what on earth is this??, DVDshrink clone?!??!?

[MackemX]

I saw this a while back and added to my favourites for one to watch

http://www.dvdsqueeze.com/

I've just been back and noticed this time it's exactly the same as DVDShrink!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is the thread I saw that told me about DVDSqueeze
http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17116

this is the pop-up link

http://www.dvdcopydecrypter.com/

price supposedly retailing at $139.95 but Special low, LOW online pricing today! is quoted

I've seen DVDSqueeze is a rip-off but is this the same?

[MackemX]

shocking! :eek:

this DVDSqueeze is just a collection of all the free softwares such as DVDecrypter, SmartRipper, DVDShrink etc

but they are charging $89.95 for these programs and a few guides

definitely a rip-off as mentioned before, but how can they do it?

have they asked the authors of all the programs?

[Richk50]

no

[MackemX]

Originally posted by Richk50
no your reply is so soon after my 2nd post :confused:

so is it No to I've seen DVDSqueeze is a rip-off but is this the same?

ot No to have they asked the authors of all the programs?

I'm presuming you mean No to the 2nd one :)

[MackemX]

they have actually changed the name to DVDCopyDecrypter, so what are they playing at?

look a the copyright notice at the bottom of the page
http://www.dvdcopydecrypter.com/

All images Copyright © 1999-2003 DVD Copy Decrypter, Ltd. www.DVDCopyDecrytper.com

LOL :D

I pity the fool's who part with their money :p

have you seen the affiliate links page, they are taking the P :angry:

http://www.dvdsqueeze.com/ads.htm

p.s. I'm putting the link on my website :D

[thop]

It's a shame :mad:

[thop]

I'm wondering how did they change the name? Just replaced strings with Ressource Hacker or how is it done? I also wonder if dvdshrink could build in some sort of detection if it's the original exe and always apply level 50 compression if not :devil:

[MackemX]

changing the name is done easily enough, but it's the cheek of doing it and charging for it I find shocking :eek:

[mpucoder]

This kind of activity is as old as Divx itself. DVDx is the target of choice these days. Have a look at this sticky in the General forum http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=47777
All about how 321Studios got their start.

And here is another one, about a program that claimed better results on a CD than could be obtained with a DVD burner! http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41719

[Gil T Pleasure]

Un-f*cking-believable!! :eek: Isn't there a hacker's unspoken rule not to pass someone else's work as your own? :angry:

[jaagee]

Originally posted by MisterX
I saw this a while back and added to my favourites for one to watch

http://www.dvdsqueeze.com/

I've just been back and noticed this time it's exactly the same as DVDShrink!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is the thread I saw that told me about DVDSqueeze
http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17116

this is the pop-up link

http://www.dvdcopydecrypter.com/



What I was overly impressed about was visiting the link posted above to find a masterful macromedia presentation. Let's face it, give credit where it is due. The GUI that is shown on that presentation is great. If I didn't know better, I would look into this very closely. But since I was one of the poor suckers..ehm..souls that wasted my money on DVDSqueeze, I know all to better. Yes indeed, as reported, DVDSqueeze is ALL Freeware.:angry: All of the links to http://www.dvdcopydecrypter.com/ all point to DVDSqueeze. It appears those con artist have developed a new scam. Buyer Beware:(
These guys have even marketed their scams to a retail outlet. I personally have seen them at CompUSA! (I knew the manager at my local CompUSA and told him the deal... He pulled them from the shelf :D.)

On a side note... if they have ripped someone else off, and that's a big if, wonder who? If the GUI is factual, I would like to know who did it. It is masterful indeed!
jaagee

[MackemX]

they are probably trying to sell the fancy flash media GUI, but have overstepped the line

(1) DVD-Squeeze copying software (download) $69 Value
(1) DVD-to-DVD (download)
(1) CD-to-MP3 Rip Software (download) $20 Value
(1) PopupStomper Ad Blocker
(1) MP3-Speed $8 Value
(1) Playstation 2 Copy software/directions (download)
(1) Spector "Revealer" software (download)

notice they have no value for certain programs

selling a program that is a fancy GUI, is nothing much by itself if people like fancy GUI's

including the freeware programs to use with the GUI software may be debatable but changing the actual name of the program is a bit naughty I think

p.s. I'm creating some fancy Flash stuff now for my GUI program, easy if you know how :)

[HiRES]

Maybe they only changed the program name in the presentation on the website. Or have you seen the program as well?

