Beware of "Backspaceware"

SubLevel writes "Since conception in 2004, Paint.NET has been generously been offering the software community the taste of successful freeware, by allowing anyone to download and decipher the entire working of their extremely popular photo editing program. As posted in the Official Paint.NET blog by Rick Brewster, "Backspaceware" as he has so coined has become a tremendous issue. "Paint.NET's license is very generous, and I even release the source code. All free of charge. Unfortunately it gets taken advantage of every once in awhile by scum who are trying to profit from the work of others. I like to call this backspaceware*. They download the source code for something, load it up in to Visual Studio (or whatever), hit the backspace key over the software's name and credits, type in a new name and author, and re-release it. They send it to all the download mirror sites, and don't always do a good job covering up their tracks.""

Comments

So, whats the big deal?

[webmaster404]

Really, whats the big deal? If someone can download the program for free over the main site, with source, then unless it is adware (which I am sure it is not) they have nothing to lose by someone just deleting the credits. Even if they claim it as their own, if they don't have the coding talent to fix bugs or add features, people will go elsewhere. Its doing nothing except spread the program.

Scum?

[Anonymous Coward]

Unfortunately it gets taken advantage of every once in awhile by scum who are trying to profit from the work of others. I like to call this backspaceware.

"Backspaceware"? Really? We usually just call it FOSS.

Sincerely,
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
Ziff Davis Internet Linux & Open Source Editor, and sometimes plagiarist