What happens if M$ had planted chunks of code from another project (Wine for example) into one of their source trees (Windows in this case), a year or so ago, and claims now that that code was their own? They could use this kind of accusation to shut down competitive software projects (if those projects can't defend themselves).
Whose burden would it be to prove who actually wrote the code? I'm guessing that with all of their bureaucracy, M$ would have their project history better documented (even if falsified).
Or is there a reliable way to even prove that one person or another wrote it first?
I wouldn't consider M$'s corporate espionage ninjas to be above stealing code in order to persecute independent hackers...
If anyone finds matching code, don't assume that means Microsoft will be in trouble.
It looks like they just made the software for this, and assembled the hardware from elsewhere. I believe the h/w manufacturer is JUMPtec. I've been salivating over the tiny machines they make for a while.
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OK, everyone. I'm getting scared, and here's why:
What happens if M$ had planted chunks of code from another project (Wine for example) into one of their source trees (Windows in this case), a year or so ago, and claims now that that code was their own? They could use this kind of accusation to shut down competitive software projects (if those projects can't defend themselves).
Whose burden would it be to prove who actually wrote the code? I'm guessing that with all of their bureaucracy, M$ would have their project history better documented (even if falsified).
Or is there a reliable way to even prove that one person or another wrote it first?
I wouldn't consider M$'s corporate espionage ninjas to be above stealing code in order to persecute independent hackers...
If anyone finds matching code, don't assume that means Microsoft will be in trouble.
It looks like they just made the software for this, and assembled the hardware from elsewhere. I believe the h/w manufacturer is JUMPtec. I've been salivating over the tiny machines they make for a while.