avast! piracy!!! They're stealing avast! Home!!!

[szc]

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Sasha, when they start to sell your skins, will you be here to complain?

Well I guess I'm late, but still I have no clue what was going on in there... haven't managed to see any booklet or any quote from the booklet, so I can't tell what's happened...

As far as skins go, I don't believe anyone would do that... why ? Simply because skins are for free... and also, they are available for download from the official web site for free. Anyone who would pay for those skins would be stupid, nothing else. I don't believe anyone would ever give some money for skins. They are not crucial part of the avast!, I mean, avast! works perfectly without those skins, so no need at all to pay for them...

Even if someone is doing that, I still wouldn't believe that there is some people so naive to buy them from those guys... again, simply because everyone can download them for free.

I don't know, maybe Alwil can do something to protect our rights in the future. Alwil is there any way we can deal with this issue ? I mean I have no clue what was going on with this booklet and that translation or whatever inside, but I know how much of work is to translate everything, and I'm sure you all know how much of a work is to design, draw and compile all those skins and animations... and best of all, to work perfectly without a glitch... isn't there anything we can do to protect all that stuff in the future ? I sure know how much of his work Technical put into translations, and do not forget other translators because he wasn't the only one... there were many diligent people working hard on all those materials, no matter were those graphic materials or text scripts...

Thanks in advance !
Sasha

[Lisandro]

I don't know, maybe Alwil can do something to protect our rights in the future. Alwil is there any way we can deal with this issue ? I mean I have no clue what was going on with this booklet and that translation or whatever inside, but I know how much of work is to translate everything, and I'm sure you all know how much of a work is to design, draw and compile all those skins and animations... and best of all, to work perfectly without a glitch... isn't there anything we can do to protect all that stuff in the future ? I sure know how much of his work Technical put into translations, and do not forget other translators because he wasn't the only one... there were many diligent people working hard on all those materials, no matter were those graphic materials or text scripts...

Thanks Sasha... your questions are my questions 

[darth.mikey]

Just glad you sorted that out Tech...  If a firm here in Slovenia did that....  Not good messing with the DARK SIDE     

[Lisandro]

They've sent me another email in which they agreed to get in contact with Alwil and get permition to do that or decide other thing.
They tried to persuade me the advantages for the users on doing that. Other companies do the same.
I've answered: ok, Symantec, McAfee and AVG (which is not free in other languages beside English) can do it without problem. They ask for paying in their products. Well, avast! is free.
I'm just wondering if, one day, I wish it never comes but who knows, they start selling avast! with all free stuffs and we just keep watching and do nothing... Then Alwil will say: "Ok guys, from now avast! won't be free anymore. They've stolen our icons, arts, help files... So we can't continue sharing avast! for free... Sorry, you were good friends and helped us a lot, we recognize but now we'll make money from now on and avast! won't be free anymore. Thread closed."

In this day I don't want to be on the other side of the wall... 

[darkparrot]

I hope that this problem is finished. I didnt understand earlier what was going on, so sorry about my late support.

[Lisandro]

I hope that this problem is finished. I didnt understand earlier what was going on, so sorry about my late support.

Never mind... I hope they stop doing that. They already admited it was not correct so, no further ideas.
By the way, I hope they make an agreement and continue to do that, legally, after Alwil decide.

[szc]

Anyway whatever they did or do, I am sure they are not allowed to attach the avast! shield logo on that CD without prior asking and permission from Alwil Software. Everything should be "washed" through the proper channels, and if Alwil gives them permission, then they are allowed to use it...

Look at it this way... this way, anyone is allowed to put avast! logo on it's "product" whatever it is... and people will buy it from them, and install it because they've heard avast! is wonderful antivirus... but what if... what if they put some auto installation VIRUS on that CD (I'm not telling they did it, because I am sure they didn't do that)... I'm just saying hypotetically... what if someone did that... people will trust avast! logo, and after their system gets all screwed up, they would blame everything on Alwil and avast! Think about it... 

So something needs to be done in the future... and not just regarding the logo or avast code. I mean, some of us also did a huge job on other parts of avast! and I believe that it should also be protected somehow. Didn't we deserve it somehow ?

Cheers !

