This is exactly what came accross my mind when I found this topic. Unless you have some reason to make bad reputation for Wilco what's the reason not contacting THEM at first hand (even though I doubt it's your business - or maybe it is? ). As I said already there is something's fishy in this post.QLuvr

>Who would buy a product on the release day and check out the>textures to find one similar and dig it up from airliners?>Then who would make his ever first post of this finding here?>I don't want to accuse anyone but if the community finds out>this is some developers idea of fair competition it could>drive him out of business.>Something's fishy with this topic. >>QLuvrI dunno, maybe,maybe not.But looking at the most recent airbus related topics tell me that the competition has become a bit intense. Not only from the developers but from some of the the blindly loyal customers as well.The market clearly cannot support the number of Airbus products that indicate to be 'soon' released, and the latest marketing moves by developers show this to be true.Myself, I don't concern myself with products that do not exist, no matter how good the producer makes them sound, or how good the screenshots look.If I want an Airbus now, I'll buy an Airbus now if what is currently available meets my needs. I'm not going to be disuaded from buying product A now because product B sounds so good I must wait for it, even though I have no idea how long that actually might be.I've seen too many products indicate imminent release only to not see anything tangible for several months.When the product is available for purchase I'll concern myself with it, but not before.Regards.Ernie.

You guys can call the topic fishy if you want.Why is this my first post? I read the forums a lot ( since I signed up in November ) but just haven't had anything to really add up to this point. Everyone's got to have a first post and not all of them are "Hi ya'll!".Anyhow, to clear some things up:* No, I'm not the author of the photograph.* Yes, the author was contacted.* No, Wilco/FT did not even talk to the author.* A COMMERCIAL product should NOT be allowed to get away with this. * I'm not the author so I have no basis to sue them but I can sure make the situation public.I honestly don't see how anyone can look at the pictures and not see the 1:1 usage here. Anyways, you can get what you want from this thread... just be wary of a company that releases products ( that cost WAY too much for what they offer IMHO ) with copyrighted ( not theirs ) material(s) to use as a basis from which to build.

... to even stir the pot a bit more, a post was made on the Feelthere forum concerning this precise issue and what did they have to say about it?"Last warning for posting without signature." .. and the topic has been locked without addressing the issue.... and you say THIS thread is fishy? To that I reply "HAH!".Anyways :)See for yourself while the thread still exists:http://www.iemit.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6891

>* No, I'm not the author of the photograph.So it's not your business then.>* Yes, the author was contacted.What motivated you to contact him/her at all?Fullishly digging into some else's business may kill this industry for all. Stop it while it's not too late. We all can remember the American Airline case.QLuvr

>>* No, I'm not the author of the photograph.>>So it's not your business then.>>>* Yes, the author was contacted.>>What motivated you to contact him/her at all?>>Fullishly digging into some else's business may kill this>industry for all. Stop it while it's not too late. We all can>remember the American Airline case.>>>QLuvr>>So let me get this straight. You're saying that it's okay for them to pirate (call it what you will, but that's what it is) the picture for commercial reselling?Do you think they would mind if I posted links to pirated copies of all their software for everyone to see and in the same topic post how they stole the picture to use so it's okay to download their pirated software?I love the straw men mentality I'm seeing here!The author was contacted because this is WRONG - morally AND legally.By the way, it's 'foolishly' and doing so to simply slander someone for no reason is one thing but to see this and let it slide is wrong on many levels.It wouldn't be difficult for them to clear their name but they are doing nothing here.

