Re: "Michael Hardy"

[BLuRry <brendan.robert@gmail.com>]

On Tuesday, January 15, 2013 3:17:10 AM UTC-6, Apple2Steward wrote:
> Apparently the "Michael Hardy" that has come to roost on CSA2 is 
> 
> legendary!!
> 
> 
> 
> Fascinating reading.
> 
> 
> 
> http://youfailit.net/?p=71

Mr. Hardy, you've ruffled enough feathers, so consider this message your first and only warning.  

First and foremost, I sincerely hope that you reconsider your actions and find a more ethical way to earn a living.  You have a wife and children, so you should really think hard about the example you are setting for those you love and also consider if what you are doing protects them or if it exposes them to an unfathomable amount of harm.

You might not have tried to pull your stunts on me yet, but read on before you consider copying my work and passing it off as your own.

I'm a professional Java software developer, and have been programming Java professionally for over a decade.  I have the ability to reverse-engineer and decompile obfuscated java code.  I can prove the authenticity of my own code, and have the ability to produce a digital fingerprint of my code -- even if you change all the variable names, all the package names, all the methods and functions.  I will know it is my code and can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt in any court of law.  I have sufficient education and professional experience to demonstrate my credibility in this subject matter.

I've been working really hard on my open-source projects for the past seven years and have a collection of folks that can provide witness to that fact.  If you try anything, I will not hesitate to contact my lawyers to put an end to it.  Upon any infraction you will receive a cease and desist letter in certified mail, and it will also be posted online as a public open letter.  If you fail to comply with any stated demands put forward in this letter, I will proceed with the issue as a legal matter.   

We both live in the USA, so if necessary I will file a lawsuit in my local jurisdiction, Travis County, if that is legally possible.  At such time, you will need to obtain a lawyer that knows Texas law and you will need to cart yourself and your lawyer down here to Texas at your own expense.  You may not be familiar with Texas law, but let me explain in very simple non-legal terms: Texas judges don't put up with bull, so you better have a mountain of evidence to prove your innocence.

If there is sufficient evidence of criminal behavior, I will also contact the local authorities and you could also be tried in criminal court if the district attorney believes it is appropriate.  I will provide any and all information I can to make their jobs easy.

My source code might be free to look at and use, but my professional reputation and credibility is worth defending.  I use my open source projects as a scratchpad of source code and ideas that I often re-use in professional settings.  The proof of ownership protects my ideas and therefore my livelihood.  I will defend these things, make no mistake.

Very sincerely,
Brendan Robert