

DMCA takedown on GPL-copyrighted code - classicpm
http://www.class.pm/2013/strange-days/

======
DigitalSea
This whole situation seems very strange to me. In the left corner we've got
someone claiming their GPL'd code was stolen and sold on Codecanyon by someone
else who subsequently filed a DMCA request against the original author. And in
the right corner we've got the person who supposedly is accused of stealing
the script code and selling it posting here in this thread saying it's the
other way around and the blog post author stole the code.

I've made some strange observations here about the situation:

1\. The original author didn't post any copies of the DMCA request, no copies
of emails, no links to the offending item on Codecanyon nor any links to the
original repo that contained the code.

2\. The person accused of stealing the code commented on this submission and
claimed the situation is the other way around and the blog post author stole
the code that was being sold. How did the accused know about this submission?
There's a chance that maybe he frequents HN, but no links were provided in the
post, so how does this commenter know it's even his plugin being spoken about
in the post?

3\. Why have neither sides of the fence provided any evidence whatsoever? Both
the defender and accused have provided no links, no emails, nothing and it's
been a word against word situation.

While I could be wrong here, it feels like this whole situation could be fake.
I am not saying that it is, but it feels a little too weird that neither side
have made their case clear with actual evidence. Is this a publicity attempt
to get sales for a Codecanyon plugin? I hope my suspicions are wrong and that
it's just a case of the original author wanting to give the supposed thief a
chance to take his item down which given the situation would be unusually
generous.

~~~
lunixbochs
Quick investigation suggests the original poster here is in the wrong.

This is a diff of the CSS file from both projects:
[http://paste.roguecoders.com/p/2f703b39668f1b85ee071ec42ed52...](http://paste.roguecoders.com/p/2f703b39668f1b85ee071ec42ed523b8.txt)

CodeCanyon clearly puts the release date for the paid version at June 2012,
while the supposed open-source version has multiple dates pointing at December
2012.

I temporarily forked the repository on GitHub for posterity. Compare the
feature list between [https://github.com/lunixbochs/jquery-
classyedit/blob/master/...](https://github.com/lunixbochs/jquery-
classyedit/blob/master/readme) and
[https://pure.codeworks.org.uk/features.php](https://pure.codeworks.org.uk/features.php)

~~~
lunixbochs
Looks like he deleted his GitHub account:
[https://github.com/classpm](https://github.com/classpm)

I changed my fork of his repo to private. Let me know if you need it for
anything.

~~~
code937
Thank you very very much! Sorry I haven't replied earlier, because I'm such a
new account it stopped me from posting for a bit. Really appreciate yours and
everyone else's support during all of this.

~~~
nilliams
Here's another suspicious plugin to look into:

On codecanyon for $6 under the name 'jQee' [http://codecanyon.net/item/jqee-
keyboard-shortcuts-for-jquer...](http://codecanyon.net/item/jqee-keyboard-
shortcuts-for-jquery/1930338)

On class.pm as 'ClassyKeyboard'
[http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classykeyboard/](http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classykeyboard/)

Edit: And another

On codecanyon for $6 as 'RollBar': [http://codecanyon.net/item/rollbar-jquery-
scrollbar-plugin/2...](http://codecanyon.net/item/rollbar-jquery-scrollbar-
plugin/2113353)

On class.pm as 'ClassyScroll':
[http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classyscroll/](http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classyscroll/)

~~~
code937
I think we're finding a pattern! Well spotted! I wonder how many others there
are!?

~~~
nilliams
Glad you saw this. Well I've had 2 for 2 success just sticking 'codecanyon
jquery keyboard plugin' and 'codecanyon jquery scrollbar plugin' into Google
so I suspect there'll be more.

I've emailed both of the above authors through CodeCanyon and pointed them to
this thread. That's my good samaritan work done for the day but I think you
should look for more! :)

~~~
jpurvis
Hey guys, thanks to those people who messaged me! I'm the original author of
jQee.

It looks like his site couldn't handle all the traffic from HN, but after
looking at google's cache I can see he's ripped most of my sales copy word for
word, and just changed the examples slightly.

People have been pirating this script since day one, but claiming ownership
and releasing it as his own makes me much more irritated. Is he doing this so
he can build a fake portfolio and rip off someone else who would then hire him
for freelance? I can't really tell from his now defunct website.

Anyway, I'm not sure what I can do about it. Honestly, it's not worth my time
given that it's only made only ~$150 in the 1.5 years it's been on CodeCanyon.
For me, this script was a one-time CodeCanyon experiment.

However, I'm sure some of the other more serious CodeCanyon authors might have
more to lose. Thanks again for bringing this to our attention.

Josh

~~~
jpurvis
I did a little investigating to see how long this has been going on:

My project has been in the wayback machine since March 2012, incidentally the
same time I posted to CodeCanyon:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121025090123*/http://joshpurvi...](https://web.archive.org/web/20121025090123*/http://joshpurvis.com/projects/jqee/)

His page project first appeared March 2013:
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130310135658*/http://www.class...](https://web.archive.org/web/20130310135658*/http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classykeyboard/)

My project predates the creation (Nov 2012) of his domain name even:
[http://whois.domaintools.com/class.pm](http://whois.domaintools.com/class.pm)

Also his site isn't down -- he intentionally put that message there, I assume
to lessen the heat. His wife's subdomain
([http://tina.class.pm/](http://tina.class.pm/)) is still active and lives on
the same IP address: 137.135.220.37

Good luck Coder937! I hope you can get your project back on CC.

~~~
lunixbochs
His site's back up now, with all the projects still linked. I'll mirror it.

