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HP Inc settles printer toner lockout lawsuit with a promise to make firmware updates optional
(www.theregister.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Anytime a company reduces the functionality of a device through software or firmware they should have to offer to buy back the hardware. The depreciation rate should be set at time of purchase so you know how much you get if they neuter it a year from now.
Why allow depreciation? You wouldn't have bought it with the reduced functionality, and it's going to cost you time and effort to remove it and replace it with something else. Inflation will reduce the value more than enough.