[jaagee]

Originally posted by HiRES
Maybe they only changed the program name in the presentation on the website. Or have you seen the program as well?

Who wants to spend the money? Once bitten, twice shy! :) I would not even entertain the idea. They are a bunch of scam artist that have marketing experience.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!

[dvdshrink]

Hi,

Someone just told me about the dvdcopydecrypter site. Is there nothing anyone can do about these people?

Well pissed off.

[ilscuro]

Mail Temporarily Unvailable BOLLOX
They're arseholes


:angry:

[neo_sapien]

This is absolutely despicable of them :mad:

[MackemX]

Originally posted by HiRES
Maybe they only changed the program name in the presentation on the website. Or have you seen the program as well?

they have changed the program, look at what they did with EasyDivx

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17116

I have aquired a copy of DVDSqueeze 4.0 using a certain P2P program just to check it out and this is the folder after installation

this is the $39 DVDSquueze 4.0, how many of these progs are free?

http://www.deano.dsl.pipex.com/temp/dvdsqueeze.png

and in the $89 version it obviously includes DVDShrink & Nero

but are AHEAD aware of the fact that they are reselling Nero for $20 a shot I wonder?

[JonRead]

I hate people that bundle freeware together and sell it, but to actually alter the software NAME and headers is lower then low. I think the same has happened with other software in the past too.

Can you contact their biller or bank to stop them ? Their biller is http://www.clickbank.com

Look at the package box for DVD Squeeze, that is just a Ulead software box, the EXACT same box packaging except for the text.

They even use Yahoo as their email address, sheesh.

[jaagee]

Originally posted by JonRead

Look at the package box for DVD Squeeze, that is just a Ulead software box, the EXACT same box packaging except for the text.

They even use Yahoo as their email address, sheesh.

HA! HA! HA! :D They even ripped off Ulead's box? If that isn't sorry I don't know what is. You can't even make this stuff up!!! :) I really was so mad about being duped that I really never focused on the packaging. Good Eye... JonRead

[JonRead]

Yep, check out the below.


Legit Ulead package : http://www.dacs.org/images/ulead_dvd_movie_factory_box.JPG

Fake DVD Squeeze package : http://www.dvdsqueeze.com/boxshots1.jpg

[Gil T Pleasure]

Has anyone contacted Ulead about the DVDSQueeze box ripoff? Maybe DVDShrink doesn't have the resources/money to fight them, but Ulead does.

What a bunch of parasites they are! :angry:

[thop]

Ulead for sure doesn't like it ... someone needs to bring it to their attention.

[MackemX]

I just done a search for DVD Squeeze and there are loads of site's offering this for sale!

Google results (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=dvd+squeeze&btnG=Google+Search)

DVD forums all over the world should put up a sticky in their forums and it will soon kill of the con artists

you can guarantee in a few days another thread will appear when this one disappears :)

[stopthepain]

I'm not sure, but what if freeware authors charged a small fee to use/register their software, like $1 or $5 or something like that to keep it from being "free". If that were the case then I dont think it would be as easy for these "companies" to sell such a set of software...I dunno, maybe I'm wrong...what do you think?

I sure wouldn't mind paying for great software like DVDDecrypter or DVDShrink (I've already donated to DVDDrcrypter, but dvdshrink will not even accept donations:rolleyes: )

[jaagee]

Originally posted by stopthepain
I'm not sure, but what if freeware authors charged a small fee to use/register their software, like $1 or $5 or something like that to keep it from being "free". If that were the case then I dont think it would be as easy for these "companies" to sell such a set of software...I dunno, maybe I'm wrong...what do you think?


