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Lexmark may be watching you..
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Addicted to MacNN
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Reports on the comp.periphs.printers Usenet newsgroup claim that Lexmark has been planting spyware on its customers' PCs in the form of undocumented software that monitors the use of its printers and silently reports back to a Lexmark-owned company website.
http://software.silicon.com/malware/...9125876,00.htm
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"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
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Addicted to MacNN
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So?
If this helps to catch money counterfeiters, copyright violators and tax fraudsters I'm all for it. People who don't do anything illegal don't have to fear anything. I'm not concerned.
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Mac Elite
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WHAT? You mean to say people actually BUY Lexmark printers? Are they retarded?
Those are the crappiest printers ever. Every one I've had is noisy, prints crappily, etc.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
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What is a Lexmark ?
Is it like a water mark ?
-t
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Addicted to MacNN
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Originally posted by TETENAL:
So?
If this helps to catch money counterfeiters, copyright violators and tax fraudsters I'm all for it. People who don't do anything illegal don't have to fear anything. I'm not concerned.
It is not right to watch everything you do just to catch a criminal. Do you want camera's all over your house linked to a police station just to catch a thief that MIGHT break in one day?
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"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
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Originally posted by TETENAL:
So?
If this helps to catch money counterfeiters, copyright violators and tax fraudsters I'm all for it. People who don't do anything illegal don't have to fear anything. I'm not concerned.
Wow.
And you live in Germany, where this sort of thing is probably quite illegal (Daten- u. Persönlichkeitsschutz)?
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Professional Poster
Join Date: May 2004
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Originally posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker:
It is not right to watch everything you do just to catch a criminal. Do you want camera's all over your house linked to a police station just to catch a thief that MIGHT break in one day?
This debate has been going on for a long time (especially with the patriot act) ... man ... i dont think it's right ... but then again .. whatever ... i dont even have a printer...
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No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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Mac Elite
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Originally posted by TheBadgerHunter:
WHAT? You mean to say people actually BUY Lexmark printers? Are they retarded?
Those are the crappiest printers ever. Every one I've had is noisy, prints crappily, etc.
I agree, kinda getting what you deserve I'd say...
On a serious note, installing something to track you without informing you in a clear way is despicable, people's nonchalant attitude toward this is also reprehensible.
How does the saying go, trading freedom for security and you will have neither.
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Mac Elite
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Originally posted by Lancer409:
i dont think it's right ... but then again .. whatever ... i dont even have a printer...
Kinda works out for you then 
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Addicted to MacNN
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Originally posted by TETENAL:
So?
If this helps to catch money counterfeiters, copyright violators and tax fraudsters I'm all for it. People who don't do anything illegal don't have to fear anything. I'm not concerned.
You do know that it was illegal for Jews to own typewriters in Nazi Germany? The laws can change one day, and suddenly not make any sense, depending on who's writing them, then there you are, on the wrong side of the law. And now, it'll be so much easier to round up whatever group of people we have deemed illegal.
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When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
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Clinically Insane
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As a Mac user, I wouldn't be too worried. I doubt that they got it implemented right on a Mac. Does anyone know ?
-t
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Addicted to MacNN
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Originally posted by chris v:
You do know that it was illegal for Jews to own typewriters in Nazi Germany? The laws can change one day, and suddenly not make any sense, depending on who's writing them, then there you are, on the wrong side of the law. And now, it'll be so much easier to round up whatever group of people we have deemed illegal.
In Germany, yes, but we are talking about the USA here – the longest currently existing democracy. I trust in Bush and the corporations taking care of the people. May God continue to bless you.
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Dedicated MacNNer
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waky waky!
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
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I've got a Lexmark, its crap, right now it isn't working at all. Never again.
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Look after my manor, or I will bum you, literally, to death.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
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Originally posted by TETENAL:
In Germany, yes, but we are talking about the USA here – the longest currently existing democracy. I trust in Bush and the corporations taking care of the people. May God continue to bless you.
Scheiße, reingefallen.
Sorry for thinking you were serious.
Au weia...
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Baninated
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Originally posted by chris v:
You do know that it was illegal for Jews to own typewriters in Nazi Germany?
If this was 1939....
I don't see any government or group getting away with that sort of wickedness here in the US today.
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Baninated
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
Scheiße
Trying to get past the word filters Spheric? 
He does have a point though.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
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Originally posted by Zimphire:
Trying to get past the word filters Spheric?
He does have a point though.
He was being sarcastic.
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Dedicated MacNNer
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Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
He was being sarcastic.
darcsm thet sayt is the chdapest form of hummer
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waky waky!
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Mac Elite
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Originally posted by i_rooster:
darcsm thet sayt is the chdapest form of hummer
I'm tempted to make you the first and only person on my ignore list.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Feb 2000
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This is ridiculous. I'm willing to sacrifice some liberties in the name of national security and safety... but counterfeiting and plagiarism aren't necessarily on my "high priority" list.
