Following in the footsteps of HP and other OEMs, Epson recently released a firmware update which blocks the use of remanufactured cartridges.
As Griffin Hampson of Cartridge Network explains, in recent years printer manufacturers such as HP have released firmware updates which block third-party cartridges, meaning customers are limited to buying OEM branded versions, which are often more expensive.
Epson has recently followed suit with its own firmware update, which was not detected for several days and affected Epson T288 / T288Xl & T410 / T410XL cartridges, and Expression XP530, XP 630, XP640 & XP 830 printer models. Other models may also have been affected.
According to Hampson, “If you do not accept the update you should be OK. The easiest way to protect your printer is to select “never” in the Epson Driver Update Settings. Go to our web page, then Trouble Shooting and then “Epson Firmware issues”.
Both legitimate remanufactured cartridges and counterfeits have been blocked by this update.
OEMs issue these updates to ensure sales of their own cartridges, and they can often face a significant backlash for doing so, as in the case of HP Australia, which had to offer compensation to customers in May this year after selling printers which blocked the use of third-party cartridges.
HP has also previously had to offer explanations and apologies for other firmware updates. However, this has not stopped the company from issuing yet another update at the end of last month, which affected the HP M602 and HP M4555 printer families.
