Notice About Stealing Software, NFSFAN

[no2chem]

I don't usually post in this forum, but it has come to my attention that my work is being stolen. Now, it is one thing to put my work without crediting me, but it is yet another thing to delete all references to me and replace them with generic strings.

In particular, the user I'm referring to is NFSFAN. I recently took a look at his rom, and found nueUSB present. However, among other things "nueUSB" was edited out to say "USB2PC". See:



I was shocked when I saw this, as nueUSB took many hours of coding and understanding how HTC's code to change the active USB driver worked. To make sure that it was actually my code, I took a look at the hex dump:



Notice how the string "Wei Enterprises" is present in unicode, and the path to the program debug database (pdb) on my computer is present in ASCII.

I also checked NFSFAN's post for his change log where I found:

Originally Posted by NFSFAN

#Added Diamond USB2PC Fully Functional ( 1.08 ) --> Thanks to sean222 for helping me out!!!
# Fixed USB to PC Error 608 when synching from XP PRE SP3 (1.14)
# Added USB Serial Support for XP users (1.14)
# Added USB to PC popup for 3 choice selection (1.14)

I also found

Originally Posted by NFSFAN

***************************THANKS TO rmarshll FOR THE 1% BATTERY FIX, OEM PPST and SelfServe *********************************

For those who don't know, nueUSB was something I coded up for use with the mass storage driver that is compatible with MSM7500 devices. I'm not sure who rmarshll is, but from what I've seen, only cmonex and myself currently even know how to do the "1% battery fix", and indeed, the battery.dll is a one-for-one hex match with the version that I released several months ago.

In his entire post, I find not a single mention of "no2chem". Normally, I would not have a big problem with this, except to feel that he wasn't being courteous, but the fact that he took the time to edit out any reference to me in my own software is stealing. Again, software isn't coded out of thin air, especially this type of software for which there is no documented API for. I don't charge for my software because I feel that it is for the benefit of the community that I distribute it freely. I only ask for donations, and offer donators access to some "bleeding edge" beta releases. These beta releases are eventually marked ready for public consumption, and released with full features to the public.

In short, the only reason anyone would ever have to edit attribution out of my programs is a greedy, selfish need to attribute software to themselves, work that they did not do. Here, NFSFAN has done exactly that: he has taken one of my programs, edited out the attribution and taken credit for the work himself. "Added USB to PC Popup, Added serial Support [..]. Fixed USB to PC Error" does make it sound like he did the work, and editing the program only compounds the evidence. This is a clear violation of my license agreement, and NFSFAN did NOT obtain my written agreement prior to editing my software in this manner.

Before this, I did not have a personal problem with NFSFAN. I would not have had a problem if he included my software and left it untouched. I do not have a requirement that you credit me, only that you ask me. Indeed, he has asked for help from me several times, and I have helped him out. Although he did not credit me for the help, I certainly did not have a problem with it.

However, I must now regrettably enforce the consequences. Although the forum recommends an instant-ban for this type of offense, as it is "warez", It appears that a discussion between moderators have reached the consensus to be lenient, and that the appropriate consequence for this type of offense is 2-week ban for regular users, 3-weeks for "those who should have known better". Effective immediately, NFSFAN's ROMS have been pulled due to their illegal content, and all users who post content of this nature will be banned for 3-weeks. This is of course, acceptable to the alternative, a DMCA takedown notice sent to PPCGeeks.

Understand that I am not doing this to be a jerk, but to protect my own software. If I fail to vigorously defend my rights, then I have lost them. I understand many contributors to the community are in the same boat as me, for example A_C, who develops S2U2 and S2P recently pulled his software for a similar situation. I ask that all developers, especially those who practically give their software away for free, be given credit when due. It is especially disappointing to find the work that you spend hours and days on "renamed" in someone else's ROM.

Of course, if you find any other sites that contain this type of content, please let me know, as I will be more than happy to send their host a DMCA takedown notice.

[rainabba]

Bend that fool over a barrel and the folks have their way with him!

[Goddbody]

All I can say is wow! Your a class act No2. smh though.

[colonel]

Aw come on, it was a good effort though. Even better is the fact that he peppered you (and me) with questions all the time. Maybe he should have asked about hex editing someone's name out of their own software.

[InvincibleLiving]

no need to comment on the obvious... dude is just busted lol...

In other news this is by far the longest No2chem post I've ever seen lol...

[gguruusa]

Originally Posted by colonel

Aw come on, it was a good effort though. Even better is the fact that he peppered you (and me) with questions all the time. Maybe he should have asked about hex editing someone's name out of their own software.

No need...No2Chem obviously stole it from him.

[dabackwoodboy]

justice is now served

[dabackwoodboy]

Originally Posted by gguruusa

No need...No2Chem obviously stole it from him.

wait was that a funny?=D>=D>

[InvincibleLiving]

Originally Posted by gguruusa

No need...No2Chem obviously stole it from him.

ROFL almost made me fall out of my chair...

I say we make his avatar:

[Goddbody]

You guys are funny...lol. Kind of slimey though, because as Colonel pointed it the guy kept peppering him and No2 with questions and obviously setting them up the entire time.