OEMs Continue to Dominate Aftermarket Concerns

OEMs Continue to Dominate Aftermarket Concerns

Our readers and website browsers are impacted most by what the printer OEMs get up to. We know that because stories about firmware updates, new printing devices and legal cases were the ones you clicked on the most during the year.

So, let’s go through the most clicked-on stories of the past year.  You can also watch the TV version of this news report.

No 10: The Russian Market Is Stable and Well-Supplied

The state of the printer and imaging industry in Russia was of interest, given the embargoes and tensions surrounding the country. Dr Stanislav Malinskiy and Tatyana Brazhnikova reported that while China’s Pantum has captured a huge market share, the US-based HP has continued to make some sales thanks to grey market strategies.

No 9: Cartridge World Founder Dies Aged 74
The number 9 story was news that Bryan Stokes, the Australian co-founder of the global printer cartridge franchise Cartridge World, had passed away at the age of 74.

No. 8: Ricoh and Toshiba Resolve to Conclude an Agreement

Back in May, Ricoh and Toshiba agreed to terms and conditions to integrate the development and manufacturing of multifunction printers by mid-2024.

No 7: Canon Releases 11 New Printers

Canon released eight new color laser printers and three new inkjet printer models back in February of 2023, offering a smaller footprint than previous models, meeting tougher energy standards, faster scan speeds and first page out times.

No 6: Lenovo Releases New Printer

Then, in May, China tech giant Lenovo released its new multifunction Z1 printer at a price of $240 US dollars, offering borderless scanning and printing costs at less than a cent per page.

No 5: HP Introduces New Color LaserJet Printers Powered by TerraJet

In March, HP released six new color LaserJet series printers promising a lower carbon footprint with its new TerraJet toner technology using 27 percent less energy when printing.

No 4: RemaxWorld Expo Breaks Pre-Covid Records

Coming in at number four was news about RTMworld’s RemaxWorld Expo, which took place over three days in October in Zhuhai, China. Record-breaking international crowds visited 400 exhibits.

No 3: HP Sues 11 Third-Party E-Commerce Cartridge Sellers

On January 23, HP finally sued 11 companies, mainly from Asia, over the misleading packaging advertising on e-commerce platforms like Amazon made to look suspiciously like HP’s packaging. This followed the I-ITC’s Tricia Judge calling out the unfair advertising practices of certain third-party sellers on a series of videos for more than a year.

No 2: Ninestar Files Suit Against US Government

In August, Ninestar Corporation filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with the U.S. Court of International Trade. This followed the sudden and surprising ban, in June, on all Ninestar products entering the USA, accusing the company of using forced or slave labor. At the same time, Ninestar also filed a motion for a preliminary injunction with the U.S. Court of International Trade, requesting a prompt suspension of the bans. Ninestar remains committed to correcting the record and restoring its legitimate business operations in the United States.

No 1:  HP Continues to Annoy its Customers

HP continues to issue silent printer upgrades that lock HP continues to issue silent printer upgrades that lock out the use of third-party printing supplies. During 2023, class action lawsuits were initiated in various places over the firmware updates. Environmentally friendly remanufactured cartridges are one of the targets of HP’s firmware wrath, which have been scientifically remanufactured and restored to their original condition.

In addition, I want to thank

• Tricia Judge and Nathan Rees in the US, Philip So in China, and James Douglas in Australia for sharing excellent articles and videos on this global firmware issue.
• “Sourcing Quality Products in China at the Right Price”, written by UK-based Dennis Haines and “It’s Never a Dull Industry” by fellow Brit Steve Weedon, are among the top opinions and features you clicked on the most in 2023.
• “Guaranteeing Great Color” by US-based Graham Galliford, along with his article on “The Role of a Bill of Materials in Costings and Pricing,” were on that top opinions and features list as well.

Those were the year’s top stories, opinion pieces, and feature articles. Thanks to our writers and contributors from around the world.

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