HP unblocks third-party ink cartridges

Last month HP landed in hot water as the company blocked the use of third-party ink cartridges on a number of its printers. Today the company informs the press it has issued firmware updates that remove this block:

As a remedy for the small number of affected customers, we have issued an optional firmware update that removes the dynamic security feature. To get the update, customers should visit support.hp.com, select their product, select the product support page, and click on the Software and Driver table to download it. Additional information about this update, including answers to frequently asked questions, can be found in HP’s Support Forum.

The company apologizes for the inconvenience but notes it will continue to protect its IP, which may include measures that block third-party cartridges:

We will continue to use security features to protect the quality of our customer experience, maintain the integrity of our printing systems, and protect our IP including authentication methods that may prevent some third-party supplies from working.

However, we commit to improving our communication so that customers understand our concerns about cloned and counterfeit supplies. Again, to our loyal customers who were affected, we apologize.