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HP Accused of Illegal Exportation To Iran

Posted by timothy on from the trade-tends-to-bring-people-together dept.

AdamWeeden writes "According to research done by the Boston Globe, HP has been secretly using a third-party company to sell printers to Iran. This is illegal under a ban instituted in 1995 by then US President Bill Clinton. The third-party company, Redington Gulf, operates out of Dubai and previously stated on their web site that the company began in 1997 with 'a team of five people and the HP supplies as our first product, we started operations as the distributor for Iran,' though now the site has been changed to remove the mention of Iran. Has HP unknowingly been supplying Iran with technology or have they been trying to secretly get by the US government's export restrictions?"

23 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. HPSetup SSID by Gizzmonic · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nice to hear that another country has its entire WLAN infastructure polluted by "Hpsetup" SSIDs!

    --
    (-1, Raw and Uncut is the only way to read)
    1. Re:HPSetup SSID by flyingsquid · · Score: 4, Funny

      This is a really serious matter. Iran already has highly advanced technology allowing them to photoshop pictures of missiles. Now, thanks to HP, they have the technology needed to print pictures of those photoshopped missiles. Next, they could be photoshopping and then printing pictures of tanks, ships, aircraft... where will it all end?

    2. Re:HPSetup SSID by Anpheus · · Score: 2, Funny

      You should switch it to the address of the new residents so they think the previous owners left a wireless router somewhere in the house turned on.

      Schadenfreude, fun for the whole family.

  2. eh hum.... by djupedal · · Score: 4, Funny

    >"Has HP unknowingly been supplying Iran with technology or have they been trying to secretly get by the U.S. governement's export restrictions?"

    Yes.

    Oh, and Timmy...please use a modern browser w/spell checking, thanks.

    1. Re:eh hum.... by binarylarry · · Score: 2, Funny

      yeah, because there are a ton of good printing options in Iran.

      I can see it now:

      Now introducting Al-Dirka Hassan's Muhamdojet 1000! It can print 5 millihectares with a single cartridge of sheeps blood!

      It is compatible with any type of papyrus or parchment!

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
  3. Oh dear god by huzur79 · · Score: 3, Funny

    We gave Muslims top secret printer technology. They can now print G'Had pantalets at 28 ppm. The world will now end.

    1. Re:Oh dear god by couchslug · · Score: 4, Funny

      "We gave Muslims top secret printer technology."

      We also gave them HP printer drivers. That's like requiring them to throw shoes at themselves if they want to print.

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    2. Re:Oh dear god by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      They can now print G'Had pantalets at 28 ppm

      What are pantalets? Tiny, tiny trousers?

    3. Re:Oh dear god by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Are you sure they weren't referring to the cryptographic messages that the printers give whenever there's an error?

  4. Unknowingly? by geobeck · · Score: 5, Funny

    Has HP unknowingly been supplying Iran with technology

    Only if you put big finger-quotes around "unknowingly".

    On the other hand, maybe this is a secret government plot to bankrupt Iran by selling them cheap printers, then gouging them on cartridges.

    --
    Find environmentally and socially responsible products on http://buy-right.net
    1. Re:Unknowingly? by D+Ninja · · Score: 4, Funny

      they stress to each employee not to work with certain companies (and Iran is on the list)

      Ah, yes. The great company of Iran.

  5. Ixnay on the interpay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    shhhhhh.... it is a CIA ploy to bankrupt Iran via HP printer ink refills... would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for that meddling /.

  6. Re:ummm ... printers? by AndrewHowe · · Score: 4, Funny

    Weapons of Mass Instruction?

  7. Re:ummm ... printers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why devalue the paper?

  8. The Ayatolla.... by gandhi_2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Print Controlla!

    --
    THL phish sticks
  9. Ooooh by Greyfox · · Score: 4, Funny

    That explains why those guys are so pissed off at the West. It really didn't add up for a while. I mean our policies of colonialism and arrogance might be a bit irksome, but it's no reason to want to kill us. But those poor bastards have had to talk to use HP hardware and talk to HP tech support. Yeah... now I understand where they're coming from. Perhaps now that HP's been busted and will no doubt be forced to stop, our relations with Iran will improve...

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  10. Re:ummm ... printers? by Clandestine_Blaze · · Score: 2, Funny

    You've obviously never been in an Iranian torture facility. They strap you to a chair, and force you to watch Titanic and Spice World in full Dolby digital surround sound, and in 3D. About an hour into the movies, the prisoners beg to be fed to the HP printers.

    Hey, actually, this doesn't sound like a half-bad T.V. show. "Persian Science Theater 3000"

    Hooman: Abbas, what the hell are we watching?
    Abbas: I don't know Hooman, the box said "Plan 9 From Outer Space." I heard it won the Golden Raspberry Award, I think they give that to the top films! Raspberries taste good, so the movie should have been good!
    Kavan: Hold me, Abbas, I want to die.

    [The three men gouge their own eyes out]

    --
    Best "String" Ever!
  11. PC LOAD LTR by conspirator57 · · Score: 5, Funny

    PC load letter! FSCK!

    --
    "If still these truths be held to be
    Self evident."
    -Edna St. Vincent Millay
    1. Re:PC LOAD LTR by Captain+Splendid · · Score: 2, Funny

      Samir: No one in this country can ever pronounce my name right. It's not that hard: Samir Na-gheen-an-a-jar. Nagheenanajar.
      Ali Khamenei: Yeah, well at least your name isn't Ali Khamenei.
      Samir: You know there's nothing wrong with that name.
      Ali Khamenei: There was nothing wrong with it... until I was about 12 years old and that no-talent ass clown became Supreme leader of Iran and started screaming anti-US invective.
      Samir: Hmm... well why don't you just go by Al instead of Ali?
      Ali Khamenei: No way. Why should I change? He's the one who sucks.

      --
      Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
  12. Cunning Plan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sell them (Iran) ink more expensive than oil until they become bankrupt.

  13. Ahhh, HP LaserJet Printers by d0n0vAn · · Score: 3, Funny

    PC LOAD LETTER? What the fuck does that mean?

  14. This is a huge deal! by macraig · · Score: 3, Funny

    Given how technologically advanced HP printers have become, this presents a huge risk to national security. I'm mortally afraid that my comfy way of life has been jeopardized by HP's actions. President-Elect Obama needs to appoint a special prosecutor ASAP!

    Actually, now that I think about it, my comfy life has already been jeopardized by HP products... anyone want a paperweight that just happens to look like a fancy scanner with ADF?

  15. Re:ink by eiapoce · · Score: 3, Funny

    A printer contains one or more step-step motors, microcontroller chips, a processor and a flash based firmware.

    Assemble it with a hires webcam a little outsource in India/China a AK47 and you have got a very dumb sentry gun.