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By Don Clark 

HP Inc. apologized for how it handled a recent software update that stopped ink cartridges supplied by others from working with some HP printers and said it would offer new software that lets those cartridges work again.

The Palo Alto, Calif., company, which has long tried to curb the use of rivals' ink cartridges on its printers, said it should have better explained a new authentication feature in software installed in the printers. The feature stopped owners of certain HP printers from using third-party cartridges that had previously functioned. HP said it would issue an optional software update that removes the block.

"Although only a small number of customers have been affected, one customer who has a poor experience is one too many," Jon Flaxman, HP's chief operating officer, said on Wednesday.

HP gets most of its profit from selling ink and toner cartridges for its printers. It has tried to protect that business by taking steps that include using security chips to detect and disable unauthorized or counterfeit cartridges.

A recent firmware update set off a backlash. A Dutch supplier of printer cartridges, 123inkt.nl, said starting on Sept. 13 it began receiving a large number of complaints from HP printer owners.

The publication Wired wrote about the issue on Friday.

The charge was taken up by the Electronic Freedom Foundation, a San Francisco-based group that takes stands against government surveillance and other tech-policy matters. The group on Monday sent a letter to Dion Weisler, HP's chief executive, arguing in part that HP's action could cause customers to become wary of software updates that are increasingly important to improve security.

"By giving tens of millions of your customers a reason to mistrust your updates, you've put them at risk of future infections that could compromise their business and home networks, their sensitive data, and the gadgets that share their network with their printers, from baby monitors to thermostats," wrote Cory Doctorow, an EFF special adviser.

The EFF, which has long criticized the way companies use various forms of digital rights management technology, began an online petition asking readers to demand that "HP make amends for its self-destructing printers." It has received more than 10,000 signatures, said Elliot Harmon, who holds the title of activist at the group.

HP contends that it is important to limit the use of unauthorized cartridges to protect the company's intellectual property, safeguard user security and give printer users the best experience. Mr. Flaxman said HP would continue such practices, which may prevent some third-party supplies from working. "However, we commit to improving our communication so that customers understand our concerns about cloned and counterfeit supplies," he added. "Again, to our loyal customers who were affected we apologize."

EFF's Mr. Harmon said his organization was glad to hear that HP will issue a firmware update for the affected printers. But he said questions remained, including how HP intends to inform printer owners about the update.

EFF also is requesting that HP promise to never again "use a security update to roll back features that its customers rely on," Mr. Harmon said. The group wants HP to promise not to sue or threaten security researchers under provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for bypassing rights-management technology in connection with their work, a law that EFF says companies are misusing.

An HP spokeswoman said the company had reached out to the EFF to discuss those issues.

Cartridge maker 123inkt.nl, meanwhile, said on its website that it had become possible to develop new chips, now in production, to get around the HP security features.

Write to Don Clark at don.clark@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 28, 2016 18:40 ET (22:40 GMT)

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