Lexmark accused of distributing spyware

[JohnnyCNote]

Spyware charge levelled at Lexmark

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 website.


One user said that after initially denying the allegations, Lexmark acknowledged installing tracking software that reported printer and cartridge use back to the company for survey purposes. He claimed that Lexmark said no personal data was taken by the program, and that it was impossible to identify anyone by it.


However, users installing the software are prompted to fill in a registration form including their name and the serial number of the product.


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.


The program sends the information, which includes print and scanning data, to the URL www.lxkcc1.com. According to the internet Whois database, this domain name belongs to Lexmark International in Kentucky.


Lexmark's UK office has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

What a surprise. I wonder how many others do this....

[canadateck]

That just Scares me.."impossible to identify anyone by it." Yeah Right!!....

[BJ_M]

and they used to be owned by IBM -- hmmmm

[JohnnyCNote]

I thought they still were IBM. Their laser printers are okay, but their low end inkjets are real junk...

[BJ_M]

maybe they are -- i really dont know if ibm still owns them partially, i would believe it .. never owned one ..

[JohnnyCNote]

I worked for the local school system earlier this year and all of their computers were IBM and all their printers were Lexmark, even the smallest ones. Also, there's this on their website:

In the past 13 years, we've accomplished quite a bit. Here are the highlights, from our start as a spin-off of IBM to our tremendous growth to become the second largest printing company in the world.