I colleague of mine had a similar problem with his Epson printer. He claimed that Epson printers came with a �time-bomb� which prevents the printer from working after a set period/number of prints.
He found a piece of software on the Web which overcame the problem and got his printer going again. I think he got the software via www.download.com.
Whether is it true that Epson printers have �time-bombs� embedded within their software, I cannot say � but if true, it would be a damning indictment against any claim Epson might have, in terms of environmentally friendly products.