More firmware updates confirmed

More reports are emerging of new firmware updates from HP, affecting a variety of third party supplies for various devices.

One of the latest reports has come from THI Tech Hub Innovation, who took to social media to report the latest firmware update released by HP.

The company said that the HP modified the new 2508048 series firmware and these changes may block or modify functionality of third party supplies. Affected replacement toner cartridges were listed as

• 59A/X CF259A/X
• 89A/X/Y CF289A/X/Y
• 415A/X W2030/1/2/3A/X
• 212A/X W2120/1/2/3A/X
• 213A/X/Y W2130/1/2/3A/X/Y
• W9008MC
• W9024MC
• W9090/1/2/3MC

THI did confirm that its Jetworld and Oxe branded toner cartridges have been tested and are still working after the update.

To counter this, aftermarket suppliers and retailers recommend that users disable the automatic firmware update on their printers. Go to printer settings and make sure that Automatic Updates is turned off. By turning off automatic updates in the printer’s settings menu, users can prevent future blocks on non-HP cartridges.

However, industry experts point out that these measures are temporary fixes to a deeper issue surrounding competition and consumer choice?

The continued push for these updates by HP continues to ignite concerns over anti-competitive behaviour, as well as potential environmental impacts, as remanufactured cartridges, are seen as a more sustainable option, are being squeezed out of the market.