Posted on 12/29/2008 12:43:50 PM PST by Red Badger
Hewlett-Packard Co. could be breaking U.S. trade sanctions by using a third-party distributor to sell printers in Iran, The Boston Globe reported Monday.
According to the newspaper, HP signed a distribution deal with a Dubai-based company called Redington Gulf in 1997, two years after the Clinton administration put sanctions on Iran.
And while Redington, as a foreign company, falls outside U.S. regulations, the Globe reported that there is evidence HP knew its equipment would end up circumventing U.S. law. For example, in 1999, HP's Middle East manager at the time, Albrecht Ferling, was quoted as estimating that sales in Iran would grow 50 percent a year, the Globe reported.
David Shane, a spokesman for the company, would not say whether HP plans to stop sales of its printers in Iran. He said Monday that "HP has a policy of complete compliance with all U.S. export laws."
Sales of printers and ink are critical for HP, contributing about half of the Palo Alto-based company's operating profit.
According to the Globe, Redington has helped make HP's printers extremely popular in Iran. The newspaper cited a 2007 poll conducted by a local news organization that estimated HP printers had captured 41 percent of the market there.
hahaha...classic
rofl...
Make them go back to using cuneiform output devices.
If they perform like most of the HP printers (or, worse, their driver software) I’ve owned, this may be a ploy to keep Iran out of the information age — or to drive them mad trying to get help from inflexible and snobbish Indians...
I’m sure Mark - anything for a buck - Hurd is pleased..
HP has ALWAYS been a major supporter of ALL the long-tenured politicos in Kalifornya — Boxer, Feinstein, Pelosi, et al.
They also put big bucks on the minority party incumbents as well — good cover ain’t cheap but IS necessary.
I don’t see the Abomination Administration OR the Congress going after HP for this at any time in the foreseeable future. They’re very well protected by all them thugs ...
Tank yu...come agayn
You hab yurdsef a muhty fean dayb mahm.
Here's a little fact of corporate life for anyone who still thinks boardrooms vote their consciences: Every Fortune 500 company in the U.S. contributes to both political parties. It's called insurance, or covering your bets, and it'll never, ever stop.
As far as ink jets go, I have always done well with Epsons. The current one (RX 595) turns out a very nice photo print. I don't print many but one every now and then.
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