Guy charging U$100 for package containing free rubies!!

AcesHigh

@chris fullmer said:

I lived in Itajuba, BH for a while. I'd go hunt him down if I was still in the area.

Chris

(BTW, Itajuba is awesome! "Eu sou felize, porque moro em Itajuba!") They had bumper stickers that said that. They made me smile.

Itajuba, BH? Is it some neighborhood of Belo Horizonte? Or a city in the metro area? Or did you meant Itajuba, MG (Minas Gerais state)?

So, what were you doing down here?

Chris Fullmer

I responded in a PM so as to not continue to hijack the thread. Sorry!

Chris

solo

@unknownuser said:

In the program Ark-Z SKP7 were used dozens of Scripts Bevan, that have been translated and some modified by me. Below relations with the authorship of each script (was indicated). The other scripts used in the program are my authorship.

Translated from his site.

I have no idea if this is legit, hoping an author of one of those scripts chimes in to confirm they gave permission to this chap to sell their scripts.

thomthom

@rickw said:

Back when we were learning ruby, many of us started with one of the @Last scripts and modified it. Or, we started with a script that was itself modified from an @Last script. We then modified our own scripts, and/or used the header info as a template.

After the copyright line, all the @Last scripts contained the following phrase:

@unknownuser said:

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies.

Any author that failed to delete that phrase from a given script has no recourse.

I have wanted for some time to set up a pair of new templates (one with the phrase and one without) that also have the menu structure set up for Organizer.rb

I'd be happy to post them here for collaborative editing so we can all end up with standardized templates that will work for us, will be(come) universal, and will allow quick parsing for script name, author's name, date, version, description, checksum, etc., so that Didier's site and any future version-update-checker scripts could quickly list and compare scripts/versions.

That would be great.
I like that it would include info in a manner which would allow auto-updaters to be able to read.

As for this site; anyone got a list of the plugins used?

Chris Fullmer

The list link in the first post points to all the scripts that he has included.

Chris

RickW

Back when we were learning ruby, many of us started with one of the @Last scripts and modified it. Or, we started with a script that was itself modified from an @Last script. We then modified our own scripts, and/or used the header info as a template.

After the copyright line, all the @Last scripts contained the following phrase:

@unknownuser said:

Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies.

Any author that failed to delete that phrase from a given script has no recourse.

I have wanted for some time to set up a pair of new templates (one with the phrase and one without) that also have the menu structure set up for Organizer.rb

I'd be happy to post them here for collaborative editing so we can all end up with standardized templates that will work for us, will be(come) universal, and will allow quick parsing for script name, author's name, date, version, description, checksum, etc., so that Didier's site and any future version-update-checker scripts could quickly list and compare scripts/versions.

EDIT: I started a new thread for the template

tomasz

There is just one of my scripts, but I have not given any permission. There is a plenty of Didier's and TIG's scripts down there!

Tomasz

Edson

of course, to give credit is not enough considering he is charging for scripts that were freely distributed. i think i will drop him a line to call his attention to this fact.

thomthom

"Thanks for making all these free plugins so I can make money on them even though they are available for free." hmmm...

watkins

Dear Gaieus,

Perhaps the chap's membership to this Forum could and should be terminated, and a PM sent to him explaining why.

Regards,
Bob

Gaieus

Bob,

I don't know if he is a member here (and with what username) but if I terminated his membership, how could he receive that PM?

Well, anyway, the question is quite academic now as simply terminating anyone's membership wouldn't solve the problem. There are hopefully other means going to take place.

Mike Lucey

@gaieus said:

There are hopefully other means going to take place.

I second this! We are working on an idea that may go a ways to help to curtail unscrupulous people like the 'gentleman' mentioned from financially piggy backing on Ruby Scripters hard OPEN work.

I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of these attempts now that SketchUp is fast becoming so popular so it is receiving our top priority.

