3-3-2014
http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/3/5465578/keurig-locking-down-coffee-makers-to-block-cheap-refills
Keurig is locking down its coffee makers to keep out cheap refills
Buying coffee will soon be just as annoying as buying printer ink
Green Mountain dominates the single-serve coffee market with its popular Keurig brewers and K-Cups, the little plastic pods that now come in over 200 licensed varieties. The rise of Keurig has even prompted brands like Starbucks, Folgers, and Dunkin' Donuts to release their own K-Cups, which users insert into the Keurig each time they want a cup of coffee. But other, unlicensed companies have also been able to hop on the bandwagon thanks to crucial patents that expired in 2012. That gave competitors the opportunity to produce generic K-Cups and price them lower than Green Mountain's official line. And consumers have noticed: generic Keurig pods have seen a steady rise in popularity.
But Green Mountain wants to put a stop to that momentum.
Green Mountain is implementing the physical equivalent of a DRM system with Keurig 2.0 which will start appearing on store shelves this year.
Keurig's next line of brewers will contain "interactive technology" designed to lock out unlicensed K-Cups.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/3/5465578/keurig-locking-down-coffee-makers-to-block-cheap-refills
Keurig is locking down its coffee makers to keep out cheap refills
Buying coffee will soon be just as annoying as buying printer ink
Green Mountain dominates the single-serve coffee market with its popular Keurig brewers and K-Cups, the little plastic pods that now come in over 200 licensed varieties. The rise of Keurig has even prompted brands like Starbucks, Folgers, and Dunkin' Donuts to release their own K-Cups, which users insert into the Keurig each time they want a cup of coffee. But other, unlicensed companies have also been able to hop on the bandwagon thanks to crucial patents that expired in 2012. That gave competitors the opportunity to produce generic K-Cups and price them lower than Green Mountain's official line. And consumers have noticed: generic Keurig pods have seen a steady rise in popularity.
But Green Mountain wants to put a stop to that momentum.
Green Mountain is implementing the physical equivalent of a DRM system with Keurig 2.0 which will start appearing on store shelves this year.
Keurig's next line of brewers will contain "interactive technology" designed to lock out unlicensed K-Cups.