Illegal Release of my software: VIRUS WARNING (Maybe a SCAM)

[murnau]

Sad to hear that you close but i still believe that people who use your plugins as crack would never bought them anyway (just like others decided to buy from you anyway).

[BMoore]

Sad to hear that you close but i still believe that people who use your plugins as crack would never bought them anyway (just like others decided to buy from you anyway).

This is one of the worst "arguments" ever.

[murnau]

Sad to hear that you close but i still believe that people who use your plugins as crack would never bought them anyway (just like others decided to buy from you anyway).

This is one of the worst "arguments" ever.

I think i'm in good company with "the worst argument ever":

"What kind of copy-protection is used by Klanghelm plugins?
None. I hate copy protection. I've suffered from it in the past. I've lost countless hours because of copy protection. I believe copy protection only punishes the honest customers, because the software gets cracked anyway. I simply refuse to waste my resources on copy protection schemes. Instead, I want to spend my time  supporting existing products, improving them and developing new plugins.

I believe in a world of trust and copy protection has got nothing to do with that."
Tony from Klanghelm

I'm pretty sure Tony is doing fine in his business. Now i wonder why.. ..(not really).

[SampleScience]

MaxSynths products are still available at Sampleism:

http://www.sampleism.com/maxsynths

[BMoore]

Sad to hear that you close but i still believe that people who use your plugins as crack would never bought them anyway (just like others decided to buy from you anyway).

This is one of the worst "arguments" ever.

I think i'm in good company with "the worst argument ever":

"What kind of copy-protection is used by Klanghelm plugins?
None. I hate copy protection. I've suffered from it in the past. I've lost countless hours because of copy protection. I believe copy protection only punishes the honest customers, because the software gets cracked anyway. I simply refuse to waste my resources on copy protection schemes. Instead, I want to spend my time  supporting existing products, improving them and developing new plugins.

I believe in a world of trust and copy protection has got nothing to do with that."
Tony from Klanghelm

I'm pretty sure Tony is doing fine in his business. Now i wonder why.. ..(not really).

Uh, that has nothing to do with your post I replied to.

[MaxSynths]

Cheers Guys, just noticed this old thread has been resumed and thanks for those which expressed their support.
Even thought I will post a more detailed post somewhere else at the right moment, I think it's ok to provide a small update here too.

I think I reached a decision on what to do with MaxSynths: it will became an almost 100% free online resource at least for now.
The soundbanks / Kontakt related stuff will stay payware, but the priced will be reduced to be more accessible. I will increase the google adv. which until now were limited on the freeware page. Above all with the aim to keep the site alive and the resources available.
If this will work I could release something new from time to time as free; I will do it just for pure fun while focusing my job only on sounddesign and composition.

At this moment I'm experiencing some slow down for personal reasons (I have something +1000 personal mail to reply, and so small time to stay online. My apologies to those wainting for a reply or a sign of life from me); so I'm not sure when these changes will take place and the site restored (actually it need more work than what it seems to set everything properly).

Last but not least: we are slowly moving to xmas... The existing 32bit plugins will be released as freeware, starting from november.
Hope someone will appreciate this gift.

Stay tuned.


Bests,
Max

[MarlaPodolski]

I think devs should program in time bombs.

I don't think that will solve much, that would mean that legally bought software also would carry such a hidden threat. We users don't like that, just look at all the negative comments Tone 2 scanning procedure have got for example.

Nobody said it would be easy You're probably right. But then too, with the other safegaurds in place it may be a way to deter the would be's.

I'm not a user of Tone 2 (didn't like the demos)so don't know about their issues. But, yeah, if they are instrusive to your system that is not right either. To me that's just as bad as the would be's.

Not that I have anything to hide, except my personal information, but I don't want software companies tracking me, mainly because what if they gather all this information, with all good intentions, and then they get hit. Can anybody say Visa?

I have often wondered how many times a software I have installed is "calling home". I don't care if they do as it pertains to the legitimacy of the installed software but I do care how vulnerable it makes us.

Happy Musiking!
dsan

I installed the Firebird synth that Tone2 began offering as freeware. Although it came with absolutely no warning about what this software would be doing during install or operation, I just happened to notice what I thought was odd behaviour. SO I CHECKED.

Because of this unauthorized snoopiness, I removed Firebird and did not move on as planned to probably buy one or more of their larger, newer synths. And so I never have and never will do any business with Tone2 - their loss certainly much more than mine! There are plenty of other fine instruments out there that don't intrude on my system files without my permission (in fact, they don't do anything unscrupulous at all).

