Beware of "Backspaceware" 257
SubLevel writes "Since conception in 2004, Paint.NET has been generously been offering the software community the taste of successful freeware, by allowing anyone to download and decipher the entire working of their extremely popular photo editing program. As posted in the Official Paint.NET blog by Rick Brewster, "Backspaceware" as he has so coined has become a tremendous issue. "Paint.NET's license is very generous, and I even release the source code. All free of charge. Unfortunately it gets taken advantage of every once in awhile by scum who are trying to profit from the work of others. I like to call this backspaceware*. They download the source code for something, load it up in to Visual Studio (or whatever), hit the backspace key over the software's name and credits, type in a new name and author, and re-release it. They send it to all the download mirror sites, and don't always do a good job covering up their tracks.""
Proofreading (Score:5, Funny)
Obfuscated C (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Operation as normal (Score:5, Funny)
CentOS = backspaceware? (Score:5, Funny)
What's the problem? (Score:3, Funny)
Backspaced comments (Score:2, Funny)
Certified that this comment is not a cut and paste of another poster's comment. Well, as far as I know. And I don't know much.
Re:Closing the source? (Score:1, Funny)
Why yes, because linux and bsd code have never been ripped off. That's never happened. No. Not at all [gpl-violations.org]. What utter nonsense. Nor does the author talk about taking the software closed source; if you read the article he talks about distributing part of the project as a binary, the bits that people can easily use to just change the copyright messages, the installer and other small bits. The removal of the current source is a stopgap until he decides which option to take.
But hey, lets not let facts get in the way of a good Microsoft bash. Where you went wrong is you said Windows instead of Windoze, and forgot to use Micro$oft. Then you may have been marked insightful.
Re:Let me introduce you (Score:4, Funny)
Re:this happened to me (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Source code defined (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Let me introduce you (Score:1, Funny)
Any license? Oh, but I think I have the solution. Have you seen my new "Greg's Public License"? I think it's quite innovative.
Re:Not all GPL violations get handled as smoothly (Score:3, Funny)