Seems like the real money would have been figuring out the highest weight components in the algorithm and gaming SEO results for affiliate marketing / landing pages.
But of course that would have taken a lot of work.
Of course assuming he didn't have these skills ("a lot of work" is honestly probably an understatement) someone on the black market might or have someone they could pay who did have them. Also one would assume that some people on the black markets would either run or have ties to scamming/SEO gaming/etc groups making it valuable to them. Sure, not "tens of millions" as Yandex implies but still a good bit.
Speaking as someone whose coworker once stole our code, I predict the biggest loser in this event aside from the thief will be the employees. Imagine working at Yandex now. Everything is going to get scrutinized and locked down until people can barely do their jobs. This is the true destructive power of stealing source code: undermining morale at the company for years to come.
Source code without any permission to use nor any exclusive right to prevent others from using maybe isn't worth much to any buyer, but this was black market. Is access-only source code ever sold on the open market? How much does it fetch? Or given that software is heterogeneous, what is some code that would fetch a high access-only price if it were so available on the open market, and how much, order of magnitude?
I think the disparity in valuations is interesting. To Yandex, the code is worth millions. To outsiders, it's not even worth paying £27k, because it's going to be much harder to get a return on that money.
Reselling such thing is a situation that can't hardly end up well for any parties. Even when the algorithms are worth millions. I'd be surprised a buyer would be willing to invest in it, study it and then turn it into a profitable thing, even if it's sold really cheap or given away. In which case a clever seller would never undertake the risks involved to steal it and put it in the market.
In short, there's no way for this to turn out right (getting away with money), but it can go wrong in many ways (like getting caught). This employee made a terrible gamble.
9 comments
[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 31.4 ms ] threadBut of course that would have taken a lot of work.
In short, there's no way for this to turn out right (getting away with money), but it can go wrong in many ways (like getting caught). This employee made a terrible gamble.