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TNG Illegal ??

Here SysOps can list their MultiPlayer server info and users can send feedback to their SysOps. Or just talk about the MultiPlayer servers they play on. This is not about MultiPlayer in general - please use the MultiPlayer Forum for that!

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Bar2D2

Post Sun Oct 05, 2003 6:45 pm

TNG Illegal ??

Iz it rtue or a joke?
On the Starfyre forum I found thiz post:

====START copy from Starfyre Forum====
I've received an official love letter from MS, letting us know we're violating several copyrights, the DMCA, and EULA's. Here's the copy of the text.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Bartholomew,

We have recently been informed of your registration of Starfyre Studios as a legal company. We are concerned that it would appear you plan to profit from your unauthorized modifications to our copyrighted game, Freelancer. This is an official cease and desist order on you and your company's unauthorized modifications to our software. We also request that any money you have received directly or indirectly from these modifications be immediately sent to Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, Washington. We have been following your development of Freelancer: The Next Generation for some time now and feel that you have seriously infringed on numerous copyrights as well as are in violation of the DMCA Section 1202 (b). You are also in violation of the Freelancer EULA. We also find that the number current of servers running your unauthorized modification (53) has seriously confused a large number of customers wishing to play the original game and do not understand the difference in servers. This also applies to others running similar modifications. We therefore insist that you immediately disable the download to your software and notify those that also host your software.

Additionally, we will be contacting several of those listed in your readme file that has helped propagate this unauthorized modification. This is including but not limited to owners of the following other freelancer modifications and programs, Mario "HCl" Brito (Freelancer UTF Editor W/ MFC), Joe Boomz (Ioncross Freelancer Character Editor Mk.V ), DieSeL (Ship Editing Studio), Michael Dan (Rebalance Mod), Giskard (The Hostile Universe Mod), TFKiller Matrix (The Babylon 5 Mod), Grrsk (Grrsk Mod), and Paul (The New Universe Mod) among others. We will also be contacting the owner of the site, Lancer Reactor to have your forum removed from their boards. We have also been informed of your attempt to copyright your unauthorized modification, which we have already disputed and had removed.

We will also be monitoring several sites within the Freelancer community and will be contacting others who have been involved with the development of Freelancer: The Next Generation or any other unauthorized modification. If you persist with this illegal development of software then we will be forced to take legal action against you and your company. Lastly, if you feel this has been sent to you in error, please contact us 1-800-426-9400 to speak to one of our representatives concerning software usage and modification.

Microsoft Legal Department
Microsoft Corporation
_________________
Reynen Starfyre
Starfyre Studios
====END copy from Starfyre Forum====

Newbie 4ever! LOL!

Silver Squadron Leader
The Rebel Alliance
The Light Horizon - SeverAdmin
The Light Horizon II - ServerOwner

Stinger

Post Sun Oct 05, 2003 6:50 pm

I posted this in response:


I hate to be an opposing voice here guys, but this is my opinions on this situation. No one has yet refuted any of the points brought up by Microsoft for one good reason, they can not.

Modifying Freelancer is all well and good, but to attempt to PROFIT from those modifications is a big no no. There's a variety of reason why Reynen would attempt to copywrite his fine work. All of them are not bad, it's clear he's trying to protect his ideas. That's why there's the avenue of copywrite protection. But it's VERY hypocritical to attempt to protect ideas when in FACT they are not original ideas. Modifying an existing piece of software is a tricky business. Once that it done it essentially becomes an "open source" code. When someone try to protect that open source, there is no alternative but to look into where these "original" ideas came from and check out if they really were "original." Clearly, they are not, thus the response from Microsoft.

I have seen numerous postings on TLR where they clearly state their modification can be used by anyone. Reynen has for months now been complaining (legitimately I might add) that others are "ripping off" his work. This could very well be the main reason for his wanting to protect his work, but no one can protect their work if it's not original folks. That is most likely THE reason why Microsoft stepped in. Even if Reynen's intentions for going for a copywrite were to protect his work, the responsibilities that come with a copywrite grant do not limit the scope to only one arena. Microsoft is well within their right to protect their original work, that's the bottom line. Microsoft clearly states any monies received from the use of Reynen's mod should be given to them, and rightly so.

I just believe it's the pot calling the kettle black when people scream of an injustice when they were the first to draw blood. Billions and billions of dollars be damned, it's still ripping off Microsoft. ALL mods are doing that. But to attempt to position ones self by going for a copywrite is clearly a salvo directed at Microsoft. There is no frickin' way anyone can defend their claims they have created a original piece of software when the ENTIRE modification is based on Microsoft's and Digitial Anvils research and development that gave us Freelancer.

If the attempt was NOT made to copywrite, Microoft would NOT have stepped in folks, dispute that statement.

On a personal note, I tried to tell Reynen about this a month ago to be careful. He mentioned previous legal action revolving around Homeworld and Freespace II and at that point he hadn't even put his own legal disclaimer in the README files. If you play with fire, you can expect to get burned, that's all I wanted to say.

Stinger - The Lancers Reactor


Bottom line this, Microsoft have every right in the world to protect it's ideas. If you believe otherwise, you're sorely mistaken.

Fear Factor

Post Mon Oct 06, 2003 8:04 am

You can follow the discussion on other threads already existing in FL General Editing and Starfyre Studios Forum. No need for this one!

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