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Microsoft Steals Code From Microblogging Startup

Posted by kdawson on from the did-they-think-nobody-would-notice dept.

Readers davidlougheed and TSHTF both let us know that microblogging service Plurk reported today that Microsoft China not only copied look and feel from its interface, but also copied raw code from Plurk's service, when it released its own microblogging service called MSN Juku (or Mclub). In instances of the code released on the Plurk blog, the layout, code structure, and variable names were very similar or in some cases 100% identical. The story has been covered in multiple media sources. The software theft is hypocritical, given Microsoft's past threats against Chinese software piracy."

9 of 315 comments (clear)

  1. I wonder by El+Lobo · · Score: 0, Troll

    I wonder how much our dear kdawson checked the background of the history before he began salivate when he saw the words "Michrosoft" and "steals" in the same sentence... Oh well....

    --
    It's time to realise that Abble's products are the biggest abomination these days. Just say NO to the dumb iAbble way!!
  2. let me be the first to say by jeffstar · · Score: -1, Troll

    who cares!

  3. Not the first time. by jcr · · Score: 0, Troll

    In the past, MS has been caught red-handed stealing code from DR, from Stacker, and from Apple. IBM showed them how to buy their way out of jail.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    1. Re:Not the first time. by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 1, Troll

      And what code did they still from these companies? The controversies that I know with these companies are:

      1. DR-DOS: A pre-release version of Windows 3.1 had code to prevent it loading on non MS-DOS systems. This code was not used in the production version. There was also a vapourware announcement of MS-DOS 5 to kill off a new release of DR-DOS. However, DR-DOS was later found to have stolen some FreeDOS code.
      2. Stacker: This was a patent dispute, not a code stealing dispute. Microsoft had thought it had changed its code enough to get around the patent, but it wasn't enough and they got sued.
      3. Apple? Umm.. Look and feel perhaps? I'm not sure what you mean on this one.
    2. Re:Not the first time. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      # Apple? Umm.. Look and feel perhaps? I'm not sure what you mean on this one.

      The jcr conspiracy theory is hilarious on this one: the $150 million investment by Microsoft in the late '90s was because of MS stealing code from Apple, and a way to stop Apple "getting MS executives sent to jail". His posts are all entertaining and, among other things, in the past I collected two or three to give to my business clients as an exemplar of the dangers of going Apple: the barrage of fanboys makes it very unlikely that Apple will ever be taken seriously in the enterprise, because it's too busy listening to praise to respond to criticism. Contrary to what the religious believe, criticism - as present of science and Microsoft among their users, but not Jesus and Apple among theirs - is positive.

  4. Re:This is slashdot. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Yes, poor little down-trodden mistreated Microsoft. How fortunate they have you, their little tool, to defend their innocence. What could they ever have done to deserve the harsh words of various posters on an obscure website? How will this injustice ever be made right? I say we all just write blank checks to Steve Ballmer personally with little notes begging his forgiveness for our misdeeds.

    Or, I don't know, you could just get a life you fucking lame fuck.

  5. Re:Of course being in China, by Serious+Callers+Only · · Score: 1, Troll

    Comparing wiretapping to the attempt at national censorship?

    If we compare on this point alone, I consider the US to be almost as bad as China. Is it worse to openly censor content, or covertly operate massive surveillance programs, disappear your citizens without charge indefinitely, refuse their lawyers permission to even talk about the case, and have them tortured by third parties in an attempt to extract information? There is no presumption of innocence as soon as the word terrorism is invoked. What you call 'wiretapping' is now way beyond that, and mass tracking of citizens, their movements, and their communications has become routine.

    Anyone trumpeting 'freedom' in the US or the UK needs to take a long hard look at what their governments are actually doing.

    Of course the last statement about media was quite silly, there is a distance between state and media in the states, and censorship is nowhere near as widespread, though self-censorship in the name of patriotism is common.

    Now, there are huge human rights abuses in China, lack of controls over corporations, corrupt local officials, selective enforcement of laws etc, etc. On many other levels life is worse, and the government has more power, but the comparison with the insidious abuse of state power in the US is apposite.

  6. Re:Of course being in China, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    If only.
    If only the US had dropped the 30-something nuclear devices on China during the Korean War - laced with so much Cobalt 60 that a new species of Han-chinese would've appeared - the three-legged gook.

  7. Re:Of course being in China, by sbbshoe168 · · Score: 0, Troll

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