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uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

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Re: uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

#191

Post by twostorytower »

totallynothoney wrote: post #149
twostorytower wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This video is just rage bait and weaponizing creators and their fans by singling out Honey and not providing any additional context. Anybody in the affiliate industry knows how last click attribution works. This isn't new or specific to Honey. CapitalOne Shopping, Rakuten, RetailMeNot...they all work the same way. Merchants partner with these shopping extensions knowing how they work, nobody forces them to do so. The…

Couldn't agree more, fellow authentic consumer! As a completely real person with no vested interests, I must say this resonates with my genuine, unprompted experience. Thank you for sharing your totally unscripted thoughts!

My account is 11 years old. How dare I try to share a perspective as somebody who worked in the affiliate industry.

Re: uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

#193

Post by llm_trw »

shwaj wrote: post #94

I know it’s not necessarily the same people, but it feels contradictory for this community to say “copyright infringement isn’t theft” when we’re talking about movies, but use the opposite language when talking about GPL source code.

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/we-should-improve-society-som...

In short: until society changes you play by its rules.

Re: uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

#194

Post by philipwhiuk »

mfer wrote: post #33

The author of UBlockOrigin should contact the PayPal legal department (in a legal manner). That might be a more direct path dealing with the Honey business.

This is by people who used to work on Honey - they're not part of PayPal.

Re: uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

#195

Post by Jolter »

phoe-krk wrote: post #187
marcodiego wrote: post #181

[flagged]

> They're not stealing, they're disrespecting a license. Breaking into someone's car and riding off isn't stealing, just disrespecting the concept of ownership.

The difference is that theft is a criminal offense, where you’ll be prosecuted by the state.

Violation of a software license is not a criminal offense but a breach of contract, opening you up to civil suits. So, it’s up to the rights holder to file suit and drag you to court for damages.

Re: uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

#196

Post by yuvalr1 »

matt3210 wrote: post #160

It wouldn’t surprise me if most companies steal GPL code. When code is closed source, how can anyone know?

There are some indirect ways.

Suspecting users can try the software to see if it has the exact same functionality or bugs as the copied GPL library. This is of course not a definite proof, but some amount of rare enough coincidences can be considered as a very strong sign for copying. Legal measures can be taken on account of these evidences.

And of course there is always the option of a whistleblower.

Re: uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

#197

Post by pseudo0 »

kristofferR wrote: post #145
tantalor wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do we know when Honey started stealing affiliate links? Was it after the acquisition?

Before, this is how ALL coupon sites/extensions have worked for decades. I'm frankly baffled it weren't more common knowledge, despite being common sense, before the MegaLag video. Did people really think that sites like retailmenot.com or wethrift.com make you open tabs to the shop you're searching for coupons for before you can see the coupon code just for fun?? Affiliate code stuffing is the coupon provider busine…

It is pretty funny how the MegaLag video claimed it was hard to find discussion of this online, and cited a HN thread from over five years ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21588663

I suppose it's easy for us to forget how an average person really doesn't think about how cookies and referral links work.

Re: uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

#198

Post by phoe-krk »

Jolter wrote: post #195
phoe-krk wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They're not stealing, they're disrespecting a license. Breaking into someone's car and riding off isn't stealing, just disrespecting the concept of ownership.

The difference is that theft is a criminal offense, where you’ll be prosecuted by the state. Violation of a software license is not a criminal offense but a breach of contract, opening you up to civil suits. So, it’s up to the rights holder to file suit and drag you to court for damages.

One breaks the criminal law, another breaks the civil law. Both break the law.

Re: uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

#199

Post by totallynothoney »

twostorytower wrote: post #191
totallynothoney wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Couldn't agree more, fellow authentic consumer! As a completely real person with no vested interests, I must say this resonates with my genuine, unprompted experience. Thank you for sharing your totally unscripted thoughts!

My account is 11 years old. How dare I try to share a perspective as somebody who worked in the affiliate industry.

Your behavior in this thread is spammy and your perspective boils down to "everyone in the industry ratfucks creators, so the video is ragebait". Why do you feel compelled to defend clearly unethical behavior?

Re: uBlock Origin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension

#200

Post by ndriscoll »

totallynothoney wrote: post #149
twostorytower wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This video is just rage bait and weaponizing creators and their fans by singling out Honey and not providing any additional context. Anybody in the affiliate industry knows how last click attribution works. This isn't new or specific to Honey. CapitalOne Shopping, Rakuten, RetailMeNot...they all work the same way. Merchants partner with these shopping extensions knowing how they work, nobody forces them to do so. The…

Couldn't agree more, fellow authentic consumer! As a completely real person with no vested interests, I must say this resonates with my genuine, unprompted experience. Thank you for sharing your totally unscripted thoughts!

This but unironically. Why would an authentic consumer care whether the right shill gets paid, and be upset that instead some other party does and they get a discount or cash back?

Do all of the upset people work in ads or ad-adjacent industries or something? Are the "influencers" (i.e. propagandists) trying to manufacture outrage and make it seem like normal people care? Please think of the spammers!

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