Microsoft fights Windows 11 leak with DMCA takedown

Microsoft has filed a takedown notice requesting that a leaked version of Windows 11, images of which were leaked online last week, is removed from Google.

The leaked ISO, which contains the installer files for the new operating system, is the subject of a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint, which was first discovered by Mohammed Abubakar of Fossbytes.

The 1998 US legislation makes it illegal to produce and spread copyrighted information which, in this case, refers to the new Windows build which made available to download on Indian tech news site Beebom.

In the complaint, which was registered on DMCA database Lumen, the Japanese arm of Microsoft asks Google to “please remove their article from the search”. The tech giant also seems to confirm that the ISO is legitimate by referring to it as “Windows 11” instead of what was previously known as “Build 21996.1”.

“Beebom.com's article is distributing Windows 11 ISO(copyrighted to Microsoft),” the complaint reads. “It is a leaked copy of the unreleased Windows 11.”

At the time of writing, the article in question, which includes leaked images of the OS, is still available on Beebom’s website. The news outlet published the images on 16 June, more than a week before Microsoft's planned event on 24 June where it's expected to show off the Windows 10 successor.

With a reimagined Start menu, a widgets system, and rounded corners for all windows and menus, the operating system is expected to be significantly different from its predecessor, with some claiming that it’s more reminiscent of macOS than anything Microsoft has previously released.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella previously described the new operating system update as “one of the most significant updates to Windows of the past decade”, and argued that it will unlock greater economic opportunity for developers and creators.

The news comes days after Microsoft also announced plans to retire Windows 10 by 2025, which could be yet another sign that the arrival of Windows 11 is imminent.

IT Pro has contacted Microsoft and Google for comment about the DMCA complaint but is yet to receive a response.