IVAO Hellas promoting piracy

[Obs]

In an official "IVAO Hellenic Division" http://www.ivao-hellas.aero/ forum post 2 days ago (Mon 16 Feb) IVAO member :

Name: Aristeides Latousakis

Email: latousakis@blueyonder.co.uk , latousakis@the.forthnet.gr

IVAO member page : http://www.ivao.org/members/person/details.asp?id=127495

... posted this thread giving away his FSUIPC registration details :shock:

*** URL deleted ***

A day later IVAO GR DIR intervenes and only changes the password in display but :x intentionally allows the thread to include a download link from the member's personnal pages in his ISP where he includes the registration key.

*** URL deleted ***

His ISP network abuse contact email : abuse@forthnet.gr

This is an amazing disrespect to Pete's work especially from the very people who owe their ability to have fun in this hobby to Pete.

Shame on the member and this IVAO's Division who promote illegal file sharing. :(

[Highvolt]

this is sad indeed, but you should have mailed the links to pete's email, in stead of sharing them on the forum.

I think it's easy for pete to just disable his serial number in the upcoming update... that way he needs to register again. :wink:

Kind Regards,

Wim

[Obs]

Pete has been notified since yesterday by private email.

He has also repeatedly asked to be contacted via this forum and that answering private emails takes a bit longer.

[Pete Dowson]

Pete has been notified since yesterday by private email.

He has also repeatedly asked to be contacted via this forum and that answering private emails takes a bit longer.

Yes, thank you. I've passed on the details to SimMarket's manager. They take positive action on my behalf. The key will be blocked in due course, but I think SimMarket also take other actions.

I am on holiday after today until March 12th, so apart from notifying SimMarket of your findings I can do little else at present. Thank you very much for telling me.

Best regards,

Pete

[Highvolt]

Wow, that's quite a long holiday! :)

Then again, you deserve it !

Have a nice holiday Pete.

Regards,

Wim

[Pete Dowson]

Wow, that's quite a long holiday! :)

Then again, you deserve it !

Thanks.

Two weeks is in Cuba, a steam railway tour (I am a steam train nut as well as an aviation one! :) ). The Cuba flights go via Madrid, where our son lives. We usually go and visit him once or twice a year, for a week, in any case, so we thought we'd save some cash :wink: by visiting him on the way back!

Best regards,

Pete

[Ioannis Anagnostopoulos]

Dear Pete, Dear all,

my first words could be nothing else other then deep apologises for the behaviour of our member and for any troubles occurred due to his actions. We are feeling the need to express our sorrow for this unfortunate event along with our commitment for support and active participation in any anti-piracy action.

In the light of this let me make absolutely clear that IVAO HELLAS never promoted and never encouraged such short of piracy actions. I am deeply concerned though how easily people jump to conclusions about the quality and the motivations of our organisation as a whole. Such simplifications and deductions are as harmful for our hobby as the phenomenon we are dealing with.

I hope that the moderators of this forum will act as promptly and responsible to remove the offending title about IVAO HELLAS, as promptly and responsible IVAO HELLAS acted to remove the malicious thread about Pete's product.

Pete, I would prefer our first contact to be under better conditions and for one more time I am deeply sorry about this. I hope that in the feature we will be able to deal with more "friendly issues".

Best Regards andwish you a great time on your vacation

[L@tou]

Dear All

I will post to you the email I have sent to IVAO-DIR, mr. Keith Ryan, as I wrote too much, and I cannot type twice the same things.

Dear Sir,

Some days ago, I cannot define the exact date, but it is not more than 10

days ago, I created a post on the Greek forum pages, about the FSUIPC, which

is the matter at present. What really happened, is that after seing so many

times the codes Squawkbox and the 12-digit code circulating around, and as

long as newer version had bacome available by now, I considered that this

was also some kind of circulation of the code. So, in the interest of all

Ivao simmers, I decided to donate to other members my own version, which is

3.1.2 and let them fly with more options.

