Sonicdownloads.net FFDshow spyware pack

[felinis]

The FFDshow package distributed by sonicdownloads is packed with spyware - just read their EULA.

[Leak]

......

Just poking around in the installer executable with 7-Zip makes me want to go ballistic...

Gotta try it out in a VM at work tomorrow.

That leaves the question of what to do against such scam artists.

np: Pole - Alles Gute (Round Black Ghosts 2)

[LoRd_MuldeR]

I fear you can't do anything. The GPL permits everybody to redistribute the software. And I don't think there is anything that prohibits them to package the software with other (proprietary) software. They can even take money for the shipping - if people agree to pay money for a software they could obtain for free, it's their own stupidity. Only if that company did modify the source code of ffdshow itself, they would be obliged to ship their modified sources along with the binary (or make them available on request). And if they link their own software against GPL'd code, they must put that own software under the GPL too...

[Sharktooth]

if they pack it with any sort of malware, you can submit that info (including the binaries and their website) to the major antivirus/antispyware software labs, including microsoft.
yeah... that's called RETALATION.

[Reimar]

Originally Posted by LoRd_MuldeR

IOnly if that company did modify the source code of ffdshow itself, they would be obliged to ship their modified sources along with the binary (or make them available on request).

Just to clarify a common error: it does not matter if it was modified or not, the code must be shipped along with it, or it must be offered to ship it on request (for at least three years), the exception to that is only for _non-commercial_ distribution.
I seriously doubt that bundled with malware it would still qualify as "non-commercial", so unless they correctly make the source available it probably would be possible to do something against it, the only question is if there is a point.
Apart from that file a complaint with Google, getting sonicdownloads.net listed as malware site will be most effective (assuming the indeed distribute malware).

[squid_80]

Also the GPL does not allow any additional license restrictions to be added. I haven't seen their EULA but if it does contain additional restrictions (something along the lines of "This software package must not be separated into individual components") it's a violation.

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Originally Posted by Reimar

Just to clarify a common error: it does not matter if it was modified or not, the code must be shipped along with it, or it must be offered to ship it on request (for at least three years), the exception to that is only for _non-commercial_ distribution.
I seriously doubt that bundled with malware it would still qualify as "non-commercial", so unless they correctly make the source available it probably would be possible to do something against it, the only question is if there is a point

Well, if they did not modify the sources, they can make them "available" by providing a link to ffdshow's SVN repository on SourceForge...