Did Microsoft Leak Windows 7?

It’s easy to say that Microsoft is among the world’s most pirated companies. After all, having the most dominant operating system makes one a prime target. Add to the fact that it also owns popular software like Office and you might as well be wearing a targeting reticule on its logo. The widespread reach of leaked copies of Windows 7 is making others wonder though: is Microsoft involved in the leakage? Here’s why one analyst thinks so:
It’s certainly what I would do if I worked at Microsoft on Windows evangelism. The timing is perfect, from a marketing perspective. The leaked build hit BitTorrent sometime on Saturday, right after Christmas when the Windows geeks had nothing better to do and bloggers and journalists had nothing better to write about.
He’s right about one thing: post-Christmas is one of the worst times for blogging in general because everyone is taking a rest. It’s a slow news day for everyone, so leaking Windows 7 at that time guarantees coverage. It’s a rather brilliant marketing strategy, but I also hope that because of the exposure, Microsoft will get the feedback it needs to improve the next version of Windows.
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