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HP Launches Ink Patent Violation Manhunt

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the ink-turf-wars dept.

BlueCup writes to tell us that Hewlett-Packard has deployed a large team consisting of many scientists and many more lawyers looking for possible ink patent infringement. With more than 4,000 patents on their ink formulations and cartridge design and a market share of more than 50 percent in the US HP depends heavily on the sale of ink to make profit after sometimes selling their printers at a loss in order to lock in the ink resale.

6 of 337 comments (clear)

  1. Perhaps.. by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hewlett-Packard has deployed a large team consisting of many scientists and many more lawyers ... [HP have] a market share of more than 50 percent in the US HP depends heavily on the sale of ink to make profit after sometimes selling their printers at a loss in order to lock in the ink resale.

    Two days ago I was attempting to print a B&W document on my HP inkjet printer and it paused .. printed a line and paused .. then stuck. I form-fed the sheet it had stalled on and found a large amount (at HP rates, about $4 worth) of ink pooled on the paper, as if it had taken a widdle and forgot where it was before this well-timed potty break. After cancelling the print job and powering down and up again the printer, I tried again. Same results. Perhaps they could explain why this is happening.

    It's simple, sir, HP depend upon your regular purchase of ink and you haven't bought enough recently to ensure sustained profits. It's another of our patented business processes. Get out and buy some more, there's a good chap.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Perhaps.. by XnavxeMiyyep · · Score: 5, Funny

      And $120 every three years!

      --
      I put the 't' in electrical engineering.
    2. Re:Perhaps.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hey now, you guys quit waving that fancy college education around in front of everyone!!

  2. Down with software patents! by rackhamh · · Score: 3, Funny

    This just goes to show that software should not be paten... oh. Nevermind.

  3. Re:Meaning what? by rackhamh · · Score: 4, Funny

    So you want all patents gone?

    What I really want is a pony. But failing that, I'll settle for people laughing at my jokes. ;)

  4. Inkjet Ink vs Good Booze by HungWeiLo · · Score: 5, Funny

    HP Ink for a DeskJet model - $20 / 11 milliliters = $1.82 per milliliter
    Dom Perignon - $145 / 750 milliliters = $0.19 per milliliter

    --
    There are a huge number of yeast infections in this county. Probably because we're downriver from the bread factory.