Avsim no longer respects warnings over pirated files

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Thus my decision to cease support for Landclass Assistant and all other files:______________________________If you look at the byte count and timestamp/date of the file in question, it is quite obvious the mdl file is the Meljet file. If Avsim's current policy is to not investigate such complaints unless the original owner of the file complains, then I am requesting all downloads associated with my name, John Cillis, be removed immediately. In the past Avsim has always respected these types of warnings from concerned freeware authors.Obviously Avsim's concern over this type of issue is not important any longer. Regards,John Cillis--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:20:51 -0700From: rcase@avsim.netTo: jcillis@hotmail.comCC: library@avsim.netSubject: Re: Download ID - 101659John:I have forwarded your email to the uploaded of the file in question. Our protest policy is to remove the file if the original owner of the file registers a complaint. I believe everyone has the right to 'face his accuser' first. I personally don't use Meljet planes and from looking at the files in the zip I don't see Meljet anywhere but that could have been changed before uploading. We will patiently await a reply from the person who's name is attached to the file.Regards,Rick CaseLibrary ManagerAVSIM Online!www.avsim.com****Please note: If responding to this message, please quote all original text for faster processing.John Cillis wrote: Just want to let you know this "original aircraft" (Rockway 777-200ER by Colin Levy) is hardly original. The model is the Meljet 777 model. No credit is given to the author for his effort on the model. Regards, John Cillis http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID...4ac&DLID=101659

[Guest neslesman]

From my read of the e-mail it is under investigation. Where did you get the idea that there is a "policy" not to investigate, I see no evidence of that?Remember you are dealing with volunteers here for the most part, not the FBI and lawyers. Give it a rest for a day or two, they'll be much faster than the FBI or lawyers anyway.Edit: I appreciate your anxiety considering the issue, I'd be miffed to but I don't think you can expect instant satisfaction for your complaint.

[John_Cillis 2,406]

Thanks Nes,Avsim used to pull the files without question. In this case the evidence is pretty blatant regarding the source of the model.-John

[jagabom 21]

John, I thought you asked AVSIM to rmeove your account a couple months ago?What happened?

[John_Cillis 2,406]

"John, I thought you asked AVSIM to rmeove your account a couple months ago?"Sounds like you want me gone. Edit:I should add, this is about the jerks who claim projects as their own when the work is really done by someone else, not about me and my account.

[jagabom 21]

Nope. I just remember you were quite strong about it. Ha Ha With 6849 posts and soon to be 50, you are like a god around here.I'am doing what L.Adamson reccomends. How do you spell that word?jimCYWG

[LAdamson 240]

When I'm "ticked" over flight sim forums, I fix myself a "drink", and don't log in for a week. Works quite well! :)L.Adamson

[Trans_27 Pilot Chase 59]

I like that advice Mr. Adamson. Thank's for the idea. :-beerchug

[John_Cillis 2,406]

"When I'm "ticked" over flight sim forums, I fix myself a "drink", and don't log in for a week. Works quite well! :)"Hmmmmmm What do you suggest? :)Seriously, I'm not bugged by the forums, but by the response I received which is unlike any other I've received when I've caught someone pilfering files as their own. I'd hate to think someone can upload my own files here as their work, traveling as much as I do, while Avsim waits to confirm the files do indeed belong to me. In this case, a simple "Zipdive" that anyone can do shows a telltale file size and date. I always scan "original work" so I don't waste my time downloading something I already have. But from the download count, it looks like a few hundred have downloaded this package, completely oblivious to the hard work Melvin put in on the original model.-John

[jagabom 21]

Got to agree with you there man.Thanks JimCYWGJohn, I'am passing through CYOW in the beginning of July, sometime in the afternoon. Going from CYWG to CYHZ by motorcycle. Wife is from there. Ya gonna have the coffee on? Let me know.jagabom at shaw.caI downloaded soft horizons just in case.

