Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!hplabs!hplabsz!taylor
From: beryl@oresoft.UUCP (Beryl Gray)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: Computer Folklore
Message-ID: <1850@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: 6 Apr 88 23:06:24 GMT
Sender: taylor@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM
Organization: Oregon Software, Portland OR
Lines: 15
Approved: taylor@hplabs

I remember a few years ago I read a story in several of the micro trade
publications (Infoworld, PC WEEK, etc.) about a worm copy-protection
routine.  The code was embedded in a Microsoft product that was copy
protected.  A writer for the Washington Post had installed this product
on his hard disk.  One day while using the product (database? editor?)
The following message popped up on his screen:

	"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit.  Now erasing your disk."

The program then trashed his hard disk's directory.  

Microsoft eventually admitted that the code had been incorporated into the 
product years earlier by a zealous programmer and had never been removed.
The product was fixed.

Beryl Gray