“If anything claiming to be illegally copied Microsoft source
code shows up on the Net, do not download or read it. If you do,
you will lose the right to work on free software.”
“The Wall Street Journal reported today that Microsoft and the
FBI are investigating an intrusion in which unknown attackers had
access to Microsoft source code for three months. Although nothing
purporting to be Microsoft source code copied in the intrusion has
surfaced yet, any such code poses a legal risk to people who read
it and to any free software project that accepts contributions from
those people.”
“Anybody who wishes to be involved in free software should
have nothing to do with anything claiming to be Microsoft source
code released without license or in any informal way,” said Eben
Moglen, general counsel of the Free Software Foundation and
professor of law and legal history at Columbia University.
Microsoft, he said, would be in a position to seek damages from
anyone trafficking in misappropriated trade secrets, which can
include merely reading the Microsoft code and then contributing to
a free project.”