Brother printers causing issues with third party inks: Difference between revisions

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+{{IncidentCargo
+|Company=Brother Industries Ltd.
+|StartDate=
+|EndDate=
+|Status=
+|ProductLine=
+|Product=
+|ArticleType=
+|Type=Third-party
+|Description=
+}}
 [[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.
 *'''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" />
+*'''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==
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 . After updating, users report:
-*Color registration fails by default, causing misaligned prints.<ref name="cups">[https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CUPS/Printer-specific_problems#Updating_the_firmware ArchWiki - Printer-specific problems with Brother.]</ref>
+*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>
 . 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">[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">{{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==
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 ==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">[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>
+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>
 "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==
-*[[HP Dynamic Security|'''HP Dynamic Security''']]
+*[[HP Dynamic Security|HP Dynamic Security]]
+*[[Brother DCP-L3550CDW aftermarket toner failure]]
 ==References==