[tf51d 284]

I have to agree John! I can understand AVSIM being cautious about removing something on a third parties claim, but this one's a no brainer! Not only is the size of the mdl identical, but also the date down to the minute!!

[mgh 89]

As I understand it, you seem to want AVSIM to remove an upload whenever anyone complains about it, without any investigation. I believe that AVSIM is perfectly correct to require an investigation first. The investigation would have to establish several things:- first that the file is identical to another- second, that permission has not been given to upload it - third that the owner wants it removed - if the owner doesn't care why remove it?.Given that AVSIM is run by volunteers, I think it's policy of removing uploads when the owner complains is satisfactory because that satisfies the three points above. I also think a policy of ignoring 3rd party complaints can be justified on practical grounds that AVSIM staff have better things to do with their time, and also to avoid having to investigate unfounded complaints - sadly, I can imagine complaints being made simply because of perceived problems with the upload.

[MD83 1]

Melvin Rafi should be credited for his work. I'm not sure if this was accidental or deliberate, therefore I reserve judgement :). I experienced a similar problem last month. Somebody used my A380 repaints without permission. They even erased my names from the bitmap files! I complained to Avsim, and they removed the files :)

[microlight 0]

Gents,Maybe we ought to take a longer view of this. Yes, there's no doubt that the model file is indeed Melvin Rafi's Meljet 777-200ER - the filename is identical with one I have. However, if Mr Levy was consciously wishing to pirate the Meljet plane and pass it off as his own work, wouldn't he possibly have done something like at least re-name the model file, so that it wasn't so obvious? Since "Boeing777-200-MR-MKIII.mdl" (copied from the file zipdive) is well-known among Meljet fans, it would have been a little silly to have claimed it as your own - especially as the original author's initials (MR) are present in the filename! Also, don't forget that the texture file names can't be changed since they are hard-coded into the model file, so that fact in itself would have been another give-away.The word 'Meljet' IS mentioned in the zipdive, as one of the gauges included (cpt.toggles.meljet777.cab); however, also present are gauges by Doug Dawson, FPDA and possibly Eric Marciano - so are we saying that Mr Levy has 'pirated' all of those as well?The readme document is short and to the point - but nowhere does Mr Levy claim that it is his model of a 777-200ER rather than anybody else's. It actually doesn't say that it's his repaint either! Added to all of this, if you look in the aircraft.cfg file, the [fltsim.0] entry reads:[fltsim.0]title=Boeing 777-200ER ROckwaysim=Boeing777-200-MR-MKIIImodel=panel=sound=texture=ui_manufacturer=MelJetui_type=Boeing 777-200ERui_variation=Rockwayatc_id=ROAatc_airline=Rockwayatc_flight_number=315atc_heavy=1description=MelJet Boeing 777-200ER for FS2002nVersion 2.0, Release 2 (July 18, 2003)nnVisual model and FDE by Melvin Rafinhttp://www.meljet.com- so Mr Levy is clearly NOT claiming that the model is his own.Maybe we need to give Mr Levy the benefit of the doubt here and wait for his reply. From my perspective, perhaps the worst he may be guilty of is failing to explicitly credit Melvin Rafi, FPDA, Eric Marciano etc. in the documentation in his haste to get his repaint onto Avsim - which incidentally I would not put into the same piratical universe as certain other sites out there which I would not touch with a ten-foot barge-pole. Fact is that if he had credited the original author(s), then his upload would have been no different from thousands of other repaints that have been uploaded over the years (and not just at Avsim). As such I think that branding him a pirate may be a little on the harsh side.;)

[mgh 89]

AVSIM were right to remove your files when you complained because you are the owner.My point is that AVSIM should not be expected to respond to 3rd party complaints, which are effectively anonymous. AVSIM could determine that you are the owner by checking the e-mail address of your complaint with the e-mail address you gave when you originally uploaded the fles.Anyway, if a 3rd party is really concerned, he can use the e-mail address of the owner in the original upload to let him know what's happened. The owner himself can then take it from there.