The chip shortage has claimed another victim. This time, it’s printer companies that want to make you use branded ink cartridges.
It’s all about a little thing called a DRM chip
Digital rights management (DRM) is tech that controls how someone can access or use content. Examples include software you can’t use until you enter a key, and streaming apps that won’t let you take screenshots.
In the case of printers, many companies — including Epson and HP — use DRM chips in their ink cartridges.
Customers who try to use cheaper, 3rd-party cartridges may get ominous warning messages or find they can’t print at all without a workaround, like downloading old firmware.
Enter the big chip shortage
Canon has been selling cartridges without the chips because, well, there aren’t any.
So now, some users are being warned about possible malfunctions when they try to print. Canon’s solution? Just ignore it, per Techdirt. That’s it.
Canon is also being sued over its “All-in-One” printers, which allegedly refuse to let users scan or fax if the ink cartridge is low or empty, so perhaps it’s time to rethink some things.
Fun fact: Keurig once tried to do the same thing with its coffee pods. Customers hated it.
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