bucket loads of bullstuff nobody reads
encarta.com
merriam-webster.com
Wow! Merriam Webster! Encarta! You know how to use a dictionary!
Time to bring out the artillery. Reference books for big boys. I put off backing up the DMCA claim I made in the beginning because I really didn't feel like digging through the US code or writing this post.
I will begin by posting it here. You can print it out and read it overnight or something. Maybe you'll find out what you're doing wrong while you do it!
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode17/usc_sec_17_00001201----000-.htmlNow I'd like to highlight a few sections.
"No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title."
"No person shall circumvent" should be pretty easy to understand. Nobody, that includes you, will use shady methods to dodge around an access control. A technological measure could be any thing- a software key, online authentication, watermarks... The list goes on. You can probably find the exact definition of a technological measure somewhere. "Effectively controls access" basically means that the technology is being used to make sure only people who purchase the software may use it. "A work protected under this title" refers to everything under title 17. Title 17 is called copyrights. That means all copyrighted works. I'm sure you know Blockland is copyrighted.
So basically, you can read this as "Nobody will use shady methods to dodge any kind of limit added to a piece of media to keep people who didn't shell out any cash for it from using it fully."
If you still have doubts, read Section 1201 a bit more until you get to the definition of what it means to effectively control access to work.
"A technological measure “effectively controls access to a work” if the measure, in the ordinary course of its operation, requires the application of information, or a process or a treatment, with the authority of the copyright owner, to gain access to the work."
The program has to authenticate with the server to run online. If you are keeping the program from authenticating with the server and fooling the in-game key check with either a false key or one posted online, you are in violation of this.
Ok, great. With all that out of the way, we know without a doubt that you don't have a single leg to stand on. But wait you say. That was long ago! In the past! We aren't doing it anymore, an agreement was worked out, we're fine!
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode17/usc_sec_17_00001204----000-.htmlSTATUTE OF loving LIMITATIONS
"No criminal proceeding shall be brought under this section unless such proceeding is commenced within 5 years after the cause of action arose. "
Basically we have 4 years and 2 months left to take you to court. But we don't even have to take you to court, because that would cost money, right? A C&D order would probably suffice.
I can already here the panicked key presses as you try and delete everything.
What everyone seems to fail to mention is that this "malicious" code was only run if you stole the script files from TBM and put them in another mod. This was likely caused by the TBM developers getting sick of stolen code, etc. Also, I have seen first-hand the script files for TBM 2, and now it just simply returns from the script file if it is run from another mod.
I don't know if you were around then (it sure doesn't sound like it), but there was more than one objection with TBM than "malicious code that would only run if you stole script files from tbm and put them in another mod". Let me give you a short summary.
1. There was an exploit that would let you run code on a client. If you knew how to do it you could crash them, make them get stuck jetting, send chat messages as them, etc.
2. The staff hid secret commands in the game and only gave them to their friends. It's a pretty douchebaggy thing to do.
3. All of their code was compiled as .dsos so nobody could open them up and see what was actually going on inside. There could have been anything in there and no one would be able to see it. Badspot offered to let them return to the community if they released source. They declined.
Nothing "malicious" has been in TBM for at least 3 years, judging from the release date of TBM 2.
What, and you expected him to let them back after all that time? They did such a fantastic job at showing their interested they were in that, what with making a clone of his game to spite him because they had some romanticized ideas about fighting the good fight and being backstabbed.
And about who chooses to play one game over another... it's a matter of personal preference. The games each have their unique styles and features, and TBM just happens to be free.
We're not asking you to not play TBM. Nobody cares about TBM anymore. The mod war is over.
All we're asking is for you not to steal our game. If it's a useless hobby that you don't have time for AND don't want to pay for, then don't do it! Play TBM instead, yeah? Because playing a game where you build with bricks is a lot better than playing that other game where you build with bricks.
EDIT: Now that I finished this post, I should probably go back and actually read elrune's, yeah? I skimmed it a bit and saw some nonsense about the nysc. I'll take a peak at it now.
EDIT: Oh, it wasn't anything. Just him using his traditional show-off vocabulary with no real supporting evidence to contribute to the conversation.
PS: You're right, it's not stealing! It's copyright infringement! Surprise! Doesn't make a whole lot of difference when you're rotting in jail for 4 years while your parents use the money they were saving for college tuition to pay off the fine, you bloody thief. Also, if someone is spreading around Blockland v8 (I don't know about you guys, but I still have the installer, so it's not entirely out of the realm of possiblity), I've got another source available upon request that will politely inform you that that isn't legal.
