Getting Ripped off on Flash Template Sites
I recently discovered a user at http://flashden.net was using one of my files as a paid template, an older version of my FullBrowser Content file.
While I give most of my files away, I do stipulate that they are not used as the base for making money off of, by turning them into templates etc that are on sold multiple times. Generally this is a good faith agreement, between myself and whoever uses my files. I have received alot of help from various blogs and forums with learning ActionScript, and this blog is a means to return some of that help.
What was and is most frustrating about this experience, has been my dealings with Flash Den, and the user who ‘borrowed’ my file. It was pretty clear cut to me, that this user had stolen my source. I mean, I decompiled his preview and had a look at it to see.
Seems that FlashDen were just taking their time, and have since removed this offenders and another’s from the site. So, well done to them.
Check out this for similarities:
His file contains these constants;
public static const BG_LOADING:String = "newslideloading"; public static const UNLOAD_BG:String = "unloadbg"; public static const BG_LOADED:String = "newslideloaded";
My file contains these constants:
public static const BG_LOADED:String = "newslideloaded"; public static const BG_LOADING:String = "newslideloading"; public static const UNLOAD_BG:String = "unloadbg";
His has these vars (just some of them)
private var YminStageSize:int; private var useMinStageSize:Boolean; private var XminStageSize:int; private var imageScaleProp:Number;
Mine has these vars (again, just some of them)
private var useMinStageSize:Boolean;//use a minimum stage size? private var XminStageSize:int; private var YminStageSize:int; private var imageScaleProp:Number;
You get the idea. Not only were the constants, vars the same, but the method names were the same, along with the functionality of each method. The only change was the shift from tweenLite to tweener for some animation, and the removal of all the garbage collection methods and event handling. The guy was so crap, that he left the constants in there, not understanding that they were for custom event dispatches, but deleted the custom event handling. The user was adamant that he didn’t use my file, when clearly he had. After a few emails, he decided to delete ‘my’ file once he realised he had been caught out.
I decided to report him to FlashDen, and provided the FlashDen staff with my source files, and a link to his. Their response was that no copyright infringement occurred, and that the user probably just deleted his file to “make some modifications”. I couldn’t believe it, I mean, clearly his file is totally based off of mine. This user is still happily uploading new files.
So, in the end, its worked out OK. FlashDen took their time, which I guess is OK. As they investigate any issues, rather than issuing instant take down notices if someone thinks something is copyright.
On another forum, some other user posted class files from the Martha Mclean website I wrote, trying to get help with the mess the decompiler made of it all. I recognised the code instantly and questioned where it came from. What an idiot. If the dude actually just tried to learn how to do it, then he would be set, its not even that hard..
January 10th, 2009 at 12:29 am
Wow, I totally feel for ya. I certainly know what it’s like to have my work ripped off. While I do have a few stuff up on Envato’s (company that runs FlashDen) stock sites, I have yet to make a penny off of a sale. This just turns me off to the whole experience, frankly.
Thanks for taking the time to blog about this, making the rest of the Flash community aware. I’m hoping more people will come across this post.
January 10th, 2009 at 12:51 am
that sucks to hear. i’ve been wanting to post some stuff on flashden for a while now. i wonder how many of those files are actually created by the users and how many are ripped and just slightly altered and then sold. i had a flashden file land in my lap for a carousel and it was lee brimelow’s carousel code edited slightly to fit the bill. kind of sad, really.
January 10th, 2009 at 1:03 am
too bad to hear that.
i kinda don’t like sites like flashden.
maybe that’s because i can do a lot of the things myself but… i’ve just read one more reason to hate it.
January 10th, 2009 at 1:06 am
Yea, FlashDen is horrible. The files have great design but the functionality of them are crap since it’s mainly other author’s code that is thrown together.
January 10th, 2009 at 3:06 am
@Matt,
Yeah, its funny, when Lee posts a new demo file, then a few weeks later, similar techniques start showing up at Flashden. I agree, sad indeed.
@Vitalee, I agree, I would rather just make something myself, at least you learn from the experience.
@Ryan, I couldn’t agree more. While the files seem to work, I wonder how well they handle exceptions etc.
January 10th, 2009 at 9:24 am
yeh agreed, funny thing is, I was on Flashden the other day taking a look at how much some of these guys have made……… some are in the 200 000k mark!!!!! It makes me sick, they can really charge what they want, and half the time, you get the file you think can help, or you can adapt, and you can’t, you pretty much have to rebuild it yourself, and with know help from the person who sold it to you! Reason being is because they have no idea how to, because they ripped it from a free source! Meanwhile they make 15 bucks, and your left with a shitty file, and there is no responsibility on the sellers part, and obviously none on flashden’s either on the copyright issue. Flashden needs more watching, I would recommend to stay away from it full stop, all the files are ugly anyway, and not really helpful! Your better off going to free forums and getting real help and learning yourself.
January 10th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Wow, that user should clearly be banned by FlashDen.
January 10th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Ripoffs are never fun, especially when people are making money out of them. Good you found out, and bad that FlashDen aren´t acting responsibly. Keep up the good work, Dale!
