Know Your Rights
The Use of Compatible Supplies Cannot Void Your Manufacturer Warranty
MAGNUSON-MOSS Warranty Improvement Act
United States Code Annotated, Title 15 Commerce and Trade,
Chapter 50 Consumer Product Warranties 15, Section 2302
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/warranty.htm
(c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the
consumer's using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided
without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade or corporate name; except that
the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if:
1. The warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or
service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
2. The Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.
How This Affects You!
The use of our compatible postage meter inkjet cartridges will not void your warranty. The manufacturer of the
postage meter that you are using cannot void your warranty because you have chosen to use a compatible inkjet
cartridge manufactured by someone other than the original manufacturer.
U.S. law also prohibits the manufacturers of your equipment from requiring the use of OEM ink or charging extra fees
if you use products other than OEM products with their equipment. Those requirements and/or fees are in violation of
existing anti-trust acts:
The Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts
(see also: Supreme Court decision: IBM vs. The United States 1936)
http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/div_stats/1638.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/warranty.htm
IBM vs. The United States
(The Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Law)
The Supreme Court (IBM vs. The United States) held that IBM could not threaten customers with termination of their
data processing equipment leases just because they did not use supplies manufactured by IBM. Such practice
constituted a tying agreement and was found to be in violation of the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Law.
How This Affects You!
Free choice of vendors allows for competition and keeps prices affordable. Your printer manufacturer is aware of lower
priced supplies. Threatening to void your warranty and add additional service call charges for use of compatible ink is
their way of trying to limit competition. Save this information to protect yourself against these illegal actions.
Hubble, Megan. "Educating Your Customers: Putting the Voided Warranty Question to Rest."
Recharger Magazine Nov. 2004