>With customers like you guys why would anyone want to get in>this business... I'm sure getting detail information on>International Airports for add-on scenery purposes is>infringment to some degree as well in this day and age of>terror (every logo from the Food Service carts to the Fuel>trucks has no idea we're using their stuff in FS). :-boom >BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR WHEN YOU GET IN THIS SO CALLED>INFRINGEMENT GAME. We have been more than lucky over the>years in this community for all the designs we've modeled off>of real world products. If companies like Garman, Piper,>Boeing, or Raytheon decide to pull the plug and play hardball>this hobby would be in trouble for sure. To hound someone>about a picture could come back to bit in ways you couldn

No court of law is needed to convince me that this copyrighted photo is indeed part of the FT panel.Now FT can explain how that happened, or they will get this back in their face any time they enter into a discussion about piracy.The guy who's listed as the owner of the copyright is Belgian. Wilco is also based in Belgium. Could be there'll be a good direct shot available to the photographer right at home in the Belgian courts.I see a startup industry group forming..."Pirates against Piracy" (??!!)RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VSantiago de Chile

Well, they locked Mike T's thread over at Feelthere.com.Hmmmmmmm. :-shy

Then I am sure FeelThere won't have any problems with somebody taking all the bitmaps from their panel, resizing 'em a little, and re-using them in their own commercial panel, right Chris?If you're in a museum, you can take a picture of a statue, get it enlarged, frame it, and sell it. What you can't do is take someone else's picture of that statue from a book, have it enlarged, framed and then sell it as your own.Anyway, FeelThere...and Wilco...have some explaining to do.RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-VSantiago de Chile

An avarage customer will not start this "investiagation" unless he's interest is to hurt Wilco's business. Your motivation is questionable and could hurt the whole flight sim community.QLuvr

>An avarage customer will not start this "investiagation">unless he's interest is to hurt Wilco's business. Your>motivation is questionable and could hurt the whole flight sim>community.>>QLuvrI'm sorry but you couldn't be more wrong. I'm not out to hurt their business. I'm merely trying to keep our beloved community clear of piracy - just because someone is a vendor doesn't make them exempt from the same rules we consumers have to abide by.Go ahead and turn your head though.

>"I see a startup industry group forming..."Pirates against Piracy"(??!!)":-) :-) ROFL :-) :-) That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time...good one Bob.

Chris you took the words right out of my mouth. What else can be said here. This thread is pathetic and the underlying reason is because Wilco botched the release. If the bird was released ready and in full working order people would be too busy having fun with the first hardcore Airbus ever released for Flight Simulator (people wouldn't have no time for nitpicking screenshots)...Shihan FeelThere stopped dealing with a few people not that long ago. Only an inside person would have been able to spot something like this without the product actually being out. Yes there is the FSX version but here you are in the FS9 forum. You knew exactly what screenshot to pull to make your case. I don't know how true your claims are but if they do prove to be true then who are you to know more than people on the team (myself for instance). You can hide behind a vague user name but if we find out who you are you will be exposed. Papa Tango tried to be vindictive to this community now we have you. Part ways with a developer in good standing, don't try and come behind someone's back and hurt them because they let you go... Only sick people do this kind of stuff especially in a usually good natured community like this... :-erks

>Chris you took the words right out of my mouth. What else>can be said here. This thread is pathetic and the underlying>reason is because Wilco botched the release. If the bird was>released ready and in full working order people would be too>busy having fun with the first hardcore Airbus ever released>for Flight Simulator (people wouldn't have no time for>nitpicking screenshots)...Dillon, With all due respect, what does a botched release have to do with it? :) The 'botched' portion is due to Wilco's issue. The panel issue would be with Feelthere, would it not? Call me crazy but I agree with the OP here. Whether it hurts their business ( it should IMHO ) or not, they are ultimately responsible for pirating the picture ( assuming the OP did actually contact the author that is ). So what if the OP has too much free time to compare this type of stuff. Who are you to judge how he spends his free time? He pointed out a MAJOR violation of a payware vendor. I, for one, appreciate the work he's done. If FT doesn't clear this up, I'll definately never get another one of their products. As it's been said before, hit them where it hurts, lack of business! If FT has a good explanation for this and didn't pirate, I'll definately be one to post an apology but the evidence seems abundantly clear here. Just my $0.02.