Brother printers causing issues with third party inks: Difference between revisions
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[[Brother Industries Ltd.|Brother]] has | In the past, [[Brother Industries Ltd.|Brother]] has consistently allowed the use of third-party toner in their printers, showcasing a consumer-friendly approach to the printing industry. In recent years, however, firmware updates have been implemented to discourage toner usage from third-party manufacturers. When a user attempts to install a third-party toner, the Brother printer displays an error message warning that the toner may damage the printer and only OEM (original equipment manufacturer) toner is considered safe. Additionally, some users have reported a notable decrease in print quality when using third-party toners after the firmware update. These updates disable color registration among other core printing features, encouraging the use of toners manufactured by Brother.<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 | ==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> | *'''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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==Impact on Consumer Protection== | ==Impact on Consumer Protection== | ||
*Consumers no longer | *Consumers may no longer use the ink provider of their choice without compromising the functionality of their printer. | ||
*Consumers | *Consumers previously able to save money by buying third-party toner are now required to purchase OEM toner at a higher cost to maintain printer functionality. | ||
*Brother’s | *Brother’s consumer-friendly reputation for allowing third-party toner is now tarnished. | ||
*No prior warning | *No prior warning of change in the printer's core functionality had been given before these firmware updates were installed. | ||
*Workarounds involve blocking firmware updates or attempting firmware | *Workarounds tend to involve blocking the firmware updates or attempting downgrading the firmware, both of which Brother actively discourages. | ||
==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 | 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> | ||
<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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"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." | "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> | </blockquote> | ||
In their conclusion, they've attributed consumers' confusion and frustration to the following: | |||
<blockquote> | <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." | "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." | ||
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==User evidence & reports== | ==User evidence & reports== | ||
===Hacker News Discussion (2022)=== | ===Hacker News Discussion (2022)=== | ||
*Users noticed that Brother printers | *Users noticed that Brother's printers do accept third-party toner instead of outright rejection due to failed compatibility. This leads some users to suspect the consequential loss of print quality as a deliberate act. | ||
*One user stated: | *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> | ||
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==Potential legal implications== | ==Potential legal implications== | ||
If the removal of core printing functionality after purchase is deliberate, this action may qualify as a deceptive trade practice in multiple jurisdictions. | |||
==Mitigations available to users== | ==Mitigations available to users== | ||
#'''Avoid Firmware Updates''' – Disable auto-updates to prevent forced function removal. This may, however, lead to security risks. | #'''Avoid Firmware Updates''' – Disable auto-updates to prevent forced function removal. This may, however, lead to security risks. | ||
#''' | #'''Attempt to downgrade''' – Some users have managed to roll back firmware, though this is becoming 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. | #'''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. | ||