HP released firmware update 2602A/B on January 29, 2026, across eleven printer models that blocks third-party ink cartridges from functioning. The company calls this "Dynamic Security" and has deployed similar updates for years, but this latest round violates new environmental certification standards that could cost HP lucrative government contracts.
The Global Electronics Council launched EPEAT 2.0 in December 2025, creating stricter sustainability criteria for electronics purchases. The new standards explicitly prohibit manufacturers from "issuing firmware updates that intentionally disable remanufactured cartridges" that previously worked with existing firmware. State, local, and educational buyers increasingly require EPEAT certification for procurement decisions.
The International Imaging Technology Council, a trade group representing cartridge remanufacturers, argues HP's January firmware update directly violates EPEAT 2.0's anti-blocking provisions. While the Int'l ITC has obvious financial incentives—their members profit when printers accept aftermarket cartridges—their technical complaint appears sound. HP pushed firmware that disabled previously functional third-party cartridges exactly one month after EPEAT 2.0 launched.
HP finds itself caught between two business models. Dynamic Security protects the company's $3.2 billion annual supplies revenue by forcing customers toward expensive original cartridges. But environmental certification increasingly drives purchasing decisions in the $50 billion global printer market. Government buyers who value sustainability credentials may abandon HP if the company cannot register devices under EPEAT 2.0.
The timing exposes HP's strategic miscalculation. The company issued its latest cartridge-blocking update after EPEAT 2.0 explicitly prohibited such practices. Either HP's firmware teams operate independently of its environmental compliance division, or the company calculated that blocking third-party ink remains more profitable than losing certification eligibility.
What remains unclear is enforcement. The Global Electronics Council denied a 2023 request to revoke HP printers from the original EPEAT registry, suggesting the organization may lack teeth. No HP printers currently appear in the EPEAT 2.0 registry—163 products are registered, but none are imaging devices. This suggests either HP has not applied or faces certification barriers.
HP must now choose: abandon firmware-based ink blocking to qualify for EPEAT 2.0, or forfeit access to sustainability-focused buyers. Government procurement officers who prioritize environmental standards will watch which path HP selects. The company's next firmware update will signal whether environmental compliance or consumables revenue takes priority.