Canon "remove the cassette" error

There are mass postings on the internet of Canon camcorder owners spreading over a broad range of cameras that all are getting the "remove the cassette" error. Canon refuses to fix these products for free after one year even though it is obviously an issue that should be recalled. I contacted Canon and the told me it wasn't even a mechanical problem, that it was simply an error message that had to be fixed. If it was just a few camcorders I couls see them taking this stance but there are thousands of compalaints on this issue.