Update:
- In a joint notice filed July 12 in a California federal court, HP and a certified class of consumers reached a settlement in principle and are working to finalize the agreement.
- Consumers sued the printer company in 2020, alleging it pushed a software update to its printers to make them incompatible with other brands’ ink cartridges.
- They allege HP transmitted firmware updates without authorization to HP printers through the internet, with the first update pushed around Nov. 2020. These firmware updates reportedly act as malware, “adding, deleting or altering code, diminishing the capabilities of HP printers and rendering the competitors’ supply cartridges incompatible with HP printers,” the plaintiffs claim.
HP ink cartridge class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: HP Inc. is being sued by customers.
- Why: The customers allege HP pushed a firmware update that made its printers incompatible with other brands’ ink cartridges.
- Where: Nationwide
(Oct. 16, 2021)
A class action lawsuit alleging HP pushed a software update to its printers to make them incompatible with other brands’ ink cartridges can mostly go ahead, a judge has ruled.
A California federal judge ruled Oct. 15 that most of the class action allegations filed by printer owners against HP, Inc. could go ahead, throwing out only three of the claims.
The claims against HP were first filed in Dec. 2020. The plaintiffs allege that HP transmitted firmware updates without authorization to HP printers through the Internet, with the first update pushed around Nov. 2020.
These firmware updates allegedly act as malware, “adding, deleting or altering code, diminishing the capabilities of HP printers, and rendering the competitors’ supply cartridges incompatible with HP printers,” the plaintiffs said.
HP forced customers to purchase HP ink cartridges, class action alleges
The class action lawsuit said the company told them that HP printers have a “supply problem,” when HP had in fact intentionally caused the issue by sending the “malware” to render third-party ink cartridges incompatible with HP products.
“Plaintiffs allege that as a result of this malware, HP printer owners are either forced to buy HP cartridges or they cannot use their printers until third parties can develop workarounds in their products,” the lawsuit states.
They also allege HP used this firmware update process to conceal the fact it is actually collecting data on whether consumers are using HP or its competitors’ cartridges without their consent.
The lawsuit is looking to represent anyone nationwide who had a HP Color LaserJet Pro M254, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M280, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M281, or any other model affected by HP malware transmissions.
The plaintiffs are Mobile Emergency Housing Corp., Performance Automotive & Tire Center and David Justin Lynch’s.
The plaintiffs are suing under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (CDAFA), California False Advertising Law, California Unfair Competition Law and California Consumers Legal Remedies Act.
The order filed Oct. 15 allowed most of the claims to go ahead, apart from allegations regarding one section of CFAA, trespass to chattels and one claim based on one part of CDAFA.
The news comes as HP faces another class action lawsuit, with a consumer alleging that he and others with an HP “Instant Ink” subscription are experiencing faulty, error-prone cartridges.
Do you own an HP printer that suddenly wouldn’t work with other brands’ ink cartridges? Let us know your experience in the comments!
The plaintiffs are represented by Mark L. Javitch of Javitch Law Office and Thomas A. Zimmerman Jr. of Zimmerman Law Offices PC.
The HP Software Update Ink Cartridge Class Action Lawsuit is Mobile Emergency Housing Corp. et al. v. HP Inc., Case No. 5:20-cv-09157, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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1,747 thoughts onHP agrees to settlement in overpriced, incompatible ink cartridge class action
ADD ME…. I own and use the HP ENVY # 5530. I purchased it new several years back due to its ability to email instant photos since my daughter was living several hundred miles away, to stay in touch with family better. I have always had issues of not being allowed by “the HP Printer”to use any generic ink tanks as well as the Original HP 61 Combo Tanks “not containing adequate amounts of ink”. I just yesterday purchased a Combo 61 HP at Walmart and was out of ink after only “30 minutes & 98 Pages “! This is unacceptable especially when the Price was $58.85 for the (1) Combo Pack. The HP Printer will not function at all with any other cartridges, otherwise I would be buying “Cheaper Ink”. Seeking Resolution, TY
add me. I would like to use cheaper cartridges, but they don;t work in my HP printer
Add me
Spent a hundred of dollars on many ink cartridges they either didn’t work or very little ink. I finally had to buy a new printer
I have mainly used hp printers in my home for the last 15-20 years and could never understand why it was cheaper to go purchase a new printer than to buy the ink because with hp your unable to refill and has to be specific for your model printer.
Please add me.
I have been having issues with HP not just with the ink but also with them blocking the printer I been using my HP for a while now until this Ink issue.
I have been waiting for this. Add me.
Please add me
add me.
I also have been forced to buy hp’s ink while they get to regulat & monitor your every move , everything i print! That sucks i feel my privacy is violated not to mention the high cost to print.
For the past year and a half they regulate everything on my printer they make it go off-line online. They caused so much complications. It’s so inconvenient it’s happened again I have to call them again and go to a whole bunch of BS while they steadily take money from me monthly, and even sometimes two weeks apart. I definitely want to be part of this class action lawsuit!!!!!!