The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act gives consumers the right to use whatever type of inkjet or laser toner cartridge in their printer without voiding your printer’s warranty.
United States Code Annotated – Title 15 Commerce and Trade. Chapter 50 Consumer Product Warranties 15 Section 2302.
(c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumer’s using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if:
1. The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted products will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
2. The commission finds that such a waiver is in the public best interest.
HOW THIS AFFECTS YOU:
The us of our off-brand, compatible or remanufactured printer cartridges does NOT void your printer warranty. The manufacturer of the printer you are using CANNONT void the warranty of your printer because you use a cartridge manufactured by someone other than the printer manufacturer.
US law also prohibits the manufacturers of your equipment from requiring the use of OEM ink or toner or charging extra fees if you use products other than OEM products with their equipment. Those requirements and/or fees are in violation of existing anti-trust acts:
The Serman and Clayton Antitrust Acts
(see also: Supreme Court decision: IBM vs. The United Sates 1936)
IBM vs. The United States
(The Serman and Clayton Antitrust Law)
The Supreme Court (IBM Vs. The United States) held that IBM could not threaten customers with termination of their data processing equipment leases just because they did not use supplies manufactured by IBM. Such practice constituted a tying agreement and was found to be in violation of the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Law.
HOW THIS AFFECTS YOU:
Free choice of vendor allows for competition and keeps prices affordable. Your printer manufacturers are aware of lower prices supplies. Threatening to voice warranties and add additional service call charges for use of compatible ink or toner are their way of trying to limit competition.
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