Mike

CadFather

..i wonder if he got the concept from my toolbar series

Chris Fullmer

EDIT: removed, off topic

Edson

i have just sent him a note, as follows:

@unknownuser said:

prezado ezequiel,

sou arquiteto de porto alegre, professor na ufrgs, e moderador do SCF (Sketchup Community Forums).

recentemente chegou ao nosso conhecimento o pacote de ferramentas Ark-Z SKP6, que tu comercializas a partir do teu site. sempre nos interessa qualquer iniciativa desse tipo, pois em geral ferramentas adicionais melhoram o desempenho do sketchup e auxiliam seus usuários, que é o objetivo do forum.

no entanto, ao analisar o que tu ofereces nos chamou atenção o fato de que vários dos scripts que fazem parte do teu pacote não são da tua autoria. mais ainda, são scripts de autores conhecidos no forum e que distribuem os seus scripts de graça.

sabemos também que, em algum ponto do teu site, há uma lista informando a autoria dos scripts. isso é muito bom e está correto. também se sabe que muitos scripts permitem que outros os modifiquem à vontade, e essa permissão quase sempre consta do texto dos scripts. é muito provável que tu imagines que é suficiente dar crédito aos autores. porém, o problema que está criado é que tu estás fazendo uso comercial de scripts que são distribuídos gratuitamente, e sem consultar os seus autores.

a descoberta do teu pacote causou consternação na nossa comunidade (que não é pequena: hoje somos quase 13.000 membros). no brasil é muito comum o uso de software ilegal e poucos ligam para isso, mas no exterior isso é levado muito a sério. o forum SCF tem por princípio não incentivar qualquer iniciativa que fira a ética e não respeite a autoria.

por isso, tomo a liberdade de sugerir que faças contato com os autores dos scripts em questão. parece justo que eles também lucrem com a venda do seu trabalho.

qualquer iniciativa oficial do SCF contra ti teria um efeito desagradável. algo tão simples quanto um aviso de que boa parte do que tu vendes pode ser obtido de graça já seria comprometedor e prejudicaria a tua imagem.

atenciosamente,

--
Edson Mahfuz, PhD
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Porto Alegre - RS - Brasil

Mailto: edson@mahfuz.arq.br

translation:

dear ezequiel,

i am an architect in porto alegre and a professor at ufrgs, as well as a moderator at SCF.

it just came to our knowledge that you are selling a package of tools for sketchup. in general, all attempts to improve sketchup's capabilities and make its users' life easier interests us at SCF.

however, a quick look at the tools you included in the package indicates that many of the scripts were not authored by you. moreover, their authors are well known among us and their scripts are usually distributed for free.

we are aware that you mention their names in your site as the authors of those scripts. we also know that many of those authors grant permission "to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any purpose and without fee" as long as copyright is preserved. this is where the problem is situated: you are making commercial use of scripts that are freely given away, and without getting permission from their authors.

the knowledge of what you are doing caused consternation at the SCF (we are now almost 13.000 strong). the use of illegal software may be commom in many parts of the world but we at SCF frown upon any unethical attitude regarding software and authorship.

thus i take the liberty of suggesting that you contact the authors of the scripts you included in your package. it is just fair that they benefit from the sale of their own work.

any attitude that we may take about this matter can have a very disagreable outcome for you. even something as simple as warning our members not to buy from you what they can get here and elsewhere for free would be damaging to your commercial reputation.

sincerely,

etc.

AcesHigh

Thats a nice text Edson. I hope he sees reason.

although he DID translate and created toolbars, I dont think thats enough of a work for him to charge money, considering the most hard work was the scripts themselves.

yes, he created several scripts too. I dont know how good they are and if they are worth money, but certainly, if they are good enough, he can sell such scripts and even more, sell to non brazilians too (through SMustard for example)

anyway, if he doesnt agree with all that, one thing we CAN do is to put him out of business in a simple way, without needing to resort to judicial means.

How? Simply by we creating a package just like his package, with THE SAME SCRIPTS, all translated to portuguese, with his icons (lol, ladrão que rouba ladrão tem 100 anos de perdão), and distribute it for free (obviously). We announce the package everywhere. Nobody will buy his tools anymore

123zxy

Do I pay for the ARK-Z plugins?

The question is why. If the vast majority of the plugins included in the toolbar are distributed for free.

Is it legal to pay for something they do not own? If not that way. WHY is it possible?

