Thursday, May 17, 2007

Pirates Aren't Evil ?

Yesterday I discovered that the software I have been writing for the past 6 years, Salvation, was cracked and posted to a warez forum. I wasn't sure how to feel - Pissed? Vengeful? Honored? What should I do?

I started by downloading the pirated software (oops, did I just incriminate myself?) and see if there was any way to contact the group. Here is the release NFO:

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

±±±
ÛÛÛÛ² ÛÛ²ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ
²Û² ±ÛÛÛ Û ÛÛÛ± ²²°
ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ Û±Û ±ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ
²ÛÛ Û²ÛÛ ÛÛ±±±ÛÛ ÛÛ²± ÛÛ °
ÛÛÛÛ° Û±±±ÛÛ Û²±±±±±²Û ÛÛ±±±² ±ÛÛÛÛ
±Û²ÛÛÛ° Û±±±±²Û°ÛÛ±°°°°°°±±Û±°Û²±±±±Û ±ÛÛ²²Û
Û²±±ÛÛÛ± °°°° °²ÛÛ²±±²Û
Û± ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ °²Û
°ÛÛÛÛÛ± ±ÛÛÛÛÛ
ÛÛÛ ²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ² ÛÛÛ
ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛ
ÛÛÛ ²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ² ÛÛÛ
ÛÛ ±ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ± ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²²²²²²²²²²²±²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
²Û° ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²±±±²±ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ °Û²
ÛÛ ²ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛ²²²Û ÛÛ²±±±±Û ÛÛ²²Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛ² ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ Û²±±Û° °²°°°±Û ÛÛ²Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ±±Û ÛÛ Û°°°°±ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Û²Û ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛ ²ÛÛÛÛ° ÛÛÛ Û±°±±²²²²²²ÛÛÛ Û²Û ²Û ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛ ±ÛÛÛ Û± Û °±² ² Û±°± °°°°±±±Û Û±Û ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
Û °ÛÛÛ± ÛÛ Û²°°±Û ÛÛ²Û ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ± Û
Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ±± ÛÛÛ± ° Û²±°°²Û ÛÛÛ²²Û ÛÛÛ± ÛÛÛÛÛ Û
ÛÛ ÛÛ²ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ² Û² Û²°°±±ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ²±Û Û²ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
Û° ÛÛ²ÛÛ²ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛ ÛÛ±Û° ÛÛÛ Û±±±±±±±±²ÛÛ ÛÛ²Û Û²ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ °Û
Û° ÛÛ²ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ Û±Û° Û²²Û Û±±±±±²±±²Û± ÛÛ±Û Û²ÛÛ Û²ÛÛ °Û
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ²Û° Û±Û° Û±±Û Û±±±±±±²±²²Û Û²Û Û²ÛÛ ±ÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ²Û° Û±Û Û°±Û Û°°°°±±±±±²Û Û²Û ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ Û
Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ Û²Û° Û±²Û Û±±±°°±±±±ÛÛ ²Û²Û ÛÛÛ °ÛÛÛÛ Û
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛ ÛÛ±Û ÛÛÛ Û±°°°°°°°±ÛÛ ÛÛ±Û Û± ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ Û²±Û Û° ±Û±±±±±±±²ÛÛ ÛÛ²²Û ° ÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ²±±Û Û²°°°°±²ÛÛÛ ÛÛ²²²Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛ ²ÛÛ²±±±Û ±Û²±±±°±Û ²ÛÛ²²²²Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛ ±ÛÛÛÛ²²²²±Û °ÛÛÛ±±±±±±±Û ÛÛÛ²²²²²²Û ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²±±±±±²±±Û ²ÛÛÛÛ²±²²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²²²²²²²²²²±²²²²²²²²²ÛÛ²²²²²²²²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛ
ÛÛ² ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ²ÛÛ
ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ²²²²²²²²²²²²²²Û²²²²²ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛ
ÛÛÛ ±ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ± ÛÛÛ
ÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛ
ÛÛÛÛÛ² ²ÛÛÛÛÛ
±ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ± ]>|<[



BB3D Presents:
<> <>

Harrison.Digital.Media.Salvation.v1.00-BB3D


+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| RELEASE INFO |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Cracked by..: n0MAD Supplier...: Harrison |
| Packed by...: Team BB3D Date.......: 05/05/2007 |
| Rls Type....: Other Disk Size..: 02x.5.00MB |
| Platform...: WinAll |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+


http://www.harrisondigitalmedia.com/



Release Notes:

Salvation is an advanced visual programming tool used to build
applications like Salvation MX

Features:
Import Video, Images, Vector Art, and 3D Art
Edit & Compile OpenGL Shader Effects
Import FreeFrame Plugins
Keyboard, Mouse, and MIDI Control
Multi-Monitor Output and Disk Capture

Install/Crack Notes:

1. Unpack and Install

2. Copy / Replace / Overwrite exe files from the Crack folder to the installed
program directory, typically: C:\Program Files\Salvation\v100

Thats it...

*enJoy* !!!

Team BB3D *

Greets: SSG, SCOTCH, ARN, CT, CORE, ENGiNE, ICU & SnD

We are looking for crackers & suppliers
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Contact Us |
| BlueBeta3D@hushmail.com |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+


* Note

BB3D are helping friends to bring releases to an audience for educational
usage, those that want to learn & non-commercial purposes only.
Making money with it? >>> Then buy it!!!

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


Since they seemed open to communication, I sent off this email:



Subject: Is there any negotiating with pirates?
From: Trey Harrison
Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 20:56:27 -0700
To: BlueBeta3D@hushmail.com

Hi, you guys have recently released a pirated version of my software called
"Salvation". I'm not very surprised - actually I'm flattered - but I was
wondering if we could arrange a meeting to discuss the possibility of you
not doing this any more?

Best,
Trey Harrison
http://www.harrisondigitalmedia.com


I was pretty sure I'd never hear from them, so I sent off an email to the company I purchased my anti-piracy protection tool from, as well as an email to the hosting company that is hosting the warezed copy. Who responded first? The pirates.


Subject: Re: Is there any negotiating with pirates?
From:
Date: Thu, 17 May 2007 17:11:27 +0100
To: "Trey Harrison"

Hi Trey,

We appreciate your comments and understand the role of developers ,
we only released it so many people who may not have access or
privileges could try this and learn. Hopefully its given more
global coverage. Apologies for any grievance it may have caused. We
also noted your comments and will not release this again. Good Luck
and best wishes for future developement.

Greets


Amazing, eh? I don't know how valuable the promise of a pirate is, but I can at least credit them with a quick response - I still haven't heard from my anti-piracy software vendor, or the hosting company.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Too Much Information

There's more information posted online in 1 day than any single person can absorb in a lifetime.

Billions of dollars are spent organizing, accessing, and delivering this information to people like you.

You just wasted 9 seconds reading some of it.

When you fall asleep tonight

Notice the sounds that you don't usually notice during the day - the sounds in your room, the sounds in your home, the sounds in your neighborhood...

Forget about everything you have to do tomorrow.

Forget about what people expect from you. Forget about what they might say or think about you. Forget about your doubts and limitations. Embrace the freedom of your own imagination.