Serious Warning about FX-Menu - Copyright infringement

Poster: Andy
Dated: Tuesday January 4 2005 - 19:38:52 GMT

Hi guys,

Just thought I'd warn you about a menu that is currently doing the rounds and also get your opinions about what you think about it all.

The menu is called FX-Menu and it's available at fxsinus . com - People that have bought this menu don't realise that they currently owe us a license fee.

I've been in contact with the guy who owns this site and asked him if he'd give us a bit of credit. The reason I'd like this credit is because he's copied huge portions of our menu, website and most of our concepts. Our lawyers say that it is going to cost around £80,000.00 GBP to get an interim injunction against him. This may well still happen but for now I don't see that this expense (at the moment) is worth it.

Anyway, he's decided not to bother giving us ANY credit and it grieves me that somebody would have the God damn cheek to do this to us. He is selling our software and making money out of our hard work so I think it's about time we made a move.

We know pretty much everything we need to now about this guy and his family. Names, occupations, assets, that sort of thing and our legalies are itching to get onto this but I think there's a much better way of dealing with this which is why I thought I'd run it by you lot. Copying other peoples work seriously stifles innovation.

We are about to release some pretty hefty pieces of code but this will not happen until I'm satisfied that it won't be copied. So you guys are currently loosing out on some great products.

So, what do you think we should do?

Cheers,
Andy

Spread the word...

Poster: rcranswick
Dated: Tuesday January 4 2005 - 20:08:05 GMT

Spreading the word that this guy is ripping off Milonic code/ideas might persuade a lot of people to steer clear. Especially, if it's done through their own forums.

Although, how that would affect any future legal procedures I don't know.

Personally, I wouldn't mind joining their forums and asking questions about the remarkable similarity between their menus and Milonic.

Poster: Andy
Dated: Tuesday January 4 2005 - 22:54:54 GMT

Hi Richard,

I really don't care what happens now with regard the legal issues.

I would like to know how he thinks he has the right to copy somebody else's work though. Although he said he's only copied our ideas. Code comparisons are telling a completely different story.

Maybe we should start contacting all his customers and tell them what is going on. Shouldn't be too difficult to write a Google hack to tell us who they are.

-- Andy

Poster: rcranswick
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 0:18:50 GMT

The brief code comparisons I did were glaringly obvious. You certainly don't have to look far to see it's a blatent rip off.

There are some clients listed on the site. Maybe a WHOIS lookup will yield some info. Maybe some of the sites contain contact info.

Poster: John
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 3:07:18 GMT

You know my feelings - go get the __at__ ^#$*!. Whatever you need from us - you got.

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 3:32:48 GMT

I agree with John. It's frustrating that it cost so much to do the legal route. Wouldn't what he did actually be a felony? I'd think there were laws that are other than just the civil court laws to get them arrested or something. I would like to see the 'what John named them' in jail!

I think the word should be put out about what they are doing.

Ruth

Poster: Simon
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 9:47:53 GMT

All I can say is wow. I didn't even look very far on his site and if I didn't know better I'd think I was looking at a Milonic Mirror site.

Personally I'd like to see the guy lynched and have to pay you for some kind of copywrite infringment but then I'm not a lawyer.

Andy I don't post much in your forums but I do read here once in a while and all I can say is do what you feel is right.

I'm on my 5th license from you guys since finding you and I've no plans to go elsewhere if it makes you feel any better. The problem is though had I not found you first I may very well have purchased a license from him so whatever you decide to do, the sooner the better so you don't lose too many new prospective clients to them.

Simon.

Poster: Andy
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 17:09:54 GMT



Thanks John - I'm at the end of my patience with this A-Hole but I'm damned if I'm going to waste any more money on this POS.

I'm going to need help from you lot to sort this out for me. What I really want now is for this guy and his web site to disappear. I was going to be amicable but why the hell should I. Us guys work our God damn socks of to make this menu what it is. Why the hell should he just take almost everything we've done and call it his own work. FFS it's even priced higher than the original it was based on

This just proves that he's just a low life chancer who thinks he's being clever. I've always been told that what goes around comes around and that good always wins against evil but he's gotten away with this for far too long.



Possibly - Anybody care to look into this for us?

Our lawyers couldn't be too sure as he's based in Austria and the server is hosted in Germany. We could always contact http://www.strato.de/ the hosts and see how they fell about hosting a site selling stolen property. Plus, we could contact http://www.shareit.com/ and see how they too feel.

Don't suppose we'd get very far though.



That's probably because it is almost a mirror. Everything we've slogged our guts on for the last five years has just been picked up and moved. This is outright theft and unless Milonic is prepared to spend vast amounts of money we don't seem to have much choice other than informing the Internet about what is going on and that is what I want to make a start on. So please do whatever you feel you have to. With regard to taking this swine to court we could loose everything we put in. He is only a student so probably skint. However, his father (who's bank account he's using) does have some money. Maybe he needs a warning about what his Son is doing and that it could jeopardise his business, I just don't know what else to do.

This all leaves a very bad taste in my mouth and I really don't want to bother coding anymore which means he won't have any more ideas but you lot loose out on what we have to offer and it sucks.

Cheers
Andy

Poster: rcranswick
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 17:24:47 GMT

I guess a word from your "legalies" to Strato and ShareIt would be a good start. Might make them sit up and listen. Worth a try in my opinion.

Meanwhile, once I get everything together, I'm going to start a thread on this guys forum pointing out the similarities. It might stay on there long enough for other people to read it.

Check this out...

Poster: rcranswick
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 18:43:04 GMT

I've just started a new thread..

http://www.fxsinus. com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=69

If it's still there.

Poster: Andy
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 18:55:33 GMT

Nope - it's gone - Just goes to show that there is definately something to hide, why else would it be taken down so soon?

-- Andy

Poster: rcranswick
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 18:55:45 GMT

Well, my post lasted about 10 minutes (if that) and was removed for being offensive. I can assure everyone I wasn't in the least bit offensive. In fact, I was quite complimentary in some areas.

Does anyone else think this guy has something to hide?!

Poster: rcranswick
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 18:56:44 GMT

Looks like we had the same thoughs Andy.

I may post again a little later when he's gone to bed!!!!

Poster: Andy
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 19:00:45 GMT

Thanks for your support Richard.

If you do post again - make sure that you put a copy of it on this forum. At least you won't have to retype it when it gets removed again

Cheers
Andy

Poster: rcranswick
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 19:02:51 GMT

I wish I had thought of that earlier!!!

Poster: Andy
Dated: Wednesday January 5 2005 - 19:09:38 GMT



It will also be good to keep a log of what we do and what gets deleted.

We basically have NOTHING to hide so whatever goes on can be posted here for all to see.

Cheers
Andy