Consider two documents – one carrying the author's name and one meant to be anonymous. By comparing the codes, it can be determined whether the two documents were printed by the same printer, even if Xerox reveals nothing about a customer's serial number. The EFF is now studying printers from other well-known manufacturers with similar tracking codes, but whose keys remain secret.
Unlike inkjet printers, laser printers, copiers, and fax machines fire a laser through a mirror and series of lenses to embed the document or image on a page. Such devices range from a little over £80 to more than £1000, and are designed for both home and office use.
Peter Crean, a senior research fellow at Xerox, says the company pioneered this technology about 20 years ago because several countries had expressed concern about selling the printers in their country. The move aimed at allaying fears that their colour copiers could be easily used to counterfeit bills.
It is believed that since then, many other companies have adopted the practice. According to experts, several printer companies secretly encode the serial number and the manufacturing code of their colour laser printers and colour copiers on every document those machines produce.
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