“Will using refilled cartridges void my printer warranty?”
They won’t. US Federal law prohibits any company from voiding your warranty for using alternative cartridges. Consumer rights are protected by law.
While companies may try to deny your business service if they see you are using another brand’s ink cartridges, it is illegal for a company to require you to purchase their cartridges. The only instance where a printer manufacturer can void the warranty is if it is found that the refilled cartridge is the cause of printer damage.
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
Know your consumer rights!
The manufacturer of your printer cannot void your warrant for using a cartridge produced by someone other than the manufacturer. You are NOT required to use the O.E.M. printer ink or toner.
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act is intended to prevent companies from threatening consumers into purchasing their products. This Act allows the consumer the right of free choice of vendor. You are acting within the law when you purchase outside of the manufacturer’s brand.
This Act states “No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer’s using, in condition with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name.”
The Act continues to state the only times in which this is waived is if:
- The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
- The commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.
This Act is intended to protect you as a consumer. Use it to your benefit! Unless one of the waiver conditions is met, you have full control of the cartridges you purchase.
Supreme Court Ruling
In May 2017, a U.S. Supreme Court decision legally validated ink cartridge refill services. This ruling essentially stated patent laws can’t be used to prevent reselling. This decision limited the control of patent holders on their products after they are sold.
Because of this ruling, ink cartridge refill services are now protected from patent infringement claims. Refurbishing, repairing, and reselling used products is now legal. The ruling also emphasized manufacturers are not legally able to force customers to buy supplies only from the original source.
This ruling changed the legality of refurbishing and reselling cartridges. Refurbished and refilled cartridges are entirely legal.
The Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Law
The Supreme court case of IBM vs. The United States held that IBM could not legally terminate data processing leases of customers for not using supplies manufactured by IBM. You are not required to use O.E.M. ink or toner, and it is illegal for a manufacturer to threaten to terminate your lease or void your warranty.
What this Means for You
Printer manufacturers can’t force you to purchase supplies directly from them nor can they void your warranty. You have rights as a consumer, and you are legally entitled to purchasing the ink and toner of your choice. Refurbished and refilled cartridges ARE legal, and you should not allow manufacturers to threaten your lease or warranty for utilizing your rights as a consumer!
Printer manufacturers are aware that lower priced cartridges exist. They know that many of their current customers do not know their legal rights and may threaten to void warranties as a result of the use of other manufacturers products. This is illegal! Know your rights – your freedom of choice as a consumer is protected by U.S. law.
