Are the new 'chips' actionable as anti-competitive?

[speedmonk]

You know, I am totally new to all this as the below post indicates. However, I find the chips blocking refills totally aggregious.

I can see, and it being perfectly reasonalbe to void a warranty while attaching some frankenstien CIS sytem to your printer.

However, could blocking the refills be considered actionable under anti-competitive laws? Since we know the prices are grossly overpriced perhaps this constitutes an unfair practice against the consumer.

Void the warranty, ok, but give the user the freedom to do so.

Class action lawsuit anyone? Or has this been already done.....

 

[fotofreek]

The chipped carts are "sold" to the public as an improved ink monitoring system that also verifies that the carts are inserted properly. You also get the equally unnecessary clever little glowing lights under the hood.

 

[speedmonk]

Ok, but the overall point is that it is sold to specifically lock the customer into an unreasonable and unecessary price fixed commodity.

Would we accept the car companies (ok this is a bad analogy cause it's almost true) saying we could only use Shell gas in Toyotas at 100 times the price?

 

[fotofreek]

Unlike the Epsons with chipped carts, the Canons will still print when the chip reads empty (even when refilled.) It just gives you annoying messages. Might even keep a message in its internal memory to let Canon know that you kept printing after the chip/cart read empty. Too new to know what will actually happen if a refiller's printhead head gets fried within the warranty period.

 

[Osage]

I am pretty sure a class action suit against Canon could be started--as fotofreak mentions that why Canon will tip toe around the replace the printhead issue--especially in theUS with it Magnusson act. Even though Canon bills the chips as great consumer improvements, I still think any lawyer worth two cents could start a
class action.---that if nothing else would bring the issue into the open.

But in reality Canon has already won--they have shut off many from even thinking about refilling or using third party cartridges. Us stubborn few on these forums are mere annoyances.

In my mind, we must look to the competition-----with Brother the only manufacter left standing vending non chipped inkjet Printers. If Brother is serious about increasing market share, the opportunity is there-----but they are presently not yet there with prime time models yet---that can change.-----with Canon chips sitting on store shelves unsold and where they belong.---but its still an earth to brother--opportunity is knocking--is anyone listening to the door bell?

But just had another brain fart--and it might be doable if a political climate of pro consumer laws ever dawns.
Just get congress to pass laws taxing chips on printer cartridges heavily--then if OEM ink makers ever want to sell any ink cartridges for existing printers, they are going to have to provide the printer software that tells their printers to ignore the lack of a chip on their OEM cartridge. And failing that, everyone and their brother in law will be forced to refill--with some government sponsored help.--paid for by the printer manufacters.

 

[fotofreek]

Osage - don't bet on any pro-consumer legislation from the current administration or its rubber stamp congress. We'll have to rely on some aftermarket vendor to come up with either a chip resetter, aftermarket carts, or both. In the meanwhile, if you see an ip4000, 5000, or 6000 grab it and put it on the shelf as a spare! If anyone can stretch the budget, there are still i9900's out there, but they will dry up now that the high end pigment-based Canons are going onto the market.

 

[Osage]

Hey fotofreak,

I had my fantasy on a roll--then you come along and throw the cold water of reality on me. In a more serious vien, can the free enterprise system that says the person who comes up with the better mousetrap will prevail in the market place---Can this be defeated forever in the inkjet printer arena? So far, the score is manufacter greed a zillion dollars, the free enterprise system zero.

I am still predicting it can't last forever--but in terms of my lifetime--its sure looking probable.

 

[websnail]

In truth I actually think the smart money would be on the aftermarket suppliers clubbing together and fighting a court action in defense of their strategy based on environmental, cost, and the sheer bare faced cheek of the OEM's... I find it hard to believe that Epson, for example, can claim that their OEM inks are funding their R&D... so far the C84, C86, and D88 have been aimed, not at improving the quality of product (well ok, perhaps the D88 is a slight improvement but not much)... No, it's more been about tightening the chip protection and the use of service applications... From what I've heard recently the reason there's no D88/C88 service app' available is because the app's are only valid for a month before a new one has to get sent out.

If anyone can help me to understand why things like external waste ink tanks, reset codes, etc... or even truly serviceable printers are a major threat to Epsons patent holdings I'd love to know...

Ultimately though, you know what's going to kill any action sooner than anything else... it's good old fashioned apathy... That and the fact that there are plenty enough crooks out there selling snake oil type inks and poor quality alternatives to allow the OEM's to turn round and say "look, this is what we're protecting you against"..

Gah!...