HP Warns Consumers

Delegates attending this week’s Imaging Consumables Summit in Zhuhai China have put organizers on notice. They want to talk about HP’s latest scare campaign to users.

HP is circulating a two-page flier claiming counterfeit, remanufactured and newbuilt “clone” cartridges are “the newest dubious alternatives.”

Attendees at the Remax Summit on October 11 have already been in touch with RT Media angry that companies have been listed on the flier inferring they are producing infringing, poor quality new-built cartridges. Others are saying that their remanufactured cartridges adhere to high-quality industry benchmarks and environmental standards and should not be classified as being a “dubious alternative.”

The flier states, “Newly built cartridges that are manufactured to look like Original HP toner cartridges, but use non-HP parts and toner and may violate patent holders’ intellectual property rights.” Manufacturers of new-built cartridges are saying that remanufacturers also use non-HP parts and toner and may also violate the intellectual property rights of OEMs.

One importer of new-built cartridges to the US says he will discuss his company’s strategy at the Summit and state why it is working for his company and his customers.

The Aftermarket claims HP’s flier is misleading and inappropriate and want to address the matter at the Summit.