Copycat site hosting Avsim files

[Guest kalas]

>Sigh... Yet another person who doesn't have the foggiest idea>about copyright legislation and its related felonies. It's>truly astonishing how many people there are in the>flightsimming world who have little or no understanding of the>concepts "property" and "ownership".>>Be well!>>Jaap Verduijn.LOL, its a game. Say it with me, its a game.

[Guest SoarPics]

"LOL, its a game. Say it with me, its a game."Indeed it is. Until sites start using/distributing authors' property outside the limits of those authors defined wishes. Then the game becomes nothing more than folks trampling on each other. If the hobby allows such activity (to freeware and payware authors alike) to simply happen, because some folks don't think it's important for authors to protect their copy rights (it's just a game, right?), then the hobby itself is doomed.Regards,Greg

[Guest Ozark Dogfighter]

Exactly!I didn't know FS2004 practiced that behaviour at all. And any way you slice it, what they did (leached it, accepted the upload without reading the EULA, whatever) is wrong in this regard. How many more files could be deleted from there if they read all EULAs?David, one question, and the answer determines the outcome of the FS2004 bookmark residing in my Firefox Bookmark folder, as well as seriously affecting my POV of FS2004: Have they responded to your email yet, and in what manner did they respond?Freeware is divided into groups, for all those that believe this is a dead horse issue:One group is freeware with no strings, do whatever you want.One group is do not host modded versions of this file without contacting me.One group is do not host modded versions of this file PERIOD.One group is Host this ONLY on these (or this) site.Regardless of the grouping, and sometimes the groups can merge, these are the wishes of the author. You don't have to like it, but if it bothers you so badly then do not use it. If you like it enough to use it, then you should AUTOMATICALLY be respectfull of the author that made it possible, and that means following his/her wishes regarding treatment of said file.Anyone who falls outside this category, IE site hosts/admins, is likewise automatically bound to the stipulations of the EULA. Plain and simple. If you are a site admin and wish to post a file with a restrictive EULA, guess what? You have options!CONTACT the author! If you cannot then consider the EULA as locked.IF, and ONLY if, the author decides to allow your site to host, GET THE AUTHOR TO UPLOAD TO YOU A NEW EULA FOR THE FILE STATING SUCH.And finally, if either a) The author does not wish his files be on your site, or :( The author is not reachable, DO NOT host the file, but instead, make a mention of it and point people to the correct site for it. Many sites do this already.Rant over for now.-Jeremy BurchThe Ozark Dogfighter http://forums.avsim.net/images/wedge.gifHappy Flying!Pilot-The friction locks are causing the throttle levers to stick.Mechanic- Umm, that's what they're there for...

[tf51d 284]

>LOL, its a game. Say it with me, its a game.>>Kalas, no copyright is the LAW, now say it with me, it's the LAW. Try and violate it with someone who has the means to enforce it, and you'll be writing a big check out to him.

[JSkorna 137]

I smell a lock in 3.....2.....1........Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpg http://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_proud_supporter.jpg

[Holger 0]

Hi Mr. FSFreeware,back lurking at Avsim under an "anonymous" identity? ;-) I would venture to guess that your site wouldn't live so well without all the harvested files, or would it?Actually, simviation, just like flightsim, is still fully accessible to anyone who wants to download a file, it's just slower or takes a bit longer to access. At FSPlanet, I never have been able to download a file, not even my own. In my opinion, the consequence of sites going for membership schemes is that regular traffic will drop off so their advertisement revenue should too. Just compare download numbers at simflight to those here?Anyway, membership fees aren't the key point of this thread. The main point here is that the author alone has the right to control the distribution of his work. If site hosts can't accept this simple and fundamental right (but rather assume that they are doing everyone a favor by distributing files as they please) then it's perhaps those sites that we can live without.Case closed, I hope.Cheers, Holger

[Guest David Cooper]

Hi AllI've discovered another site hosting files re-uploaded from Avsim.The site concerned is http://www.fs2004.com/The issue started when I discovered them hosting an Ultimate GA file in total contradiction to our EULA. They did not respond to any of my emails today, so I had no alternative to challenge them in their forums. Luckily I am thick skinned enough to deal with the abuse, I have received so far!This may have opened up a can of worms, as it seems they are hosting a lot of files which original authors may not have knowledge of. The UGA file was uploaded by one of the FS2004.com library managers!!Is anybody at Avsim, willing to look closely at this lot, as the last thing we need is another bunch of freeware pirates.

[Guest Ken_Salter]

I can't stand sockpuppets...

[Guest SaVas]

>Why the usual bunch of authors - keep attacking the usual>sites ???>>nobody ever never mention simviation.com - where a membership>scheme was introduced back few months ago - making free>download impossible or very very slow!>>http://www.simviation.com/pa/memberintro.htm>>tell me the difference between simviation and fsplanet !>>ive files uploaded at simviation and ive never been contacted>by anybody before the membership was introduced !>>fine with me - good to support the running of an expensive>site !>>those authors which have so much hastiness and hate for>freeware site are damaging the hobby - rules after rules after>rules - to accomodate the interest fo few that are controlling>your brain - you better keep your files for yourself if you>can not share it - - we can all live without it !>I'm sure your comments hold as much truth as a collander thats been shot by a 12 guage holds water regarding simviation.As a long time member of simviation I can say I have never had an issue downloading from the site even after it became a site where getting a premium membership was voluntary. You can CHOOSE to be a member or not choose. My downloads are just fine whether or not I log into my premium membership or just click the non membership area. FSPlanet steals freeware and is well known around the FS community as one of those sites to avoid. Now at simviation, if someone uploads something that they shouldnt have, and the original author contacts the owner of the website and asks for iot to be removed, its removed. Does it need a reply? Personally I dont think so. Just removing what someone uploaded that wasnt theirs to begin with shows that Simviation cares about such things. He is a one man crew, who has a job and a family and I am sure he gets way too many messages as it is. This is also one of the reasons you dont see very much that has anything to do with payware, because the owner of the site wants it to remain as freeware friendly as it can for the majority of people that either choose to not buy payware addons or cannot afford them. Sure we discuss payware on the forum, and have a dedicated area for such, but Simviation on a whole is a site about freeware. Simviation is also dedicated to doing its part to allow no discussion of payware piracy, or piracy of any file. FSPlanet on the other hand could care less about anything mentioned above. If you think adding a membership area that is voluntary is too much, run your own website by yourself out of your own pocket with little advertising revenue and see how far you get.