Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink • Hacker News Board

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#171

Post by WarOnPrivacy » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:20 PM UTC

vlovich123 wrote: post #85

chaoskanzlerin wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's plenty of jurisdictions where "pasting a scanned signature into a pdf" doesn't produce a legally valid signature. Germany requires some signing software for pdfs - though printed-signed-scanned documents are also legally valid signatures

Show me someone who can tell the difference between pasting a signature in a pdf vs printed-signed-scanned? There was a legislature in America that tried to define pi as 3 so irrational laws are not surprising.

> Show me someone who can tell the difference between pasting a signature in a pdf vs printed-signed-scanned?

One challenge with potentially invalid documents - when agreements go south and disgruntled employees get a free wrench to toss into the works.

Another motivator is not wanting to risk cheesing off judges.

source: Once prepped federal cases

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#172

Post by kube-system » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:20 PM UTC

dylan604 wrote: post #147

kube-system wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you highly overestimate the amount of research the average person does on a printer purchase. Yes, some people will buy a CR magazine or ask their friends/relatives opinion for a $30k car, but will they do that before buying a $60 printer?

Someone needs to make a QAnon post about the scam, then it'd be over for ink jets /s

Meh. Knowing about “the scam” is not enough to avoid it. People already know ink cartridges are expensive.

To get a good deal you have to calculate TCO which requires understanding consumable prices, yields, and print volumes, and doing the math to figure out all of your options.

Being mad is easy. Being analytical requires work.

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#173

Post by neilv » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:20 PM UTC

As many techies will probably always say anytime inkjet product shenanigans come up: just buy a laser printer.

And I now add: and don't let it connect to the Internet, and don't install proprietary drivers or software for it on your computers.

Also, remember the names of companies doing sketchy things, and do your part to provide negative feedback when you can, and to give positive feedback to better companies. (Example: I've just moved away from the Apple product ecosystem, because Apple did one too many obnoxious things, and I'll also be pointing friends who ask to alternative solutions.)

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#174

Post by kube-system » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:22 PM UTC

ethbr0 wrote: post #131

lotsofpulp wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, but I would have figured that by now, so many people would have had bad experiences with inkjet printers from HP/epson/canon that they would have sought out that information. Or maybe even retailers would promote it so people are more satisfied with their purchases.

Here is the average printer purchaser: "Hello Best Buy / Staples / Office Depot salesperson, I need a printer." "Well, I'd recommend (insert whichever manufacturer currently cutting retail most margin)." "No, a friend had a bad experience with them." "Oh, then (insert second highest margin)." (Repeat)

Meanwhile the most economical printers aren’t even on the shelf because their high purchase price causes them to have low sales volumes.

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#175

Post by hdjjhhvvhga » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:24 PM UTC

dghughes wrote: post #159

lotsofpulp wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do not understand how the other printer brands are even in business when Brother is an option. I feel like their reputation for being the best in the consumer space would have spread far and wide by now. I have been able to scan all of my documents with their MFC line directly to my Dropbox (or box or drive or onedrive) account for over 6 years now, AND Brother Web Connect automatically OCR’s them.

Isn't Brother agressive in it's constant unclearable warnings about using generic toner?

Maybe, but I own Brother printers for >10 years and I haven't seen such a warning yet.

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#176

Post by ghaff » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:25 PM UTC

EvanAnderson wrote: post #154

jader201 wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got my first printer in high school, around 90-91. It was an HP laserjet printer, when they were first going mainstream. I loved it, it always printed well, and the toner seemed to last forever. Of course, it was B/W, but that was all I needed. Fast forward to today, I have never owned an inkjet printer. Over the past 30 years I’ve owned a total of 3 laser printers. The second was in 2005, because I wanted a scanne…

Fed a diet of the necessary consumables-- toners/drums, fusers, rollers, separation pads, etc-- a 1990s LaserJet will outlive us all. For me, "peak LaserJet" was probably the LaserJet 4 w/ an integral JetDirect. The 4000 that followed was pretty solid and faster but more plastic-ey than the 4.

I think it was a 4 that I had for ages. This was even in the days when taking something like this in to be repaired was still a thing.

Had a Samsung laser printer that didn't last long and have had a Brother for years.

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#177

Post by WarOnPrivacy » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:25 PM UTC

MauranKilom wrote: post #145

voakbasda wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What brand of fridge uses DRM? Asking to avoid them entirely

It's been a topic on HN before: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23484292 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22129801 (GE in both cases)

Since 1990: GE outperforms all other appliance makers in supplying reasons to avoid their products.

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#178

Post by PeterStuer » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:26 PM UTC

Xerox does the same. I have a Workcenter 6605 that would still be a perfect greyscale multifunctional but can do nothing as the Yellow toner check can not be passed and a repair costs more than a new printer.

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#179

Post by MichaelZuo » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:27 PM UTC

osrec wrote: post #22

Damn the need for recurring revenue. It makes us make bad things that eat away at our own resources. I wished there was an alternative payment model, where everything is perhaps paid off over time. If the product fails during the specified time period, the payments stop. It would hopefully give the companies some sort of recurring revenue, while incentivising them to build something that lasts and not play dirty tric…

Mandatory service contracts are common for commercial equipment.

It guarantees recurring revenue and guarantees the customer will have support the next day (or same day sometimes) if anything happens.

Retail customers simply pick the cheapest thing though that satisfies their needs, most of the time. It’s been the same story since the first retail shop I imagine.

Re: Canon sued for disabling scanner when printers run out of ink

#180

Post by hdjjhhvvhga » Sat, Oct 16, 2021, 5:27 PM UTC

dylan604 wrote: post #147

kube-system wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you highly overestimate the amount of research the average person does on a printer purchase. Yes, some people will buy a CR magazine or ask their friends/relatives opinion for a $30k car, but will they do that before buying a $60 printer?

Someone needs to make a QAnon post about the scam, then it'd be over for ink jets /s

It's not a bad idea. Prepare a few memes about this and post it to anti-vaxx and conspiracy groups - they will take care of the rest. And they will do it well - making sure the message gets right through to your parents and grandparents.