Another one of those "sites hosting without permission" threads

Tekkub · 03-16-09, 08:27 PM

Copy/paste from this thread on the o.forums...

Warning to my fellow addon authors out there, we've got another site hosting addons without getting author permission first. You might want to check http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Games (and it's pc categories?) and make sure they're not hosting your addons without your consent.

Now, they were so kinda as to email me: http://gist.github.com/80232 I've asked them to take down my addons, we'll see what they do. Note that they marked them as "freeware", but I do not use such a license in my addons, nor do I license them in a means that they could mirror them, with or without contacting me first.

Anywho, just a headsup to y'all, looks like my stuff's not the only wow addons up there.

tinyu · 03-16-09, 10:12 PM

follow this link for the list of World of Warcraft Addons

none of mine are listed first on the list is RothUI

Tekkub · 03-16-09, 10:16 PM

Only 20 pages there, they've not been busy at all. That's not all the results either, mine aren't matching that search, but have not been taken down yet.

Sythalin · 03-16-09, 10:29 PM

Wow, thanks for the heads up Tekkub. They've also stolen several of my projects as well. Pisses me off mainly because when I quit WoW for a while I specifically stated that I didn't grant permission to ANYONE to clone/update my work (I knew I'd be back eventually).

Emailed the pricks, let's see what happens.

Tekkub · 03-16-09, 10:33 PM

Yea, I'm quite amused by the "Freeware" label on my stuff. Yes, my code is *essentially* freeware... but I never gave permission for it to be mirrored anywhere.

Yhor · 03-16-09, 10:42 PM

382 downloads available, by my count. A lot of names I recognize that have the same point of view about copyright protection, iirc past similar discussions. Hopefully you guys (and ladies) can get this sorted out quickly, without too much headache and drama. Good luck, if there's anything you could use from the community here, let us know. I'd be glad to help in any way I could, as I'm sure others feel the same way.

Sepioth · 03-16-09, 10:52 PM

Hey thanks for the heads up ...

I just e-mailed them to remove my addon too. I also suggested they remove them all but I doubt that would happen.

You have to love this from thier "Copyright Information" page:

The following applies to all content published by Softpedia via electronic means, such as Internet websites, email messages and so on, hereinafter referred to as CONTENT.

Most of the CONTENT is original, created by Softpedia staff and is protected by copyright laws. Any reproduction of these works, without Softpedia's written consent, is strictly prohibited and will be punished according to the laws in effect.

Permission to use parts of the CONTENT may be obtained by contacting Softpedia

Maybe they should practice what they preach.

Arrowmaster · 03-16-09, 11:04 PM

I'm sure Blizzard will be willing to help us out on this one, I found a WoW Private Server for download on there.

Slakah · 03-17-09, 02:39 AM

I always feel really left out when all this stuff happens. They never bother with my mods

.

***Cairenn*** · 03-16-09, 10:50 PM

DMCA Takedown Request Template for your use. Make sure to change the applicable stuff, this was a template from when people were going after Wowkon.

Elloria · 03-19-09, 07:56 PM

I decided to do a little google search to see what i could find for addon sites. Not sure if i am right here but

http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/m...craft/mod.html

i see a bunch of mods here, not really sure how to tell if these authors are registered here. though...still poking around

iindigo · 03-20-09, 08:01 PM

Yeah, softpedia has posted both my addon (PortalBox) and oooold hobby project Mac webkit browser without my permission... will have to get ahold of them.

Sythalin · 03-21-09, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by Elloria

I decided to do a little google search to see what i could find for addon sites. Not sure if i am right here but

http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/m...craft/mod.html

i see a bunch of mods here, not really sure how to tell if these authors are registered here. though...still poking around

Hey Lothie, yer LS art pack is at that site. Giving ya a heads up in case you didn't put it there.

Tekkub · 03-22-09, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by Bones1998

To all the addon writers out there, i thank you for all that you've done for the world of warcarft world. But unfortunately for all the writers out there that never copyrighted their work, you will be out of luck once the corporations get a hold of your hard work, sad to say but once they copyright it, it becomes theirs, and and theirs alone.

They have lawyers on their side saying its theirs, and paperwork.

That's not how copyright works. I have "paperwork" too.

***Cairenn*** · 03-22-09, 12:55 AM

Please don't turn this thread into a debate about copyright. It's about a site hosting mods without permission. Period.

***Cairenn*** · 03-23-09, 11:16 PM

/sigh

Please don't post misinformation. You are incorrect on multiple points.

Tekkub · 03-23-09, 11:30 PM

Filing for a copyright does not provide irrefutable proof that the copyright belongs to you. If anyone could just pick up an unregistered publication and register it as their copyright and thus suddenly gain all the things copyright grants, there would be none of this talk about copyright existing from the moment of creation regardless of registration.

In short, if you can prove that you were the first to create the work, you can prove the copyright belongs to you. Any good school will teach you that the FIRST thing you do is sign and date your drafts. It doesn't matter if it's a sketch on a damn bar napkin, you sign and date it because someday you may need it to prove your claims.

And here in the programming world, that means using a version control system that track timestamps.