As I was informed by some VATSIM staff (who started the whole matter) at a

later stage, that code was for FREE, and for a version in 2.9 I think of

FSUIPC.. mr Alex Amorianos covered up the posted code of my FSUIPC

registered version, and as soon as I notified that the other code is

freeware and my prog's code CANNOT be redistributed, not even as a movement

of good will, I removed the file from my personal webspace the very same

moment. So now, for the last 4-5 days, the file is not anymore on the net...

I apologised on the Hellenic division's forum, and explained that I did that

as a move of good will, and I decided not to give any other chance for this

matter to go further, as the last think I want, is to have problems with

staff or other members of IVAO.

Unfortunately, some people who's only job is ditching other people, nailed

me on first place on VATSIM, and I was suspended on their network (not that

I was flying anymore, but anyway... they finally called as the reason of my

removal as "INACTIVE FOR TOO LONG TIME"), then they thought that it could be

very polite of them to post the matter to other online forums, where, as I

was informed by mr. Karamatsoukis George, GR-ADIR, that "somebody" posted my

name, surname, full ISP details, even my picture, breaching on that way my

personal privacy... Then I found myself suspended on IVAO, and now trying to

clarify the situation with you..

As I mentioned above, when I was informed about the seriousness, I

immediately removed the file from my personal web space, and If you want, I

can provide you with the original emailed receipts from SimFlight/SimMarket

Customer Services, to show you that the software is NOT pirated, but BOUGHT

legally.

I can be of as much assistance as you want, and I will be here for whatever

info you might need on the case.

Best Regards

Aristeides Latousakis

I really want to apologize to mr Dowson in person from this list, and to everyone for the matter arose on my action. Please, after reading the above letter, try to understand the purpose or scope of my action, and SEE the actions that I have taken (removed the file from my webspace) and mr. Alexandros Amorianos, IVAO GR-DIR, action, which was to remove the key from the list.

Finally, I would like to express my pityness for some people from cross organisations, whose only job is to spy on others, and make some serious mess, like they will have some kind of Recognition. On my eyes, they are just the "nails", "slappers", not to say any other more... colourful word, and I would like to express my deepest COMMISERATIONS to mr. OBS who brought this matter in here... His manners and his behaviour show a person who was brought up in a really depressed environment, full of mysticism; easy to understand by not signing by his real name. So, I would like to.... CHALLENGE that user, to drop his/her mask, and say his/her real name in public, or if not in public, to my email... He/she knows all that info about me, he should know where to find me... By the way, mr. OBS, your action of posting my picture in public, on a forum where I was NOT registered, BEFORE I register, WITHOUT my consent, is against my personal privacy. At least, I would expect an apology from him/her, if he/she is a person who can say sorry and not someone with a low-level-disgrace-for0the-online-community.

On my side, once again, my deepest and trulliest apologies to mr. Dowson, mr Keith Ryan, my Alex Amorianos, and all of you, who got stuffed by reading all that. I did my S**t, I pay the bid.. That post is not to try and cry in your eyes, it's just my personal statement to let you all understand my scope..

Best Regards

Aristeides Latousakis

the alleged (and real) offender

127495 on IVAO

on VATSIM, I don't remember, and dont want to remember

pss. mr OBS, please contact me, if you want to show some kind of level in you..

[L@tou]

*** URL deleted ***

A day later IVAO GR DIR intervenes and only changes the password in display but :x intentionally allows the thread to include a download link from the member's personnal pages in his ISP where he includes the registration key.

*** URL deleted ***

Shame on the member and this IVAO's Division who promote illegal file sharing. :(

Firstly of all, shame on you, who speak like that for IVAO and its staff... IVAO does not promote illegal stuff, and, even better, does not promote the "spirit of Spying Cross-Organizations", as your organization might be doing... As you SHOULD be from VATSIM, otherwise why the hell should you ever mess with the one or the other organisation's forums?!

