Legal fallout of using leaked Windows source code
crn.com | at | by Mike
Microsoft has protected it IPs rights pretty well and any attempt by an ISV of competitor to co-opt Windows in their own code won't fly. "The code is still covered by copyright, and any programmer should probably avoid looking at it, to avoid SCO-style legal implications," said DeGroot of Directions on Microsoft. "If you look at it, and similar code turns up in your own work or even is already in your own work, you could have problems if Microsoft believes you have stolen its code. Proving that you didn't see something can be difficult. My understanding is that Microsoft tells its own programmers that they may not view Linux source code, for example."