Epson Faces Historic Criminal Trial Over Planned Obsolescence

Epson Faces Historic Criminal Trial Over Planned Obsolescence

In a groundbreaking shift for global consumer rights, Epson has been officially summoned before a French criminal court to face charges of planned obsolescence and misleading commercial practices. This landmark trial represents the first time a corporation will face criminal prosecution anywhere in the world under specific laws designed to stop companies from intentionally shortening the lifespan of their products.

The case dates back to a criminal complaint filed in September 2017 by the French consumer advocacy group HOP (Stop Planned Obsolescence). Following an extensive eight-year investigation by France’s consumer protection authority, the Nanterre public prosecutor concluded that Epson deliberately engineered its hardware to fail early.

Investigators found that the company used software to block machines from printing or scanning by falsely claiming that ink cartridges were empty or that internal absorption pads had reached the end of their lifespan, even when the components were still perfectly functional. These artificial blockages effectively forced consumers to prematurely discard working hardware or buy expensive replacements. The financial and environmental costs of these practices are staggering.

This trial serves as the ultimate test for France’s pioneering Energy Transition Act of 2015, which explicitly criminalized planned obsolescence. Under this legal framework, the penalties for corporations are severe. If convicted, Epson faces a flat fine of €300,000 (about USD $346665), which can legally be scaled up to 5% of its annual global turnover, while company executives could face up to two years of imprisonment.

Laëtitia Vasseur, Co-Founder of HOP, hailed the prosecution as a historic victory for accountability, noting that printers have long been the ultimate symbol of corporate waste. With the first procedural hearing scheduled for July 2 at the Nanterre Criminal Court, the legal community and consumer advocacy groups worldwide are watching closely.

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