[Lisandro]

They sent me another email... It's unbelivable...
They state that the user have the best tutorial of avast! in their book. The book has 28 pages.
In fact there are tons of avast! windows being shown there. I don't have the book, just some picture I've received.
They claim the books are the best and detailed. I found technical errors in this only page I've received.
Unfortunately, for them, I know how avast! works and I know portuguese 

It's urgent that avast! has a brazilian (and other languages) official site to solve this problems.

They state their personal are paid to develop the tutorials. Of course, Alwil does not receive anything for them.
What do we, users, receive for helping here? Well, avast! Home version for free is the answer, isn't it?

I won't discuss the quality of the book (seems good).
They state that Grisoft and Symantec use their service. They earn a lot of money by these two companies that have resellers here in my country.
I have nothing against them or the fact that Alwil could make a deal with them.
But, if Alwil does not check the technical content of the book, what would you say Igor, Vlk, Pavel?

They said the CD-ROM has their own art and job.
Martin, judge by yourself... Who is the owner of that icon?
Sasha, when your icons are used, can you do anything against it? I mean, they're free but could they be changed or used without your permission?

They asked why Alwil does not give support to them...
I can't talk in the name of Alwil. But, as far I could see these years here,  it's a matter of strategy and decision of their own.
Maybe Edward could say something.

I've stated that both Symantec and NOD32 do not have a free version.
I've stated that AVG version in Portuguese is not free.
But they say that would be the last contact with me and they would not talk with Alwil.
For sure, I've aswered, they're not doing a good job: using trademark material, selling it and do not have any agreement with avast!

Someday Alwil will discover that I stolen their code, I'm selling avast! here, I'm making a lot of money with their work...
Ok 

[bob3160]

Technical
I know this is upsetting to you but they aren't selling avast!
They are selling a users manual and making avast available, on disk, to those who buy their tutorial.

The only problem with this scenario is if the material they use in their tutorial is copyrighted. If it's not,
then what they are doing is perfectly legal. It may not be 100% ethical but, unfortunately today many things aren't ethical and are still permitted. IMHO

[polonus]

Hi bob3160,

That is depending on what the law says in Brazil about plagiarism.
If Tech could proof that he is the author of that text, he has a strong case, even if they worked the text around, and even if it is not copyrighted. The next time he should explicitly state that this content is not to be reproduced in any way. These vultures just wait for an occasion.
But this is typical for how things are to-day, on the one hand providers are strongarmed to take certain content off their sites, and even their officials can land in jail if they do not follow suit (recent London example); on the other hand everything is allowed when  the normal end-user or the law-abiding-citizen is concerned, he has to go it alone protecting himself). This is like things were once in lawless territories in the West in days of old. Yes regulations are very one-sided to-day, this has struck me in the recent couple of years. Where has "the authorities" gone. Do they have another agenda? Well for sure, folks,
it is not amusing.

polonus

[bob3160]

polonus
Please re-read what I said. I may not have used as many words but, the meaning is about the same as yours.

[darth.mikey]

So did alwil contact them about this or not?

[Lisandro]

Bob, they assumed that they're not allowed to do that. Igor said the same. The EULA says what they could not do.
They're using avast! name and icons, they're using avast! windows to make a tutorial with technical errors and without Alwil permition.
They never contacted Alwil while AVG and Symantec make money with them.
Ok, seems that you don't want to face this side of the problem 
Need more time to explanations?

[Lisandro]

If Tech could proof that he is the author of that text, he has a strong case, even if they worked the text around, and even if it is not copyrighted.

Thanks Polonus but this way Bob (and others) will think the problem is my text.
Problem is that Alwil was never contacted by them...

The next time he should explicitly state that this content is not to be reproduced in any way.

I hope the EULA is for these occasions...

But this is typical for how things are to-day

Until we claim and blame!!!
Users, c'mon, they take out the material from sales.
Why? Just because it's ok, they're doing the right thing?
NO.
They noticed they're doing ilegal things, period.

We must fight for avast! free version or logoff and do other thing...

[bob3160]

Ok, seems that you don't want to face this side of the problem

Technical,
At this point, no problem has been established. The ultimate decision may require a court decision.
If any one is willing to take it that far.
As I originally said, I know it's upsetting you but that in itself doesn't change or cure the problem.