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echo: osdebate
to: All
from: Ad
date: 2007-02-20 09:18:44
subject: MPAA engages in Piracy

From: Ad 

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37707

"THE MPAA has been caught pirating Open Source software.

The writer of the blogging engine called Forest Blog spotted the pirate
hunting outfit MPAA was using his work and had completely violated his
linkware licence.

Not only had it removed all links back to the Forest Blog site, the MPAA
had not credited him for creating the software in any way.

Patrick Robin wrote the ASP-based blogging platform called Forest Blog and
distributes it for free under a linkware licence. The idea is that you can
use it for free merely by linking back to his site where Forest Blog is
offered for download. The cost of removing the linkware would have set the
MPAA back the grand sum of œ25.

According to TorrentFreak, Robin only found out about the outfit's use of
his blog software when he accidentally visited the MPAA blogging site.

The site is down now, but one wonders if the MPAA has this attitude about
piracy, why is it so surprised when others rip off its music or movies.

The MPAA wriggled out of the hole it dug itself by removing blog and the
offending software from its servers.

"The blog was only ever used for testing purposes, it wrote. Should we
have decided to make the move to production, then we would have paid the 25
Pounds that would have authorized us to run a version of the blog without
the logos and links." Isn't that nice of them? And with a bit of luck
it'll take itself to court and fine itself $50,000 per line of code,
mulitplied by its number pof members. "


I agree whole heartedly with the last paragraph. Those who put themselves
forward as figures of virtue should be made an example of.

I say send in the SWAT teams to drag away their computers as a first step.

Adam

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