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

[WOK]

Your stuff WOK I just cannot understand how that ended up on warez. I mean what is the most expensive vst you offer - $15???

Is that the new price for Uncle Sam? Last time I checked it was €39
http://music.service-1.de/html/uncle_sam_vst_synth.html

I didn't look at his site, just from remembering when I had gone their once, long time ago.
No, 39 Euros is like $58 dollars US.
I really didn't think he had anything that cost that much.

Yes, Uncle Sam is my priciest plug (together with Clockwork it was the most effortful). But it's still 1/4 of Arturia and you can get it in a pack with others for 50% off. 

But even my plugins with just nothing than a donation-request at startup got "cracked". 
The most annoying thing is that these warez sites pop up at the top positions for nearly all searches in Google - before the developers links....
Yes - it's possible to remove them by request, same as at the download locations, but the effort for these procedure would take up every weekend.....

But because I just stripped off fourteen Trojans off my system that appears to have come from downloading VIs from this forum only. So I would like to check his list with mine to figure out which of the members here I shouldn't trust.
Which ones are that?
They were all free and linked on this forum. And twelve of them never showed until I did an extensive deep scan. But it was the two that did that alerted me to check more thoroughly.

Sorry, I absolutely don't believe you got any virus from the devs here, especially from the contests.

Explanation #1: you are talking about false alerts from old Synthedit SEM files, these ARE false
Solution #1: update your anti-virus software (or get a better one than McXXX)

Explanation #2: these where already on your system before and did not came from KvR, but were now found after a scanner update
Solution #2: watch were you are surfin'
 

[dsan@mail.com]

Too funny! That last part. What ya sayin WOK?

Happy Musiking!
dsan

[BBFG#]

Believe it or not, they could've only come from here. I don't really 'surf' like other people and the dates and timing all center around here and nothing else. I have made purchases from developers here, but I can't see trojans being associated with them. Plus I use different computers for specific purposes, This one does forums.

[idfpower]

First, regarding the topic: sorry to hear about that, but sadly it was expected sooner or later. They usually crack the products of major companies first, but it seems they're running out of new targets so sooner or later even lesser companies/products are going to suffer.

Now the thing some ppl don't seem to understand is that the harder something is to crack, the more appealing to these guys it becomes - because that's what cracking is all about: getting pass the protections, cracking "the code". Some companies do encode time bombs (as well as multiple other protections) in their products and they still get cracked - eventually.

On the other hand, advocating for virus embedding is IMO equally as bad as cracking software and releasing it through warez websites. You can't fight evil with evil.

IMO the best way to fight this type of behaviour is generosity: get a few great freebies ready or slightly cut-down versions of your main products (I for ex don't care if I get only 4 voices instead of 16, or 100 presets instead of 500) and ppl will feel the guilt of using the pirated software of a company that already gives a lot of stuff for free. If you set high prices, expect to become a tasty target; set moderate prices, keep releasing freebies alongside your flagship products - make sure those freebies are solid products as well, and you will get support from honest users.

Shame this happened to Maxsynths 'cause I've always thought their products are very cheap (and Latte Free is a great synth on its own).

[tapper mike]

Actually offering freebies has never worked. The company I work for offers free stuff and people are still trying the cracked stuff and complaining to us when it doesn't work. I know I handle support calls like that all day long. People complaining because their cracked version doesn't work.

I always tell them the same thing. We do not offer support for cracked software. I also remind them to make sure their definitions are up to date. Along with that I inform them that the place they got the software knew that the cracked version wouldn't work and are laughing at them. Here's a nice wooden nickel works the same as the real thing.

Actually an interesting thing about anti virus companies. Aside from the fact they work on fear and have been caught red handed creating viruses so they can provide a fix. They also share definitions with other av companies. Usually they don't do their own checking until the complaints start pilling up. Which is why false positives are so common and slow to correct. It isn't that they can't release an update that addresses the false positive it's more like they want to stack up the complaints before they are going to commit energies to correcting it.

[glokraw]

Believe it or not, they could've only come from here. I don't really 'surf' like other people and the dates and timing all center around here and nothing else. I have made purchases from developers here, but I can't see trojans being associated with them. Plus I use different computers for specific purposes, This one does forums.

