HP CEO justifies blocking third-party ink cartridges by claiming they can inject malware

Even with a case filed against the company for blocking third-party inks using its Dynamic Security updates a few days ago, HP is adamant about doing what it can to maintain a monopoly in its refillable ink cartridges for its printers. While this isn't a new practice from HP, it continues to push forward with consumer-unfriendly tactics, from bricking printers to the latest: claiming that third-party ink cartridges can be used to infect users' PCs with viruses.

In an interview with CNBC, HP Inc. CEO Enrique Lores said, "We have seen that you can embed viruses in the cartridges. Through the cartridge, the virus can go to the printer, and then from the printer, go to the network."

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HP's evidence of this claim uses research funded by the company in 2022. The study emphasizes that HP's cartridges typically use a chip to communicate with the printer and hence they are secured. The research claims that the cartridges sold by third parties also use reprogrammable chips, and hence could contain malicious software.

Many security experts have claimed otherwise, and this makes sense, since HP already claimed in its study that its chips are secure, implying that there is a mechanism that verifies the chip's authenticity, just like any other hardware that requires authentication with other devices. But of course, making consumers fear the possibility of infection from third-party cartridges, whether justified or not, will also almost certainly dissuade some of HP's customers from buying ink that doesn't come directly from HP.

From a business perspective, these moves shouldn't be surprising. The company would prefer to have a subscription model for its printer inks, as Lores states in the same interview with CNBC. The company's Dynamic Security, which made its debut in 2016, has been part of many class action lawsuits and anti-trust cases in and out of the United States, and in Europe, the company settled for $1.3 million in a case revolving around the feature. Despite that, many strongly believe HP is continuing work to ensure customers cannot use third-party ink by any means necessary.

It should be noted that this reasoning stems from the question put forward by the CNBC reporter, stating that many users are angry that they were not made aware when using a new firmware that some of their printer's functions would be disabled if they use third-party inks. Before this, the company CEO said that it was doing so to protect its IP. The company also said that every time a customer buys its printers, it's an investment for the company.

The Fine Print with Catridge Ink

Issues with printer inks have been a long-standing issue internationally. But HP seems to making several attempts and goes out of its way to ensure its customers cannot use third-party inks on printers they have purchased. Luckily consumers have many options out there, some even providing ink tanks. For those who feel they are being exploited by any manufacturer, one can simply shift to another brand, though it comes with a certain monetary loss. Irrespective of one's ability to switch over, one's bad experience with a company usually spills over to another range of products.

Knowing that there is no true monopoly in the printing and computing business, one would concur that HP is risking its brand's reputation and credibility while relentlessly pursuing such lengths to restrict its existing customer's choices.