Digital BW, The Print

> >Have there been any lawsuits that you know of regarding ...
> >Specifically the "chips that read empty and shut down the printer
> >when half full"...  To me, that is an easily actionable item.  ...
>
> I practiced antitrust law for a long time for the FTC.  The Epson strategy
> is close to what many in that field would call a "tying" arrangement.
> "Tying" the sale of one "product" (perhaps ink) to the purchase of another
> (for example, printer) was prohibited rather strictly at one
> time.  However,
> by the 1970s the wisdom of strictly enforcing this ban on tying had been
> called into question.  By the 1990s, the U.S. Federal A.T. laws had
> essentially been interpreted to throw that entire class of practices into
> the general "rule of reason" category of Sherman 1.

Hi Paul,

My issue what NOT one of "tying", but of there still being some "reasonably
usable" level of ink left in the cartridge, but the printer will not let you
use that.  To me, that is fraudulent.  To sell a, say, 1oz ink cartridge
that you can only use .6oz ink out of BY DESIGN.  That infuriates me.

Regards,

Austin