Comments on: HP sues ink cartridge maker for unfair competition

In a second lawsuit, HP's German subsidiary alleges that a Swiss printer supply company is selling new ink cartridges labeled as remanufactured units.

[ironbyghte]

What the HECK?!?!?!?!

Okay let me get this straight!

HP is suing them because they are selling a NEW product as RE-MANUFACTURED? In other words, they're selling a better product than they claim to be selling? OMG folks, what is wrong with HP?! This is such a nickpicking load of crap. HP just needs to learn to compete in the market place.

I had convinced myself never to buy another HP product again a long time ago, and I've done pretty well. In fact, just the other day I literally thew my HP Ink Jet in the trash after replacing it with a fine Lexmark color laser.

But this ... this has almost driven me to throw my precious HP RPN calculators that I've had since college back in the late 80s to early 90s in the trash! That's how pissed I am at HP right now. This is just sick.

[oldcreek]

greed tops all

ink is the cheapest thing in the world. these greedy bastards
charge
30 dollars for a cartridge. to hell with their profits. i hope they
lose money. what happened to good old competition

[kjmurphy711]

It's a green world we're trying to live in...

I'm sure there are more dubious reasons for HP to sue as well, but you could argue that a company selling new cartridges as re-manufactured are inappropriately cashing in on customers who think the company is using less resoources to create their product. Customers who want to do the "right thing" to conserve resources would actually not be.

That being said, it has been fun watching HP develop what seems like hundreds of SKUs in the $50-$250 range to compete against up and coming products from competitors. My only hope is that MemJet is creating what is says it can and just completely changes the inkjet landscape.

[CNET BITES]

twisted

Its like this.

HP holds various patents on their cartridges. It is not illegal to take a used cartridge and refill and sell it. It is however illegal to manufacture a NEW cartridge without entering into an agreement with HP. It would seem that someone is making new cartridges then labeling them as re-manufactured.

To put it simply. I can sell used cartridges but I cant mold my own and sell them, no matter how I label or package them.

[andersonsmith]

HP is most famous company to produce the printer. It is produce the cartridges. It is very high quality and better work.
______________________________
Anderson smith

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[semi4]

I do not purchase refilled cartridges but I do refill my own. I buy the ink in bulk and refill a cartridge for about $4.

There are a few tricks to refilling and I made many mistakes at first but now I use latex gloves and have things refined.

If I was just saving $5 a cartridge I would not refill, but a cartridge can be refilled about 6 times before the print starts to degrade and refilling a cartridge 6 times only costs about $24 saving about $150 on 6 refills (on the type of cartridge that I use).

The few tricks:

1. Never let the cartridge go dry. As soon as you notice the print start to fade, refill. (The jets burn out when they try and spray ink when there is no ink to spray. Once the jets are burnt out, throw away the cartridge).

2. The cartridge should not be out of the printer for more than 10 min or the ink in the jets starts to dry out clogging the jets creating all sorts of print problems.

3. Use latex gloves, the cheep throwaway type. You will get ink on yourself and on your hands so be prepared.


The first time it will be very messy and take 10 min just to refill (plus 10 min setup and cleanup). The second time it will be just as messy. About the 4th time you refill your own cartridge it gets easy, quick and almost no mess.

I refill a cartridge in about 5 min from the moment that I first notice the print starting to fade to the point things are cleaned up and finished. For some, they will not want to spend the 5 min and would rather purchase a new cartridge. For me, 5 min to save $30 is worth it.