What the heck?

[Scntrblob]

It's not my intention to interfere with iControlPad stuff, but since those are the same guys that also do the pandora I wanted to bring this to discusion anyway.


I was already pretty perplexed to see Zodttd getting support from OP after all his GPL - trouble.But seeing Craig being happy that someone who stole Mupen64plus for android, making a few thousand dollars without giving credit and as far as I get it without letting the original authors participate at his win getting an iControlPad is another chapter of madness.


I mean, those guys fucking destroy the whole opensource-menatality and we are happy that they do so, or what???


What if in the future no one shares his work because they have to fear thieves (I can only repeat it: thieves) come along steeling their work? If I would be an emu - author I would not open my source. I would be stupid if I did.


I ask it once more: Is this it what we want to support? Is this the way OP wants to go? I am pretty shocked, I have to admit.


...I want to see the emus on the pandora evolving and not dying because working on them would mean to work for someone elses bank account. It seams OP think different...

 

[Granitehead]

It seams OP think different...

That's only Craig, I think, not all of OP.

 

[craigix]

Maybe you should take this up with google?

 

[Enwyr]

Well iam not realy know the background. But its never nice to copy gpl software and make money with that.


But nerverless, i think peoples who realy like opensource software and, of course, the background idea, would stay on it. Because of the fact that its free and open for all.


I think we all know the power of opensource, this project is the best example

 

[ZXDunny]

I was already pretty perplexed to see Zodttd getting support from OP after all his GPL - trouble.But seeing Craig being happy that someone who stole Mupen64plus for android, making a few thousand dollars without giving credit and as far as I get it without letting the original authors participate at his win getting an iControlPad is another chapter of madness.


I mean, those guys fucking destroy the whole opensource-menatality and we are happy that they do so, or what???


What if in the future no one shares his work because they have to fear thieves (I can only repeat it: thieves) come along steeling their work? If I would be an emu - author I would not open my source. I would be stupid if I did.

Meh, it's just code. There are more important things in life, unless laughing at GPL apologists is your bag ;-)


D.

 

[Scntrblob]

Meh, it's just code. There are more important things in life, unless laughing at GPL apologists is your bag ;-)

D.

It's not just code, it's hard work. And if people see their work stolen they might stop doing it. What would the pandora be without its emulators, without its OS? Just code, of course.

Maybe you should take this up with google?

Should I?


Is it their fault that he took Mupen, called it N64oid and doesn't mentioned the original authors with one word?


Is it their fault that he broke the law by simply ignoring the license the code has?


Is it their fault that he even made a lot of money with it, with work he stole?


No. It's entirely his fault.


You seem to like his appearance in this scene anyway, that's something I simply cannot understand.

 

[WizardStan]

I'd point out that people like Yongzh who take open source code and don't give credit where it is due is the very reason a lot of skilled developers who previously released their code as GPL are no longer doing so. Of note, see the history behind Adventure Game Studio.


It really sucks to come up with something great, release it to the masses so they can enjoy it, and then have someone else come along and claim your work as their own. Makes you think twice about letting just anyone have your source code.

 

[Scntrblob]

You seem to like his appearance in this scene anyway, that's something I simply cannot understand.

Profit!

It will turn to loss in the end. I see this like WizardStad does.


What if a pandora 2 comes up, whatever console would be able to get emulated, but no one wants to rewrite the emulator because someone would immidiatly pop up and sell it as an smartphone-app, ignoring the dev and the fact that he put monthes of work into it.


I remember Ari64 stating that he worked somewhat like 5 monthes on the Mupen-Dynarec before coming up with it. I doubt he has made a penny with it by today, he did it for us and his enjoyment.


Yongzh _stole_ thoese monthes of work. What if he also stole Ari64s enjoyment of working on it and with it a great potential the pandora has?

 

[Blue Protoman]

Can't Ari sue that guy who stole his work?

 

[richiz]

Yongzh is a c*** sucker

 

[Dead1nside]

Similar thoughts did cross my mind. I didn't know who the guy was until recently, but non compliance with the GPL, or avoiding it, isn't that great for the ecosystem in my opinion. Customers don't care, especially the growing Android market.


I don't know if what he's doing contravenes the GPL, but it's certainly not a friendly way to contribute, in fact there is no contribution, in my understanding.

 

[craigix]

Maybe you should take this up with google?

Should I?


Is it their fault that he took Mupen, called it N64oid and doesn't mentioned the original authors with one word?


Is it their fault that he broke the law by simply ignoring the license the code has?


Is it their fault that he even made a lot of money with it, with work he stole?


No. It's entirely his fault.


You seem to like his appearance in this scene anyway, that's something I simply cannot understand.

Erm, isn't it google that pays him? You said he is selling these emulators? So maybe rather than pointless posts here you should inform google so the app can be pulled?


Have you done that?


Have you emailed him to ask him side of the story? Ed has been emailing him without issues and getting replies as far as I know.

 

[Linopoly]

edit: ninjaed by craig, original post follows:

Should I?


Is it their fault that he took Mupen, called it N64oid and doesn't mentioned the original authors with one word?


Is it their fault that he broke the law by simply ignoring the license the code has?


Is it their fault that he even made a lot of money with it, with work he stole?


No. It's entirely his fault.

