People ripping people (2nd Round): DVDx versus DVDBackup

[mpucoder]

Mrbass did just that, and was threatened with legal action by one of the alledged scammers. Even though mrbass had proof that the software in question was a ripoff, he decided to take the list down. As anyone who's been involved in a legal dispute knows (and mrbass must also know) being right doesn't make the legal process any more pleasant.

[DDogg]

Hmm, a US citizen can easily be clubbed over the head with the law whether they be right or wrong. Somebody living elsewhere, where false litigation is less do-able/easy, might want to take on this challenge. It is certainly an effort worth the hassle.

[dragongodz]

problem is also that litigation also requires money. if you live in a different country times it by 10. most of us simply dont have it.

also the GPL is aimed at protecting consumers aswell and they would actually stand a better chance with a law case. could file charges such as decepetion, fraud etc.

[Wilbert]

Another rip-off: dvdcloner 2

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=70436

taken from DVDShrink 3.05 Beta.

[ChristianHJW]

Why on earth am i shown as the thread starter ?

[shevegen]

But the thing is that you can abuse the GPL very easily if noone will manage to enforce it.

Consider any big company trying to obtain the source code, merging it into their proprietary products and clubbing at the original developers with law cases and threats of patent infringing.

[dragongodz]

that doesnt make it right.

also there are other ways to combat it. bad press can hurt some companies as an example.

yes the majority of breachs will probably never be seen or fully stopped but that does not mean we should just roll over and say die.

[Mug Funky]

i was a little bored, and decided to see if tucows still had that awful DVDx fake... they still do.

although the GUI is changed (a little), on uninstall it attempts to remove registry keys "software\dvdx" and "software\dvdx\SK".

suspicious?

why the F are tucows still providing this ripoff for download?

[dragongodz]

why the F are tucows still providing this ripoff for download?
because they dont give a damn. several download sites such as they were asked to remove hat crap when the issue first came up. they wanted proof. it was provided(by way of things like DVDx error messages saying DVDx etc). guess what, none of them removed it.

[Marcel]

I'm not sure, but in my eyes Yasasoft's DVD to VCD AVI DivX Converter (http://www.yasasoft.com/magicdvdripper/) is just a nice GUI with DVDx in the background.

[buzzqw]

not sure but vso divxtodvd (www.vso-software.fr) i think is using some code from "FFmpeg0.4.9-pre1b4736" (just found it in avcodec.dll)

from read.me
"This version is free, future versions will implement new features and may not be free anymore."

don't know. I am not a coder or a glp expert.

BHH

EDIT: FreeEnc (a QuEnc/NuEnc like gui) is fuctional with avcodec.dll from vso software !!! :angry:

[dragongodz]

avcodec is released under the LGPL unless you enable GPL components.

back in the early QuEnc threads this was discussed and concluded that you do not need to release your program as open source if it just uses the dll(freeenc isnt open source is it?). however they should be supplying the source code for the dll if they have the are distributing the dll.

[Wilbert]

Two new ones:

Recently I've notified about these two products that they use code from the guliverkli project, one of them is free but closed source and not GPLed player (KMPlayer, http://www.kmplayer.com/), while the other is a fully commercial product (http://www.vx30.com/). There are boundled dshow filters, string, toolbars, dialogs, command line switches, etc..., which can be verified easily by just running the applications and taking a look, or a bit harder by analysing the memory dump. Since I have no better idea about what to do now (I got no reply to the email I sent to kmplayer's developer, it would probably be the same with vx30's too...), (...)

The vx30 project uses more GPL/LGPL code (XviD, LAME, ...) without complying to it, according to the following analysis

http://www.drunkenblog.com.nyud.net:8090/drunkenblog-archives/000534.html

[dcoder]

http://www.magicvideo.net/ - Magic DVD Player
Using Valex' AC3Filter

I´m wondering why noone cares about LGPL and MPL Violations. There are so much Companys using and modifying such code without writing what 3rd Party Librarys are used and without publishing these modifications.

i.e http://www.kworld.com.tw/ using the DSPack Components in their DVB Software.
or http://www.geovid.com/Video_mp3_Extractor_PRO/ using the LAME Encoder and MPG123 Decoders.

