Newsletter Archives

• Microsoft finally posts the stolen source

  Posted on December 10, 2009 at 13:18 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  A month ago, I wrote about Microsoft pulling a utility that apparently contains stolen open source code. The Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool lets you put a bootable copy of the Windows 7 installation media on a USB drive.

  Word comes from Rafael Rivera, who first noticed the transgression, that – one month later – Microsoft has finally done what it said it would do, and posted the source code.

  Why the delay? Lots of conjecture. So far, as best I can tell, no hard facts.

  Windows News GPL, stolen code, Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

• Microsoft drops the ball on its open license promise

  Posted on November 27, 2009 at 10:11 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  This burns me.

  Almost two weeks ago I talked about the way Microsoft stole open source software, repackaged it, and re-released it in a way that violates the original licensing agreement. Microsoft got caught red-handed and promised to release the offending offensive program as open source.

  Two weeks later, it’s become apparent that Microsoft has no intention at all of releasing the program as open source. Instead, it appears as if Microsoft is in the middle of re-writing the program, and the Softies now promise that, at some undefined point in the future, they will release the modified version of the program as open source.

  What a crock. As I said two weeks ago, can you imagine what would’ve happened if, say, Apple had stolen a program from Microsoft and released it in one of their own products?

  I don’t know how they get away with it. Oh, wait a minute, yes I do. The guys who got ripped off don’t have armies of lawyers. Ay, there’s the rub.

  Windows News Microsoft steals open source, Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool