Source code von SolidWorks 2001Plus (DS SolidWorks/SolidWorks)

Hallo Zusammen,

hier ist eine Beschreibung des Vorfalls aus dem Newsletter von upfrontezine.

Aufgrund der Anzahl der Views ist das Thema doch für viele Interessant.

Gruß
Bernd

Sting Stops Sale of SolidWorks Sourcecode
.. . . . .
A software engineer was last week arrested after trying to sell the source code for the
current version of SolidWorks to undercover FBI agents in a New Delhi hotel room.
SolidWorks had given Geometric Software Solutions the contract to debug SolidWorks
2001 Plus. A GSSL employee, Shekhar Verma, worked on the the debugging project, and then
resigned from the company after making a copy of the code. The speculation is that he
downloaded the code to his home computer from GSSL's FTP site, and then created the CDs.
In July this year, he began began emailing American software companies using an alias,
telling the companies he was willing to sell them the source code.
One company he contacted, Solid Concepts, alerted SolidWorks and the FBI. [It
would be interesting to know the reaction of other companies contacted.] The Boston office
of the FBI conducted negotiations by email. Mr Verma agreed to a price of US$200,000, of
which an initial 10% payment was wired to his bank account. A meeting was arranged to hand
over the remaining amount in exchange for the discs.
Last Sunday, August 25, two undercover FBI agents met with Mr Verma at the Ashoka
Hotel in New Delhi. In the hotel room, Mr Verma allegedly handed over two CDs containing
the entire source code. Agents from CBI [Central Bureau of Information of India] recorded
the meeting, and then arrested him for theft and criminal breach of trust. CBI director P.
C. Sharma said the source code was worth over US$70 million. FBI secial-agent-in-charge
Charles Prouty said, "This case is a significant milestone in the investigation of
intellectual property thefts."

Response to the Arrest

Readers of the 'Times of India' article, "IITian Held for Stealing Software Source Code,"
were dismayed that the incident cast doubt on the integrity of the computer programming
industry in India, suggesting that Mr Verma's IIT degree be taken from him. Wrote one, "It
is a high time now to examine the reasons which force a brilliant IITian to become a
thief. ...Worldcom, Enron, etc should not be our example." Readers were also annoyed that
Mr Verma's school, IIT [Indian Institute of Technology] was emphasized in the headline;
the place of schooling had nothing to do with the event.

SolidWorks said, "The theft of intellectual property is a serious, punishable offense and
will not go unrecognized by SolidWorks Corporation and Geometric Software Solutions.
SolidWorks and GSSL plan to pursue this case to the furthest extent of the law. The FBI,
GSSL, and the Indian government authorities have been extremely fast, efficient, and
cooperative in responding to this situation."
"We consider both SolidWorks and GSSL to be victims in this situation and believe
that the incident is the result of a disgruntled employee striking back at the company."

Q&A

upFront.eZine interviewed Laura Kozikowski of SolidWorks and Manu Parpia, managing
director of Geometric Software Solutions:

upFront.eZine: Is the story's claim true of the source code being worth US$70 million?

SolidWorks: We estimate the value of SolidWorks' source code to be somewhere between the
range of US$70 and US$90 million.

GSSL: The sales from SolidWorks 2001 Plus have been estimated in excess of US$60 million
for last year only. However, the source code is re-used year after year for the entire
life of the software product. We have no idea of the value of the SolidWorks source code
except to say it's very valuable.

upFront.eZine Are SolidWorks and GSSL doing anything to prevent this from re-occurring?

SolidWorks: Yes; we did do something: we caught the criminal with the cooperation of
others in the industry. And SolidWorks and GSSL are further tightening our already sound
security procedures.

GSSL: Geometric and SolidWorks are now working closely together to determine what further
actions can be taken to improve security at Geometric's facility and elsewhere. Further
information we may receive from the CBI as to how Mr. Verma was able to obtain the copy of
the source code will assist us in determining how to improve security. Separately,
Geometric has instituted a thorough analysis of its procedures governing making of copies,
use of FTP sites, downloads, and the like.

upFront.eZine: Does GSSL have a comment on their future relationship to SolidWorks and
Dassault Systemes?

GSSL: Geometric and SolidWorks have shared a deep relationship since 1996. SolidWorks has
been very supportive and understanding. We believe this incident will not affect our
long-standing relationship. We are working closely to determine what further action needs
be taken to improve security at Geometric's facility and elsewhere.

upFront.eZine: Indian ITs [information technologists] are worried this loss of trust may
result in loss of work for them. Can you comment on the future of American-Indian software
cooperation?

GSSL: The Indian authorities are well aware that this case is of significant importance
because it highlights two important aspects:
a) Willingness of India to enforce intellectual property rights.
b) To work together with global counterparts in enforcing intellectual property
rights.
By taking immediate action, it has sent a strong signal which will help the future of
American-India software co-operation. However it is important that the case be taken to
its logical conclusion for the trust to be sustained.

About GSSL

Geometric Software Solutions has over 500 employees with offices in India, USA, Germany,
Japan and Singapore, and head office in Pune India. In addition to SolidWorks, GSSL lists
as OEM clients EDS PLM Solutions, MatrixOne, MSC.Software, Spatial, Autodesk, CADKEY,
Delcam, Alibre, and others.
The company provides a variety of turnkey services using a blend of offshore and
onshore delivery in the areas of solid, surface and feature-based modeling; surface and
feature-based solids machining, nesting, pocketing, reverse engineering; drafting, UI and
3D display; geometry kernels, ACIS, Parasolid, DesignBase; body healing, mending, quality
checks; and so on. http://www.geometricsoftware.com

Sidenote

The 'Times of India' article listed the amount of money as "$2,00,000", so I asked reader
Amar Paul Singh for help in decoding that. He replied:

The $2,00,000 = $200,000. In the Indian number system we have place series that goes like
this :
First 3 places = ones, tens, hundreds (just like in US)
Next 2 places = thousands & ten thousands
Next 2 places = lacs and ten lacs
Next 2 places = crores and ten crores
So the value two hundred thousand (200,000) equals two lacs (2,00,000).

Links:
FBI press release: http://www.fbi.gov/fieldnews/august/bs082802.htm
Times of India article: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=20389713

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[Diese Nachricht wurde von bplattfaut am 06. September 2002 editiert.]

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