[NEWS] Refilling Ink Cartridges Now a Crime?

[Mr.Guvernment]

not that i ever used these in m $300 epson printer, but for those who do to save mone from the high cost of cartridges, ithink this could be a very bad thing.

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| Refilling Ink Cartridges Now a Crime? |
| from the this-will-fix-our-overcrowded-prisons dept. |
| posted by ScuttleMonkey on Sunday September 04, @16:32 (Patents) |
| http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/04/1944210 |
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[0]Eric Smith writes "The Ninth Circuit has created [1]box-wrap patent licenses. Now the label on the box that says "single use only" is given force of law, and if you refill the cartridge you are liable for patent infringement."

Discuss this story at:
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=05/09/04/1944210

Links:
0. mailto:eric@@@brouhaha...com
1. http://www.corante.com/copyfight/ar...test_ip_crime_boxwrap_patent_infringement.php

 

[>HyperlogiK<]

this is ridiculous, and it seems an example of the fact that large companies can get more or less any legislation that the want passed.

 

[Mr.Guvernment]

^^ exactly - bully their way around.

i dont think those refill systems are putting that much of a dent into the companies ink profits.

 

[Cyrix_2k]

This was taken out of context... This law is for Lexmark's "prebate" cartridges that cost $30 less then their normal cartridges with the agreement that they will be returned to Lexmark for refilling when they're empty. Lexmark is trying to be nice, but instead they got this. I'm quite sure they're not happy right now.

 

[threeme2189]

this sux...in israel the cartridges cost almost as much as a new printer...but my dad buys them from the US.

 

[Archer36]

Well I have never used those refil things, im to afaid it will injure my printer and I don't print much.

 

[9mmCensor]

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=410289

 

[Mr.Guvernment]

dam u krag!!!

 

[Aslan]

Eh, I always used to refill kits when I had a crappy Lexmark. Now I don't even bother since I have a Canon, and generic cartridges cost like $5 anyhow.

 

[Flip-Mode]

Eh, I always used to refill kits when I had a crappy Lexmark. Now I don't even bother since I have a Canon, and generic cartridges cost like $5 anyhow.

Exactly why I'm dumping my Lexmark and getting a Canon!

 

[apu318]

lmfao. what is this world coming to?

 

[millhouse]

lmfao. what is this world coming to?

ink, gas, bombs.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

Would this be like GM suing you for using transmission fluid in your Chevy that's not from GM?

 

[lilxvietxboi]

Whats up with all these recent security beefup's. Useless. Whats next? Regulated Gas Fillups?

 

[4GHZ_or_bust]

Would this be like GM suing you for using transmission fluid in your Chevy that's not from GM?

Yes but only if you bought the tranny for 1/4 the retail price with the agreement you'd only use GM approved fluid.

I still think that bites. What if Lexmark goes out of business, how would they enforce that or would the ink cart be fair game?

 

[FyreDaug]

I bought an inkjet printer for work, it lasted about a month before the black went dry, so we started printing black with the color until we got new ones. I found the price of refilling both of them would be 15 bucks as opposed to 29.99 for black and 34.99 for color new. I took them in, black was dry and color was half. Costed 12 bucks to fill. 12 bucks a month as a business expense isnt bad (and we were printing with standard, not draft for some reason, so it should be less this month)

How the hell can that be a crime? We bought something and its needing maintenance. Thats like buying a new car and when you run out of gas you have to take it to the dealer. Bull**** if you ask me.

 

[dhutch]

Thats lame!
- What about repilica cartrages?
- Like the inkjet ones i get for my Epson880 (from SVP/BlankDiskShop)


Daniel

 

[hyperasus]

As if we needed another reason to not buy Lexmark. Thier printers already suck so bad…....hell as far as im concerned it’s a crime to use them, muchless refill their crappy a** cartridges. Spare me.

 

[Kevin007]

Would this be like GM suing you for using transmission fluid in your Chevy that's not from GM?

it is like saying "if you re-fill are water bottles, you're going to death row".

 

[ghettocomp]

...There's nothing in the article OR the licensing agreement that describes what you can or cannot do with the printer cartridge for personal use. Be creative.

This judgement says that you cannot engage in the business of refilling "one use only" cartridges, which apparently includes selling your used cartridges back to a refilling company. I personally find that bizarre, because you could easily "sell your junk" to a third party, who "sells his filtered junk" to a cartridge refilling company, and enforcing this judgement would be nigh impossible. Regardless, this has nothing to do with how you use or refill your printer cartridges - for personal use. ...

06181789

...If you think there is some kind of personal use exemption, please cite the relevant U.S.C. section. There is a limited exemption for "experimental use", but not all personal use qualifies. For instance, if I refill a printer cartridge in a manner that would otherwise infringe the patent, but do it to experiment with refilling techniques, that's probably exempted. But if I refill the cartridge and use it to print my TPS reports, that is not.
It is unlikely that Lexmark will bring a patent infringement suit against an individual end user for refilling his or her printer cartridge, but that does not mean that they are unable to do so.

06181789