Brother printers causing issues with third party inks: Difference between revisions
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[[Brother Industries Ltd.|Brother]] is a printer company that has allowed the use of third-party toner cartridges with their printer devices. Recent firmware updates have changed this practice by displaying an error message when consumers attempt to install their third-party toner that was previously allowed. When using the Brother printer with the toner of their choice, some users report a significant decrease in print quality, functionally disabling the printer unless OEM toner is installed.<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> | |||
== | ==Relevant 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> | *'''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" /> | *'''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" /> | ||
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*Older firmware versions are removed from Brother’s servers, preventing firmware downgrades that would fix the issue while also allowing consumers to use their preferred toner.<ref name="github-ohbrother">[https://github.com/CauldronDevelopmentLLC/oh-brother/issues/30 Discussion on firmware rollback for Brother printers.]</ref> | *Older firmware versions are removed from Brother’s servers, preventing firmware downgrades that would fix the issue while also allowing consumers to use their preferred toner.<ref name="github-ohbrother">[https://github.com/CauldronDevelopmentLLC/oh-brother/issues/30 Discussion on firmware rollback for Brother printers.]</ref> | ||
==Impact on | ==Impact on consumer protection== | ||
*Consumers may no longer use the ink provider of their choice without compromising the functionality of their printer. | *Consumers may no longer use the ink provider of their choice without compromising the functionality of their printer. | ||
*Consumers previously able to save money by purchasing third-party toner are now required to purchase OEM toner at a higher cost to maintain printer functionality. | *Consumers previously able to save money by purchasing third-party toner are now required to purchase OEM toner at a higher cost to maintain printer functionality. | ||
*No prior warning of change in the printer's core functionality had been given before these firmware updates were installed. | *No prior warning of change in the printer's core functionality had been given before these firmware updates were installed. | ||
*Workarounds tend to involve blocking the firmware updates or attempting downgrading the firmware, both of which Brother actively discourages. | *Workarounds tend to involve blocking the firmware updates or attempting downgrading the firmware, both of which Brother actively discourages. | ||
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*This is similar to [[HP Dynamic Security]], which blocks non-OEM cartridges. | *This is similar to [[HP Dynamic Security]], which blocks non-OEM cartridges. | ||
===Quality | ===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.]] | [[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.]] | ||
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==Mitigations available to users== | ==Mitigations available to users== | ||