Authors should get paid for effort, but ... those who usurp the property of others should be punished

Sorry, my English is not good and use the translator google

Edson

i suggest we do this:

wait a couple of days to see if the guy answers my email.
in case he does not or his answer does not satisfy us, we should post a warning at the ruby forum (and in any other places you may suggest like, for instance, the Ruby Depot) to the effect that scripts A, B,...Z, included in the package Ark-Z SKP6, can be downloaded for free.

feel free to complement my suggestion.

AcesHigh

List of The Plugins by Alphabetical Order of the Plugin Names
3PointTool.rb @Last Software, Inc.
AddVertex.rb TIG
AddVertex+.rb TIG
aitop.rb ODM
align_tool.rb Didier Bur
animation2.rb @Last Software, Inc.
Arcs.rb Didier Bur
arkz_animation2.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_arquitetura.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_cameras.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_creditos.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_draw_2d.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_draw_3d.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_filters.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_layer_manager_v6.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_menus.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_modify.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_projection.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
arkz_tools.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
AxisLock.rb Victor Liu
balustrade.rb Tomasz Marek
bezierspline.rb @Last Software, Inc.
BezPatch.rb Victor Liu
bez-patch.rb Victor Liu
BezPatchEdit.rb Victor Liu
BezPatchTool.rb Victor Liu
bomb.rb Rick Wilson
boxes_random.rb @Last Software, Inc.
BZ__BSplineU.rb Fredo6
BZ__CubicBezier.rb Fredo6
BZ__Divider.rb Fredo6
cab.rb
cabinet.rb Todd Burch
CadalogBeamTool.rb Cadalog, Inc.
centerpoint.rb Todd Burch
cleanup_model.rb John H. Aughey
Clinetool.rb Google, Inc.
Cloud_v6.rb Didier Bur
ContourMaker.rb TIG
cratetool.rb Tim
curvestitcher21.rb RW
dim_angle.rb Didier Bur
divide_cpoint.rb
dline.rb Didier Bur
DoorMaker.rb PKR
draw_frame.rb Tomot
draw_glass.rb Tomot
draw_mullion.rb Tomot
draw_trim.rb Tomot
drawhelix13.rb Peter Brown
ellipse.rb Didier Bur
entfilter.rb Francisco Rodriguez
exploder.rb Remi Goux
extend11.rb Rick Wilson
extrud_along_normal.rb Wkai
extrude_lines.rb Didier Bur
FacePusher.rb Uli Tessel
Frame_Tool.rb Tomot
Geodesic_SketchUp.rb Gavin Kistner
geom_selection.rb
Glass_Tool Tomot
groupByLayer.rb Rick Wilson
groupByTexture.rb Rick Wilson
helicoidal_ramp.rb ODM
helix12.rb Rick Wilson
joisttool.rb @Last Software, Inc.
k_tools_50.rb Klaudius
Layer_manager.rb Didier Bur
LibTraductor.rb Fredo6
line2cyl.rb Didier Bur
lines2walls_13.rb Didier Bur
LSystem.rb a4chitect
mesh_additions.rb @Last Software, Inc.
Mirror_31.rb Frank Wiesner
Mullion_Tool.rb Tomot
numb.rb TBD
opener.rb Didier Bur
paint_altitude_faces.rb Didier Bur
parametric.rb @Last Software, Inc.
parametric_grid.rb @Last Software, Inc.
pathcopy.rb Rick Wilson
PipeAlongPath.rb TIG
projection.rb Didier Bur
PurgeAll.rb TIG
pushpull_tool.rb @Last Software, Inc.
quick_selection.rb Didier Bur
randomPushPull.rb Didier Bur
rectangle.rb @Last Software, Inc.
register.rb Ezequiel M Rezende
remove_materials.rb Todd Burch
Roof.rb TIG
scrtool.rb Todd Burch
SectionCutFace.rb TIG
shapes.rb @Last Software, Inc.
SketchyFFD.rb Chris Phillips
Slicer.rb TIG
stair.rb
stairconctool3.rb Tim
terrain_reshaper.rb Didier Bur
Toolbars.rb Nathan Cheever
Trim_Tool.rb Tomot
vector.flat_angle.rb
weld.rb Rick Wilson
windowizer.rb Rick Wilson
windows.rb @Last Software, Inc.
xLine.rb Rick Wilson
xLine2Line.rb TIG
ZLoader__OnSurface.rb Fredo6

