Kyocera, a Japanese printer manufacturer, has filed an official complaint with Advertising Standards Authority in the US blaming recent HP advertisement of being “disingenuous”.

The ad for HP Color LaserJet CP3505 claims that HP laser toner cartridge is the only part of printer needing replacement. Generally, laser printers require a printing drum to be regularly changed, too. However, the ad says nothing about that very drum being included along with its cost into toner cartridge of that printer model, and thus thrown away with deployed cartridge. Nor does the ad warn that HP is not responsible for replacing permanent parts once the warranty is over, though such information is usually given in fine print in foot note, if on paper.

Rob Enderle, a printer analyst and chief of a San Jose-based research firm Enderle Group, said:

“The printer companies, particularly the smaller ones, are trying to stand out and it looks like some are picking fights to get visibility for what makes them different,” Enderle said.

Peter Maude, director of analyst company CharisCo, expressed a dfferent opinion to eWeek:

“I believe HP is guilty of an error of judgment with the misleading wording of its recent advertising. A Colour LaserJet CP3505 user needs to replace only print cartridges under normal low – volume usage. But there is no question of the device not having print drums. They are integrated, as is the cost. The electrostatic paper transport belt is also user-removable, demonstrating that it can be replaced at extra cost as and when necessary.”

HP has not yet commented on the allegation, the company only mentioned the issue is under investigation.