Kodak All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer Class Action Lawsuit

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Does the color ink in your Kodak inkjet printer always seem to run out, even though you rarely print in color? If so, you’re not alone. A class action lawsuit filed in California Superior Court claims that Eastman Kodak failed to tell consumers that its All-In-One inkjet printers deplete color ink reserves at “absurd levels,” even on pages that contain only black text.

According to the Kodak All-In-One inkjet printer class action lawsuit, “When printing black and white text and images, Kodak’s color inkjet printers are designed and programmed to use substantial amounts of color ink in addition to the substantially less expensive black ink. Kodak specifically designed the color inkjet printers so customers could not print black and white documents, unless there was an operating color inkjet cartridge in the printer.”

The Kodak printer class action lawsuit goes on to say that even though Kodak inkjet printers use substantial amounts of color ink when printing in black text and images, no color other than plain black can be seen on the printed page. “The documents are for all purposes substantially the same as if printed from a black and white only printer. As a result, consumers are unaware that color ink is actually being used and hidden within the black text and/or images that they have printed.”

This fact is further concealed, the class action lawsuit says, because nowhere in Kodak’s promotional, packaging or warranty materials does it disclose to consumer that its color inkjet printers use color ink when printing black text or images.

The Kodak color inkjet printer class action lawsuit is brought on behalf of all persons or entities located in the U.S. who own a Kodak color inkjet printer and who have printed black text and/or images using that printer. It is seeking class certification, restitution for Class Members, and injunctive relief prohibiting Kodak from further engaging in the deceptive business practices alleged in the lawsuit.

A copy of the Kodak All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer Class Action Lawsuit can be read here.

The case is Daniela Apostol v. Eastman Kodak Company, Case No. 30-2011-00510342-CU-FR-CXC, Superior Court of California, County of Orange.

UPDATE: A federal judge dismissed this class action lawsuit without prejudice on Feb. 3, 2014. The supporting court documents did not indicate if the plaintiff would re-file an amended complaint.