New Post: The Beat of a Different DRM

General Privacy & Security
1

Canon made big news this past week when it started telling customers how to defeat the Digital Rights Management (DRM) in its toner cartridges because of supply chain issues with the chips they normally use to enforce it. That Canon explained how to bypass the DRM when it suited them, and that it didn’t negatively affect the operation of the printers or the customer, made it clear that DRM and the chips that enforce it offer little if any benefit to customers. Instead, DRM is only in place so the vendor can exert remote control over their product after the customer buys it. Computer vendors are marching to the beat of this DRM, and their ultimate goal is to exert the same sort of control printer and smartphone vendors enjoy into laptops and desktops.

Read the rest of the post here:

7 Likes
2

Given the example, are there any plans to make, or recommendations for, a freedom respecting printer?

2 Likes
3

No plans to go down that road at the moment. I worked in the QA department at Lexmark early in my career and there is a lot that goes into making a printer.

4 Likes
4

I read the original post of Canon Germany and it doesn’t look like real DRM actually. It’s just a warning on window if toners have no origin Canon chip, but nothing that prevents you from using other toners. Or do i miss something?

5

thanks for the awesome information.

6
2 Likes