Authors CurseForge

Quote from Torhal

I decided to see if my addons were linked the same, and discovered that the outdated version of Revelation is being "mirrored" from http://mediabeta.curse.com/Curse.Projects.ProjectFiles/17018/326238/Revelation-3.0.8-1.1.6.zip

...so they aren't even hosting the addons themselves, they're hard-linking from Curse.

Wait, what?

Yeah I noticed that too, but none of the responses they ever sent me mentioned that fact, so I'm guessing their editors are just as ignorant about that as they seem to be about everything else. It took three back-and-forths to get them to actually remove my stuff. They apparently thought if they played dumb and kept asking for clarification on some unrelated point and kept touting the benefits of their site I'd change my mind. My first message pretty clearly said "stop illegally distributing my copyrighted work". Their first response (lol-worthy parts bolded):

Hello,

We deeply apologize for the inconvenience, but is was not our intention to host any mods in an illegal manner. We have also tried looking up your World of Warcraft: Creature Comforts addon but we've had trouble finding it. Please send us the appropriate link where you have found it so that we can make the necessary modifications.

If it is not too late, I would like to officially ask for permission to host you files. We will constantly keep track of the mods progress and whenever it is updated we will do so as well. If you wish, you could also submit the newer versions to us so that we can update it as soon as possible.

Also, is you ever want us to host one of your mods you can use the Submission Panel and in a maximum of 24 hours we will update our website with your software. Whenever you send us a submission via Submission Panel, you will automatically give us permission to host your products.

Best Regards,

Adrian Arsene
Softpedia Windows Editor

My response gave them the link, and again clearly asked for my addon to be removed. I also mentioned that I was aware I wasn't the only author whose work they were distributing without permission.

Hi,

Thank you for pointing out Creature Comforts' location. This clears up the reason why we could not find it in our own yard. It is listed in the MAC database whereas your email had been forwarded to the Windows Games section. These are two separate databases maintained by different people.

As for the hosting, it is completely free and all you have to do is send us an email with the updated/new add-on together with some snapshots and we'll do all the uploading and maintenance no strings attached. Of course, all credits go to the developer and all feedback will be received by the developer either directly or via a forwarded message from us. The way I see it it's free ride for you.

However, should you decline giving us permission to host the add-on, we will remove it completely.

As for other developers with the same issue, we did not find any license agreement to prevent us from listing the add-ons (most add-ons have a plain text file settling this matter). But the author is the primary decision maker and if s/he wants the add-on off our database, we will conform to the wish.

If you know of some other developers that have the same issue, all they have to do is write us an email on [email]gameseditor@softpedia.com[/email] and we will deal with each of their problems.

Best Regards,

Adrian Arsene
Softpedia Games Editor

This time I responded lecture about copyright law, since they seem to be just as ignorant as most of the people who post compilations and think that "no license file with the addon" means "public domain" or "freeware". Seriously, they're running a site whose sole purpose is to host copyrighted work, and they don't know that copyright prevents them from doing so unless they have specific permission for each work? :rolleyes:

Hi,

We have removed you mod from the MAC database, as you requested. If you have any other listed under another alias, that have been published under the Games division of Softpedia, send me a detailed list and I will personally make sure that they will all be removed. Again, apologies for the inconvenience and I hope everything is on order now.

Best Regards,

Adrian Arsene
Softpedia Games Editor

Apparently MAC is now an acronym!

Quote from Starinnia

Hmm.. my email was returned with the error that their mailbox is full...

Seems they took the actions necessary on their end...

This "wowaceSVN" developer (http://mac.softpedia.com/developer/wowaceSVN-25047.html) made me laugh. It can't really get any more obvious.

FYI: The DMCA Takedown letter Cairenn posted above (post 7) worked the first time and promptly. No bs, just a simple sentence saying they've taken down all info regarding QualityID. I recommend you email [email]webmaster@softpedia.com[/email] over gameseditor@... ;).

If they're hard-linking to Curse's download servers then Kaelten should send them a C&D letter to get them all taken down.

Quote from HunterZ

If they're hard-linking to Curse's download servers then Kaelten should send them a C&D letter to get them all taken down.

Actually, would be even better if Mr Tieblot himself would do so (I can't remember his nick on the forums here, or his first name). I thought it was Henry, but I could be wrong.