For the second time this week, information has shown up on the Internet that Microsoft claims was without authorization. These “mistakes” include the Windows Vista pricing on Microsoft’s Canadian Web site and two in-house training videos for Microsoft made by British comedian Ricky Gervais, creator of “The Office” television series. See the news article: “Microsoft investigates leak of ‘Office’ videos.”

According to the article, “The videos, which popped up on YouTube and Google Video this month, were commissioned by Microsoft in 2004 as ‘a light-hearted way of getting our staff to think about the values they attach to working at Microsoft,’ a company spokeswoman said.”

The spokeswoman also explains, “These videos were produced for internal use and were never intended to be viewed by the public. We are actively working to investigate how and why they have appeared now.”

Is this a coincidence, or is Microsoft using the powers of free (and supposedly unintended) publicity to keep people thinking and talking about Microsoft, Microsoft, Microsoft….