Microsoft Warning Leaked Code Traders

An anonymous reader writes "Broadand Reports notes that Microsoft is now sending snail mail warnings to downloaders of the leaked source code. They're also apparently working in conjunction with several un-named peer to peer vendors to send out legal warnings to any users who search for the leaked code. The notice on Microsoft's website has been updated to reflect the new warnings."

Comments

UseNet

[core plexus]

So? If it has not yet been posted to UseNet and other channels, it will be shortly. The Cat's Out The Bag, so to speak.

-cp-

President Bush to Liberate Alaska

Re:Don't mess with MS

[Anonymous Coward]

I've heard windows 2000 is still on 20% of the computers in the world. Enough for a big mess.

OOOOohh its illegal thus it has to be good shit

[McNihil]

Grow up MS we don't want your tripe.

Re:Can't take it back

[DotQuantum]

Or Paris hehehe.

Re:Best threat of all

[gregfortune]

What I'm worried about is the implication this has in tainting developers of open source projects... If I *had* downloaded the source when it was available and my IP was logged as a result, MS could easily claim that new code I write is taking advantages of things I learned by reading their source even though I might not have ever opened the zip file.

Several people have already posted replies to this article saying that they downloaded it or that they found these cool comments or ..... Please, do me a favor and never come close to one of my projects.

You download it, they own you.

Re:Don't mess with MS

[Sexy Bern]

yeah, those bigs can cause real headaches

Not only download but search also

[Pastis]

I don't understand how this could be a an illegal activity. I went on xMule, searched for "w2k source" and boom I found it. That doesn't mean I downloaded it. Am I in the illegal side now? Is it like I was looking for drugs or a prostitute?
I was just wondering how many people were sharing it.

What if I did searched for it by accident? What if people start renaming the file into free_MP3. and I start downloading the file. I am liable for having downloaded it without knowing the contents? Am I liable for just having searched it?

Eh but the latest worms can now spread through P2P networks. That leads me to:
- what should be done is a rewritten version of Nymba.B and MyCodoom.C that just spreads throught everybody and start downloading the code on 10s of thousands of infected machines. That would be cool wouldn't it? Microsoft having sundendly thousands of people violating their IP spreading through a vulnerability in their own OS. And what if this new Virus was spreading through a vulnerability found thanks to the source code leak.... The day we can write software that create viruses automatically from the source code, detecting leaks in an unpredictable manner, using some kind of morphing, that will be cool. Kind of a virus taking life by itself.
- what if Microsoft reuses one of 'their' viruses to spread a counterfitting P2P client that spreads 100s of fake/corrupted windows source code sources?

[plug in many other cool ideas]

Just to put that comment back on track: I don't care about the Windows source code. I run OSS on all my computers. I even have Windows Binaries I never used... What would I do with the source anyway...

Re:Don't mess with MS

[Erratio]

Bugs are bugs, considering MS claims that open source is a bad thing, they should be able to back it up with better written software (pause for laughs). The situations are obviously different, but this situation emphasizes the whole open-source security issue (and the claims of lack thereof). Even in closed source projects, the larger the program the more people that deal with it, and the greater chance for leaks...if not the actual source than some programmer who just looks for amusement by manipulating exploits themselves.