[Sirber]

OpenSource ripoff :scared:

[dragongodz]

I´m wondering why noone cares about LGPL and MPL Violations.
let me know exactly where we are suposed to get the millions of $ to fight these from. especially considering not all of us live in the same countries as these "companies".

a new one just sent to me.

http://www.aheaddvd.com/
DVDx ripoff.

first look at all the different controls/settings and the exact names used. all from DVDx.
mp3 encoding done via the nlame.dll, DVDx being practically the only program to use this besides these ripoffs.
incode find a heap of messages, yes all DVDx ones ,especially telling are ones that have to do with things DVDx does that this ripoff doesnt.
finally ,if ripping off the program wasnt bad enough they cant even come up with an original intro.
from the DVDx read me
DVDx allows you to convert DVD to VCD2.0/SVCD1.0/AVI in one step (Including multiplexing, splitting). It produces good quality movies in AVI/MPEG1/2 format and you don't need to have 5Gb free on your hard disk !
from the ripoffs help
Ahead DVD Ripper allows you to convert DVD to VCD2.0 , SCVD1.0 or AVI (DivX...) in one step (Including multiplexing, splitting). It produces good quality movies in AVI , MPEG1/2 format and you don't need to have 5GB or more free on your hard disk.

i have to wonder what Nero(formerly Ahead) would say about the name aswell.

also apparently if you register it activates internal decss. hmm wonder if the MPAA would be interested in that. :devil:

[mpucoder]

Registrant:
Flyers software Inc.
#281 beijing rode
hangzhou, zhejiang 310002
CN

Domain name: AHEADDVD.COM

Administrative Contact:
Ainan, Jan jxh175@yahoo.com.cn
#281 beijing rode
hangzhou, zhejiang 310002
CN
8607918621008
Technical Contact:
Admin, Powweb sysadmin@powweb.com
2168 S. Atlantic Blvd.
#232
Monterey Park, CA 91754
US
+1.3102788926 Fax: +1.3102785401



Registration Service Provider:
PowWeb, Inc., hostmaster@powweb.com
310-278-8926
http://powweb.com
This company may be contacted for domain login/passwords,
DNS/Nameserver changes, and general domain support questions.


Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
Record last updated on 16-May-2005.
Record expires on 16-May-2006.
Record created on 16-May-2005.

They don't expect to stay around long - one year purchase of domain name. Also supposedly Chinese (flyers software - or is it "fly-by-night"), but hosted in California (area code 310 is Long Beach, California)

[dragongodz]

and why am i not surprised by any of that ?

[Wilbert]

Filmshrink ripoff?

http://www.musicalsky.com/dvd2real/index.html

[Sirber]

Seems not:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=666399#post666399

[dragongodz]

another one found and its one thats been mentioned on this forum in several threads.

Magicdvdripper - http://www.magicdvdripper.com/dvd-ripper.htm

rippoff of DVDx.

proof -
-well the pretty blatant use of the same controls, settings and names is a good start. :)
-uses nlame.dll to encode mp3, renamed dll and upx'd as mdr2.dll
-and my favorite to see, "DVDx" text still in a file, eg. mdr.dll has "*ERROR_SECTION* DVDx Error".

oh and it uses libdvdread i am guessing(renamed mdrutils.dll) since those are the function names. libdvdread is another GPL project for those that dont know.

[netterpaladin]

I just want to mention those guys. If they actually can help or do something, I dont know: http://gpl-violations.org/

netterpaladin

[dragongodz]

netterpaladin - thanks for that link but i dont know if its much use but i will contact that site and see whats what. :)

new one found thanks to a newbie appearing to try and advertise it here.

magicdvdripper, no a different one than the other listed. this one can be found here
http://www.yasasoft.com/magicdvdripper/
DVDx rippoff.

proof consists of the usual stuff.
uses nlame.dll for mp3 encoding.
practically all the same options including names and settings etc.(basically they shiffled some of the gui bits around to make several different new guis)
and my favorite, "DVDx" text and messages found in the unpacked file, yes they UPX packed it.

i sent these a nice email, and yes i do mean i was nice, so lets see what they say.

[Wheelie4]

Does DVDx rip the full dvd without converting? Does it burn a standard dvd structured dvd movie to dvd?

[dragongodz]

Does DVDx rip the full dvd without converting?
no it doesnt but if i was interested it could. DVDx already uses Vstrip source code for reading the ifo.
Does it burn a standard dvd structured dvd movie to dvd?
no but again there is source code out there if i was really interested in adding that.

heres some questions for you wheelie.
do these other programs do dvd to avi ?
do these other programs do dvd to vcd ?
do these other programs do dvd to svcd ?
do these other programs use nlame.dll(sometimes renamed) for mp3 encoding ?
do these programs have practically all the same input/output settings as DVDx ?
do these programs have DVDx text and messages etc in them ?
dont worry, i will answer those myself....YES THEY BLOODY WELL DO. :angry:

now are you trying to suggest because they have added a few extra functions that they havent used DVDx source code ? or are you saying because they have added the extras then its ok to rippoff open source software ?

