Version: (using KDE 4.1.2) Installed from: Debian testing/unstable Packages Currently rendering of text input to emoticon images is done for both sides, incoming and outgoing. This is partially annoying if the sender on the opposite side didn't intend to add those smileys (and even doesn't know about them), but then the message is rendered with local images and thus changed. For MSN emoticons can be exported and exchanged between both sides, so there is no reason to additionally interpret the message with local rules, as there might though for other protocols. Either disabeling the interpretation completely, partially for MSN or user-based through configuration would solve the unwanted message rewrite.
Dear user, unfortunately Kopete is no longer maintained. Please migrate to another solution, e.g. for Jabber a possibility is Kaidan, for Matrix a candidate is NeoChat.