~~~
nilliams
He appears to have removed links to the obviously offending plugins now, the 4
I spotted at least.

He still has the gall to leave that blog post up though.

~~~
nilliams
_Update, in case anyone refers back to this thread_

I spotted 3 more offending plugins today, still up on his site class.pm,
that's 7 so far that he appears to have taken from CodeCanyon and is passing
off as his own.

I've emailed the authors concerned.

    
    
      http://codecanyon.net/item/owl-unobtrusive-css3-notifications/408575
      http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classynotty/
    
      http://codecanyon.net/item/jquery-lightbox-grooveshark-style/526922
      http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classylightbox/
    
      http://codecanyon.net/item/powercontext/551656
      http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classycontextmenu/

------
cbhl
This post would have been more useful if it had included copies of the text of
the DMCA takedown notices (both received and sent), if possible.

~~~
classicpm
Sure, that can be arranged. It's just the strangest thing that ever happened
to me.

~~~
munchor
>Sure, that can be arranged.

I would very very much appreciate those then.

~~~
matthuggins
Also some info about the plugin. As the post stands, I have no idea what this
is in reference to.

------
fiatmoney
Until someone goes to jail or loses a ton of money on a bogus DMCA takedown
this tomfoolery will continue.

~~~
JanneVee
Like Dmitry Sklyarov?
[https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/04/21-20](https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/04/21-20)

~~~
spullara
I think he meant on the bogus side not the accused side.

------
Mithrandir
Cache: [http://archive.is/xIxIe](http://archive.is/xIxIe)

------
iancarroll
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.class.pm/2013/strange-
days/)

------
edwardio
It might help to mention what plugin it was, the link to your plugin, the link
on their site, and the link on envato.

------
nonchalance
Appears the entire domain is down (getting 403).

code937: based on the comments here as well as the comments from a year ago
([http://codecanyon.net/item/pure-rich-text-editor-
lite/discus...](http://codecanyon.net/item/pure-rich-text-editor-
lite/discussion/2512642#comment_2307430)) , it is pretty clear that the OP
misrepresented the situation. I wish you all the best as you muddle through
this situation.

------
mariuolo
Site is down now, but perhaps they're merely trying to appropriate themselves
of your code and this is a water-muddling tactic.

~~~
AimHere
That's a possibility; or perhaps the OP is recruiting Hacker News as a
vigilante mob to scare off the person whose code he ripped off; or perhaps
this is an experiment or a prank to see what sort of internet vigilanteism can
be whipped up on Hacker News.

So far, I'm leaning slightly in favour of the guy sending out the DMCA
takedowns, in that someone claiming to be him put his code on the internet
first by about 6 months, if the internet's timestamps are to be believed, and
OP hasn't provided a convincing rebuttal even to that.

Whether these guys are talking about the same code or whether there's some
other evidence that clears the OP remains to be seen.

~~~
lunixbochs
It's the same code; haven't yet found anything to suggest OP is telling the
truth:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6624199](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6624199)

------
mjg59
See also: [http://arstechnica.com/information-
technology/2007/12/mpaas-...](http://arstechnica.com/information-
technology/2007/12/mpaas-university-toolkit-hit-with-dmca-takedown-notice-
after-gpl-violation/)

------
maaku
Did you notify the FSF? This guy deserves more than just a DMCA.

------
crb3
Sounds to me like it's time to hit the Wayback Machine for prior-existence
references and instances of your code, just in case.

~~~
code937
And that my friend will bite the person who started this thread ... in the bum
... as will a google cache ... as will other site caches.

Because I am the person who sent him the DMCA Notice and if he does not drop
this right now, i will use all of my evidence to prove that he's lying out of
his bottom :)

I'm giving him the opportunity to drop this now before I provide this site
among other news site, all the evidence and all my proof :)

It is beyond me why a person would take a lie this far as to start a thread on
NH, especially when he knows the person who sent him the DMCA did create the
code.

Now I'll give him the BOD and perhaps he didn't write the code himself and he
is sticking up for a friend who is lying to him. But he's started digging now
so i'm giving him one chance to stop and apologise.

Let me be clear on one thing. This is not a threat, I'm just not one to stir
trouble - but I'm certainly not fond of being called a liar, or someone taking
donations for code I've written.

~~~
code937
Thats a fair point.

[http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classyedit/](http://www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classyedit/)
use any cache on that domain and look at the "released date"

It was changed to May 2102 today so that it was 1 month before my release
which was June 2012. Originally his was December 2012.

I'll get you started, heres googles cache:
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:25Pk7Ix...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:25Pk7IxoM8AJ:www.class.pm/projects/jquery/classyedit/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk)

My plugin:

[http://codecanyon.net/item/pure-rich-text-editor-
lite/251264...](http://codecanyon.net/item/pure-rich-text-editor-lite/2512642)

~~~
lunixbochs
Even without a cache (less than a minute after you posting this) it shows up
as December 2012 for me.

------
classicpm
Sorry about the downtime, unless you're Twitter or Facebook, you can't cope
with the HN frontpage effect :)

~~~
conductor
That's not true. A static site served by Nginx (or a non-static one but with
proper cache implementation) can do miracles even on a relatively cheap VPS.

~~~
__david__
Heck, my wordpress site (with cache plugin) survived the front page served
over my home cable modem (5Mbps upstream)! And that is old-school Apache
prefork…

~~~
bennyg
People just expect 10 Heroku dynos to handle the load when that's not even
close to necessary haha.

