this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2025
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[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 hours ago

i came across this explanation of it, haven't verified it directly but he seems to make good content:

https://youtube.com/shorts/ZX8OaZZDlM8

he says theres identification each time you print using the yellow ink, and basically is a counterfeit currency countermeasure

id kill to have a foss print setup though

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

I really hope Brother is telling the truth!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 minutes ago

Same. My printer works fine, and I recently replaced my toner (went genuine because I found a decent deal), so I probably won't need another anytime soon.

That said, I will no longer be recommending them until this is cleared up. I won't be recommending against them though, because I don't know of a better company, but I'll just recommend people go to their local library or print shop or something and not deal with having a printer at home.

[–] werefreeatlast 3 points 58 minutes ago

I got a 4 acre lot on Mars that I'm selling for cheap. You seem like a gulli...great fellow. $10k. Its pretty cheap right now because people don't known the real estate trend yet. I'm taking amazon cards.

[–] wowwoweowza 2 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

So… when there is some controversy over an article in Lemmy it gets the strike though? How did this evolve?

[–] RememberTheApollo_ 5 points 21 minutes ago (2 children)

If you read the article:

We are aware of the recent false claims suggesting that a Brother firmware update may have restricted the use of third-party ink cartridges. Please be assured that Brother firmware updates do not block the use of third-party ink in our machines.

So there’s no reason to leave an inflammatory and likely wrong title unchanged or otherwise without notation. The title is completely readable. I’m all for wrong information being flagged, and a strikethrough is a fine method of doing so.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 minutes ago

I see editability as generally an improvement, especially since the older versions are still visible with a couple of clicks. Reddit titles are not editable. Tweets used to be uneditable; toots are.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 minutes ago* (last edited 3 minutes ago)

We don't know if it's wrong though, we just have a statement from the company claiming it is. Now it's on the community to prove it.

It's potentially wrong. I guess we'll see in the coming weeks as people try to prove it one way or another.

That said, the allegation that old firmware isn't accessible is easy to verify and very troubling for Brother if true (what are they hiding?).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 minutes ago

You can edit the title, so if you want to strike through it, go ahead.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Anyone have recommendations on thermal printers?

[–] thermal_shock 3 points 2 hours ago

My client has a few dozen zebras. Reliable, but cost a little more up front. Some of theirs are 10+ years old, prints thousands of inventory labels a month off each one at each site.

[–] MisterFrog 20 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

I'm curious how this will go down in Australia. Seems like a pretty solid slam dunk refund, oh the product doesn't work as advertised anymore?

Cool, I've had this for 5 years and now I'd also like a full refund under Australian Consumer Law.

Motherfuckers.

(I don't actually own a printer)

[–] JackFrostNCola 6 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I imagine they have some stupid note or sticker somewhere saying "to avoid damaging your printer only use genuine Brother replacement cartridges".
Then all they have to say is "we patched a bug where unverified 3rd party ink cartriges could erroneously be used and cause malfunction or damage to the product."

[–] MisterFrog 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

I found this help article where they say "Although not all non-genuine supplies may cause quality issues".

They said they recommend using theirs, but up until this they didn't say you couldn't.

https://support.brother.com/g/b/sp/faqend.aspx?c=us_ot&lang=en&prod=dcpl2647dw_us&faqid=faq00000184_002

Plus, it's been universally understood that you have been able to use third-party cartridges. I really think if you're persistent enough, you'd get a refund in Australia. Because else (in Victoria at least) you could take them to VCAT for like $70, which will cost them wayyy more in lawyer expenses than the price of a refund.

This is not legal advice, but I reckon a refund under Australian Consumer Law is extremely doable if they go down this path (for existing printers).

[–] JackFrostNCola 2 points 2 hours ago

Yeah interesting find, and i agree plus you can always sic the ACCC onto them if they start being painful

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 hours ago

They deny it was the firmware update. But not that something else has happened

I’ve had issues with colour but not B&W

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 hours ago
[–] SavageCoconut 4 points 6 hours ago

My brother did what!?!?

[–] [email protected] 24 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

As much as I love the brand, this was just obviously going to happen. It always happens, it's the eventual outcome. All that is needed is one middle manager wanting to get an extra bones to come up with some short sighted idea that will make a little extra money in the short run and possibly bankrupt the company in the long term.

See Boeing, see Intel, see....

The only way to not have this happen is to get open source hardware. The open source eco system is amazing already but we need more focus on that, hardware. CPU's, Computers, printers, phones, everything

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago

What's worse is remaining "ethical" in the world of business they exist in is a flat out detractor. A financial hindrance of the utmost.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

"You were supposed to be the one"

[–] FilthyHookerSpit 3 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

"IT WAS SAID YOU WOULD DESTROY THE COMPETITION, NOT JOIN THEM"

[–] [email protected] 22 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I really wish we had open source 2D printers like we have open source 3D printers. That could solve a lot of the problems I think as we could have an open spec to allow people to do whatever they want. My Prusa doesn't care what brand filament I want to use, just as long it can drive it, melt it, and lay it down the way I need. Also why is it my 3D printers are more reliable than my 2D printers most days?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago

Can't a 3D printer double as a 2D printer? It'd only have to print one "slice"; you'd replace the heated nozzle with some sort of writing stick, hey presto instant plotter!

[–] themaninblack 38 points 16 hours ago

Et tu, frater?

[–] oyzmo 19 points 14 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

FedEx if you only need to print once in a blue moon...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 13 hours ago

Or the library or office supply store.

[–] NutWrench 6 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

I'm only letting my latest Brother printer connect to my computer through the USB cable. No Internet connection at all.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 33 minutes ago

RPi as a printer server, with the printer connected to its USB port. Use FreeBSD on RPi just to make sure...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 hours ago

Careful with that you though. I thought the same thing but someone pointed out in another thread that depending on your system, it may update the firmware over USB when you do system updates.

[–] lefixxx 61 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (2 children)

Brother losing all competitive advantage they had via reputation. Doing a very big 180 and reversing the changes and commiting to no do t his BS is the only way to undo this

[–] [email protected] 22 points 17 hours ago

They must've hired some new analysts that said "hey, people are willing to accept less! Why are we doing more?"

It's up to the people to prove them wrong, but that usually doesn't happen :\

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[–] [email protected] 66 points 20 hours ago

If Brother starts playing that game, they will lose. Why bother buying their considerably more expensive printers over those of HP if they are going to be just as bad in the third party ink department?

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