Wouldn't work. It would not take hardly anytime and you could go to a well known P2P and download a pirated version and still have it for free. :mad: Then the person or persons who wrote the program would be tied up in the courts which cost time and money. In the end, it is a lose lose situation for the program author. I believe that a company like Ulead would have the resources to shut these con-artist down but why spend the time money and effort to pursue this? They have nothing to gain or lose.

[stopthepain]

True.. While I agree that you can never really stop pirated versions of software floating around. By charging for it will make it harder for the "companies" to use, especially if it gets rid of the excuse "hey, it was free anyway".

Why didn't they use DVD2ONE or Dvd95copy? That would make it blantly obvious that they are stealing by repacking something someone else is selling. As it stands now (with dvdshrink), I think a lot of people may find this to be a very grey area. On one hand it seems wrong (for obvious reasons, but on the other hand "the stuff was free anyway"

I think it would be harder to rip off something someone is already selling and pass it off as your own (at least it would make for a better argument in court)

[mpucoder]

The only thing wrong, and I know I'll get a lot of flak for this, is renaming the program. Doing so is misleading and fraudulant, giving the impression that it is a different program.
"Free" programs fall into several categories, unfortunately DVDShrink is truly free for the taking. It is not GPL, nor did it come with a license forbidding redistribution. There are some other programs like this, IfoEdit, VobEdit, and DVDSplit, to name a few.
Many authors are excellent coders, but not very experienced in either business or legal matters. The result is they leave themselves open to exploitation.

The future DVDShrink very possibly will not be free, and very likely will be accompanied by a license to make it clear that redistribution for profit is forbidden.

[thop]

Originally posted by mpucoder
The future DVDShrink very possibly will not be free, and very likely will be accompanied by a license to make it clear that redistribution for profit is forbidden.

Excellent :)

[jaagee]

Originally posted by mpucoder
The only thing wrong, and I know I'll get a lot of flak for this, is renaming the program. Doing so is misleading and fraudulant, giving the impression that it is a different program.


You don't think that taking a program that was written for free distribution and marketing it with other free programs without any of the authors permissions is wrong? :( Right is always right and this is wrong is always wrong and nothing can change that! To profit this way is just plain wrong!

jaagee

[mpucoder]

I have to reword a little of the previous post. DVDShrink does have a copyright notice in the help file which states:
"Redistribution and use of this software and accompanying documentation is permitted provided that (a) the software is not modified from its original form and (b) the above copyright notice and the following disclaimer is included with the distribution."
So DVDShrink is not in the same category as IfoEdit (which has no license or copyright notice), and, again, they are violating the license by modifying the software. I don't have a copy, but no doubt they removed the copyright notice, and any reference to DVDShrink, the person.
Even without that statement U.S. copyright law, and I believe international law as well, prohibits altering a work and claiming it as your own.

I knew I'd get some flak. Maybe "wrong" wasn't the exact word to use, but illegal. If I obtain something for free, and then sell it to some unsuspecting person who could have obtained it for free, then what I am doing would be wrong in a moral or ethical sense, but is it illegal?
Don't get me wrong, I think this is despicable, and I side with the authors. I merely wanted to point out that the authors of free programs need to be more specific with their licenses to prohibit not only modifying programs, but repackaging them for sale as "value added" bundles.
As many of you might know, DVD Copy Plus, the product from 321Studios that contained free software and a guide, is still on the market. As wrong as we all feel it is, the courts ruled that it was legal. Had they modified any of the programs in the manner that DVDShrink was modified, though, and it would have been another story.

[JonRead]

MPUCoder is correct, there is a difference between illigal and morally wrong.

People have been selling shareware/freeware CDs for years, I bought loads of shareware CDs back in 1994/5 because I didn't have the net and it brought loads of software on 1 CD. Because the software was not tampered with (and no serials given), it was legal.

