Microsoft Tricks Hacker Into Jail

CompotatoJ writes "Wired News reported that William 'IllWill' Genovese was sentenced to prison after being tricked by a Microsoft Investigator offering to pay $20 for a copy of the secret source code. From the article: 'The investigator then returned and arranged a second $20 transaction for an FBI agent, which led to Genovese's indictment under the U.S. Economic Espionage Act, which makes it a felony to sell a company's stolen trade secrets ... [Microsoft] has also expressed fears that making its source code public could allow hackers to find security holes in Microsoft products -- though, so far, intruders are doing fine without the source.'"

Comments

Entrapment

[Fiachra06]

Unfortunatle it only counts as entrapment if the offer is made by a member of a law enforcment agency. Funny thing though technically if it's illegal to sell the stuff I would assume it's illegal to buy it so the microsoft investigator committed a crime too. If I were to buy illegal narcotics from someone and then tell the cops about it I would most likely be done for possession. These are the things I think about when I should be working. Ho hum.

Re:Ah, so THAT'S how they can get away w' entrapme

[CaymanIslandCarpedie]

You really have no idea what entrapment is do you? ;-) Did you just think it sounded cool?

you call this a hacker?

[amnesiaWind]

ROFL! if this is what the world thinks a hacker is, then real hackers everywhere can breath a sigh of relief - the authorities don't have a clue or a chance.