I totally agree with you that license violations are a big deal. However, I think this could and should be taken up with Google (Craig's alarmingly nonchalant reaction to this notwithstanding), i.e. a copyright holder could complain to them about copyright infringement, which would get the app removed from the market (although it seems that Yongzh has voluntarily removed it from the market already for some kind of quality related reason). I'm guessing that they wouldn't need a lawyer to draft down and send it (IANAL though!). It just needs to say that you own the copyright, said app is infringing on it, and that you'd like for it to be removed from the market. If it were me writing the letter, I might dig around and see if it's possible to get some of the money back too. For that part I'd probably contact a lawyer.


Oh, and this is all assuming that less formal means of communication have broken down. Do you have a link to anywhere with more information about N64oid violating the license of Mupen64Plus? I searched the forum for N64oid and Yongzh, and I can't find any other complaints about this other than yours in the first post of this thread.

 

[craigix]

My reaction is actually neutral, I know nothing of these events. If the app has indeed been removed then maybe this is already all over?


Ed has been speaking to him and sent me his address about 2 months ago, the iCP was stuck in Chinese customs until now.

 

[Linopoly]

My reaction is actually neutral, I know nothing of these events. If the app has indeed been removed then maybe this is already all over?


Ed has been speaking to him and sent me his address about 2 months ago, the iCP was stuck in Chinese customs until now.

Yeah, I see from your second post that your reaction is basically the same as mine, but you didn't say enough in the first one to make that clear. It seemed, to me at least, like you were just brushing it off as a non-issue.


Here's a second-hand comment explaining why it was removed. It has nothing to do with licensing issues.

 

[EvilDragon]

First off, as Craig mentioned, Yongzh has been sent the iCP two months ago, long before N64droid was even released.


I never was in the Android or mobile phone gaming scene and spoke to some devs on IRC who recommended we should ship him one, as he releases a lot of emulators (a fact that can also be seen in the market).


I had eMail contact with him and he seems to be a nice person. I still don't know exactly what has happened here, as I was way too busy with other things to have time to follow the emulation scene for mobile phones - and to be honest, why should I, as I only have an N900 and no Android phone or iPhone.


I know he sells ports of GPL'ed emulators, but that's nothing illegal. The GPL doesn't disallow selling. But you have to release the full changed sourcecode on request.


I haven't requested any code here, did someone request the sourcecode for any of his emulators yet and didn't get it? I haven't read anything like that anywhere, so it's hard to tell for me, whether he sticks to the GPL or not.


Any other dev could port the emulator as well and sell it on Android. Heck, the official team behind an emulator could port it and either sell it, sharing the money to keep servers running, etc. or release it for free. No one will stop them from doing so.


So selling GPL'ed ports is not an issue and doesn't have anything to do with thieves.


What puzzles me is that someone here mentioned he removed the credits.


Now that's something that really shouldn't happen. Was this the same with his other emulators as well? Or only with N64droid?


Did any of the devs contact him about that? Did someone request the sourcecode?


I'm one of those guys who likes to RESOLVE issues, not to blame one person for doing something. The best things come out if we all work together.


Up until know, I didn't know yongzh doesn't. Has anyone spoken about this issue with him yet?

 

[Prometheus]

What puzzles me is that someone here mentioned he removed the credits.


Now that's something that really shouldn't happen. Was this the same with his other emulators as well? Or only with N64droid?


Did any of the devs contact him about that? Did someone request the sourcecode?

There was a thread on the other forums about this, in early March, if that's of any interest.

 

[wdt]

So many misunderstandings !!!


The GPL only mentions money with respect to availability of SOURCE


which MUST be sent for cost + handleing to anyone who requests it


The binary can be sold for anything or nothing.


If source is not sent on request, then copying is copyright violation.


The copyright violation has very severe fines.


If the GPL is followed, then copying is NOT theft


If the original code was GPL, then the derivative MUST also be GPL.


ie the license cannot be changed


The GPL says nothing about crediting former authors


These former authors are the only people who can prosecute a copyright violation


dave

 

[craigix]

Could we not all just post his emulator for free on Android?

 

[Scntrblob]

Erm, isn't it google that pays him? You said he is selling these emulators? So maybe rather than pointless posts here you should inform google so the app can be pulled?
Have you done that?


Have you emailed him to ask him side of the story? Ed has been emailing him without issues and getting replies as far as I know.

It was removed. And if someone steals you a package pandoras, you surely will ask him kind for "him side of the story".

I know he sells ports of GPL'ed emulators, but that's nothing illegal. The GPL doesn't disallow selling. But you have to release the full changed sourcecode on request.
I haven't requested any code here, did someone request the sourcecode for any of his emulators yet and didn't get it? I haven't read anything like that anywhere, so it's hard to tell for me, whether he sticks to the GPL or not.


Any other dev could port the emulator as well and sell it on Android. Heck, the official team behind an emulator could port it and either sell it, sharing the money to keep servers running, etc. or release it for free. No one will stop them from doing so.


So selling GPL'ed ports is not an issue and doesn't have anything to do with thieves.

The GPL requests that modifyed GPL - programms get marked as such. He doesn't mention the GPL with a single word. He makes it look like he wrote the emu. That is crime and therefore he is stealing.

I'm one of those guys who likes to RESOLVE issues, not to blame one person for doing something. The best things come out if we all work together.
Up until know, I didn't know yongzh doesn't. Has anyone spoken about this issue with him yet?

I'm sure the essentials of the GPL are on top of every single file of the emus source. Thats something you cannot oversee.