November 23, 2004
Foil Hat Printing

I think we've mentioned it before, but this PC World article goes into much greater detail about a secret feature on your nifty color laser printer:

According to experts, several printer companies quietly encode the serial number and the manufacturing code of their color laser printers and color copiers on every document those machines produce. Governments, including the United States, already use the hidden markings to track counterfeiters.

Personally, I don't have a problem with it, but of course thousands of privacy loons do:

John Morris, a lawyer for The Center for Democracy and Technology, says, "That type of assurance [that government only uses the information to pursue counterfeitors] doesn't really assure me at all, unless there's some type of statute." He adds, "At a bare minimum, there needs to be a notice to consumers."

Yeah, because forgers will need to know which printers they can use to counterfeit money with, right? Look, the government doesn't care if you Xeroxed your butt with the office printer, they have better things they can screw up in a much more spectacular fashion. So pull your damned pants up and get back to work!

Posted by scott at November 23, 2004 08:43 AM

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Comments

speaking of keeping your pants up, i seem to remember a night about 3 days ago where the women were all complaining of you not doing that...

Posted by: ron on November 23, 2004 09:27 AM

There are something you don't need to share, Ron!

Posted by: Pat on November 23, 2004 05:42 PM
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