HP pushed a firmware update that bricked printers using non-HP ink — customers had no idea

In November 2020, HP pushed a firmware update to a range of LaserJet and OfficeJet printers that activated 'Dynamic Security' — a feature that rejects cartridges using non-HP chips, including compatible refills and remanufactured cartridges customers had already bought and were using without issue.

Owners who had installed the routine-looking update found their printers refusing ink they'd already paid for, with no clear warning beforehand that a firmware update would change what cartridges the machine would accept. Small businesses using budget cartridges were hit hardest, since Dynamic Security cartridges typically cost more than compatible alternatives.

A class action followed in the Northern District of California. In August 2024, HP settled: it agreed to make future firmware updates that add Dynamic Security restrictions optional for the affected printer models, and to keep disclosing when a cartridge-blocking measure is coming, rather than shipping it inside a routine update.

The settlement, approved in March 2025, paid no damages to the broader class — only $5,000 each to three named plaintiffs and $725,000 in attorneys' fees. HP avoided a payout, but the case established that a firmware update changing what hardware a device accepts needs to be disclosed and optional, not silent.