rustman@netcom.com says...

nobody@soda.berkeley.edu says...

...

On a slightly related topic, I know of an instance where the Secret Service located a stolen color copier with somewhat greater speed than one might have expected.

Is it possible that these machines either: (1) contain transponders or (2) hide a "signature" in their output ???

1. Why was the secret service looing for stolen property?

2. This is an urban legend. There is no "signature" on the output of Canon CLC copiers.

because these copiers are so maintenance-intensive, and since Canon *owns* most of the CLC dealers, it would be very easy for them to check their s/n records when they are servicing the equipment (which needs to be done when the devices are moved)!

pretty exciting, huh?

-- Rusty H. Hodge, Cyberneticist <rustman@netcom.com>

The _event_ is not an urban legend. (The signature hypothesis could be). Check the Chattanooga papers (late '92 or early '93). A copier was ...uh... relocated to a residence. I doubt that the manufacturer was invited to make service calls. The secret service was involved because of what was being copied. It could just be that the SS (funny coincidence of initials) is very good at its job, but I wonder.