Window source code leaked

[James Drabb]

On Thu, 2004-02-12 at 22:32, fred smith wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 13, 2004 at 03:43:07PM +1300, Chris wrote:
> > jimmy Bradley wrote:
> > 
> > >On slashdot, there's an article saying that windows source code has
> > >been leaked to the net.
> > >
> > >
> > > 
> > >
> > Were do i get a copy?
> 
> Whatever would you want that for?
> 
> not to mention, if you've ever seen it, you're tainted and anything you
> write could be claimed by MS as derivative.

While I am not a lawyer, I do not think that is how copyright laws
work.  You could not use the source code verbatim, nor could you use
ideas from the code that was patented.  However, you could use ideas
from the code that is not covered by a patent.  Think about how
copyright really works and not how the RIAA/MPAA/MS/etc want you to
think it works.  You can go over a buddies house and watch a movie he
purchased by you did not.  You can listen to a song on a friends CD
player that you did not pay for.  You can read a book and write a
similar story.  You can create you own version of a popular piece of
artwork.  I can write a book with a theme very similar to the LOTR with
trolls, hobbits, elves, etc and it would be legal.  I think copyright
laws prevent the distribution of works that you do not own or have a
right to distribute.  That is why the RIAA has not sued anyone for
downloading music, but for uploading music.

As long as you did not sign an NDA with MS, I don't think they would
have any legal recourse against someone who viewed their code and then
used ideas from that code that are not covered by a patent.

As I said, I am not a lawyer and can be way off base here : )

Jim Drabb
-- 
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The box said: "Requires Windows 98/2000/NT/XP or better."
So, I installed LINUX!
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James Drabb JR
Senior Programmer Analyst
Davenport, FL USA