Epson Ink Cartridge Monopoly
Posted by Jeff Chenkus on November 29, 2006
Filed Under Peripherals | Stumble This
Epson has made a fortune selling low priced inkjet printers and then recouping their losses through high priced ink refills. In order to keep this plan in place, they have aggressively pursued the makers of compatible ink cartridges for patent violations. They have succeeded to some degree, stopping some sales and forcing others to settle rather than fight.
Personally, I don’t think they have a leg to stand on. Think about all the other replacement items you buy from various vendors. You would be dumbfounded to find that only the original manufacturer could provide you replacements. Epson is essentially declaring a monopoly, and using this power to keep prices artificially high.
It would be much more honest for them to price the printers at a level they feel is fair, and allow competition in the replacement cartridge market. But we all know that won’t happen. Just keep it in mind next time you look to buy a new printer. That cheap up front cost will saddle you with high ink costs for the life of the printer.
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