[Wheelie4]

All I did was look at DVDx website out of curiosity and saw no mention of what I asked about in my post. So I asked. Nothing more.

[dragongodz]

All I did was look at DVDx website out of curiosity and saw no mention of what I asked about in my post. So I asked. Nothing more.
sorry but maybe you can understand why this stuff makes me angry sometimes.

as for just ripping a dvd, dvddecrypter still does a fine job. read the post by BSpielbauer here
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=86353&page=4
the other rippers he is talking about means things like anydvd, dvd43 and dvdfabdecrypter. i dont see any need to add another to the mix at the moment.

[Wheelie4]

Yes, I know those rippers. I use dvddecrypter, I've used DVD43 and although I have downloaded dvdfabdecrypter I've yet to use it. I was just curious.

[setarip_old]

@dragongodz

If you are certain that the "Magic DVD Ripper" is a ripoff of the open source program "DVDx" and not merely the same author converting it to a commercial venture (rightly or wrongly), you might want to share this information with other folks in the community. In particular, the Digital Video Forums at Digital Digest, where an entire forum is dedicated to this program at:

http://forums.digital-digest.com/forumdisplay.php?f=81

The author, "sam", is one of the moderators of that forum...

[feedback]

sorry but maybe you can understand why this stuff makes me angry sometimes.
If they ripped off some of your hard work, and as one of the helper programmers of DVDx, you have every right to express your outrage to the program Magic DVD Ripper,

Regards,:)

[MACC]

Does anyone know if DVDx was relicensed other than GPL. I have found more
DVDx rips at the moment I know of more than four that use DVDx.
and they have not been posted here.

[dragongodz]

Does anyone know if DVDx was relicensed other than GPL.
not that i know of. Jean Luc disappeared about 2 years ago. i have been the one maintaining and releasing DVDx since then and i certainly havent. also the fact that DVDx contains GPL source code from other programs means it can not be made closed source either.

[MACC]

I'll try to make this as short as possible since this post may be long enough.
I used an app called BINTEXT to look at and compare strings of text. There
are five apps that I have found to contain DVDx. I'm sure I will find more.
Hopefully not.
I am just studing these at the moment. This is not to start a FLAMEWAR or to
advertise but to inform in case noone knows of these.

First the Freeware app. I found this but the site went down and I can no longer
find it. It was a app called DDR-DivX DVD Ripper. I'm sure it can be googled for.
When it is opened same window setup, menus, even in the Read Me 1st you can find
the GNU License.
There are some strings inside that might give a clue as to where it came from but maybe not. One
other thing is look at these and compare them with the lines in the DVDPean Pro 3.6.2
text below.

001209C4 005209C4 0 ;C:\Release Apps\dvd_master_backup\andrei\mpeg2_lib\wavefs44.c;_InitialSRC;79;79;;
00120A2C 00520A2C 0 ;C:\Release Apps\dvd_master_backup\andrei\mpeg2_lib\wavefs44.c;_InitialSRC;94;94;;

The next one is Plato DVD Ripper 1.09
http://www.dvdtompegx.com
SevenWolfs Software
This one was a little bit more hard to figure out. But I did find one instance
inside of the executable in which this line is placed.

001244A8 009654A8 0 c:\DVDx-temp.tmp

This one is called DVDPean Pro 3.6.2
http://www.dvdpean.com support@dvdpean.com
The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties,
as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties.
Don't they follow their own licence.
This one DVDx is not in the executable. It is a dll called DVDRipperCore.dll.
This is some of what is inside. Including if it is compared with DVDx has the menus
and all.

000F09F8 105399F8 0 DVDx Player (%s)
000F0A0C 10539A0C 0 DVDx Player (%s) %6.1ffps
000F0A28 10539A28 0 DVDx Player (done)
000F0A3C 10539A3C 0 DVDx Video Player (%s)
000F0A54 10539A54 0 DVDx Video Player (%s) %6.1ffps
000F0A74 10539A74 0 DVDx Player (done) %f sec

000E7BC0 100E7BC0 0 ;D:\MyDoc\DVDPean Project\3.4.0\src\DVDRipperCore\MPEG2_LIB\wavefs44.c;_InitialSRC;94;94;;
000E7C20 100E7C20 0 ;D:\MyDoc\DVDPean Project\3.4.0\src\DVDRipperCore\MPEG2_LIB\wavefs44.c;_InitialSRC;79;79;;

000FA19E 1054319E 0 DVDx 1.4 : FREEWARE DVD Copy tool (for ever)

Wow we even get to know what version is used.