List of The Plugins by Alphabetical Order of the Author Names (in bold, the plugins created by the pack author)
@Last Software, Inc. 3PointTool.rb
@Last Software, Inc. animation2.rb
@Last Software, Inc. bezierspline.rb
@Last Software, Inc. boxes_random.rb
@Last Software, Inc. joisttool.rb
@Last Software, Inc. mesh_additions.rb
@Last Software, Inc. parametric.rb
@Last Software, Inc. parametric_grid.rb
@Last Software, Inc. pushpull_tool.rb
@Last Software, Inc. rectangle.rb
@Last Software, Inc. shapes.rb
@Last Software, Inc. windows.rb
a4chitect LSystem.rb
Cadalog, Inc. CadalogBeamTool.rb
Chris Phillips SketchyFFD.rb
Didier Bur align_tool.rb
Didier Bur Arcs.rb
Didier Bur Cloud_v6.rb
Didier Bur dim_angle.rb
Didier Bur dline.rb
Didier Bur ellipse.rb
Didier Bur extrude_lines.rb
Didier Bur Layer_manager.rb
Didier Bur line2cyl.rb
Didier Bur lines2walls_13.rb
Didier Bur opener.rb
Didier Bur paint_altitude_faces.rb
Didier Bur projection.rb
Didier Bur quick_selection.rb
Didier Bur randomPushPull.rb
Didier Bur terrain_reshaper.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_animation2.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_arquitetura.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_cameras.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_creditos.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_draw_2d.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_draw_3d.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_filters.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_layer_manager_v6.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_menus.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_modify.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_projection.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende arkz_tools.rb
Ezequiel M Rezende register.rb
Francisco Rodriguez entfilter.rb
Frank Wiesner Mirror_31.rb
Fredo6 BZ__BSplineU.rb
Fredo6 BZ__CubicBezier.rb
Fredo6 BZ__Divider.rb
Fredo6 LibTraductor.rb
Fredo6 ZLoader__OnSurface.rb
Gavin Kistner Geodesic_SketchUp.rb
Google, Inc. Clinetool.rb
John H. Aughey cleanup_model.rb
Klaudius k_tools_50.rb
Nathan Cheever Toolbars.rb
ODM aitop.rb
ODM helicoidal_ramp.rb
Peter Brown drawhelix13.rb
PKR DoorMaker.rb
Remi Goux exploder.rb
Rick Wilson bomb.rb
Rick Wilson extend11.rb
Rick Wilson groupByLayer.rb
Rick Wilson groupByTexture.rb
Rick Wilson helix12.rb
Rick Wilson pathcopy.rb
Rick Wilson weld.rb
Rick Wilson windowizer.rb
Rick Wilson xLine.rb
RW curvestitcher21.rb
TBD numb.rb
TIG AddVertex.rb
TIG AddVertex+.rb
TIG ContourMaker.rb
TIG PipeAlongPath.rb
TIG PurgeAll.rb
TIG Roof.rb
TIG SectionCutFace.rb
TIG Slicer.rb
TIG xLine2Line.rb
Tim cratetool.rb
Tim stairconctool3.rb
Todd Burch cabinet.rb
Todd Burch centerpoint.rb
Todd Burch remove_materials.rb
Todd Burch scrtool.rb
Tomasz Marek balustrade.rb
Tomot draw_frame.rb
Tomot draw_glass.rb
Tomot draw_mullion.rb
Tomot draw_trim.rb
Tomot Frame_Tool.rb
Tomot Glass_Tool
Tomot Mullion_Tool.rb
Tomot Trim_Tool.rb
Uli Tessel FacePusher.rb
Victor Liu AxisLock.rb
Victor Liu BezPatch.rb
Victor Liu bez-patch.rb
Victor Liu BezPatchEdit.rb
Victor Liu BezPatchTool.rb
Wkai extrud_along_normal.rb
cab.rb
divide_cpoint.rb
geom_selection.rb
stair.rb
vector.flat_angle.rb