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MPAA Violates Another Software License

Posted by Zonk on from the that's-a-little-cold dept.

Patrick Robib, a blogger who wrote his own blogging engine called Forest Blog recently noticed that none other than the MPAA was using his work, and had completely violated his linkware license by removing all links back to the Forest Blog site, not crediting him in any way. The MPAA blog was using the Forest Blog software, but had completely stripped off his name, and links back to his site. He only found about it accidentally when he happened to visit the MPAA site.

10 of 297 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Maybe they should be investigated som more by daknapp · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wouldn't it be nice to send the friendly folks from the BSA to do a complete software audit of the MPAA?

    Maybe an auditing circle-jerk could be set up: the BSA investigates the MPAA, who investigates the RIAA, who invesigates the BSA, etc. ad nauseum, and they could just leave the rest of us alone.

  2. Well, not anymore... by rwven · · Score: 4, Funny

    Apparently they're hiding now. I get a "Page cannot be found" on the MPAA blog...

    1. Re:Well, not anymore... by zCyl · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't worry, after they pay for the Forest Blog software, they'll ... um ... they won't be able to buy a corporate lunch. Not bankruptcy I suppose, but something.

      Note, at present exchange rate, the permision to remove the links is $97.

      No no no. It has nothing to do with the cost of the albu^H^H^H^Hsoftware. You see, since they didn't pay initially, they should have had a link. And if they had placed a link, then there would have been more users of Forest Blog, and thus they are liable for each user who did not use Forest Blog because they were missing the link. Therefore their liability should be $97 times everyone who has visited mpaa.org, and thus was a lost customer, plus punitive damages of $150,000 per page that should have had a link.
    2. Re:Well, not anymore... by David+Horn · · Score: 4, Funny

      Actually, £97 is about $190 thanks to your tumbling economy... ;-)

      --
      PocketGamer.org - For the gamer on the go!
    3. Re:Well, not anymore... by Hektor_Troy · · Score: 4, Funny

      $193. Talk about speedy ...

      --
      We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
    4. Re:Well, not anymore... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      ---------------> Joke
      O
      /|\ --------->You
      / \

  3. How hard is it to check the license? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    At least *I* make sure that "grep GPL /dev/dvd" gets a match before I copy a DVD.

  4. Re:Maybe they should be investigated som more by eskayp · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Maybe an auditing circle-jerk could be set up:..."

    Their circle is already a bunch of jerks.

    --
    I didn't desert Windows; Windows deserted me: BSOD
  5. Contact MPAA about piracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Here, I suggest contact MPAA about the whole piracy issue and point them to the offending party; themselves.

    http://www.mpaa.org/ReportPiracy.asp
    Please feel free to let them know about their own transgressions.

  6. Read the update as well by Rogerborg · · Score: 3, Funny

    The material has been removed from our Web server.
    • No Web links were ever provided to the blog.
    • The blog was never assigned a domain name.
    • The blog was never advertised to the public in any way.
    • The material on the server was a proof of concept awaiting approval to move into production.
    • The blog was only ever used for testing purposes.
    • Should we have decided to make the move to production, then we would have paid the 25 Pounds that would have authorized us to run a version of the blog without the logos and links.

    ORLY? Note the lack of anything resembling an apology. Also, I must remember that defence when I get a P2P Tax demand from them: "Oh, sure, I copied your memebers' work, but only for testing purposes, and now that I've been caught, I can totally assure you that I intended to buy licensed versions."

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