

Ask HN: Somebody is trying to profit off of something that I released for free - kwerty

I wrote a little app called Kwerty Gmail Notifier and put it on my site and on Github for anybody to use free of charge. Lately it has been getting a bit of attention on some popular download sites.<p>http://kwerty.com/Gmail-Notifier-for-Windows-7/<p>Yesterday I noticed somebody has posted it on Facebook and is claiming it as an exclusive, and offering a "pro full version". They link to a website where you must register to download. Once registered they ask you to pay.<p>http://facebook.com/note.php?note_id=123271001142680<p>They are trying to profit off of something I released for free.<p>I looked at filing a copyright infringement claim through Facebook, but they want my full contact details and they say that such information may be revealed to the infringer. I don't particularly want some guy in Timbuctoo having my phone number and address.<p>What is the best course of action for me to take to have it removed from Facebook?
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octopus
What kind of license has your application ? I've found a single Kwerty repo on
Github with no license mentioned or copyright.

You should always use a license for your software and state clearly who owns
the copyright for this.

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kwerty
I didn't even consider it, as I created the app for fun and just wanted to put
it out there.

I looked at some of the various types of licenses but I have no idea which one
I should be using.

My main concern is to prevent people from trying to profit from the software.
Any suggestions?

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debacle
BSD/MIT (and maybe Apache?): People can take your stuff and resell it.

GPL/LGPL: People can't take your stuff and use it in any way whatsoever
without making what they make with it open source as well.

That may be a broad generalization, but it's mostly true.

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codgercoder
Find a pro-bono copyright lawyer to do a DMCA takedown for you; it might be
possible for the notification details to be his not yours.

~~~
jat1
where would you find one of these?

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forgetcolor
just email fb, tell them this guy is infringing your copyright, point them to
its real home on the web and ask them to take it down. i runinto this w/ ebay
and youtube and that approach always works for me. they may even have an
official form or email for these complaints.

