HP software now self-destructs in printers

Outrage is developing in the tech world over the discovery that Hewlett-Packard is installing software in its printers that will prevent the machine from printing if it detects anything but an HP brand cartridge, rejecting even refilled HP cartridges.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Cory Doctorow was among the first to demand a fix.

He cited a Wired report that said HP "has long installed a security chip in its cartridges and printers."

"If you use knock-off cartridges, you've probably seen a warning at some point that it isn't HP-approved. Annoying, but that's about all," Wired said. "Last year, though, HP implemented a firmware update in enterprise printers that, as of last week, locked out any cartridges but its own. As the company says, 'other cartridges may not function.'"

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Wired said consumers "wouldn't accept this from other products, but it's easier for companies to tweak software long after you've brought their devices home."

"You bought your printer, but imposing DRM after the fact reinforces that you never really own it."

Doctorow fired off a letter Monday to HP to express his opposition.

"Like many others, we are alarmed by reports that HP has activated a dormant feature in Officejet Pro printers (and possibly other models), so that the printers now automatically verify whether its ink cartridges are official HP ink and not competitors' products or even refilled HP cartridges. If these printers detect third-party ink, printing stops. This activation was disguised as a security update.

"You must be aware that this decision has shocked and angered your customers. Below, I have set out our concerns and the steps HP must take to begin to repair the damage it has done to its reputation and the public's trust."

Susan Vander May, a spokeswoman for the company, confirmed its actions to WND: "These printers will continue to work with refilled or remanufactured cartridges with an original HP security chip. Other cartridges may not function. In many cases this functionality was installed in the HP printer and in some cases it has been implemented as part of an update to the printer’s firmware."

Doctorow said HP customers "should be able to use the ink of their choosing in their printers for the same reason that Cuisinart customers should be able to choose whose bread goes in their toasters."

"The practice of 'tying' is rightly decried by economists and competition regulators as an invitation to monopoly pricing and reduced competition and innovation. HP customers should choose HP ink because it is the best, not because their printer won't work with a competitor's brand."

He pointed out that HP printers already have subjected consumers to "well-documented, catastrophic security vulnerabilities."

"By co-opting the security update mechanism to deliver an anti-feature – that is, something that works against your customers' interests – you have introduced doubt into the patch process. Earlier proof-of-concept malicious software targeted to your products screened print-jobs for Social Security Numbers and credit card details and sent them to attackers, or scanned customers' networks and hijacked their connected computers. By giving tens of millions of your customers a reason to mistrust your updates, you've put them at risk of future infections that could compromise their business and home networks, their sensitive data, and the gadgets that share their network with their printers, from baby monitors to thermostats."

Doctorow noted the software update apparently was distributed last March but wasn't activated until this month.

"That means that HP knew, for at least six months, that some of its customers were buying your products because they believed they were compatible with any manufacturer's ink, while you had already planted a countdown timer in their property that would take this feature away. … They are now left with a less useful printer – and possibly a stockpile of useless third-party ink cartridges."

He wrote that HP should apologize to customers and restore the funcationality, commit to never using software updates to activate features that "work against your customers' interests" and prominently disclose any other plans to "remove" features from devices.

The letter was addressed to Dion Weisler, the CEO of HP Inc. in Palo Alto, California.

A European business analysis site noted that two of the models affected are the OfficeJet Pro and the OfficeJet Pro X.

"Dutch 123inkt, which sells its own ink cartridges for all types of printers, says a new software update created the block," the analysis said. "However, this does not mean HP can just halt competitors' sales that easily, because 123inkt already altered its cartridges' chips to make sure HP printers will accept them despite the recent software update. These new cartridges are not on sale yet, but will be soon."

Nick Adams’ book, “The American Boomerang: How The World’s Greatest Turnaround Nation Will Do It Again,” is endorsed by the likes of Dr. Ben Carson, Glenn Beck, Dick Morris, Gov. Mike Huckabee and Dennis Prager