Digital BW, The Print

Nij aoth44 wrote:

> Interesting Keith,
>
> I have a user in mainland Europe who said he was waiting for his extra
> print-head - he didn't mention anything to me about having to return his
> original one!!!

For now, let's just say that Canon USA was not too excited about me even 
asking about swapping out printheads when researching my article..

> My natural thought with this swappable print-head was that
> it was purposeful to _allow_ the use of third-party and / or 'different'
> inksets in the same printer. i.e. My nieve extrapolation; People get 
> pissed
> off with Epson chipping etc, Canon Release printer with easily swappable
> ink-sets and no chips to win that market over.

It would be a GREAT Public Relations move, but, I think you better check 
this link:

http://www.canon.com/press/pelikan.html

I don't think they will try a similar suit here... but, who knows?

>
> Perhaps though, this is a US / Europe difference in tactics for Canon, 
> and /
> or they realised that swappable print-heads mean that instead of 
> selling two
> printers they might just sell one, but with two print heads!


Well, in the US, courts have looked with extreme disfavor on vendors who 
try to use patent to lock-up the consumables market..  HP got slammed 
for that a few years back.

That may well be why Canon doesn't worry about selling extra printheads 
in Europe..  If nobody can sell you ink cartridges for it...  

Whereas in the US, the courts have seen trying to lock up the 
consumables as attempts at  vertical monopoly..

Of course, given the current fluid international internet market, one 
could just buy a printhead from a UK supplier and buy cartridges from 
the US via the internet..


>
>

[Keith]
 
 




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]