Printer manufacturers make peanuts selling printers when compared to the ink cartridge sales. Selling a printer is a one time deal but ink cartridges are sold regularly based on the usage. Printer companies have been waging a losing battle against third party cartridge manufacturers. Here is something to cheer about; a chip that allows printers work with its designated cartridges alone.

Cryptography Research Inc. (CRI), a San Francisco company, is developing chip technology aimed at helping printer manufacturers protect this primary source of profit. The company’s chips use cryptography designed to make it harder for printers to use off-brand and counterfeit cartridges.

Cryptography is a technology which encrypts the data communication between the printer and the cartridge. Hence, the printer will only recognize the original cartridge associated with it and others would be rejected. As a result, the consumer is forced to buy branded cartridges and would be left with no other alternatives. This brings in huge profits to printer manufacturers but consumers are exposed to face the brunt.

If the developer is smart, the hacker has traditionally been smarter. There have been numerous products which were claimed to be unhackable that have been hacked. It would be a matter of time before hackers find a way past cryptography.

Via CNET