  We report on the identification of the optical and infrared counterparts of
the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) XMMU J121214.5+131248 (NGC4168-ULX1). The
optical spectrum yields a redshift of z=0.217, which implies that the ULX is
not associated with the nearby galaxy NGC 4168, but rather with a background
object. Optical spectral line ratios and the spectral energy distribution
constructed from the available data indicate that the source is likely a
starburst nucleus.
