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Right to Repair and Your Printer
You bought your printer. You should be able to use it, maintain it and refill it as you see fit. That idea has been behind Precision Colors since 2005. This page explains where ink fits into the right to repair conversation, what the law says about warranties and third-party ink, and where we stand.
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What "Right to Repair" Means
Right to repair is the idea that once you buy something, you and the people you choose should be able to fix it, maintain it and keep it running, without the manufacturer deciding who is allowed to do that or which parts you can use.
What the FTC found: In 2021 the Federal Trade Commission studied the restrictions manufacturers place on repair and told Congress there is "scant evidence to support manufacturers' justifications for repair restrictions." [1]
Where Ink Fits In
Ink is a consumable, not a repair part, so most right to repair laws focus on spare parts, tools and service manuals. The principle is the same, though: what goes into a printer you own should be your call. For printer owners it usually comes up in three places.
Your coverage
WarrantyWhether using non-original ink affects your printer's warranty. In the U.S., the short answer is: not by itself.
"Genuine" checks
Chips & firmwareCartridge chips and printer software that check whether a cartridge came from the printer maker.
Monitoring
Ink levelsPrinters that show warnings, or stop tracking ink levels, once a refilled or third-party cartridge is installed.
Your Warranty and Third-Party Ink
In the United States, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act says a manufacturer generally cannot make your warranty depend on using its own branded products, unless it gives you those products free. [2]
The FTC has used printers as its own example: the rule "prohibits a printer manufacturer from conditioning its warranty on the purchaser's use of the manufacturer's branded ink." [1] In 2024 the FTC sent warning letters to several companies over warranty terms like these, saying "restricting consumers' right to repair violates the law." [3]
The important limit: a manufacturer is allowed to exclude damage that a third-party product actually causes. [4] So using our ink does not, by itself, void your printer's warranty. But if something goes wrong and it was caused by the ink or by refilling, that repair may not be covered. Your printer's own warranty terms are what apply to you, so it's worth reading them.
Cartridges, Chips and Firmware
Cartridges you bought are yours
In 2017 the U.S. Supreme Court decided Impression Products v. Lexmark, a case about refilled printer cartridges. The Court held that once a manufacturer sells a product, it cannot use its patents to control what the buyer does with it afterward: the item "is no longer within the limits of the monopoly." [5] Refilling a cartridge you bought is not patent infringement.
Firmware updates
Some printer makers have used firmware updates that cause printers to reject non-original cartridges. HP faced a class action over its "Dynamic Security" updates and settled in 2025, agreeing to keep disclosing the feature and to keep giving owners the choice to install or decline those updates. [6]
Our practical advice: read the release notes before you install a firmware update on a printer you refill. If you're unsure, ask us first.
State Laws and Canada
U.S. states
New York, California, Minnesota, Colorado and Oregon have passed right to repair laws for consumer electronics, taking effect between 2023 and 2027. They focus on making parts, tools and repair documentation available, and Colorado and Oregon also limit "parts pairing," where software rejects replacement parts the manufacturer has not approved. [7] These laws are mostly not about ink, but they point the same way: owners get more say over the products they buy.
Canada
In November 2024 Canada amended its Copyright Act with Bills C-244 and C-294. They let people get around digital locks to diagnose, maintain or repair a product, and to make devices work with other devices. [8] [9] Warranty rules in Canada are mostly set by each province, so check your printer's warranty and your provincial consumer protection rules.
Where We Stand
It's your equipment
OwnershipWe support your right to use, maintain and refill your printer the way you choose.
For choice, not against anyone
ChoiceCanon and Epson make excellent printers and inks. We even sell genuine Canon ink for the imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 in smaller sizes. What matters is that the choice is yours.
We'll be straight with you
HonestyRefilling is not risk free. Air in the lines, a dried print head or the wrong ink in the wrong slot can cause problems. That's why we write guides and answer questions.
What we do to earn that choice
- Color we check. We build and check our ink sets in house, because color accuracy matters as much as price.
- Free ICC profiles for the printers and papers we support. Find yours.
- Step-by-step guides. Start here or browse all refill guides.
- Tools that fill the gaps, like chip resetters and our Low Ink Warning System for the Canon PRO-1000, which tells you when a tank is low after the printer's own ink monitoring is turned off.
- Real people who refill printers themselves. Get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will using Precision Colors ink void my printer's warranty?
Not by itself. In the U.S., a manufacturer can't make your warranty depend on using its branded ink. It can decline to cover damage it finds was caused by a third-party product, so a problem caused by ink or refilling may not be covered. [1] [4]
Do you guarantee your ink won't damage my printer?
No. Too much of what happens to a printer is outside our control: how it's stored and filled, its age and condition, firmware changes and more. We'd rather not promise something we can't fairly stand behind. What we do promise is ink we check, honest instructions and help when you need it.
My printer says it detected a non-genuine or refilled cartridge. Is something wrong?
Usually not. Many printers show this message and ask you to confirm before continuing. Once you confirm, the printer typically stops tracking ink levels for that cartridge, so keep an eye on levels yourself. Our refill guides cover this for each printer.
Should I install printer firmware updates?
Read the release notes first. Some printer makers have used updates to block non-original cartridges. If an update doesn't fix something you need, there is often no reason to rush it. If you're unsure, ask us before updating.
Is refilling legal?
Yes. Refilling cartridges you own is legal, and the U.S. Supreme Court has held that a manufacturer can't use its patents to stop the refilling of cartridges it has sold. [5]
I'm in Canada. Does any of this apply to me?
The U.S. warranty rules above don't apply in Canada, where warranty and consumer protection rules are mostly provincial. Canada's 2024 Copyright Act changes do protect getting around digital locks for repair and maintenance. [8]
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress on Repair Restrictions (May 2021)
- 15 U.S.C. § 2302(c), Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, via Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute
- Federal Trade Commission, FTC Warns Companies to Stop Warranty Practices That Harm Consumers' Right to Repair (July 3, 2024)
- Federal Trade Commission, Businessperson's Guide to Federal Warranty Law
- Supreme Court of the United States, Impression Products, Inc. v. Lexmark International, Inc., No. 15-1189 (May 30, 2017)
- The Register, HP Inc settles printer toner lockout lawsuit with a promise to make firmware updates optional (March 19, 2025)
- Wiley Rein LLP, State "Right to Repair" Patchwork Grows as Electronic Device Manufacturers Face New Compliance Deadlines
- Parliament of Canada, Bill C-244, An Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair), royal assent November 7, 2024
- Dalhousie University, Updates to Canada's Copyright Act bring consumers closer to the "right to repair" your devices (December 11, 2024)
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and your printer's warranty terms are what apply to you. Last reviewed October 2026.
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