Microsoft angered by game-code piracy
Microsoft threatened severe penalties on Thursday for those who circulate a stolen copy of "Halo 2", the hotly anticipated Xbox game set to go on sale next month.
Microsoft representatives confirmed that a pirated copy of "Halo 2" -- in the French language and the PAL video format used by European television sets -- began circulating on the Internet late on Wednesday via newsgroups and "warez" sites for swapping pirated software.
"We consider downloading this code, or making it available for others to download, as theft," the company said in a statement. "We are currently investigating the source of this leak with the appropriate authorities. Microsoft takes the integrity of its intellectual property extremely seriously, and we are aggressively pursuing the source of this illegal act."
