Update:ย
- 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.ย
- Consumers sued the printer company in 2020, alleging it pushed a software update to its printers to make them incompatible with other brandsโ ink cartridges.ย
- 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, โadding, deleting or altering code, diminishing the capabilities of HP printers and rendering the competitorsโ supply cartridges incompatible with HP printers,โ 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 brandsโ 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 brandsโ 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.ย
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, โadding, deleting or altering code, diminishing the capabilities of HP printers, and rendering the competitorsโ supply cartridges incompatible with HP printers,โ 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 โsupply problem,โ when HP had in fact intentionally caused the issue by sending the โmalwareโ to render third-party ink cartridges incompatible with HP products.ย
โPlaintiffs 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,โ the lawsuit states.ย
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 competitorsโ cartridges without their consent.ย
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.ย
The plaintiffs are Mobile Emergency Housing Corp., Performance Automotive & Tire Center and David Justin Lynchโs.
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 โInstant Inkโ subscription are experiencing faulty, error-prone cartridges.ย
Do you own an HP printer that suddenly wouldnโt work with other brandsโ ink cartridges? Let us know your experience in the comments!ย
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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1,748 thoughts onHP agrees to settlement in overpriced, incompatible ink cartridge class action
I have a HP color laser printer. I always used third party toner. I have been unable to use it for several years now but it still sits on my home office desk.
add me
Please add me
Iโve had an HP Printer for yrs and am tired of the high price of cartridges
3 HP printers later. I wondered why I couldnโt use anything but HP cartridges
I had 2 hp printers from 2017-2022 that would stop printing even though the cartridge still had plenty of ink in them. Also if I filled the cartridge with ink myself it would not print at all. Then I bought generic cartridges and it would not print even though they were brand new compatible cartridges. Not only would my hp not print, it also suspended the copy and scan options on my all in one. It was ridiculous. My 2 were not the models listed in this claim but hp has been ripping off consumers for years & they need to be help ac occountable. This should be illegal. Reimbursement needs to be paid and not $20 either. I will never buy another hp product again. An ex employee posted online that they did this on purpose. I complained but nothing was ever acknowledged. Bad business in every way possible. Hate hp. Add me please. Thank you
Yes and complained several times plus the printer would lock please add me
Please add me. I have had it with HP printers. When the ink ran out on the last one I had I threw it in the garbage and bought a Canon. HP will never get another penny of my money.
Owned 3 Hp printers ink problems with all even the current one using only HP cartridges
I have used their products. Always running into.issues with these
HP is blaming third party as the bad guys. They have to take responsibility. Most importantly, HP changed software in their printers (via the internet, and out of our control or permission) to the point that the printers were, and are rejecting the original, NEW, HP cartridges.
Every time I turn my computer I get the โWarningโ from HP telling me that my cartridges are low or empty. Load the printer with NEW, SEALED cartridges and I get a message on the screen telling me that โTHE CARTRIDGES ARE OUT OF DATEโ . When I called HP, the person at the other end of the line told me to go and get a new printer. They use gangster tactics.
I did file my complaint with TCA few months back. I do not know if this has to do with the same one or not.
Please include me. Iโve spent thousands of dollars in printers and ink to end up in the losers end.
I know several people with HP printers; I will pass them this information. Thank you.