I was just wondering. It does use only 1 license? 1 Copy of the files? I have not checked out the hack myself, but I doubt there is any new installations of the whole vBulletin system itself. Can we get a clear statement of why an investigation is needed, and what exactly is being investigated?
An investigation is needed because it assigns the right to use vBulletin to none License holders. This violates the vBulletin license and diminishes Jelsoft's copyright on the product.
Basically it allows you to setup your own EZBoard like system and it has been previously determined that this is against the license and violates our copyright.
I know about 50 websites (most of them are gamesites) that are doing exactly this. And I mean the 50 are those I personally know - of course there are many more. Big sites. Do you say all of them are illegal?
Basically it allows you to setup your own EZBoard like system and it has been previously determined that this is against the license and violates our copyright.
This hack is about as illegal as having more than one administrator and about as "incompatible with future upgrades" as my shoutbox hack - although my shoutbox hack would be more "incompatible" as it makes a lot more file edits.
An investigation is needed because it assigns the right to use vBulletin to none License holders. This violates the vBulletin license and diminishes Jelsoft's copyright on the product.
Basically it allows you to setup your own EZBoard like system and it has been previously determined that this is against the license and violates our copyright.
Quote:
Originally Posted by License Agreement
The Software is licensed only to you. You may not rent, lease, sublicence, sell, assign, pledge, transfer or otherwise dispose of the Software in any form, on a temporary or permanent basis, without the prior written consent of Jelsoft.
I know about 50 websites (most of them are gamesites) that are doing exactly this. And I mean the 50 are those I personally know - of course there are many more. Big sites. Do you say all of them are illegal?
If they are using vBulletin and do not have written permission from Jelsoft Pty. Ltd. (the only holders of the vBulletin copyright, vBulletin-germany.com is just a reseller without authority to change the license agreement) and they are using an automated or semi-automated system to do it, then yes I am.
An investigation is needed because it assigns the right to use vBulletin to none License holders. This violates the vBulletin license and diminishes Jelsoft's copyright on the product.
Basically it allows you to setup your own EZBoard like system and it has been previously determined that this is against the license and violates our copyright.
I'm sorry but this logic could easily be applied to "assigning" administrators to our vBulletin installation or global super moderators to subforums. Aren't these groups being assigned the right to use vBulletin without a license? This hack just restricts what features this new group of administrators have access to.
I'm sorry but this logic could easily be applied to "assigning" administrators to our vBulletin installation or global super moderators to subforums. Aren't these groups being assigned the right to use vBulletin without a license? This hack just restricts what features this new group of administrators have access to.
Which probably makes it a good reason to check up and find out if this is legal or not. As the first post says : Once decided it is ok, it will return.
Hmmm.... interesting point. I can see why Jelsoft wouldn't want people to be able to do this (it certainly isn't in their interests), and in their place I would have specifically prohibited it in the license.
However, from my reading of the license I can see nothing prohibiting this. The closest I can see is a reference to distributing or leasing the software (which obviously is not legal), but not to allowing [unlimited] use of a specific licensed installation of vBulletin:
Quote:
The Software is licensed only to you. You may not rent, lease, sublicence, sell, assign, pledge, transfer or otherwise dispose of the Software in any form, on a temporary or permanent basis, without the prior written consent of Jelsoft.
I'm confident that that language does not prohibit use of the software in this way (or in any way) - it merely prohibits the distribution of it.
[As an aside, as has been pointed out above, Jelsoft's argument here (and I realise that they haven't confirmed their position one way or the other yet) would also prohibit the assignment of co-admins.]
Quote:
If they are using vBulletin and do not have written permission from Jelsoft Pty. Ltd. (the only holders of the vBulletin copyright, vBulletin-germany.com is just a reseller without authority to change the license agreement) and they are using an automated or semi-automated system to do it, then yes I am.
As the license stands at present, automation doesn't come into it.
03-23-2004, 10:22 PM
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