Opening of a trial for planned obsolescence against Epson: a historic first step

This long-awaited decision, the first of its kind in France, comes after more than eight years of investigation by the DGCCRF (France’s consumer protection authority) following the complaint. By blocking printing when ink cartridges are not yet empty, and by prematurely shortening the lifespan of ink pads, the Nanterre public prosecutor’s office considered that Epson had “used techniques deliberately designed to reduce the lifespan of a product in order to increase its replacement rate.” These practices forced consumers into repurchasing, as the artificial signals effectively prevented printing or scanning.

Given that a cartridge can contain substances toxic to the environment and take over 1,000 years to decompose, an estimated 1.1 billion units are sold worldwide each year across all brands, with ink sometimes priced at up to €7,500 per litre. These practices, which push consumers toward premature repurchasing, run counter to the urgency of the climate crisis and the very real financial pressures facing consumers today.

For Laëtitia Vasseur, Co-Founder and Executive Director of HOP: “This is a historic step toward the first potential conviction of a company for planned obsolescence. Consumers have been heard. Printers have become the symbol of planned obsolescence, leading to an immense waste of money and resources. It is time for this to stop, and for those who break the law to be held accountable.”

This ruling carries particular weight as it represents the first legal action in France, and indeed in the world, based on the offence of planned obsolescence, introduced into French law by the Energy Transition Act of 2015. The decision by the Public Prosecutor to bring charges sends a powerful signal: the fight against planned obsolescence is no longer mere wishful thinking. The offence has become a genuine legal tool, available to both public authorities and citizens, to pursue companies that drive the accelerated replacement of products.

The first procedural hearing will take place on 2 July at the Nanterre Criminal Court.

The problems consumers encounter with their printers are numerous, straining both their patience and their wallets. The Epson case illustrates these practices – but many others are well documented: cartridges suddenly declared “incompatible” or “expired,” a function such as scanning, or the printer itself, ceasing to work for no valid reason, uneconomical repair costs, overpriced cartridges that make replacing the entire device seem preferable, difficulty refilling them… The list goes on, and led HOP to file a complaint against HP as well in late 2024, with an investigation still ongoing.To support HOP in this unprecedented and decisive action for consumer rights and the environment, HOP has launched a fundraising campaign. Your support in covering the association’s legal costs is essential to help us build a solid case against a major corporation like Epson.

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