WTF?! Brother, once praised as a consumer-friendly printer manufacturer, is now facing criticism for adopting anti-consumer practices similar to those of its competitors. Louis Rossmann, RepairTuber and right-to-repair advocate, recently voiced his disappointment over Brother's shift toward restrictive policies, particularly regarding third-party toner use.
Brother printers had been lauded before for their compatibility with non-OEM toner cartridges, setting them apart from brands like HP. However, recent firmware updates have deliberately degraded print quality when non-Brother toner is used. This shift has left many consumers feeling betrayed and forced into purchasing more expensive OEM toner.
The updates go beyond compatibility restrictions. Brother has removed previously available features, such as automatic color registration, for users who opt for third-party toner. While printers still function with non-OEM cartridges, print quality is significantly compromised unless genuine Brother toner is installed.
These changes effectively create vendor lock-in through digital rights management, restricting consumer choice and increasing costs.
Perhaps most concerning to Rossmann is the deceptive nature of these changes. Rather than outright rejecting third-party toner, Brother printers now engineer a failure that misleads users into believing their non-OEM toner is defective. This subtle manipulation makes it difficult for consumers to pinpoint the root cause of their printing issues.
The firmware update process itself has also drawn scrutiny. Updates like version W1.56 are pushed to printers without notifying users of significant functional changes. Once installed, users discover that color registration fails automatically, resulting in misaligned prints. According to Rossmann, Brother support representatives have acknowledged that installing OEM toner immediately resolves these issues, reinforcing suspicions of deliberate functionality restrictions.
Adding to consumer frustration, Brother has removed older firmware versions from its servers, making it nearly impossible to revert to previous, more permissive versions.
The real-world impact of these changes is significant. Customers who previously saved money by purchasing third-party toner are now forced to buy expensive OEM cartridges. Consumers were given no prior warning before these updates were installed.
A GitHub investigation has shed light on the extent of Brother's actions. Developers found that older firmware versions were systematically removed from Brother's servers, eliminating rollback options. Additionally, discussions on GitHub suggest that each new firmware update further restricts the use of non-Brother toner cartridges.
These practices may have legal implications, Rossmann speculates, as deliberate function removal after purchase could potentially qualify as deceptive trade practices in various jurisdictions.
Consumers are left with limited options to mitigate these issues. Some have resorted to disabling auto-updates to prevent forced function removal, though this approach may expose them to security risks. Others have attempted to downgrade their firmware, a process that has become increasingly difficult and risky.
Masthead credit: NYTimes
Brother printers are quietly sabotaging third-party toner with firmware updates
