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Plagiarism of my open source app ChatSecure

chatsecure.org

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Re: Plagiarism of my open source app ChatSecure

#4

Post by dododo »

chrisballinger wrote: post #2

Hey, author of ChatSecure here. Has anyone else experienced plagiarism of their open source software? This guy was almost insultingly lazy and didn't even bother to use a different logo or obfuscate the code.

i'm a bit confused: the bsd license allows you to re-sell someone else's source, binaries, images, etc for a profit. you just have to include the copyright notice.

is that what you're sending the dmca notice about? because you couldn't find the necessary copyright notice? (if you didn't download it, how do you know it's not in the about box?)

Re: Plagiarism of my open source app ChatSecure

#7

Post by misnome »

dododo wrote: post #4
chrisballinger wrote: post #2

Hey, author of ChatSecure here. Has anyone else experienced plagiarism of their open source software? This guy was almost insultingly lazy and didn't even bother to use a different logo or obfuscate the code.

i'm a bit confused: the bsd license allows you to re-sell someone else's source, binaries, images, etc for a profit. you just have to include the copyright notice. is that what you're sending the dmca notice about? because you couldn't find the necessary copyright notice? (if you didn't download it, how do you know it's not in the about box?)

Interesting - I hadn't considered that the BSD licence doesn't seem to require the copyright notice to be displayed before downloading - so it could display the copyright notice in the purchased program, and be compliant?

This case doesn't seem on the surface of it, to be completely clear cut. Is there a case to argue that it is morally wrong for them to charge for something that is free, (apparently) without adding value? Perhaps. Legally, though, the case might be different.

Re: Plagiarism of my open source app ChatSecure

#8

Post by chrisballinger »

dododo wrote: post #4
chrisballinger wrote: post #2

Hey, author of ChatSecure here. Has anyone else experienced plagiarism of their open source software? This guy was almost insultingly lazy and didn't even bother to use a different logo or obfuscate the code.

i'm a bit confused: the bsd license allows you to re-sell someone else's source, binaries, images, etc for a profit. you just have to include the copyright notice. is that what you're sending the dmca notice about? because you couldn't find the necessary copyright notice? (if you didn't download it, how do you know it's not in the about box?)

* Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. * Neither the name of ChatSecure nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

I am not a lawyer, but my interpretation of the license was that you had to attribute me if you were selling my source code. Either way, they are the ChatSecure name to promote themselves and representing the work as their own.

Representing someone else's work as your own is plagiarism, regardless of the software license.

Re: Plagiarism of my open source app ChatSecure

#9

Post by davidw »

calciphus wrote: post #3

Seems like a pretty reasonable response to me. More importantly, I wonder how frequently this happens - pulling down an open-source project and trying to sell it elsewhere?

> More importantly, I wonder how frequently this happens - pulling down an open-source project and trying to sell it elsewhere?

Isn't that sort of what Sun Microsystems was built on?

I'm being a bit glib, but there's some truth to it.

Re: Plagiarism of my open source app ChatSecure

#10

Post by dododo »

misnome wrote: post #7
dododo wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i'm a bit confused: the bsd license allows you to re-sell someone else's source, binaries, images, etc for a profit. you just have to include the copyright notice. is that what you're sending the dmca notice about? because you couldn't find the necessary copyright notice? (if you didn't download it, how do you know it's not in the about box?)

Interesting - I hadn't considered that the BSD licence doesn't seem to require the copyright notice to be displayed before downloading - so it could display the copyright notice in the purchased program, and be compliant? This case doesn't seem on the surface of it, to be completely clear cut. Is there a case to argue that it is morally wrong for them to charge for something that is free, (apparently) without adding…

the bsd license says: "Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, .... in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution."

much of open source is redistributed at a cost, "(apparently) without adding value". https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.html

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