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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1,753 thoughts onHP agrees to settlement in overpriced, incompatible ink cartridge class action
Add me have one sitting in the closet cause of ink!!
Absolutely stopped working after an update while non HP cartridges were in….
Yes this has definitely happened to me, Epson does it too. It would only work when. I restored an older software version
Very happy to see this class action. HP infuriated me when they did this. I work at a small manufacturing company, and we have/had a dozen or so HP printers. This monopolistic greed push from HP cost us thousands and wasted many supplies, printers and hours of frustration.
I have had this happen with HP more than once. They have also shut down my printer remotely because of not being connected to wifi for too long of a period.
I have 2 HP Designjet 44′ printers and the same issues. Purchased ink from Amazon and printers did not work which forced me to buy HP ink.
Used HP printers for 10 years, but when tried non hp printers, they stopped working. I didn’t relate it to the cartridge issues, but now I know HP set it up that way. Not nice. Sign me up.
I still own hp printers.Please add me
Please add me as I had not only one of the older model HP printer that I was forced to throw out and switch to buy an Epson printer because I was tired of the HP cartridge issue, but when my Epson played out I had to switch back to HP and now I have to deal with the Insta Ink subscription that I can’t seem to get to have them get correct. I either run out and still have to buy new at the store early in which I get fined for/error coded on the system or I get too many shipped and charged too much. I can’t win with these people. If I didn’t need my printer at home I’d say forget it. This HP Deskjet 4100Series sucks! Definitely add me please!
Please add me. Finally gave up on HP because of this very reason.
wow-explains all the trouble and wasted time and money with trying to figure our what was wrong-nasty HP! count me in