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Baninated
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
He was being sarcastic.
Really? You are kidding me!? 
I still think he has a point. Sarcasm or not.
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Addicted to MacNN
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"Lexmark and HP have confirmed that they are using software that reports back on the way people are using their printer products.
The two printing manufacturers use the software to understand customer behaviour, and the installation on PCs is automatic once the users have consented. The companies say that they do not collect any personal information that can be traced back to the user."
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/leg...9174371,00.htm
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"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
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Dedicated MacNNer
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Don't be an idiot. If they do such a thing they should tell you before you buy. I don't want a printer that reports to the internet. What I print is none of their business. And the idea that you could print money on a Lexmark is laughable.
Originally Posted by TETENAL
So?
If this helps to catch money counterfeiters, copyright violators and tax fraudsters I'm all for it. People who don't do anything illegal don't have to fear anything. I'm not concerned.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Sep 2001
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Weird, Little Snitch (or to that effect, any firewall on any platform) should catch a "call home" with no trouble at all.
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:: frankenstein / lcd-less TiBook / 1GHz / radeon 9000 64MB / 1GB RAM / w/ext. 250GB fw drive / noname usb bluetooth dongle / d-link usb 2.0 pcmcia card / X.5.8
:: unibody macbook pro / 2.4 Ghz C2D / 6GB RAM / dell 2407wfp - X.6.3
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Addicted to MacNN
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Originally Posted by Sarc
Weird, Little Snitch (or to that effect, any firewall on any platform) should catch a "call home" with no trouble at all.
And perhaps 0.002% of all lexmark Mac users know about that app or even know they should use it.
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"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
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Moderator  Join Date: May 2001
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HP had this sort of thing, too, for their mobile printers a while back (there was a c't article about it). After c't (the definitive German computer magazine) found out, HP got into trouble and had to remove it immediately.
According to HP, they were monitoring the usage of the printer (pages printed, etc.).
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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
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Addicted to MacNN
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Originally Posted by OreoCookie
HP had this sort of thing, too, for their mobile printers a while back (there was a c't article about it). After c't (the definitive German computer magazine) found out, HP got into trouble and had to remove it immediately.
According to HP, they were monitoring the usage of the printer (pages printed, etc.).
It is still in the laser printers but it lets you shut it off.
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"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
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Senior User
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And more civil liberties and freedoms keep getting rolled back.... God Bless The USA
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27" iMac C2D
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: May 2004
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Originally Posted by TETENAL
People who don't do anything illegal don't have to fear anything.
:: shudder ::
I really hope you don't believe that. Especially in today's terrorism hyped world. People have somehow been duped into believing that they are safer than they were 5 years ago, which is not the case. The fear created by politicians is disgusting and has turned my country into a bunch of pussies. Governments are walking all over people's rights in the name of "security" but that is another debate altogether.
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Professional Poster
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Originally Posted by turtle777
As a Mac user, I wouldn't be too worried. I doubt that they got it implemented right on a Mac. Does anyone know ?
-t
From the article:
The newsgroup posting claims that the program, found on the X5250 installation software, embeds itself in the registry and monitors the use of the printer through DLL files in the c:\program_files\lexmark500 folder.
So no, it won't work on a Mac.
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/mal
"I sentence you to be hanged by the neck until you cheer up."
MacBook Pro 15"/2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo/4 GB DDR2 SDRAM/200 GB Hitachi HD/8x SuperDrive/Mac OS X 10.6.1
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Moderator Join Date: May 2001
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Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker
It is still in the laser printers but it lets you shut it off.
In Germany, they had to shut it off, privacy laws.
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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
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Addicted to MacNN
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Originally Posted by malvolio
From the article:
So no, it won't work on a Mac.
How you know that? They could just not have mentioned the Mac version.
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"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
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Addicted to MacNN
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Originally Posted by TETENAL
In Germany, yes, but we are talking about the USA here � the longest currently existing democracy. I trust in Bush and the corporations taking care of the people. May God continue to bless you.
Your use of subtle irony and sarcasm slipped by even my finely tuned Sarcasmonometer the first time.
Good work!
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When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
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Professional Poster
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Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker
How you know that? They could just not have mentioned the Mac version.
Even if there is a Mac version, one would have to install it on one's system.
I personally have not bothered with any manufacturer's printer software in years. The built-in printer drivers in OS X do fine on their own.
I guess a Mac version could work, if the user is a n00b.
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/mal
"I sentence you to be hanged by the neck until you cheer up."
MacBook Pro 15"/2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo/4 GB DDR2 SDRAM/200 GB Hitachi HD/8x SuperDrive/Mac OS X 10.6.1
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