I would think that the crafty veteran cracker, indeed, even a noobish apprentice cracker, would be bright enough to focus their efforts on the apps
most widely known to ellicit false positiives. We are fully in to a generation
whose parents, teachers, and law enforcers, were criminalized for
disciplining children. I could steal my neighbors Lexus, and if caught later,
would literally be issued a citation for 'first offence', and walk off
to enjoy payment from the chop shop.

I think I'll research if I could have a DAW in prison...I might have to steal
a dozen cars before getting the cherished '7 hot's and a cot', but at least
I'd have Omisphere, Komplete, Mach V, and a monster pro-tools ready cpu

[Nystul]

Someone has mentioned installers vs. a .dll in a zip file. I think it's important for people to understand, once you actually use the plugin it is executing code with little restriction. If you value the data on your computer, get plugin from legitimate source and virus scan before the installation and/or first use.

And yes, unfortunately, there is a lot of legitimate software which creates false positives on virus scans. Ideally you report the info to the virus scanner companies and they figure out the truth of the matter. But until they clear such files it is kind of a dicey situation. When it comes to trojans it is hard to trust anybody 100%.

[idfpower]

If you value the data on your computer, get plugin from legitimate source and virus scan before the installation and/or first use.

Indeed. I always scan software prior to extraction (let alone installing) - because sometimes even the legit websites can get infected by hackers. Then again, my protection against such things is as strong as the antivirus software I'm using so...

[samsam]

Believe it or not, they could've only come from here. I don't really 'surf' like other people and the dates and timing all center around here and nothing else. I have made purchases from developers here, but I can't see trojans being associated with them. Plus I use different computers for specific purposes, This one does forums.

I would think that the crafty veteran cracker, indeed, even a noobish apprentice cracker, would be bright enough to focus their efforts on the apps
most widely known to ellicit false positiives. We are fully in to a generation
whose parents, teachers, and law enforcers, were criminalized for
disciplining children. I could steal my neighbors Lexus, and if caught later,
would literally be issued a citation for 'first offence', and walk off
to enjoy payment from the chop shop.

I think I'll research if I could have a DAW in prison...I might have to steal
a dozen cars before getting the cherished '7 hot's and a cot', but at least
I'd have Omisphere, Komplete, Mach V, and a monster pro-tools ready cpu

The law was indeed a wonderful place when law enforcement officers could discipline children. Bring back the birch!

[IncarnateX]

Greetings gentlemen! They say you have a job for me?

[dsan@mail.com]

First I must check that your bar code is legit and you have not been hacked.

Please step into the scammer.

Happy Musiking!
dsan

[Numanoid]

Someone has mentioned installers vs. a .dll in a zip file. I think it's important for people to understand, once you actually use the plugin it is executing code with little restriction.

OK, just like the regular Android app then?

The PC I mostly use for music, is nevertheless one I surf with, just when I need to authorize stuff or update the virus protection I go online with that.

[MaxSynths]

UPDATE 8 OCTOBER 2013

I wonder if it's a sort of SCAM...

A week ago I've received a mail from someone offering support on removing links from google about ERA for Gladiator (the warez version).

After the latest releases I've received another mail from someone from the same company (www.tracksaur.com) promoting their service to remove the latest cracked software from file sharing services. Basically they say "You see: there is this illegal distribution here (link with the full name of the release) and we can remove it for you".

A couple of hours ago I've received another mail again from an obscure chinese guy offereing the same kind of service.



EDIT: I've just discovered that I've received also a call from one of these companies yesterday; there was a message in mine answering machine from a guy from http://www.link-busters.com asking me to call him back (I don't even know where he get my cellphone number)

Well, what can I say? They really work very fast! That's why the whole thing is suspicious. I wonder if someone else ever experienced something like this.

I'm pretty sure they hacked into my website and stolen some legit copies and then started to spam me with their service proposals. It reminds me the story of the tyre repairer which puncture the tires...



In any case I've tried to download a couple of those releases and I repeat that I take no responsibility for any piece of software (both payware or freeware) that has not been downloaded from my website. My software do not contain any trojan or viruses in its original form but I can't grant any warranty on repacked releases from other people/companies.



Cheers,
Max

[trimph1]

Well, we have some fire personnel who also ended up being arsonists.

[idfpower]

Paying to get your cracked software removed from websites? What a stupid way of making money...once it's released, it's out for good, ppl will reupload them again and again - what do these guys expect you to do? Pay them to remove stuff forever? What idiots

PS: and what exactly are they supposedly going to do? Report the download links to their hosts as illegal? That's something you can do on your...sheesh...