Canon Tells Customers How to Defeat Printer Ink DRM as Chip Shortage Continues

Printer giant Canon has begun telling customers how to bypass their ink cartridge DRM technology as the global chip shortage has resulted in the company being unable to manufacture ink cartridges with the appropriate DRM chips. The ink cartridge DRM tech is a key component of Canon’s business as it discourages customers from using third-party ink cartridges in their printers.

Ars Technica reports that home printers have been utilizing digital rights management (DRM) systems for some time now that prevent consumers from using third-party ink and toner cartridges, locking them into a closed ecosystem that only allows them to use the ink and toner made by their printer’s manufacturer.

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 12: U.S. President Joe Biden joins a CEO Summit on Semiconductor and Supply Chain Resilience via video conference from the Roosevelt Room at the White House on April 12, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden joined the summit which focused on the global shortage of semiconductors. (Photo by Amr Alfiky-Pool/Getty Images)

Printer companies have previously claimed that their DRM-enabled cartridges provide the “best consumer experience” and can “enhance the quality and performance” of their printer. Most of these printer cartridges have a microchip embedded in them that allow the printer to “authenticate” the cartridge and confirm that it’s made by the printer’s manufacturer.

But, as the global chip supply issues continue, companies like Canon are forced to tell customers how to disable the DRM features of their printers. A Canon support website in German states: “Due to the worldwide continuing shortage of semiconductor components, Canon is currently facing challenges in procuring certain electronic components that are used in our consumables for our multifunction printers (MFP). In order to ensure a continuous and reliable supply of consumables, we have decided to supply consumables without a semiconductor component until the normal supply takes place again.”

Due to Canon’s inability to manufacture cartridges with the appropriate DRM chip, the company is informing owners of its ImageRUNNER office printers how to bypass its own DRM protection in order to utilize Canon-made cartridges without the DRM chips. Of course, this means that there’s little stopping customers from now using third-party cartridges.

According to Canon, depending on the model printer that the individuals own, they’ll receive an error message after inserting the new toner. Users can select “I Agree,” “Close,” or “OK.” When the user presses one of these buttons, the printers will reportedly continue to work normally — although it may no longer display a “low-toner” warning anymore.