Microsoft China rips off Plurk source code, yawnnnnn
Tom Warren, over at Neowin, just shot me a note about a post he just wrote up. The short story is Microsoft China took a bunch of source code from a popular Asian site called Plurk. While this is interesting, given the recent GPL fiasco, I’m going to say what everyone else is already thinking: Do we expect anything less from the Chinese? While I understand this may sound like a gross over-generalization of who’s at fault, and may even offend some readers, let me rationalize my thinking by providing IIPA’s copyright piracy figures from 2007 and 2008. China ranked in as #1 in terms of estimated losses due to copyright piracy, more specifically over 3 billion US dollars. A commenter on Neowin said it perfectly:
If this was in the US (or just about anywhere else in the world) I'd think it was a big issue, but it's China. Do they even have intellectual property laws?
(Jonathan Marston)
[removed unnecessary jab, may be construed in ways I don’t intend]
Microsoft just likes to take source code :v
Bang the gong!
*BWONG!*
Damn…
China’s market is f’d. I do not understand how anyone competes there.
FLAAAAAAME… j/k.
Although I’d point out that the logic here would indicate Plurk should be stealing from Microsoft, not the other way around. It’s also true many perceptions of intellectual property are based on naive notions that don’t last long in the real world, so I’m not that aghast. I think the main reason it has shock factor is that it’s Microsoft, despite the fact this probably happens a lot in software development. Funny how it’s often *who* commits the crime that is more important than the crime itself.
@Nathaniel: If I was referring to Microsoft US, absolutely. I specifically noted Microsoft China as a separate entity, however :)
@Rafael: This is true.
its funny how you are making excuses now
MSN Juku is a MSN China outsourcing project, and What I know is MSN China is a joint venture.
操你妈的美国佬~！
中国佬去死
你妈个美国老鸡巴，生儿子没屁眼，生姑娘没阴道！操你全家十八代！
你美国老鸡子没屁 佬去死姑娘没阴道 ！佬去死家十八代！巴，生儿妈 个
i can type gibberish also
Plurk is not an Asian site, but a Canadian one. The alledged ripoff was apparently performed by Microsoft’s contractor rather than Microsoft, but one would have hoped that Microsoft would have done some basic checking of the contractor’s rights to the software they were supplying.
Aren’t they communist? Shouldn’t they be sharing all this stuff because its the state’s and the peoples’ anyway?
There was a quote:
” If this was in the US (or just about anywhere else in the world) I’d think it was a big issue, but it’s China. Do they even have intellectual property laws?
(Jonathan Marston) ”
Yes, we live in fen-shui style, not by stupid capitalists laws. There is one world, one globe, one Earth, and everybody’s thing is thing for everybody. When you will understand that?
Also, Russia doing that too – because more than 80% of Russian population just CAN’T afford any shareware. CAN’T AFFORD.
Who the hell you think you are,watch your tone of voice to speak.
Hate Self-righteous people like you,Capitalism Dog&#*&*(&
Put on your coolface!
FFFFFFF
Quote Chinese man:
“Yes, we live in fen-shui style, not by stupid capitalists laws. There is one world, one globe, one Earth, and everybody’s thing is thing for everybody. When you will understand that?
Also, Russia doing that too – because more than 80% of Russian population just CAN’T afford any shareware. CAN’T AFFORD.”
You embarrass me.
Why all the emotional comments?
Did Microsoft China ( that means did Microsoft in China) steal the derived works of other developers? The issue isn’t if in China them Communist doesn’t respect our U.S. intellectual property, in their country, but that fact is how are you Americans acting, to show us the difference?
If Microsoft isn’t willing to do the right thing, just how will that present itself to 1.3 billion Chinese?
How did Microsoft respond to their intellectual theft of GPL v2 code?
Anyone criticizing China, for Microsoft’s own illegal behavior, should realize, China is a rising superpower, while the U.S. is declining rapidly. China already has carried your 2 trillion dollars worth of U.S. Treasury Bonds, and you repay us back with your insults…?
Have you forgotten how we Chinese are sacrificing by providing your nation cheaper cost products? You haven’t noticed how almost everything is made from China?
Obviously, you don’t know China at all. For one thing, these is no private intellectual property, when all intellectual property belongs to the State!