Now morally I think that is fine as usually they were $10 for hundreds of items of software including a easy to use menu. But, charging $100 for about 3 or 4 items of freeware software (not even coded by them)and including a quick guide, I would class as morally wrong, but legal. So both ways are legal, just depends on your moral outlook. I also class it as immoral because they don't say it is freeware packaged up with a guide, they sneakily try to make out that it is their own software.

Now, changing the entire GUI and so on in to your own, is down right WRONG legally and morally (unless it is open source, remember freeware does not mean open source unless specified). As mentioned, DVD Shrink is not open source, so there-fore illigal to change. Now, there is a chance the image on the site is just something edited in PhotoShop for the website pics, and when it arrives it is actually DVD Shrink, so that is an unsure scenario.

[MackemX]

Originally posted by JonRead
Now, changing the entire GUI and so on in to your own, is down right WRONG legally and morally (unless it is open source, remember freeware does not mean open source unless specified). As mentioned, DVD Shrink is not open source, so there-fore illigal to change. Now, there is a chance the image on the site is just something edited in PhotoShop for the website pics, and when it arrives it is actually DVD Shrink, so that is an unsure scenario. it's a scam, simple as that

it's misleading to unsuspecting buyers and there are 1000's out there

If they said it was a fancy Flash guide for sale and all software provided was actually free anyway, do you think they'd sell any?

it's packaged to sell and they've done a very good job

if they had used the original pictures and not tampered with anything then nothing would really be wrong but cos the have modded the pics (the actual software is still to be confirmed) then this is false advertising unless of course somewhere on the site their is a disclaimer stating actual pictures shown may not represent the real thing (as I've seen a few times)

I obtained DVDSqueeze 4.0 to check it out and EasyDivx is actually EasyDivx and not the modded one shown in the pic so I wonder if DVDShrink is the same

like I said if they have a disclaimer for the pics it will all be legal unless the pics were copyrighted in the 1st place

I may be talking crap tho :)

[mmorris]

Companies have been doing this with Linux for years. I don't know if I like it, but it happens with other programs also.

Originally posted by jaagee
You don't think that taking a program that was written for free distribution and marketing it with other free programs without any of the authors permissions is wrong? :( Right is always right and this is wrong is always wrong and nothing can change that! To profit this way is just plain wrong!

jaagee

[mrbass]

Originally posted by MackemX

If they said it was a fancy Flash guide for sale and all software provided was actually free anyway, do you think they'd sell any?


Yes they do and guys make $4,000 to $8,000/month doing just that scamming people. However, if people are that ignoramus and have money flowing out of their pockets then so be it.

I'm trying to come up with some simple words of advice about purchasing dvd software. Everyone just types in 'dvd copy' on google and away they go.

Don't purchase DVD Copy / Backup Software if:
1. If there isn't a demo or trial version to download
2. Can't purchase product with credit card so if there is a dispute you can do a charge back on your credit card.

Anyway I think I'm going to create a separate page and list known DVD COPY scam / rippoff software and also maintaine a list of legitimate software (nah that's too much..I think Ookami has that covered). Ok just a list of known scam software. Perhaps I'll list the contact info (even if it's bogus which it likely is) and then list the domain names of the bogus software. I've already seen a pattern developing.

I'm also going to contact (not sure exactly who yet) and see what kind of information is required to shutdown a website. If I get a template setup then I can just contact the ISP. I'd rather actually go straight to the registrars and have them invalidate the domain register.com, godaddy.com , networksolutions.com, etc. That way we can make them keep purchasing domain names up the kazoo.

In the end it's probably a hopeless cause but I've had quite a few people email me telling me of their experiences of getting ripped off buy falling prey to this dvd backup software and it makes me sick.

edit: ok just called register.com and they'll begin looking into it once I send them the info.

[mrbass]

Time to get the fbi involved. Tom Hanks you still working for the bureau? http://www1.ifccfbi.gov

The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).

