This sentencing is wrong. Microsoft was not even selling those disks and the computers on which the software was intended to be installed were already licensed to use the software. Just because of some "estimated" or "virtual" losses, this guy is being sent to prison. How screwed up is our justice system?
Microsoft didn't bring up the case, and it's obvious from the guys own emails he was producing counterfeit discs to pass off as genuine for his own profit. If he were blatantly doing it, and not trying to deceive buyers, I would not feel as strongly as I do that he is trying to spin it differently now that he has been caught. If it weren't for profit, he could have spent his efforts publicizing the availability of genuine discs on his blog and elsewhere to get people to keep their old Windows machines. XP didn't officially end until April 2014, and he was doing this in 2012.
In the end, I think 15 years sentence is very harsh considering rapists get an average of 9.8 years, and only serve about 5.4 years.
Early morning, pre-coffee eyes. Thanks for the correction.
I still think 15 months is too much for what this is even if the guy did it for personal gain. He should have received a fine at most.
I had a similar feeling of the sentence being a bit much in the case of Mark Abene aka Phiber Optik [1] back in my NYC Echo Days (where is Stacy Horn nowadays?). Phiber Optik (Mark Abene)was sent to prison for the AT&T hack to be made an "example" of the "Hacker threat". He served 12 months.
"We have fundamental enforceable human rights, democratic government, independent judiciary, (way too much)state-independent media, functional Intellectual Property Rights(IPR) regime while China lacks all of these."
I don't agree with you here. Maybe you live in a different India.
Democratic government -Yes
Independent Judiciary - Nope. Look up about the recent Rafael Fiasco. Also, a judge was killed and replaced by a Yes man to protect a mafia politician. Search Justice Loya for more details
state-independent media - To some extent. But there are many ruling party pet new channels
Functional Intellectual Property Right ??? Really ?
Some books on Semiconductor Devices. Not in any particular order
1. Physics of semiconductor devices by S. M Sze, Kwok K Ng
2. Modern VLSI Devices by Taur and Ning
3. Device electronics for integrated circuits by Muller and Kamins
4. Solid state Devices by Ben. Streetman
5. Advanced Semiconductor Fundamentals by Robert F Pierret
I disagree about Millman and Halkias. The content in that book is from 1970s. Better books to learn about Semiconductor devices are
1. Device Electronics for integrated circuits by Muller and Kamins
2. Solid State Devices by Ben. G Streetman and Sanjay Banerjee
Millman Halkias is a staple in Indian universities but its high time it is replaced.