Finally, as I challenged you earlier, IF you still have some humanity and some mankind in you, then show your real face behind the mask, by email or in here, but if you decide to contact me by email, then make sure NOT to send it to latousakis@blueyonder.co.uk, but to latousakis@the.forthnet.gr as the blueyonder is not valid anymore.

Aristeides Latousakis

Real people do not hide behind a lame nickname

[Obs]

First of all I have nothing to do with vatsem. Nothing against them, they just take things "as real as it gets" and this is not my style. As I understand they suspended you as well (oops!). I am having fun at FPI right now and I used to have fun in IVAO some time ago.

This is the internet bro and no I won't contact you in private nor will I give my details. You only posted here to save yourself from the full suspension from IVAO and because your identity was already publisized. Not asking an apology would only make matters worse. I am glad you understood what you did wrong and apologized. We all do mistakes.

Aristeides do not say that you bought the product legally and that makes sharing of this commercial product on line a legal act. Even if you payed for it, it still is illegal to share it publicly with others.

Regarding my statement for IVAO Hellas : Yes GR-DIR removed the key code from your forum post but he certainly after that left your post in public view which directed people to your own web page with the registeration codes of FSUIPC in the zip available for download. So when a Division Director does this, at least in my eyes, this means the Division's attitude is FOR your action. No I did not upload your picturecheck its properties.

I am glad that there are still people recognizing their mistakes out there like Aristeides as well as that there are people in IVAO Hellas like Ioannis who are serious members.

[Guest]

Goodness sakes people, it's really not that difficult. Hex editors and decompilers, as well as the ever faithful CPU registry scanner BlackIce are generally all the tool(s) you need to render your unregistered copy of FSUIPC fully functional. If you need the specifics email me at Pchin@hotmail.com and I'll be more than happy to help you out.

Doing this for personal use is not piracy of course but who the heck is going to know you even did it in any event. Saves a lot of money for the tenacious hackers out there amongst us.

But anyways, good 'ol Pete stole the FSUIPC concept (and much of the original programming code) from Adam Szofren a long time ago. Adam never made anything from his hard work but folks like Pete Dowson manage to leech on to the labor of others for their own profit, it never fails.

Also, giving away your registration info publicly does not constitute piracy either. Maybe unethical but that is life, deal with it.

[Jamie Fox]

It's idiots like you that would stop Pete developing FSUIPC for good, which leaves us without FSUIPC, freeware or otherwise. Unless of course you're volunteering to make your own free alternative, in which case please get on with it (which on many occasions Pete has said he would welcome).

But anyways, good 'ol Pete stole the FSUIPC concept (and much of the original programming code) from Adam Szofren a long time ago

As I understand it, Pete continued development when Adam stopped (he went in to the employment of Microsoft, I believe). He did not 'steal' the concept.

Furthermore, all of the 'FSUIPC concept' that you refer to is still free in FSUIPC. The functions that Pete is charging for are all things which were never in FS6IPC, so how he 'stole' those in order to charge for them I don't know. We are now three FS versions on from FS6IPC (FS98).

If you'd ever read Pete's reasons for making FSUIPC into a commercial product - which I suspect you're either too stupid or lazy to do - you'd know that this was done as a last resort when Pete had to choose between that and stopping development completely. I don't see any free alternatives to FSUIPC, now nearly a year since the announcements. Pete went to great lengths to make the 'FSUIPC concept' part remain free. The whole thing came about because of the failure of the donations scheme. Presumably you donated?

[rickalty]

Goodness sakes people, it's really not that difficult. Hex editors and decompilers, as well as the ever faithful CPU registry scanner BlackIce are generally all the tool(s) you need to render your unregistered copy of FSUIPC fully functional. If you need the specifics email me at Pchin@hotmail.com and I'll be more than happy to help you out.

Doing this for personal use is not piracy of course but who the heck is going to know you even did it in any event.

of course it's piracy you halfwit. Hacking a commercial product to use it for free is piracy, just as if you were hacking FS itself to give away copies of it to your friends.

