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North Carolina Fights Back Against Lexmark

Posted by simoniker on from the state-poking-at-dmca? dept.

ngrier writes "Seems that at least some aren't sitting idly by, while printer manufacturers try to assert total control. The North Carolina legislature just approved a measure which guarantees the consumer's right to refill ink cartridges. For history of the Lexmark DMCA-related story, involving the company placing copyright-protected code in their printer cartridges in order to prevent competitors from producing compatible cartridges, there are previous Slashdot posts about it here(1), here(2), and here(3)."

6 of 412 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Finally... by ugly_a · · Score: 3, Funny

    With ink cartridges surpassing the cost of Dom perignon, the rocket fuel just might be cheaper.

  2. Re:So state law... by Gothmolly · · Score: 1, Funny

    The Carolina's (and the Southern part of the US in general) tend to ignore Federal law in preference to State Law. Remember the Civil War in 1861? The South has always thought that the Federal Gov't should leave them alone.

    Now, THIS post is +1, Insightful.

    --
    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
  3. Re:I like this by nomadic · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or you could just not buy a lexmark printer. Let the market descide, don't legislate to death.

    Yeah, worked so well in curtailing Microsoft's behavior...

  4. Re:So state law... by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 2, Funny
    I fail to see how preventing others from making ink cartridges promotes the progress of science and useful arts, therefore this should not fall under federal copyright law.

    Hey- I just happen to be a struggling inkjet cartridge chip author. I've been working my ass off for years, holding down night jobs, working like a slave to support myself so I can write my chips. It's been a living hell, but I still hold on to my dream. One day I'm going to write an inkjet chip that hits the big time. And when I do, you better bet that I want all of the IP protection that I can get on my chips. I'm not going to pour my soul into little cartridges just so that some petty thieves can steal my hard work! I think I speak for all inkjet chip artists when I say we need strong copyright laws like the DMCA.

  5. You suck by Sabalon · · Score: 1, Funny

    I read you last work on the XHJ45 cartridge...you are such a hack...it was an obvious rip-off of the old CR-443 bubble jet chip. Maybe when you learn to write some original chip's you'll make it big, but until then, you'll just be another hack.

  6. Where are the environmentalists... by phorm · · Score: 3, Funny

    when you need them. Because people have exactly this type of attitude. Buy printer... printer sucks down in... find out new ink (colour+b&w) costs nearly as much as the printer, or even more.

    Printer ends up in landfill... I'm sure there are a lot of non-environmentally friendly components.

    So why aren't/weren't the environmentalists all over Lexmark's ass for this... they know it's what happens?!