Microsoft Steals Code From Microblogging Startup

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."

Comments

Re:Not the first time.

[Gadget_Guy]

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.

Re:Of course being in China,

[Serious Callers Only]

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.