Saves a lot of money for the tenacious hackers out there amongst us.

Robbing banks saves money for the bank robbers, but it's still a criminal act.

Also, giving away your registration info publicly does not constitute piracy either. Maybe unethical but that is life, deal with it.

No, it's not just unethical, it's criminal, and of course it's piracy.

Richard

[Guest]

Well, go get a lawyer and debate the issue of this being piracy, lol, I could actually care less. Telling someone how to hack a program isn't against the law though and no one is going to be able to know what you do in your own spare time on your own computer anyway are they?

[Guest]

Well the old, blind, Limey we lovingly know as Pete Dowson can just retire and close up shop, that'd be mighty fine with the likes of me. I would like to donate a bucket of my reconstituted byproduct of digestion to him though, that's about all he will get from the likes of me.

Maybe the Cubans will be able to deal with Petey, let's wait and see. Viva Fidel!!!!!

[rickalty]

We'll see if Microsoft (parent company of Hotmail) agrees with your opinion, as I forwarded your post with the info that you're using a hotmail email address to promote piracy to both the abuse@hotmail.com and piracy@microsoft.com email addresses to see if they agree with you.

Everything that is only available to registered users of FSUIPC is Pete's wn work, not the orld contribution of Adam - not to mention that it's Pete who's done all the offset tracking for every new version of MSFS.

If, as you say, he packs up shop and doesn't release an FSUIPC for the next version of MSFS, then none of these fancy add-ons will work with that version - or are you offereing to do the work involved in tracking down all the offsets in the next version?

Richard

[Guest]

No one pirating anything here buddy. Seems we have a difference of opinion as to what piracy is. I merely offer insight into programming techniques as a hobby. How can anyone misinterpret this? :roll:

[rickalty]

Of course it's piracy. you're offering to tell people how to get payware functions for free. Using those payware functions without paying is piracy.

There's no grey area at all, it's open and shut. You don't even try to hide it - in your first post you boast about the money you can steal from developers with your "saves us hackers lots of money" crack.

Richard

[Guest]

Ahem - Rickalty

I don't believe I personallly admitted to hacking anything, please go back and reread all of my previous statements. I do believe I stated that the tenacious hacker (sic) COULD save a lot of money if he or she were so inclined to acknowledge my special insight into programming techniques.

I would think that you Pete worshippers would be thankful for my being able to expose this very serious security flaw with FSUPIC being able to be converted to a fully functional version through a little reprogramming. But again, I've never admitted to doing anything in any of my previous statements. Think of me as a friend, someone who is trying to help Pete out by exposing these security risks. If this kind of abuse continues against me I will be forced to start charging for my work!!!!!

Thank you.

[BenSollis]

Master Chinchilla,

It is indeed unfortunate that one as young as yourself has such little respect for your peers. Throwing tantrums arund here will gain you little but a pat on the head and a knowledgable nod among adults.

You speak of stealing ideas and yet admit to being nothing more than a common thief yourself? At least, one would expect that if you are to throw stones you do not encase yourself in a glasshouse?

Alas, in your infantile attempt to throw dispersion upon a member of our community you managed to pick one of the most respected. An indication I suspect of your immatureness. In years to come, when you come of age, you will realise your folly and cringe.

Finally, Mssr ChinChilla, I would give you some council as my peers did when I was at your young age;

"T'is better to keep your mouth closed and be thought of as an idiot, than to open it, and be proven one."

You have by mistake, chosen the latter.

Ben

[Guest]

Somehow though, in the midst of my immaturedness, I have seemingly managed to save a lot of people some serious money, whew. My email overflowefth.

I can only hope that the people to whom I'm responding to don't condone simply reprogramming their copy of FSUPIC to a fully functional version without paying for this product. That would be unfortunate. Rather, in the spirit of the community, I would hope that this serious security risk with FSUPIC be addressed so that individuals would not be able to accomplish piracy. This is my contribution to the community.