Is anyone sick yet I am. The next may make you more sick.

Flash DVD Ripper http://www.flashdvdripper.com support@flashdvdripper.com
12-JUL-2004
Another product that contains others work.
All copyrights to Flash DVD Ripper are exclusively owned by the author of this software.

Not according to this. One of the dlls that is installed with this product is
cygwin1.dll
00095AF6 610BE0F6 0 CompanyName
00095B10 610BE110 0 Red Hat
00095B26 610BE126 0 FileDescription
00095B56 610BE156 0 POSIX Emulation DLL
00095B86 610BE186 0 FileVersion
00095BA0 610BE1A0 0 1.3.1
00095BB2 610BE1B2 0 InternalName
00095BCC 610BE1CC 0 cygwin1.dll
00095BEA 610BE1EA 0 LegalCopyright
00095C1E 610BE21E 0 Red Hat. 1996-2000
00095C4E 610BE24E 0 OriginalFilename
00095C70 610BE270 0 cygwin1.dll

Also installs this VCD Imager.
00001044 00401C44 0 GNU VCDImager 0.6.2rc2 [cygwin/i586]
0000106A 00401C6A 0 Copyright (c) 2001 Herbert Valerio Riedel <hvr@gnu.org>
000010A3 00401CA3 0 GNU VCDImager may be distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public
000010EE 00401CEE 0 Licence; For details, see the file
00001112 00401D12 0 COPYING', which is included in the GNU

Also the flash DVD ripper seems to be just DVDx with a different gui. This is well hidden.

The last one is called
Lavavo DVD Ripper
http://www.lavavo.com
I won't write anything about this except that it uses DVDx for the DVD Ripper and uses CDEX
for its CD Ripper. A Friend posted about this on the GPL Violations site.
http://lists.gpl-violations.org/pipermail/legal/2005-October/000529.html
Other things used in LAVAVOs software products I found to be others also. Aside from the GPL
issues there is commercial things as well.

This is not everything I have found out about all these apps just what I could post to make it short
and to the point.

[MACC]

Here is another curiosity for those who want to follow this.

The Lavavo DVD Ripper when it is installed installs some files
into the system32 folder found in the windows folder.

cddvdburner2.ocx
cddvdburner2.lic

If the cddvdburner2.ocx file is opened with a hex editor of
some sort there is this bit of text
0000D484 1000D484 0 DVD-RW DVR-105
0000D498 1000D498 0 DVD-RW DVR-104
0000D4AC 1000D4AC 0 DVD-RW DVR-103
0000D4C0 1000D4C0 0 EL TORITO SPECIFICATION
0000D4D8 1000D4D8 0 Magic CD/DVD Burner
0000D4EC 1000D4EC 0 failed to sort path table
0000D508 1000D508 0 ROOT_DIR
0000D540 1000D540 0 .?AVCNoTrackObject@@
0000D560 1000D560 0 .?AVAFX_MODULE_STATE@@
0000D580 1000D580 0 .?AV_AFX_DLL_MODULE_STATE@@


This fle contains the string Magic CD/DVD Burner.
Don't know if this is the same as the one talked about on this thread
but I have not checked YET.

[jonny]

http://www.pspadvance.com/

The PSP binary (EBOOT.PBP) contains:


This software is derived from the GNU GPL XviD codec (1.1.0).
Your software distributor has to give access to its source code.

[Sirber]

Site has been doom9ed: dead ;)

[jonny]

lol so fast? :D

[MACC]

A lot of the stolen apps that I have posted about can be found here
http://www.mymusictools.com/download/ripper/

[MACC]

Another interesting bit of info about the app DVDPEAN PRO. If you read my post at the top about this one and the DVDRipperCore.dll being DVDx.

There is another application out there called DVDZipPro. It has all the same files and dlls that DVDdean has including the DVDRipperCore.dll. I compared the two cores from DVDZippro and DVDpean and they are the same. So that means DVDZIPPRO also is using DVDx.

