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'Stevens v. HP' is an unfair business practices consumer class action filed in state court in Riverside County, California on or about July 31, 2000. Consumer class action lawsuits have been filed, in coordination with the original plaintiffs, in 32 additional states. The various plaintiffs throughout the country claim to have purchased different models of HP inkjet printers over the past four years. The basic factual allegation of these actions is that when the affected consumer purchased HP printers they received half-full or "economy" ink cartridges instead of full cartridges. Plaintiffs claim that HP's advertising, packaging and marketing representations for the printers led the consumers to believe they would receive full cartridges. These actions seek injunctive relief, disgorgement of profits, compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorneys' fees under various state unfair business practices statutes and common law claims of fruad and negligent misrepresentation.
[Text is from page 119 of the HP 2002 annual report to shareholders]
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<<HP does not appear to deny the claim that it engages in this practice. Instead, HP seems to be arguing that it is not liable because it never promised to provide full ink-cartridges with each new inkjet printer.>>