No thanks really needed, although I am considering accepting donations to cover my expenses. Perhaps Pete Dowson can offer me counsel on how to go about this :lol:

[Guest]

To reiterate, yes, Pete Dowson essensially pirated the work of Adam Zsofren for his own personal gain and profit. Dowson did so WITHOUT the express permission of Mr. Zsofren and is therefore committing a criminal act as Adam Zsofren's work was fully copyrighted Dowson is a thief. It's time for him to be exposed once and for all for what he truly is.

What goes around comes around.

[BenSollis]

I have seemingly managed to save a lot of people some serious money

You are talking about the people who only get $5 pocket money per chance?

Speaking for myself, I spend more on cigarettes a week than I did to Pete. Serious money? Hardly.

whew. My email overflowefth

I think you mis-typed and meant to say EGO...

I would hope that this serious security risk with FSUPIC be addressed

Security Risk? What risk is it that you speak of? I know of no threat by FSUIPC to any of my systems? Maybe, in your simple outlook on life, morality and justifications, you can explain to us, the exact nature of this security risk?

If by some freak of nature, you mean that it can be hacked by children such as yourself, for the purpose of theft from the author, then I fear once again, you are mistaken. Hacking software for the purpose of using that software without paying the author is theft. Plain and simple.

Pete Dowson can offer me counsel on how to go about this

I don't like speaking for Pete but I am sure he has some 'counsel' for you. I am just avidly waiting to hear it.

That you have picked such a time as this when Pete is away only adds cowardness to your list of traits.

Elsewhere;

To reiterate, yes, Pete Dowson essensially pirated the work of Adam Zsofren for his own personal gain and profit. Dowson did so WITHOUT the express permission of Mr. Zsofren

One assumes that you have written verifiable proof of this statement and you can furnish it here to verify your claims to us?

One also must raise the question as to why it is not Mr. Adam Zsofren who is here making these claims and instead we are hearing them from some thief in the night?

What goes around comes around

Thankfully you know this phrase. One hopes you won't be so alarmed when it happens to you.

Ben

[rickalty]

To reiterate, yes, Pete Dowson essensially pirated the work of Adam Zsofren for his own personal gain and profit. Dowson did so WITHOUT the express permission of Mr. Zsofren and is therefore committing a criminal act as Adam Zsofren's work was fully copyrighted Dowson is a thief. It's time for him to be exposed once and for all for what he truly is.

What goes around comes around.

EVEN if it were true that Pete didn't have Adams approval to continue with FSUIPC development after Adam dropped it (and I very much doubt it is true, or why would he give credit to Adam's earlier work?) you'd STILL be wrong about the "for his own personal gain and profit".

ALL the functions that Adams old FS6IPC offered are part of the free functions of FSUIPC. The payware functions are all additional functionality that Pete has written entirely on his own.

To see a little sneak thief like yourself bragging about stealing from a developer and trying to someow "justify" it by saying that Pete's work was based on another developers earlier work is sickening.

Richard

[vdkeybus]

Dear Paco,

Last week I needed a better twin flight model. So I went and bought a Seneca V from FSD Intl. To my surprise, even with the CD at hand, I have to have an internet connection in order to get access codes and get on with the install. A damn nuisance if the simulator is actually located into a remote location without internet, as happened to be in my case.

The reason I have to return home, send 2 personal numbers, an invoice number and wait for the FSD reply is simple: people like you. Thank you.

They don't pay for the costs involved in getting a reliable product working and instead, they make me pay more. Thank you.

The fact that you're offering:

if he or she were so inclined to acknowledge my special insight into programming techniques

is an invitation for other people to do things they shouldn't. The special insight you may have can only be used by others to commit a 'crime' that's very hard or even impossible to detect, which is exactly why many will do it. And you know that. Please do not brag about that.

If you want to hack around, do so in SIM1.DLL and find some useful offsets there. That's a real challenge: the code is probably C/C++, compiled with all optimizations on and MMX support. It will give you an idea of the work Pete currently puts into FSUIPC.

Jeroen.