What happened to all the files?!?

>current users are and still completely free to use his already released software without any extra condition.

The ones who already have it. It's very underhanded the way it was done with no prior warning. Seems silly to for everyone to have to download the entire contents of Aminet and OS4Depot to insure themself against this kind of retroactive withdrawal, even assuming unlimited bandwidth.

>Are you really sure about this ? I have only 2 original .lha packages from zzd10h here on my hard-drive (Sysmon,Fastview) the read-me say nothing about "freeware"

Yes, they are freeware. See, for example, https://web.archive.org/web/2014071720 ... ile=audio/misc/atunes.lha

>IIRC the developer can claim copyright and issue a DMCA takedown

"Freely distributable software is being freely distributed" is obviously not a basis for any kind of valid DMCA complaint.

>he's free to choose whatever he wants to do with his software.

At the time of release, he can put whatever licence on it. But those terms can't just be unilaterally changed later on for the same version of the same program.

@Orgin

Thank you for the "DMCA takedown".
I have searched for it, very useful.

@Minuous
James Jacobs, I don't allow you to release my programs on your website.

My programs are

* aTunes
* FastView
* WebReplay
* SysMon
* FastHide
* FastCompress
* FlipPaper
* AttachMail
* FastNote
* NetDock
* CPUDock
* RAMDock
* GFXDock
* LittleBrother

and all programs whose the author name is
"Guillaume 'zzd10h' Boesel" or "Guillaume Boesel (zzd10h)".



edit : "At the time of release, he can put whatever licence on it. But those terms can't just be unilaterally changed later on for the same version of the same program."

Sources of that ?

@ thread

Wow, what a lot of things to follow up on, I'll merge them inot one post.

File takedown:

zzd10h is entirely within his rights to ask for any file he uploaded to be taken down, end of story. That doesn't require an existing downloader to delete the package or even buy the new commercial version if they don't want to. Hopefully some would buy to be supportive.

Demo Versions:

I agree with Severin in that demo versions, or some other way to fully assess a software you are going to buy is essential. Budgets vary enormously over a world environment, but also it's just plain professional.

Freely Distributable:

NO software is freely distributable unless the author says so, they retain the right to change that license for anty future version (even if the GPLed it they can release thier own non GPL distros) , Minuous is partially right in so far as an existaing distribution can't be relicensed, but that doesn't require the author to maintian any availabilty of that package, and an identical package with a new license can also be created. Also simply uploading to a filesharing site does not imply freely distributable. It must be specified as so.

License:

In light of variable interpretation of general licensing terms like freeware, it's a very good idea to define / specify a license in detail, ie write it down in the README or in a seperate file in the distribution. Be particularly careful about putting something inot the publc domain as once there you can't get it back, but, FREEWARE != PUBLIC DOMAIN.

All tools in one package:

Personally I would have chosen the three best tools and made those individual products, I suspect better sales would result that way, add the smaller tools as bonuses and or keep the other 'freeware' (the freeware items then act as advertsing for the conmmercial items) but zzd10h if free to try any combination he plaeases and to chnage his mind in future.

Destroy the Amiga Freeware Scene:

PD was always a mixture of Freeware, Shareware, Cripple Ware and gods knows what else ware, no change here. The change of status of afew items does not affect that at all.

Apple destroying Amiga By Infecting Us With AppStore Mime:

:facepalm:

Probably haven't address everything I wanted too ...

[edit]
A few typos doubt I got them all!
[/edit]

Can i get back the money i supported so i can buy them later from the store ? haha Just joking. If its cheap enough new users will probably get it as word of mouth, if not and there is no demo to try out some will back. I will miss them from os4depot.

Anyway first reaction was naaaaa whats this. Lets see in future when the store is ready and i get used to it. Until then its os4 depot and aminet and amiupdate.

/ i'm allergic to apple's

@Broadblues
Thank you for the summary

@Kicko
Yes, it's cheap.
Less than a pint of beer (at least than in France, Sweden and Italy)

@Minuous

I think there is a gift option in Amistore, if you register I ore someone could probably hand over some programs if you are that scarce of money.

@EgilLunde

Lol only if you dont mind minuous illegally hosting tha archives on his site!

@samo79

Quote:

Not to any new users specially with the totally unsupported OS4 on winuae possibilities to draw in new users.

>Sources of that?

There's sources for it all over the web, eg. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19 ... etroactive-license-change
Although I don't see why I should have to prove this to you. Where is your proof that it *can* be changed unilaterally?

