Brother printers causing issues with third party inks: Difference between revisions
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[[Brother Industries, Ltd.|Brother]] used to be known for allowing third-party toner use & being less consumer hostile than companies such as HP. In recent years, they've implemented '''firmware updates that deliberately degrade print quality when using non-OEM toner'''. These updates disable color registration & other features which coerces consumers into buying expensive genuine Brother toner. | [[Brother Industries, Ltd.|Brother]] used to be known for allowing third-party toner use & being less consumer hostile than companies such as HP. In recent years, they've implemented '''firmware updates that deliberately degrade print quality when using non-OEM toner'''. These updates disable color registration & other features which coerces consumers into buying expensive genuine Brother toner. | ||
== | ==Exploitative practices== | ||
*'''Post-Sale Function Removal''' – Firmware updates retroactively remove previously available features, such as automatic color registration, for users using non-OEM toner.<ref name="reddit">[https://www.reddit.com/r/printers/comments/s9b2eg Brother MFC firmware update - non-genuine toner now disables critical features.]</ref> | *'''Post-Sale Function Removal''' – Firmware updates retroactively remove previously available features, such as automatic color registration, for users using non-OEM toner.<ref name="reddit">[https://www.reddit.com/r/printers/comments/s9b2eg Brother MFC firmware update - non-genuine toner now disables critical features.]</ref> | ||
*'''Vendor lock-in via DRM''' – Printers continue to function with third-party toner but print at degraded quality unless OEM toner is installed. | *'''Vendor lock-in via DRM''' – Printers continue to function with third-party toner but print at degraded quality unless OEM toner is installed. | ||
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*'''Deceptive practices''' – Printers do not outright reject third-party toner but instead '''engineer a failure''', misleading users into thinking their toner is defective.<ref name="hackernews">[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31860131 Tell HN: Brother printers now locking out non-OEM paraphernalia.]</ref> | *'''Deceptive practices''' – Printers do not outright reject third-party toner but instead '''engineer a failure''', misleading users into thinking their toner is defective.<ref name="hackernews">[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31860131 Tell HN: Brother printers now locking out non-OEM paraphernalia.]</ref> | ||
==How it works== | |||
1. Consumers purchase a '''Brother laser printer''' that previously accepted third-party toner. | 1. Consumers purchase a '''Brother laser printer''' that previously accepted third-party toner. | ||
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*'''Older firmware versions are removed from Brother’s servers''', preventing downgrades.<ref name="github-ohbrother">[https://github.com/CauldronDevelopmentLLC/oh-brother/issues/30 Discussion on firmware rollback for Brother printers.]</ref> | *'''Older firmware versions are removed from Brother’s servers''', preventing downgrades.<ref name="github-ohbrother">[https://github.com/CauldronDevelopmentLLC/oh-brother/issues/30 Discussion on firmware rollback for Brother printers.]</ref> | ||
==Real-world impact== | |||
*Customers who used to save money buying third-party toner are now '''forced into expensive OEM purchases'''. | *Customers who used to save money buying third-party toner are now '''forced into expensive OEM purchases'''. | ||
*Brother’s '''positive reputation''' for allowing third-party toner is tarnished. | *Brother’s '''positive reputation''' for allowing third-party toner is tarnished. | ||
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*Workarounds involve '''blocking firmware updates''' or attempting '''risky firmware downgrades''', both of which Brother actively discourages. | *Workarounds involve '''blocking firmware updates''' or attempting '''risky firmware downgrades''', both of which Brother actively discourages. | ||
===User evidence & reports | ==Brother's response== | ||
On March 5th 2025, following the publication of a video on the Louis Rossmann youtube channel, Brother addressed the issue, in a response given to Ars Technica, stating the following <ref name="ars-response">https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/brother-denies-using-firmware-updates-to-brick-printers-with-third-party-ink/</ref> | |||
<blockquote> | |||
