14 DAY TRIAL // One of the longest controversies in the Microsoft world claims that Redmond copied CP/M source code to create MS-DOS, but despite the numerous attempts to find evidence in this regard, no one has ever managed to prove it.
So now consultant Bob Zeidman, who is one of those who tried to find more evidence of the copying, is willing to offer rewards up to $200,000 to whoever manages to dig deeper and prove that Microsoft indeed used CP/M code to create its own OS.
His attempts in this regard date back to 2012, when the used forensic software tools to analyze the two codes, but just like all the others before him, he failed to find any sign of copying. What he did discover, though, was 22 system calls, which are commands used to trigger certain actions, which used the same function and function number, according to IEEE, but this still wasn’t enough to prove that Microsoft copied anything.
Microsoft even donated MS-DOS source code
Microsoft itself has never opposed these investigations, and the company has even donated source code for MS-DOS to the Computer History Museum, which also holds a version of the CP/M source code.
And this is where it gets interesting. Because Zeidman failed to prove that Microsoft copied CP/M, he’s now giving you the chance to do it and is also offering a very compelling financial reward should you manage to do that.
Anyone who proves the copying using forensic software tools just like the ones he turned to in 2012 will get $100,000 while the individual or organization that finds a secret command calling a copyright notice in Gary Killdall’s name (Killdall is the creator of CP/M and founder of Digital Research) gets another $100,000.
There’s still no living proof that such a command exists, but rumor has it that a secret copyright command is there, and it can prove Microsoft stole the code.