Photocopiers made by Xerox are changing numbers on documents, a German computer scientist has discovered.
David Kriesel found that copies he made of construction plans had altered room dimensions.
Other users have replicated the problem, which has been blamed on faults with compression software used by several Xerox models.
The company has not yet issued a fix for the problem, but it told the BBC it was preparing a statement.
Mr Kriesel said he worried that numbers could be altered on invoices and other important documents.
Shrinking room
He questioned whether incorrect figures could leave a company liable to legal action.
Niri Shan, a partner at London-based law firm Taylor Wessing, told the BBC it could raise interesting legal implications.
"The person who provided the figures would be liable [for any issues]. Then the question would be, could they turn round to the photocopying company and say, 'Hold on a minute, this is your fault'?
"Often in commercial contracts, the manufacturer may have limitations of liability on consequential loss."
In his tests, Mr Kriesel found that often the number "6" would be turned into an "8", and vice versa, with other numbers being affected too.
One room on his copied plans had its dimensions shrunk from 21.11m to 14.13m.
Substitute figures
He said the anomaly is caused by Jbig2, an image compression standard.
Image compression is typically used in scanners and copiers to make file sizes of scans smaller.
Jbig2 would substitute figures it thought were the same, meaning similar numbers were being wrongly swapped.
Mr Kriesel said the two models affected were the Xerox Workcentre 7535 and 7556.
However, since posting details of the fault online, several other users have come forward with problems on other machines.
God has no place within these walls, just like facts have no place within organized religion. - Superintendent Chalmers
It's not up to us to choose which laws we want to obey. If it were, I'd kill everyone who looked at me cock-eyed! - Rex Banner
The Bluebird of Happiness long absent from his life, Ned is visited by the Chicken of Depression. - Gary Larson
Hmm so... imagine conditions were correct in the data ocean for the various colonies of digital automata to complexify and emerge as a single organism, imagine it kept going, developing some form of rudimentary intelligence, imagine it looked out from it's domain and saw us. Then imagine it liked troll us hard whereever and whenever it could, but otherwise kept itself hidden.
Imagine it was the internet that was fucking with us all. All those hacked e-mails and wikileaks, spam and abuse, angry uncharacteristic posts and arguments with distant social networking people was all just some intelligence crashing badly and taking the outside world with it.
That would be a good laugh.
"What started as a legitimate effort by the townspeople of Salem to identify, capture and kill those who did Satan's bidding quickly deteriorated into a witch hunt" Army Man
No. You are being paranoid. There is no such thing as artificial intelligence. Go on with your normal lives. Nothing is happening. Up your medication. EOT
Sir Figg Newton wrote:If I have seen further than others, it is only because I am surrounded by midgets.
Cormac wrote:Doom predictors have been with humans right through our history. They are like the proverbial stopped clock - right twice a day, but not due to the efficacy of their prescience.
Sir Figg Newton wrote:If I have seen further than others, it is only because I am surrounded by midgets.
Cormac wrote:Doom predictors have been with humans right through our history. They are like the proverbial stopped clock - right twice a day, but not due to the efficacy of their prescience.
About me: I have prehensile eyebrows. I speak 9 languages fluently, one of which other people can also speak. When backed into a corner, I fit perfectly - having a right-angled arse.
So when I photocopied my genitals and ended up with an 11" dick, that wasn't real?
A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return. Salman Rushdie You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. House MD Who needs a meaning anyway, I'd settle anyday for a very fine view. Sandy Denny This is the wrong forum for bluffing Paco Yes, yes. But first I need to show you this venomous fish! Calilasseia I think we should do whatever Pawiz wants. Twoflower Bella squats momentarily then waddles on still peeing, like a horse Millefleur
There are far more possible alternatives to the only take on reality humans have access to. I'd guess there is something going on with this and 'aliens or matrix critters' but what is the real question? I guess you disappear if you find out?
What will the world be like after its ruler is removed?
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