Your Rights as a Consumer

Federal law states that it is illegal for an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or anyone to make you buy a specific brand of cartridge. To make this requirement is in violation of the Sherman-Clayton Antitrust Act. Nor can anyone tell you that compatible or remanufactured cartridges will void your warranty. This violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act.

The Sherman Antitrust Act, a basic federal enactment regulating the operations of corporate trusts, was passed by the US Congress in July 1890, and declared illegal “every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among several states, or with foreign nations.” The Clayton Antitrust prohibits certain monopolistic practices then common in finance, industry and trade. The provisions relating to corporate activities declared illegal practices that included exclusive selling or leasing or other forms of price discrimination. These acts make it illegal for any OEM to require you to use only their brand of supplies or dictate what brand of supplies you can or cannot use. An OEM, or any other manufacturer, cannot void your equipment warranty because you decided to use products other than theirs. Manufacturers cannot threaten to void your warranty simply because you did not use their cartridges in your printer. Nor can any company, sales associate, or service technician deny you warranty service for work that would otherwise be covered under warranty, simply because you choose to use a compatible or remanufactured cartridge for your printer that did not bear the OEM brand.

The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvement Act, gives you the freedom to use third party, factory tested 100% compatible or remanufactured toner cartridges without the fear of having your warranty voided.