This experience with Tone2 and Firebird was an excellent one for me. It changed my thinking and behaviour regarding software makers totally. Either I or my helper now edit: "looks deeply at" any copy of any software I am about to buy and we give it a complete lookover, regardless ... For those who have no demo or software available up front, we can turn to friends and associates who have the software, or we simply refuse to do business. I find nothing in software anymore that is so vital that I must submit to a maker's unauthorised (by me) behaviour. Apparently, there is plenty of other software available now to observe what any installed product does in your computer.

This is a most unfortunate reality for those of us who insist on full protection of our machines and intellectual property, but so it must be these days. FYI, this has affected an extremely small percentage of our purchases and with hope it will continue to become no worse.

Oh, and almost forgot the most important. I have not yet used anything by MaxSynths but have heard the name. I feel particularly bad when a smaller company is attacked. I know how hard these dev-owner work to make a great product and maintain good customer relations!

[Jakob / Cableguys]

Sad to hear that you close but i still believe that people who use your plugins as crack would never bought them anyway (just like others decided to buy from you anyway).

This is one of the worst "arguments" ever.

And it is so wrong. Some years ago there was a crack of our Cableguys Bundle and immediately sales went down. They did not recover until we released updates of the products many months later.

[Numanoid]

Last but not least: we are slowly moving to xmas... The existing 32bit plugins will be released as freeware, starting from november.
Hope someone will appreciate this gift.

That is very kind of you

[murnau]

Sad to hear that you close but i still believe that people who use your plugins as crack would never bought them anyway (just like others decided to buy from you anyway).

This is one of the worst "arguments" ever.

And it is so wrong. Some years ago there was a crack of our Cableguys Bundle and immediately sales went down. They did not recover until we released updates of the products many months later.

Can you please explain to me why developers like in my example Klanghelm without any copy-protection on their products can survive? So wrong maybe not for all and everybody? Where lays the difference?

Also do you really think that part of your customers (the people who buy regardless of a crack) are only to dumb to start google for a crack or they decide to support you? The big rest buy only when their is no crack available? That is the picture you learned the hard way? Then i feel sorry for you and still i believe that most people are fair and good.

Some years ago you wrote.. Maybe nowdays things changed slightly to be better? Yep, i know it's maybe naive to think so but as you see other devs without any copy-protection can do their business as well.

[Nielzie]

Sad to hear that you close but i still believe that people who use your plugins as crack would never bought them anyway (just like others decided to buy from you anyway).

This is one of the worst "arguments" ever.

And it is so wrong. Some years ago there was a crack of our Cableguys Bundle and immediately sales went down. They did not recover until we released updates of the products many months later.

That assumes that many people are trying to find a crack / steal it first before (if no crack available) they would otherwise really buy it. I do believe you of course Jakob, but find it interesting because for a luxury product (which in this case is not even resellable when stolen) it's still quite odd behaviour.

[Jakob / Cableguys]

Please note that I did not say that sales went to 0. They went down by about 30%. So 70% of our potential customers bought regardless of if there was a crack or not. But it's also wrong to assume that there would be no difference if a crack comes out, at least in our experience.

[murnau]

Please note that I did not say that sales went to 0. They went down by about 30%. So 70% of our potential customers bought regardless of if there was a crack or not. But it's also wrong to assume that there would be no difference if a crack comes out, at least in our experience.

Thank you for the honest answer. I stand corrected it was a mistake to write it like i did and assume that there is no grey area. Sure this was clear only i thought maybe a few percent but 30% is hard.

[Numanoid]

Sad to hear that you close but i still believe that people who use your plugins as crack would never bought them anyway (just like others decided to buy from you anyway).

If you are truly sad, then it should making you jumping with joy to know that I have bought these plugs and use them.

Let's see you jumping with joy Mr. Murnau

[FabienTDR]

Please note that I did not say that sales went to 0. They went down by about 30%. So 70% of our potential customers bought regardless of if there was a crack or not. But it's also wrong to assume that there would be no difference if a crack comes out, at least in our experience.

I saw these effects more than once, be it for my record label work or software products. The effect is relatively easy to observe. Typically, product releases have a sales curve made of many exponential spikes, typically triggered by ad campaigns or other PR. It is extremely unlikely to see deviations from the exponential behaviour. Sudden negative deviations from the exponential behaviour always have a clear cause, be it server problems, shop problems or or inaccessibilities. If all these factor are running fine, and you see a massive deviation in your sales curve, we reach a point to assume that yesterday's crack had an effect.

To the OP, I applaud to your move of going "free". Ppl will help you promote and test your products, without getting mad everytime they stumble across a problem. This means huge savings in the PR department, product evaluation and customer support.

Just don't forget to still monetize, somewhere, somehow