TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Lexmark Accused of Installing Spyware

Lexmark Accused of Installing Spyware

Monty Solomon (monty@roscom.com)
Fri, 19 Nov 2004 20:31:54 -0500

Dan Ilett
ZDNet UK

A Usenet news group has claimed that Lexmark is installing spyware on
its customers' computers.

Allegations have been swirling around an online newsgroup this week
that printer manufacturer Lexmark has been installing spyware on its
customers' computers.

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 Web site.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39173517,00.htm

Lexmark spyware puts hardware in security spotlight
Dan Ilett
ZDNet UK

The revelation that Lexmark uses software that monitors customers'
printing raises interesting questions for other hardware vendors,
says a technology lawyer.

Allegations of printer manufacturer Lexmark installing "spyware" will
cause hardware companies to reconsider their licensing practices, a
leading technology law firm has said.

Experts at law firm Olswang believe hardware companies have to review
their data-gathering tactics to play fairly with their customers.

Lexmark and fellow printer firm HP have admitted to ZDNet that they
use software to collect information on their customers' printing
habits. Although the companies claim that no personal data is
collected, the Lexmark program gathers information on things such CPU
and button usage.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39174382,00.htm

The Lexmark lesson - make more noise
Rupert Goodwins
ZDNet UK
November 16, 2004, 17:45 GMT

Lexmark's inky fingers are all over your printer data -- but did you
say 'help yourself'?

Lexmark's printers are smarter than they look. Perhaps a little too
smart -- a recent story showed that the printer drivers for a recent
model were surreptitiously relaying information over the Internet back
to base. Users were mystified, and more than a little outraged.
Spyware, they said. Lexmark was stung. 'It's not spyware, it's remote
reporting about printer parameters,' the company said after a marked
pause. We told you all about it when you installed the drivers. It's
even got a name -- Lexmark Connect.

http://comment.zdnet.co.uk/rupertgoodwins/0,39020691,39174087,00.htm

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