January 10th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Hi;
I got some friends ( check their site http://www.rizn.bg ) that make all their code in rizn studio. They had the same problem – a lot of so called “flash designers” was absolutely copied their designs, decompiled classes and so on. Just the throught is that since they’re untalanted designers and coders there wlll be software pirates exist.
Sorry for my bad english, Ico
January 10th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Btw see this:
http://www.flashden.net/files/44937/index.html
I’ve just decompiled it and noticed noponie tiles background class.
January 10th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Man, right you are, this is crazy. I reported that file, lets see what happens with it.
Thanks for pointing it out.
January 10th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Hi,
That is so lame, sorry bro.
Just wanted to say thanks for posting these classes, they have helped me a ton in the last couple weeks!!
-m
January 11th, 2009 at 1:53 am
buy it and put for free on rapidshare, megaupload, piratebay..
January 18th, 2009 at 12:40 am
That is pretty low life. Now this thing is hard to stop, b/c there are more of them than there are of you. However, have you ever thought of beating them at their own game? When you post some code or files for free on your site, go on to flashden and post your files. If someone copies them, under cut them, even to a insanely low price. Hopefully that discourages them, but you never know.
If that doesn’t work, still you might have more leverage in the fight with flashden. Since they have a copy of your files you could tell them another user took your files…it might give you a little more of an edge.
Great site by the way
January 18th, 2009 at 3:50 am
Again, I feel for ya. That new file discovery just pissed me off… FlashDen should “pony” up and throw some flow your way.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
i’m so sorry to hear that! your site is a great tutorial site (and a great source of inspiration to everyone trying to do flash) … i’m glad it doesn’t deter you from keeping this site up.
January 20th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
That really blows. I’ve loved checking your site for all the great code you share and have been happy to donate for the extra files. Keep up the great work, there are those of us who appreciate the knowledge you share and have intention of reselling it as their own.
January 24th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Well myself I discovered few code theft(and not only) on flashden and post comments under those file.
I know that I have been a little rough with those guys, but I hate this type of theft.
Well I have been banned from flashden a day after posting my comments.
Some big “guru” there felt offended.
This give us all an idea what kind of site is flashden.
I didn’t made to much noise at that point because I was to busy to care.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Hey Dale… sorry to hear about you getting ripped off… sounds like a total sham!!
I have ALWAYS been weary of sites like flash den offering what they call ‘quality’ actionscript classes for discount prices. It is sad how much money some of the programmers for these sites make. From what I have read in the comments on this post it sounds like just about everyone else’s experiences hae been much the same as mine. Crap code at a crap price!
It makes me really sad that people would take advantage of your generosity like this, and it really is folks like this who are destroying the actionscript community.
Please don’t let this deter you from continuing to be a driving force in the community… I know most of us programmers really appreciate your generosity with your time and knowledge!
Don’t stop the body rock!
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Man, FlashDen is a den of thieves…it sucks…
What sucks even more is showing up for a client-meeting and having the client hand over a pile of Flash components purchased off of FlashDen and being asked to piece together some congruent application outta unrelated, poorly coded/organized, often legacy, cheeseball FlashDen parts…
The tolerance threshold usually flips the switch at this point, and I hear the voice in my head speak: Time to drop this client…
February 9th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Hi Dale,
i cant believe how little respect some people have for you and your files. that is not nice!
i am a member of flashden, my progress is slow in sales but i assure you it is an honest living (from my side at least), not everyone on flashden are *ponies, i mean phonies
i am a flash developer myself and i see how much money some of these people make, and i want to get on that train too. because
many of the files are so badly coded there is no room for adjustments, so i believe my code’s quality etc is prob better than theirs that is why i give it a try.
i also hope that my files dont become the village bicycle too because it is frustrating to know how much time it takes to produce somethin that gets nicked and given a new makeover and then resold for a markup.
although is there anyway you can expose these people?
i dont think it counts as slander if they are guilty, but it just makes us aware of who these people are (and gives me less respect for these people)… because on flashden there is definitely people who take other peoples files and tweak it a little or just make it pretty and make a living off this.
can u personal message me if you cant expose them publicly please?
hope to hear from you
thank you
hero.bambi
February 12th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Always sucks to have your stuff pirated and therefore I would like to correct the guy who said, buy and upload to rs etc. since at that point you are contributing to the problem by not respecting copyright (even if it does not belong to the FD author, it belongs to someone..)..
In essence (and yes I’m an FD author, kick me), if you are a true coder with original code, you can get good clientele from FD, since people will recognize this fact. There are a lot of crappy files on it, no doubt, which makes it easy for a true coder to stand out.
FD is not a place to learn code btw. People who buy files to learn code are waisting money indeed. That’s why the internet has different resources. FD is for lazy people who need a shortcut without having to know how to. Respect that, as is. (btw, if you have a ‘client’ who comes with FD stuff, you might consider stepping your game up a bit)..
Nobody made $200k in person btw.
Simply put, respect copyright and if you see it is infringed, make a hassle!
Good luck!