Can directory script theft be avoided?

I've never been so angry in my life, and it takes a lot to rile me these days. On the verge of releasing the phpLynx directory script to open-source I get anonymous p.m's warning me of the perils of the script getting nulled and then offered on warez sites. Naive as I am I never believed it but checked out of curiosity, I'm not going to provide links to them just take my word they exist in surprisingly large numbers, am I right to feel so angry?

This isn't going to prevent us from releasing the code by the way, its just going to delay us while we figure out a way to prevent this abuse.

What annoys me even more is these ******* even use the respective scripts descriptions to advertise the fact they are offering stolen copies.

 

They deserve more than just being shut down Mike, its about time these faceless gits [ther description:] were punished the proper way.

 

That's why cyber-crime is so rife Mike, its so easy for people to do it. The problem with warez is they don't make any money out of it, I often wonder if it as their own parents who owned software would they think it so 'cool' to steal then. After all dear mummy and daddy wouldn't be able to afford to buy them they shiny computers then could they.

 

But your directory script is open source, then why you don't allow script theft to use it?

 

Open source is not a licence to go and steal the script hhheng. I don't think I need to add any more to what Mikey said.

 

Open source or not - your script can still be nulled. Someone purchases (or borrows) a copy, digs into the code, and nulls it. It's not as difficult as you think. If you don't want your software nulled, offer it for free. Free software is never nulled. Be more creative in how you capitalize off of your work. You can make money off of it in more ways than just charging directly for the script.

Remember, nulled scripts aren't necessarily lost revenue. Most people that use nulled scripts, never would have paid for it in the first place. Build a community of users and the money will be there.

 

Of course they wouldn't they are thieves, they don't pay for anything.

 

...or perhaps they only pay for quality

 

The script will get nulled regardless of whether it is open source or not. It's not worth getting angry about as there is little you can do to stop it. Just concentrate on the real customers.

 

Jamie, the truest statement I've come across in life:

If they're old enough to give it, they're old enough to take it.

Exactly why I'd happily give a yobby little kid a twat across the head Needless to say, I suspect you'll get it all covered, and ensure the perpetrators pay in a respective manner, get those Welsh sheepdogs after 'em

 

if you want to kill the callbacks to phpld that david logs and also caused login issues;

file:
admin/index.php


comment out this section:

/*
$currentVersion = (defined ('CURRENT_VERSION') && CURRENT_VERSION > 2 ? CURRENT_VERSION : 3.0);

$url = get_url('http://www.phplinkdirectory.com/current.php?simpleversion='.round ($currentVersion), URL_CONTENT, $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'].request_uri());
$latestVersion = (isset ($url['content']) && !empty ($url['content']) ? trim ($url['content']) : 0);

//Check if latest version could be determined
if (!isset ($url['content']) || empty ($url['content']))
{
//Could not determine latest version
$version = _L('Could not determine latest version.');
$tpl->assign('update_available', 1);
}
else
{
//Determined latest version successfully,
//compare against current version
if (version_compare ($latestVersion, $currentVersion) == 1)
{
//Update is available
$version = _L('A new version (##VERSION##) is available.');
$version = str_replace('##VERSION##', $latestVersion, $version);
$tpl->assign('update_available', 1);
}
else
{
//No update available
$version = _L('Your installation is up to date, no updates are available for your version of PHP Link Directory.');
$tpl->assign('update_available', 0);
}
}
*/

then scroll down a bit more and then comment out this section:

/*
//phpLinkDirectory News
if (ENABLE_NEWS)
{
$url = get_url("http://www.phplinkdirectory.com/news.php", URL_CONTENT);
if ($url['status'])
{
$news = parse_news($url['content']);
$tpl->assign('news', $news);
}
}
*/

This has also occassionally caused issues with hosting providers such as GoDaddy, where it would just hang and eventually timeout.

Maybe there are more, i dunno. I just don't put much of an effort into finding callbacks.

 

As soon as somebody creates a work-around so that it kills the phpLD callbacks and doesn't cause the system to hang, it'll be game, set and match to the warez crowd. Warez versions will move into the mainstream and phpld will be gone. Time to be a bit more stringent on callback policies. Hidden spyware, like a nice prostitute, will eventually **** you (Not that I've tried, just citing reference, or am I? [Play X-Files music here] hahaha)

 

maybe you can put their name public to stop them.

 

Problem being, names can be changed. Identities hidden. To a certain extent, anyway

 

Just so you know, I posted what I posted only because it has caused issues during login. (fact)

If there are more, I wouldn't say. I'm only pointing out what has caused severe slowdowns and login issues in the past and present, so that people may be able to rectify it accordingly should they happen to glance by that post.

 

Good. Glad to see someone offering support for that script without expecting them to pay to read the thread.