...inform him/her that it is illegal to require or force the owner of equipment to use the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (OEM) brand of supplies. To do so is in violation of the following Federal laws:


An example of this issue was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of IBM vs the United States. IBM leased data processing machines to customers requiring that they use only the tabulating cards manufactured by IBM. Their customers were threatened with termination of their lease if they used cards produced by other manufacturers. A decision by the Supreme Court held that this requirement would constitute a “tying agreement” and was found to be in violation of the antitrust laws.

This is a Federal Trade Commission Act regarding Consumer Product Warranties. Sub-paragraph C, section 101 of the Act states:

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.

If your sales or service representative tells you the warranty on your equipment will be void if you use our cartridges, please ask them to provide you with a written statement to that effect on their company letterhead, signed and dated. Then give us a call at 800-422-5242, or send the statement with a note to our office at 9301 West 53rd Street, Merriam, KS 66203. We’ll contact you as soon as we receive it.