[Leica] Leica blocking 3rd party batteries in firmware?

[kyle cassidy on the lug]

Howdy folks — 

I’ve been using 3rd party batteries in all of my cameras since Australopithecus started banging rocks together -- in Panasonics, Nikons, and various Leica’s with no problem. In fact, I’ve often wondered if workers from the OEM shop sneak back in at night and continue production without labeling them. 

I recently got four off-brand M9 batteries (from two different retailers) and notice a curious behavior — when they’re fully charged often the camera will give a “battery low” warning and shut down — however voltage meter shows the batteries are fully charged. I’m wondering if Leica has possibly chipped it's batteries and instructed the camera not to work with 3rd party batteries (in the same way that the Keuring coffee-machines recognize imposter K-Cups and refuse to work with them.) I can think of several possible reasons for this, but chipping the batteries I think is the most likely. Another option is that only 3rd party manufacturers who make batteries for Leica cameras are hucksters, but it seems less likely.

Any thoughts on this? $130 for a battery is $120 that I could use toward a plane ticket to photograph something with a battery that’s worth $10. 

Kyle