>I don't allow you to release my programs on your website.

What part of "freely distributable" don't you understand? And you can't just try to impose restrictions on webmasters via forum postings in this manner. Eg. Linus Torvalds could not try to stop any particular site from distributing (or even selling) an existing version of Linux, it would require a change to the GPL, and such a change would not affect versions that had already been released.

>zzd10h is entirely within his rights to ask for any file he uploaded to be taken down, end of story.

He has the right to *ask*, however there is no obligation on OS4Depot to comply.

>but that doesn't require the author to maintian any availabilty of that package, and an identical package with a new license can also be created.

Correct. But that doesn't mean he can force people not to distribute the release which had the permissive licence.

>Also simply uploading to a filesharing site does not imply freely distributable. It must be specified as so.

It was indeed specified as so. Here's the link again, you must not have read it: https://web.archive.org/web/2014071720 ... ile=audio/misc/atunes.lha
It clearly states:
License: Freeware
Distribute: yes

>Lol only if you dont mind minuous illegally hosting tha archives on his site!

There would be nothing illegal about it, as I already pointed out.

@Minuous

Freeware means only that it doesn't cost anything not that it is free to distribute by whoever wants to.

Minuous : you do not have a real life, do you ?

You would take other's work (you says you've made programes but noone know you nor what you've done) and distribute it freely whereas it is no more free ? Are you sick ?

I think you should get back to real life, go out, watch the sky, feel the rain over your face, take a walk, help people in the need.

And I also think you should stop acting like a little child.

@K-L
James Jacobs aka Minuous made lots of software
http://aminet.net/search?readme=James+Jacobs&start=0

but also
http://amigaworld.net/modules/newbb/v ... 0&viewmode=thread&order=0

@thellier

Just because there is either "James" or "Jacobs" in the readme doesn't mean he did the work, just look closer into those files you linked to, no James Jacobs in most (all?) of them...

Back to topic:

I am with most of the posters here, it's his work, he can do whatever he wants with it, if he decides to take it off one file sharing site, put it on another and change the rights...well, it's his work, no question

>Freeware means only that it doesn't cost anything not that it is free to distribute by whoever wants to.

So what does "Distribute: yes" mean then?

@K-L

That's right, just make personal attacks on me if you can't contribute meaningfully...

>you says you've made programes but noone know you nor what you've done

That's obviously a lie, as your own web site contains multiple references to them. Not that it has anything to do with the topic of the thread anyway.

>but also

I'm really not sure of the relevance of that 8-year old personal attack thread?

@Minuous

The purpose of the "distribute" flag is described here:

http://os4depot.net/help/help_distribute.txt

(A link to description is available on the file submit page)

So it seems, zzd10h is charging 5e for 14 programs. That is an inexcusable and greedy 36cents per program!

Burn him he is a heretic!

And you can too remove a little part of this price for the big capitalist firm, AEon

You are right, it's greedy, mea maxima culpa (it's latin again Minuous).

@Minuous Quote:
It sounds like you are anti-capitalism: You object to people being motivated to do useful things by earning (a little!) money for all their hard work.

You may have gotten used to Amiga programs mostly being released for free in recent years, but if AmigaOS4 is to ever have a self-sustaining user+developer community, it desperately needs to start charging a little money for good programs. That will help retain existing developers, and encourage new developers to try.

zzd10h's bundle is hardly the best example of AmiStore (bundling a lot of unrelated utilities is not a good idea IMHO & pulling them from OS4Depot doesn't look so good either), but condemning AmiStore based upon any one example is ridiculous.

However, it seems you have already made-up your mind, for emotional reasons

@zzd10h
If your utilities were released as freeware, then Minuous is correct that you cannot retro-actively change their license. OTOH, you can release them again under a NEW license.

@ChrisH

Quote:
AFAICT, zzd10h isn't retro-actively changing their license, but has simply chosen to stop distributing the old freeware version. Just because you release something as freeware doesn't mean that you have to keep the files available.

Likewise, freeware does not automatically mean that sites like os4depot have a perpetual license to distribute it. That depends on the license terms and/or distribution agreement. Even if a perpetual distribution license was granted, I think that it would generally be a good idea to respect the author's wishes.

Hans

Minouse strike again. I remember he was about to leave amigans.net because of me posting here, but seems new motivation will be because of greedy programmers ?:)

Such a strange thread, where ppls discussing what owner and author of programms can or will do :) Like zzd10h do not know how to handle his own things.