Brother printers causing issues with third party inks: Difference between revisions
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|Company=Brother Industries Ltd. | |||
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|Type=Third-party | |||
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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="reddit" /> | [[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="reddit" /> | ||
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*'''Vendor lock-in via DRM''' – Printers continue to function with third-party toner but print at lower quality unless OEM toner is installed. | *'''Vendor lock-in via DRM''' – Printers continue to function with third-party toner but print at lower quality unless OEM toner is installed. | ||
*'''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> | *'''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"> | *'''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">{{Cite web |date=2022-06-24 |title=Tell HN: Brother printers now locking out non-OEM paraphernalia |url=https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31860131 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260117124632/https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31860131 |archive-date=2026-01-17 |website=Hacker News}}</ref><ref name="reddit-2" /> | ||
==How it works== | ==How it works== | ||
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3. After updating, users report: | 3. After updating, users report: | ||
*Color registration fails by default, causing misaligned prints.<ref name="cups"> | *Color registration fails by default, causing misaligned prints.<ref name="cups">{{Cite web |title=CUPS/Printer-specific problems |url=https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CUPS/Printer-specific_problems#Updating_the_firmware |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514170614/https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CUPS/Printer-specific_problems#Updating_the_firmware |archive-date=2026-05-14 |website=ArchWiki}}</ref> | ||
4. Brother support acknowledges that installing OEM toner will immediately resolve the issue.<ref name="hackernews" /> | 4. Brother support acknowledges that installing OEM toner will immediately resolve the issue.<ref name="hackernews" /> | ||
*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"> | *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">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-07 |title=Possible to add an option to revert to a previous firmware version #30 ⸱ CauldronDevelopmentLLC/oh-brother |url=https://github.com/CauldronDevelopmentLLC/oh-brother/issues/30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514174728/https://github.com/CauldronDevelopmentLLC/oh-brother/issues/30 |archive-date=2026-05-14 |website=GitHub}}</ref> | ||
==Impact on consumer protection== | ==Impact on consumer protection== | ||
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*Users have noticed that Brother's printers do accept third-party toner instead of outright rejection. This leads some to suspect the consequential loss of print quality may be a deliberate act. One user stated: | *Users have noticed that Brother's printers do accept third-party toner instead of outright rejection. This leads some to suspect the consequential loss of print quality may be a deliberate act. One user stated: | ||
<blockquote>''Brother seems to be apparently accepting the ink, but then purposefully making the print quality poorer.''<ref name="hackernews" /></blockquote> | <blockquote>''Brother seems to be apparently accepting the ink, but then purposefully making the print quality poorer.''<ref name="hackernews" /></blockquote> | ||
===Free Software Foundation === | ===Free Software Foundation=== | ||
*FSF has listed this incident under the "Installing, deleting or disabling programs" in "Proprietary Back Doors" chapter<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-14 |title=Proprietary Back Doors |url=https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251218062339/https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html |archive-date=2025-12-18 |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=GNU Operating System}}</ref>: | *FSF has listed this incident under the "Installing, deleting or disabling programs" in "Proprietary Back Doors" chapter<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-14 |title=Proprietary Back Doors |url=https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#install-delete |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251218062339/https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html |archive-date=2025-12-18 |access-date=2025-12-18 |website=GNU Operating System}}</ref>: | ||
<blockquote>When connected to the internet, some Brother printers suffer a firmware downgrade that degrades the printing quality when using third-party toner. This proves that these printers have a back door which lets Brother control them. | <blockquote>When connected to the internet, some Brother printers suffer a firmware downgrade that degrades the printing quality when using third-party toner. This proves that these printers have a back door which lets Brother control them. | ||
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==Brother's response== | ==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 and stated the following: <ref name="ars-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 and stated the following: <ref name="ars-response">{{Cite news |last=Harding |first=Scharon |date=2025-03-05 |title=Brother denies using firmware updates to brick printers with third-party ink |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/brother-denies-using-firmware-updates-to-brick-printers-with-third-party-ink/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260506074336/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/brother-denies-using-firmware-updates-to-brick-printers-with-third-party-ink/ |archive-date=2026-05-06 |work=Ars Technica}}</ref> | ||
<blockquote> | <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." | "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." | ||
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[HP Dynamic Security| | *[[HP Dynamic Security|HP Dynamic Security]] | ||
*[[Brother DCP-L3550CDW aftermarket toner failure]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||