Canon Sued for Disabling Scanner, Fax When Printer is Out of Ink

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Canon USA alleging the company engaged in deceptive marketing and unjust enrichment practices.

David Leacraft file the lawsuit after discovering that a Pixma MG2522 printer he purchased would not work as a scanner or fax machine when the ink cartridges were low or empty.

The complaint alleges these features should function regardless of ink levels because ink is not needed to scan or fax.

The complaint suggests that Canon has disabled these functions to increase profits by selling replacement ink cartridges. It also alleges that Canon breached its express warranties and failed to disclose material information under New York General Business Law § 349 and 350.

As discovered by Bleeping Computer, the problems have been reported since 2016.

Support agents stated that ink cartridges must be installed and must contain ink in order to utilize all of the machine's features.

According to the lawsuit, more than 20 all-in-one printer models are affected thus far.

The lawsuit involves more than 100 class members and seeks at least $5,000,000 in awards.

The class action lawsuit was filed on Tuesday and is awaiting court approval.