We are aware of the recent false claims suggesting that a Brother firmware update may have restricted the use of third-party ink cartridges. Please be assured that Brother firmware updates do not block the use of third-party ink in our machines. | |||
</blockquote> | |||
They also detailed that | |||
<blockquote> | |||
Brother printers do not intentionally degrade print quality based on whether a Brother Genuine or non-genuine ink/ toner cartridge is used. Brother cannot verify the quality of printing that will result when using a third-party compatible with a Brother printer. | |||
</blockquote> | |||
Finally they attributed the confusion fron consumers to | |||
<blockquote> | |||
Brother encourages the use of Brother Genuine ink and toner for optimal performance and reliability, and it is standard practice that we perform a Brother [G]enuine check when troubleshooting a Brother printer. Compatible supplies may range in quality, and in order to verify that a printer is working properly, we like to troubleshoot with Brother Genuine supplies. We believe this check in the process may have led to a misunderstanding[,] but as we confirmed, the firmware update would not be responsible for the degradation of quality or removal of printer features. | |||
</blockquote> | |||
==User evidence & reports== | |||
===Hacker News Discussion (2025)=== | |||
*Users noticed that '''Brother printers accepted third-party toner but deliberately degraded print quality'''. | *Users noticed that '''Brother printers accepted third-party toner but deliberately degraded print quality'''. | ||
*One user stated: | *One user stated: | ||
<blockquote>''Brother seems to be apparently accepting the ink, but then purposefully making the print quality poorer.''<ref name="hackernews" /></blockquote> | <blockquote>''Brother seems to be apparently accepting the ink, but then purposefully making the print quality poorer.''<ref name="hackernews" /></blockquote> | ||
===Reddit reports (r/printers)=== | |||
*A '''firmware update on the Brother MFC-3750''' '''disabled automatic color registration''' when third-party toner was detected.<ref name="reddit" /> | *A '''firmware update on the Brother MFC-3750''' '''disabled automatic color registration''' when third-party toner was detected.<ref name="reddit" /> | ||
*A Brother support agent confirmed that installing OEM toner would "fix" the issue instantly, proving that the printer was being artificially restricted. | *A Brother support agent confirmed that installing OEM toner would "fix" the issue instantly, proving that the printer was being artificially restricted. | ||
===GitHub developer investigation=== | |||
*A project analyzing '''Brother firmware updates''' discovered that '''older firmware versions were removed from Brother’s servers''', making it impossible for users to roll back to a working version.<ref name="github-fwupd" /> | *A project analyzing '''Brother firmware updates''' discovered that '''older firmware versions were removed from Brother’s servers''', making it impossible for users to roll back to a working version.<ref name="github-fwupd" /> | ||
*Another github discussion showed that '''Brother firmware updates increasingly lock out more non-Brother toner cartridges with each new update!'''<ref name="github-ohbrother" /> | *Another github discussion showed that '''Brother firmware updates increasingly lock out more non-Brother toner cartridges with each new update!'''<ref name="github-ohbrother" /> | ||
*This is similar to [[HP Dynamic Security]] which block non-OEM cartridges. | *This is similar to [[HP Dynamic Security]] which block non-OEM cartridges. | ||
==Comparison to other industry abuses== | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
!Company!!Tactic Used | !Company!!Tactic Used | ||
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|} | |} | ||
==Potential legal implications== | |||
Deliberate function removal '''after purchase''' may qualify as '''deceptive trade practices''' in multiple jurisdictions | Deliberate function removal '''after purchase''' may qualify as '''deceptive trade practices''' in multiple jurisdictions | ||
==Mitigations available to users== | |||
#'''Avoid Firmware Updates''' – Disable auto-updates to prevent forced function removal. This may, however, lead to security risks. | #'''Avoid Firmware Updates''' – Disable auto-updates to prevent forced function removal. This may, however, lead to security risks. | ||
#'''Try to downgrade''' – Some users have managed to roll back firmware, though this is increasingly difficult.<ref name="github-ohbrother" /> | #'''Try to downgrade''' – Some users have managed to roll back firmware, though this is increasingly difficult.<ref name="github-ohbrother" /> | ||