Due to component shortages, Canon can no longer place DRMs in its ink cartridges

Semiconductor shortages do not render anyone and are felt in unexpected fields. Canon, the maker of the printer and camera, has announced that it will have difficulty obtaining electronic components for its ink cartridges. The case is funny: the missing chips are used to prove to the printer that the cartridge is actually an official Canon product. A kind of DRM and company that makes customers work better now calls for bypass.

Could not officially add these elements ” Performs functions such as detecting residual toner levels », Production not discontinued: Canon cartridges are exempt from certification chips. Which leads to this Fun release The brand that explains how to ignore printer warning messages about where the cartridges are coming from. In practice, this includes closing pop-up windows that constantly harass Canon customers who have purchased refills from third parties. The problem refers only to large office machines and not small ones dedicated to individuals.

Dectert Keep in mind that printer manufacturers specialize in pushing buyers to the limit: we’re talking about geo-defined ink cartridges at Xerox, mysterious expiration dates on HP, or patents to prevent competition at Lexmark.

Recently, Canon was sued by unhappy customers for disabling scanners on some printers that had run out of ink. This is purely software limitation, so drop ink forces customers to buy cartridges that do not require actions. In addition, this duty is not mentioned anywhere in the communications surrounding the printer.