive reputation for allowing third-party toner is tarnished.
*No prior warning was given to consumers before these updates were installed.
*Workarounds involve blocking firmware updates or attempting firmware downgrades, both of which Brother actively discourages.

==Brother's response==
On March 5th 2025, following the publication of a video on the Louis Rossmann YouTube channel, Brother addressed the issue, in a response given to Ars Technica, stating the following: <ref name="ars-response">[https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/brother-denies-using-firmware-updates-to-brick-printers-with-third-party-ink/ Brother denies using firmware updates to brick printers with third-party ink]</ref>
<blockquote>
"We are aware of the recent false claims suggesting that a Brother firmware update may have restricted the use of third-party ink cartridges. Please be assured that Brother firmware updates do not block the use of third-party ink in our machines."
</blockquote>
They also detailed that:
<blockquote>
"Brother printers do not intentionally degrade print quality based on whether a Brother Genuine or non-genuine ink/ toner cartridge is used. Brother cannot verify the quality of printing that will result when using a third-party compatible with a Brother printer."
</blockquote>
Finally they attributed the confusion from consumers to:
<blockquote>
"Brother encourages the use of Brother Genuine ink and toner for optimal performance and reliability, and it is standard practice that we perform a Brother Genuine check when troubleshooting a Brother printer. Compatible supplies may range in quality, and in order to verify that a printer is working properly, we like to troubleshoot with Brother Genuine supplies. We believe this check in the process may have led to a misunderstanding[,] but as we confirmed, the firmware update would not be responsible for the degradation of quality or removal of printer features."
</blockquote>
==User evidence & reports==
===Hacker News Discussion (2022)===
*Users noticed that Brother printers accepted third-party toner but deliberately degraded print quality.
*One user stated:
<blockquote>''Brother seems to be apparently accepting the ink, but then purposefully making the print quality poorer.''<ref name="hackernews" /></blockquote>

===Reddit reports (r/printers)===
*A firmware update on the Brother MFC-3750 disabled automatic color registration when third-party toner was detected.<ref name="reddit" />
*A Brother support agent confirmed that installing OEM toner would "fix" the issue instantly, supporting user claims that the printer was being artificially restricted.

===GitHub developer investigation===
*A project analyzing Brother firmware updates discovered that older firmware versions were removed from Brother’s servers, making it impossible for users to roll back to a working version.<ref name="github-fwupd" />
*Another GitHub discussion showed that Brother firmware updates lock out more non-Brother toner cartridges with each update.<ref name="github-ohbrother" />
*This is similar to [[HP Dynamic Security]], which blocks non-OEM cartridges.

===Quality Example===
[[File:Brother HL-L9310CDW 1.69 1.32 before registration deleted.png|alt=Brother HL-L9310CDW 1.69 1.32, before deletion of colour registration.|none|thumb|800x800px|Brother HL-L9310CDW 1.69 1.32, before deletion of color registration.]]

==Comparison to other industry decisions==
{| class="wikitable"
!Company!!Tactic Used
|-
|'''HP'''||"Dynamic Security" firmware updates blocking non-OEM ink
|-
|'''Epson'''||Ink expiration DRM, even when cartridges are full
|-
|'''Canon'''||Firmware updates that disable scanning when ink is low
|-
|'''Brother'''||Print degradation for non-OEM toner users
|}

==Potential legal implications==
Deliberate function removal after purchase may qualify as deceptive trade practices in multiple jurisdictions.

==Mitigations available to users==
#'''Avoid Firmware Updates''' – Disable auto-updates to prevent forced function removal. This may, however, lead to security risks.
#'''Try to downgrade''' – Some users have managed to roll back firmware, though this is increasingly difficult.<ref name="github-ohbrother" />
#'''HL-L9310CDW (with firmware main 1.69, sub 1.31):''' On the menu of the printer, delete the color registration to improve quality by reducing the misalignment of the individual colors. However, the best solution is to have a configuration option to set the offset individual (X, Y) for each color with the smallest possible increment, perhaps through an external (CUPS) printer driver.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Brother]]
[[Category:Digital Restrictions]]
[[Category:Vendor Lock-in]]
[[Category:Post-Sale Firmware Lockouts]]

Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Anthem

Brother printers causing issues with third party inks