Foundation Claims It Cracked Xerox Watermark
Word of the EFF's accomplishment, published on its web site, spread quickly late yesterday.
IBM researcher Wes Felter noted that "for years there have been conspiracy theories about watermarks in color printer output."
The conspiracy, according to the EFF, is a series of yellow dots, in grids, that are printed in each watermarked copy. The foundation provided an "interactive computer program" - a web application - that, it says, "automates the decoding process."
The hacking of the watermark code may be of no small consequence to Xerox. DocuColor systems, such as the DocuColor 12, sell for more than $50,000 and Xerox watermark technology is a significant selling point.
Xerox had no immediate comment.
Update: A Xerox spokesman issued this statement:
He refused to say, though, whether any investigative agency had, in fact, contacted Xerox -- or answer additional questions.