DailyTech reports that PC sound card company Creative is threatening legal action on a third party driver author that has released unofficial Vista drivers for Creative's products. The driver author, known only as 'Daniel_K', has released Vista drivers that not only improve performance and increase stability over Creative's own drivers but also enabled features in the sound cards that are not present in Creative's official Vista drivers. Creative's legal team sent "Daniel_K" a note stating, "By enabling our technology and IP to run on sound cards for which it was not originally offered or intended, you are in effect, stealing our goods." However, Creative's customers are not happy - the forum thread features over 1,600 messages, nearly all angry blasts against what is perceived as Creative's draconian assault on the modder community. User "Eggchaser", a "trusted contributor" writes, "He does something that Creative are either not capable of doing or refuse to do. If you are not capable then I suggest you sack your software writers and employ ones that can... Incidentally you flagship products (X-FI) STILL do not run properly on Vista with YOUR drivers...Shame on you for doing this, actually I laugh at you for doing it because what you have done is lost yourselves customers...One customer lost and counting." Another contributor, "includeao", writes, "daniel_k must be praised has a hero... Creative IS stealing MY goods with bad marketing, services and drivers." While daniel_k's posts on the creative forums advertising the drivers may have been deleted, the O'Shaughnessy memo does indicate that daniel_k intends to keep up his modding.

Update (April 2nd, 2008): Creative now posted a message on its forums in order to re-assert its position. The company starts off by saying it has read the "strong feedback" about its move, and that it failed to make it clear in its initial cease-and-desist note that it does in fact support "independent driver development by independent third parties." The firm adds that Windows Vista's new audio architecture and Microsoft's certification process for audio drivers make it "very difficult for Creative to develop updates for all past products" and that "outside developers have been very helpful." However, Creative says it frowns on "unauthorized distribution of other companies' property."

This somewhat ambiguous message ends with the promise, "We hope to work out a mutually agreeable method for working with Daniel_k in supporting his efforts in driver development. Going forward, we are committed to doing a better job of working more closely with third parties to support their development for our products and our customers."