Fabled RepairTuber Louis Rossmann expresses surprise and disappointment at Brother turning into an “anti-consumer printer company,” disabling third-party toner and color registration functionality. Rossmann used to recommend Brother printers as a solution to DRM issues, but now advises keeping printers offline and turning off updates. Recent firmware updates render aftermarket ink unusable and prevent color calibration, with older firmware unavailable for rollback. Rossmann sees these changes as a loss of property rights for individuals. Brother’s shift highlights industry machinations, leading Rossmann to caution against updating printers and documenting the troubling trend.
https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/printers/brother-accused-of-locking-down-third-party-printer-ink-cartridges-via-firmware-updates-removing-older-firmware-versions-from-support-portals