"So there is the question. Who is giving the URL away for others to download the test item. Others who are NOT beta testers."

Beats me .. but I find it amazing that a vendor doesn't have the right system in place to track this. It may just be because I have done security for a living but I would make sure my vendors test area was behind a password and that I could track the downloads to an individual password.

Of course, the offending folks would simply give the file away from their own copy - but it would help a little :)

There is a dirty reality about Beta testing that doesn't get addressed much - a crucial part of beta tester politics is to make sure you each say great things loudly and in public about each others stuff. It's part of the marketing buzz...

"I am SO honored I got to test ____ from ____, coming soon to the MP and simply something you MUST have!"

Hey, it's just business like any other business... but let's not kid ourselves about how objective any of this is.