Did Microsoft use Warez for Windows XP?

16 Comments

1. Henry November 16, 2004

   -sigh- I hate it when companies lose their reputations because one of the employees decides to cut costs by doing something illegally (which could easily be done legally)

   Has anyone who has WinXP checked their folders?
   I am on Windows 2000 and none of the .WAV files in the “c:\winnt\media\” directory contain information that lead to illegal activity. It all looks legal to me (with company name, mailing address, etc).

   I’d prefer to see REAL proof,this could be a “doctored” WAV file (hmm where have I seen a “stir” such as this before?… CBS?). I want people who REALLY HAVE winXP to check their computers sound directory for this. Again Win2000 (on this computer) doesn’t contain any illegal activity (of that nature).
2. Paul November 16, 2004

   -Sigh- I hate it when I give people perfectly good links that they don’t follow then they ask questions that the said links would answer.
3. chad November 16, 2004

   i did check and sure enough that line is there. the thing is i dont think their sound files are produced in house. in any case they need to admit it and pay the appropriate penalty to Sony.
4. Henry November 16, 2004

   Paul I did check the links

   Since I don’t have winXP myself I couldn’t personally check the folders. Again, Paul don’t blame me for being skeptical about what is published on the web.

   Just because someone on the Web said that they claimed to check theirs doesn’t mean that its true. They could have “doctored” files (hence my point in my post earlier). I have nothing against you Paul I just don’t like being accused of not paying attention when I actually do.
5. Paul November 16, 2004

   ON FIRE

   Read Henry Read
6. Henry November 16, 2004

   I did read and I noticed that chad mentioned that he found it, too.

   So its been verified once.

   I do read.
7. Adrianne Truett November 16, 2004

   I’m on XP, and mine all look legit. At the top of the random-looking ASCII chaos I’ve got a c2000 Microsoft Corporation notice, though — and nothing coherent at the bottom.

   If it’s an XP thing, it’s not on all versions of XP.
8. JimK November 16, 2004

   So can we expect more out-of-date news articles here at Wizbang just to prove your big Mac penis is bigger than the PC users?

   Seriously, you sound like a Kerry supporter. Let it go.

   The DVD error was BKAC.
9. Hunter November 17, 2004

   Wll up to date or not heres what my XP installation shows:

   1-4,6-9 : LISTB INFOICRD 2000-04-06 IENG Deepz0ne ISFT Sound Forge 4.5

   5 LISTR INFOICRD 2000-04-06 IENG Deepz0ne ISFT Sound Forge 4.5;Sound Forge 4.0

   – Wav 5 seems to be different fro the others and implies they used WAREZ prior to ver 4.5… Interesting…. Hmm
10. Pete November 17, 2004

    One has to wonder if this was a legal move or not… it’s entirely possible that MS has licenses for Sound Forge and the person in question didn’t want to wait for the corporate red-tape to clear before they got their work done… so they just found a crack for something they really had acess to have legally.

    If MS actually had a license available and the developer chose to use a crack, it looks awful… and will be a major PR issue… but still probably legal. (IANAL)

    …if they DIDN’T have licenses, however… well that’s just embarrassing for MS. (I’m surprised it wasn’t caught sooner)
11. m a r t i n @ b l o g b a t November 17, 2004

    Scarier yet, if this is going on, what about employees knowingly leaving backdoors or malware in the OS code…
12. Henry November 17, 2004

    Wow…martin

    that just scared me.

    Can you imagine if a Microsoft worker left a backdoor open JUST FOR HIM? One hidden in a place so good that no one but him knows about it?

    Scary
13. Hunter November 17, 2004

    – Someone should fire off an Email as a registered XP user “requesting” a copy of the Deepz0ne software for personal wav conversion use, citing the “bundling” extensions use provison in the MS licensing agreement. That should get some programming managers in Redlands scurrying around like manic cockroaches…..
14. Ted November 17, 2004

    Another fine example of Microsoft’s idea of capitalism:

    http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,99104,00.asp

    In summary, Microsoft stole code from a French animation software company, was caught and convicted, but still managed to drive the French company out of business.

    I’m biting my tongue about it being the French…
15. m a r t i n @ b l o g b a t November 18, 2004

    It would take a Microsoft to get an American to almost defend the French. That’s a pretty bad, folks. I think Microsoft needs to change its ways. Hunter, good point. Definitely worthy of the “oops” department. Someone should hold them to it.
    It is a scary thought, Henry. Something to think about next time svhost.exe (a legitimate system app) connects to the wide world…
16. Gordon January 24, 2006

    “Microsoft” is just fucked up, even though they make good programs, I’ve also seen noob web-masters make better programs such as “Fidelity” which you can also use to “Hack” another computer with there IP Address, if you know how to, but then again you can also do it with “Command Prompt” if you have the skills, but anyway, I was just passing by while I’m working on one of my web-sites, I’ll catch you guys later I guess.