$8,000-per-gallon printer ink leads to antitrust lawsuit

Iria · Dec 18, 2007, 10:56 AM

Source: Ars Technica
_______
A Boston man has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing hardware maker HP and office supply retailer Staples of colluding to inflate the price of printer ink cartridges in violation of federal antitrust law. According to the suit, HP allegedly paid Staples $100 million to refrain from selling inexpensive third-party ink cartridges, although the suit doesn't make it clear how plaintiff Ranjit Bedi arrived at that figure.

BlueMak · Dec 18, 2007, 11:54 AM

Most of the time if you don't use a printer very often, it is cheaper to buy a new printer than replace the ink for what you already have.

There is something wrong with that.

mike2h · Dec 18, 2007, 12:33 PM

almost true for low end printers. ink is where the companies make their $$. whenever i buy a printer, size & cost of ink cartridges is always part of my initial criteria.
for anybody that doesnt know/actually cares using 'cheap' ink in a good printer isnt always a good idea.

100 million though... lol.

**kris23** · Dec 18, 2007, 03:02 PM

hey, what do you guys think is a good printer with decent ink?

i got an epson stylus C88 and it drains ink like fast.....

YAYitsAndrew · Dec 18, 2007, 08:27 PM

The printer cartridges that come with new printers aren't completely filled, so you aren't saving any money buying the new printer.

Your best bet is as mike said, take ink prices into account when you buy a new printer. I recommend laser printers to save money on ink. They cost more initially than other printers, and the ink costs more, but the yield is well over standard inkjet/bubblejet printers. Just beware of "low end" laser printers that aren't worth the cost.

Judas · Dec 19, 2007, 12:48 AM

I don't think ANY printer has good ink usuage..

The smaller ones run out fast yes... but the larger ones make it seem like your saving money to....

Dec 18, 2007, 10:56 AM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 74	$8,000-per-gallon printer ink leads to antitrust lawsuit Source: Ars Technica _______ A Boston man has filed a class-action lawsuit accusing hardware maker HP and office supply retailer Staples of colluding to inflate the price of printer ink cartridges in violation of federal antitrust law. According to the suit, HP allegedly paid Staples $100 million to refrain from selling inexpensive third-party ink cartridges, although the suit doesn't make it clear how plaintiff Ranjit Bedi arrived at that figure.

Dec 18, 2007, 11:54 AM	#2
BlueMak DH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 8,240 Rep Power: 118 System Specs	Most of the time if you don't use a printer very often, it is cheaper to buy a new printer than replace the ink for what you already have. There is something wrong with that. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Dec 18, 2007, 12:33 PM	#3
mike2h DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: norcal Posts: 6,489 Rep Power: 74 System Specs	almost true for low end printers. ink is where the companies make their $$. whenever i buy a printer, size & cost of ink cartridges is always part of my initial criteria. for anybody that doesnt know/actually cares using 'cheap' ink in a good printer isnt always a good idea. 100 million though... lol. __________________

Dec 18, 2007, 03:02 PM	#4
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 5,312 Rep Power: 64 System Specs	hey, what do you guys think is a good printer with decent ink? i got an epson stylus C88 and it drains ink like fast..... __________________ Driverheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (9/4/09) New i5 systems with more to come! Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Dec 18, 2007, 08:27 PM	#5
YAYitsAndrew Anti-Piracy Poster Boy Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: NJ Posts: 2,583 Rep Power: 64 System Specs	The printer cartridges that come with new printers aren't completely filled, so you aren't saving any money buying the new printer. Your best bet is as mike said, take ink prices into account when you buy a new printer. I recommend laser printers to save money on ink. They cost more initially than other printers, and the ink costs more, but the yield is well over standard inkjet/bubblejet printers. Just beware of "low end" laser printers that aren't worth the cost. __________________ "It is because the resistance to paying for copyrighted material, although often characterized as arising from a supposed technical burden or principled concern for the public interest, arises rather from exactly the same segment of the brain that is dominant in shoplifters." - Mark Helprin, Digital Barbarism So you think piracy isn't hurting anyone? www.yayitsandrew.com