What is more interesting,
a) Americans more concern with insulting China then punishing illegal crimes committed by their own American business?
b) What gives the right for American business to break the laws in China?
c) Why should anyone in China respect American illegal criminals?
I think if Chinese business were to conduct themselves in the same manner, by going into the U.S. and breaking your laws, that under the same treatment you had given China, these actions would be considered both immoral and a crime, right?
Immoral because blaming China for your own illegal behavior doesn’t exactly make you right. And, the crime is obvious, having been reported by your own people of your own media!
There should be a full apology given, to 1.3 billion Chinese without delay! Microsoft should be held accountable for their wrong doing, for their illegal behavior as well! Unless, you Americans are without honor, without justice and are just the bourgeoisie you are demonstrating……?
By the way, your Wal-Mart in China, pays $0.17 an hour (converted into your USD) so who is taking advantage of whom here?
Yes, Americans are always big talk, just like your Obama, but we know the difference, you just want everything for yourself.
Your own interest come first, which is very obviously here in the comments made above, insulting us Chinese for your own illegal crimes in our country!
N2,没文化真可怕，不了解中国真可怕，原来美国佬觉得操作系统应该收费，等着被微软控制思想吧。
其二：中国的国民收入能跟你们美国比，没有自知之明在中国卖那么贵，我靠！虽然老子用正版，但是不支持操作系统收费。你问我们为什么不用linux，那个不花钱，但是你知道微软是用什么方式打入中国市场的?你研究过没有，微软是在自作自受！我告诉你，我鄙视你们这种美国人。
LOL… so much war in words. Everyone has their beliefs, I really don’t care for any of them… Keep dissecting Windows ftw Raphael lol.
PS: I thought your poke was funny.
Hello，big mouth！That‘s The United State Of The America，the big talk country which everyone knows.
你闲的蛋疼，河蟹你个兔崽子，香蕉你个巴拉，你真是一个莫大的杯具。
Reminds me of another Asian company IObit stealing from MalwareBytes.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=33217
我们中国 就是喜欢盗版 ,怎么地吧…. 我们不用花钱就能使用到你们这帮美国傻逼花钱买来的东西
you have canceled something
取消了中国国旗上的骷髅，你还算有点良知
i dont care who own the site of plurk.com is canadian or asian
but china do too much copy
…
fuck you bitch!
还给中国国旗画个骷髅，靠！
Hi Rafael,
Maybe you said true story. Please DON’T doodle Five Star National Flag.
You hurt Chinese pride like me.
3eyes@China
Seriously people, go look up communism, nobody really “owns” anything, it’s all owned by the people. GPL doesn’t apply, once one person has it in China, it belongs to the state and everyone is part of the state. That’s how it works.
@Zhang Bao: “I think if Chinese business were to conduct themselves in the same manner, by going into the U.S. and breaking your laws, that under the same treatment you had given China, these actions would be considered both immoral and a crime, right?” – Interesting that you should mention this, because the whole world knows how China conducts itself in Africa and Latin America, abusing and enslaving poverty-striken populations after having already undercut their ability to sustain themselves through trade. We also are aware of China’s direct support and influence with terrorist regimes like Iran and various Islamic terrorist organizations (just like the Soviets did in their heyday), as well as China’s involvement in nuclear proliferation. Of course, no one knows better how evil this illegitimate regime is than the Chinese people who yearn still to be free.
@3eyes@China: If the shoe fits, wear it.
@communism is alive: No, communism is about abusing the people and taking power away from the people so that a tiny minority of political fat cats in the Proletariat can live in luxury and dictate misery to the “masses”, who incidentally, are not “masses” but individual people with hopes, dreams, desires, pain, sorrow, joy, and everything you or I or anyone else has (to dehumanize your own people is proof of your regime’s illegitimacy). But thanks for playing.
Definitely a funnier thread than the Yahoo message boards!
First, I will not shop at Walmart. If you live in China you do not have to work for walmart.
Second microsoft stole netscapes browser to start with.
Third Microsoft is concerned with itself, nothing else.
Fourth In the corporate world, nothing is sacred, least of all us the people. In any country.
Fifth Most corporations are going to eat themselves in the long run for short term profits anyways.
Ah the sweet smell of success