The OEM has applied for four European patents that are potentially very relevant to cartridge remanufacturers and compatible manufacturers.
The first – EP 3 028 173 A1 – refers to methods and systems for determining authenticity of a consumable product, which is potentially relevant because it refers to the consumable matching “one of the identifiers” programmed into the machine, while the second – EP 3 028 172 A1 – is for “authenticating a consumable product based on a remaining life value”, and aims to determine if the “identifier” shows that the cartridge was in the device history.
If so, the “product is not authentic if the device is determined to have used the consumable product previously based on the device history and a current remaining life value”. The third document meanwhile – EP 3 028 171 A1 – also plays into this, as it covers “communicating a classification of a consumable product” to source (the OEM itself), while the fourth – EP 3 028 213 A1 – aims to protect the data in the memory, with a digital signature identifying a “trusted source”.
The Recycler reported yesterday on Canon applying for a range of patents in Europe that would cover remanufacturing.
Detail: http://www.therecycler.com/posts/hp-inc-applications-cover-cartridges/