IFCC's mission is to address fraud committed over the Internet. For victims of Internet fraud, IFCC provides a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of a suspected criminal or civil violation. For law enforcement and regulatory agencies at all levels, IFCC offers a central repository for complaints related to Internet fraud, works to quantify fraud patterns, and provides timely statistical data of current fraud trends.

http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-879660.html
I think it's a drop in the bucket compared to the ebay scams (thank god I never visited that awful site)

"...auction fraud accounted for nearly 43 percent of the complaints received from victims and referred to law enforcement groups."

"The IFCC Web site garnered almost 17.1 million hits over the past year, and officials expect the number of complaints to rise from 1,000 a week to 1,000 a day."

[JonRead]

mmorris, Linux is "open source" which means people can re-package that, but most other freeware is not open source, unless mentioned within the software.

[waldok]

I may get some problems here saying this, so don't get me wrong, i'm not trying to "troll" here, and I also find this "pirate" attitude towards free programs unacceptable. But one thing that I find pretty strange is all the noise people make around it here. I sure think that DVDShrink author and any other author of a software that has been ripped-off should take legal action or contact the FBI or whatever they want to defend their rights. Now it's none of any other people business and unless people are involved with the authors, I can't understand the proportions it takes here. MrBass, why are you trying to move earth and bring this FBI stuff here ? Aren't you a bit overreacting for a problem that after all (and I don't mean to sound rude) is finally not yours ?
Don't take it bad, but I don't really agree with you on this. I agree on the "background" of the problem, but not on the way to solve it. I'm a bit worried by people starting to call for the FBI or whatever organism and organize "witch hunt" every 2 minutes, or starting to build a list of "bad guys" on their own site (remember some black list used in the USA a few decades ago...). I say let the ripped-off authors deal with their situation, they're grown-ups and don't need a massive population riot for this nor anybody to hold their hand. This is classic business situations after all.
I agree with MPUcoder on this, some things may be against morality, but not "illegal", so I'm as shocked as you are on this DVDSqueeze and DVDCOPYDecrypt-whatever story, but calling for vengeance may not help the authors to claim for their rights. Keep it cool....

Waldok:cool:

[mmorris]

Yep, didn't think of that. These guys sound pretty bad from what I've seen on their site.

Originally posted by JonRead
mmorris, Linux is "open source" which means people can re-package that, but most other freeware is not open source, unless mentioned within the software.

[mrbass]

Originally posted by waldok
MrBass, why are you trying to move earth and bring this FBI stuff here ? Aren't you a bit overreacting for a problem that after all (and I don't mean to sound rude) is finally not yours ?


Yes, Waldok, in a way it may be overreacting. At the same token people are asking me "Hey have you heard of this replicant dvd software it's only $40". Well personally speaking I'm sick and tired of hearing about it. True it's their money with their credit card they're wasting just so they can learn about ripoff software but it's an expensive lesson to learn.

I've revised my homepage and took away all humor, joking as many don't quite understand sarcasm. Oh well, I tried. I keep just a small list of legitmate dvd backup software and an ever growing list of deceptive, scam dvd backup software.

Will the The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) do anything with these complaints? Nah..I doubt it..but in a year if they get enough of them they might start taking a little action.

The main thing I'm going to be doing (time permitting) is contacting the registrars and ignore the webhosting. Yes there are quite a few registrars of domain names but not nearly as many as there are web hosting companies / resellers.

What I'd love to see is doom9 (donations willing) get up there in google when people type 'dvd copy' or even advertise with google. Problem is doom9 runs doom9.org for the love of dvd backing up, etc. and theirs no profit being made to pay the big bucks to advertise.

[waldok]

MrBass,

I appreciate the way you react here, I was a bit afraid my post was too "harsh" on you, which wasn't meant to be.

I think you are right trying to warn users about these scam packages. What I meant was that no one but the authors themselves should take legal actions against pirate companies.

Warning the users is quite legitimate (and really appreciated) in this community and you deserve a big thank you for taking the time to list these "crook" packages on your site.

But it's better to leave the authors hunt them pirates down like rats :D

Waldok:cool:

[Gil T Pleasure]

If we leave it up to the author to "hunt them pirates down like rats" I'm afraid he/she may not have time to improve his/her app.