The funny thing is the price.
dvdzip US$34.95
DVDPean US$29.95

ITS THE SAME APP
find them at the site that I posted also.

[MACC]

Here are some more sites that sell some of this type of stuff.
http://www.8864soft.com/
http://www.cd-mp3.org/

On the 8864soft site there is an app called GoGo DVD Ripper
Another rip of DVDx. An interesting thing in this is if its opened with
a resource editor, look at the dialog 152. It has the DVDx name.

[dragongodz]

heres just another DVDx rip.

#1 dvd ripper
http://www.createdvd.net/dvd_ripper.htm

as usual all the normal controls are there just moved around to different windows etc. also other evidence found in code etc.

the funny thing is i didnt fix the angle bug when key search is turned off(all angles show 1 after the other) and this shows this bug quite nicely since it doesnt appear to have the option to turn it on or off. i am assuming they have only set that to activate if done from a dvd drive or load dvd button or something. :)

shows that people should just download the real thing, in this case DVDx, and not support these con artists.

[MACC]

Its funny you mention this. I was just looking at that site today.
http://www.createdvd.net

The other stuff from Apollo I have not checked fully but their Apollo PSP Video COnverter does contain this

ffmpeg version 0.4.9-pre1-based-MobileHackerz030
Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
Including the gnu lic. inside the exe but no where else to be found.
The others I do not know but they do use this CDRip.dll.

[dragongodz]

well i only looked because of this post
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=764690

upon finding the evidence it doesnt surprise me in the least another of their "products" show a similar situation.

[MACC]

The links above don't work hmmmm. Here is another site with these
http://www.dvdtox.com/ Also notice the maskbit software on that
site to the left. Then read this
http://lists.gnumonks.org/pipermail/legal/2005-November/000588.html
More cons??

[hailmyname]

stolen programs can be good sometimes. some old rips that were lifted from the market can be obtained from stolen markets, but still i agree that its not good.

[MACC]

How are stolen programs good. There are a lot more than one might think. It is theft no matter how one looks at it. Companies stealing free code and using it their apps for a profit and not even one mention of Oh yea this guy or gal did it. That is not only very rude but very shady business practices. If I could I would list all the companies that have done this.
Sometimes all this theft even drives the developers away from actually developing because of so much theft of their code.
Look up akrip. Read this thread from the beginning or do a search for CDex.
For the consumer it is very difficult to find apps geared towards the CD/DVD market that isn't the same stolen code.
DVDx can be found in a lot of apps, CDex can be found in a lot of apps. Its the same code with different interfaces sold at different prices. One buys this program and it stinks or does not do its job so they buy this other app. Guess what its the same app with only a different interface. So the consumer got screwed twice by two different companies. But the only thing is the general public aka average user has no clue because they don't really look that far into it or just don't know. Or just don't care. Although if they knew they just bought something that they could get for free. They would be upset. Can you say fraud.
Also I found a few companies that are getting the short end of the stick by outsourcing their projects and these outsourcing companies are stealing Gpl code to make applications for these companies. They then turn around and sell it to the public. Problems arise when someone runs across this app with stolen GPL code because the public gets screwed see above and the companies gets screwed. Which if they were paying attention and did their homework they would not but that is a different matter.
I think it is not good at all. Or if you do use it say you are. Read this thread and you will see most of these companies do not give credits or release the source and that is the worst thing of all.

Its not new innovative technology if it already exsists

[MACC]

Actually there is other things that are worse along with above. Expecting people to adhere to their lic. when they have already defiled someone elses.
Driving developers to not want to develop anything anymore.

[dragongodz]

MACC - :goodpost:

[PaulC010]

Sadly developers develop. There should be a statuatory "Personal IP (c)" law passed to protect the innocents.........

Companies rise and companies fall. It's the nature of the business. "Developers Suffer" has also been part of the business, but the smart ones just cash in and move on.

Paul

Paul

[MACC]

Sadly developers develop. There should be a statuatory "Personal IP (c)" law passed to protect the innocents.........

Companies rise and companies fall. It's the nature of the business. "Developers Suffer" has also been part of the business, but the smart ones just cash in and move on.

Paul

Paul



Yes developers develop otherwise they would not be called developers. As far as personal IP law how far would it reach would it cover the entire globe and would it cover the parts of the world that seem to be where all this Clone
software is coming from.

Companies rise and companies fall, some also know when to sell off their assests and get out because their software would make them more of a profit selling it to other companies rather than tring to stick it out. But read this thread and see what it is about. it is about the GPl and theft of code.