News: “You Can Do What You Like With Your Ink Cartridge in North Carolina”

 The North Carolina Senate has deliberated and its verdict is clear: You can pretty much do what you like with your Ford, so why not your printer cartridge? The Associated Press reported that the state House agreed Tuesday to Senate changes to a bill that would give printer owners the right to refill any printer ink cartridge, voiding purchase agreements that ban the practice. In effect it means that if you want, you can get your printer cartridge refilled elsewhere — legally.

 

The bill was prompted by a lawsuit filed by printer company Lexmark International against Static Control Components of Sanford, which makes components for the laser printer cartridge industry, AP reports from Raleigh. Static Control makes computer chips that allow less expensive ink cartridges to be adapted to Lexmark printers. After Lexmark sued Static Control to try to stop it from manufacturing the chips, the Sanford company filed its own lawsuit, accusing Lexmark of monopolizing the toner cartridge market and falsely representing their products. The Static Control chips mean consumers don’t have to send their cartridges back to Lexmark for refills. Many Lexmark buyers agree to return the cartridges to Lexmark’s factory in Kentucky in exchange for a rebate. The agreement is found on the box or in paperwork inside.

 

 

Here’s Static’s view of the battle, along with a picture of the executives looking grim, undergunned, but determined. Here’s Lexmark’s, sadly without any grim-looking execs although they do have a picture, seemingly obligatory these days, of a corporate woman with glasses.