[waldok]

Gil T,

Did you notice DVDShrink will not go on anyway ? So where's the difference ? It's better to take some time at the beginning to protect oneself rather than being forced to drop what you've been passionately working on for months... It's usual business for authors to protect their own interest. I'm really sorry to see that this stupid story will force DVDshrink author to remove one great piece of software from the free market, but in these days of "money before everything else", one cannot be too naive...

Waldok:cool:

[Dimsum]

waldok,

I have to disagree with your viewpoint that we should just leave the authors of the said applications to chase the crooks. If you looked out of your window and saw your neighbours car being stolen - then what your not going to contact the police because its not your car? Thats just sheer ignorance talking - we all have a responsibility in society.

What is happening is criminal in theory and if it gets everybody in this forum stirred up - then thats the correct thing - passing crime by - just means you give it a chance to carry on later.

I too was very shocked to hear and see DVDSqueeze doing the crap thing they are doing. The only way to stop these guys is to get everyone into action. So if someone wants to post details of agencies that handle this sort of crime - more power to them. One individual (the software author) may not achieve much - but collectively, the more complaints - the more action is most likely to be taken.

See how much auction scam reporting finally stirred into a big news article? All these freeware authors give us great tools to do what we love doing - if everyone keeps getting ripped off by these scamsters - then it will just stop them developing their programs and that would be a big loss, like it has done in the past to numerous programs. I would hate to see future development curtailed because they were like "remember what happened to DVD Shrink?" - and why was that - because collectively we hadn't made our feelings heard.

True we aren't going to stop every thing like this - but if we can do some damage to the crooks shouldn't we try?

[waldok]

Well I guess everyone will do what he feels is the best...
But to take the same example as you, if I saw my neighborsd being stolen, I would call the police, which more or less corresponds to what MrBass did here : warn people. But I wouldn't chase the thieves in the streets. That's the difference.

Waldok

[Dimsum]

Actually there is no difference, because you dont make the same comparisons. We'll use my example as well;

Policing the internet isn't an easy job and unless the workers in these agencies regularly backup DVD's, they most likely wont know about DVDSqueeze being deceitful. MrBass was right to mention those agencies - and all the rest of us can do, is inform them - they are the "police" of the internet. This was all I was suggesting, nothing more, nothing less. So we are all in the same boat - as that is all you, myself and most others suggest.

I never mentioned anything about chasing the thieves down the street (or the equivalent of.) In regards to DVDSqueeze, the comparison would be, to hack the website and keep it offline or to deface the main page etc. I didn't suggest that anyone should take the law into their own hands, but we should do what we can to stop stuff like this happening, and when it comes to these agencies - quantity of complaints drives them into action - THAT'S the difference.

[waldok]

No big deal, Dimsum, and probably no need to start another endless thread about it. Warning users about crooks seems ok to me.
:)

Waldok:cool:

[Gil T Pleasure]

From a News.com (http://news.com.com/2100-1025_3-1011581.html?tag=cd_mh) article:

Major movie studios in Hollywood are also turning up the heat, joining forces in a slew of lawsuits against U.S.-based DVD-copying software makers like DVDBackupbuddy.com and DVDSqueeze.com.

Firstly, for the writer to call DVDSqueeze a software maker is just plain wrong. Secondly, I hope this will make it harder for the con artists to sell their ripware (ripoff software ;)).

[mpucoder]

Let's see, Hollywood puts DVDSqueeze out of business - good, except they do it for the wrong reason. Now will they go after the original software? Fortunately they are "going after U.S.-based DVD-copying software makers", DVDShrink is made in Japan :)

btw, for all interested, development of DVDShrink's successor has not stopped. I got a new trial last week (and still looking for time to try it out). But I don't know when it will come out, and this lawsuit may be having an indirect influence on that date (just my gut feel).

[waldok]

Thanks for the information Mpucoder. Much appreciated.

Waldok:cool: