New apps at PA.c - Liberkey Concerns pt 2

[JohnTHaller]

[Moderator note: this topic was split from its original New apps at PA.c]

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We've had permission for AIMP and PicPick for quite some time, just hadn't posted them as they were still being finalized. We do new portable apps every week we just have a bit of a backlog of apps that users are excited about. A former LiberKey user (who left because LiberKey hasn't updated any of their repackaged apps since July 8th and things like browsers and such are now very insecure) asked us about Wise. We contacted Wise and they were very enthusiastic about having all their apps on PortableApps.com. We also have permission for other apps like Paint.NET but are awaiting some elements of the new PortableApps.com Platform 11.0 release so users aren't just wondering why it doesn't run if the proper .NET isn't installed (we treat .NET apps specially and don't list them in the in-platform Portable App Store by default). We didn't mention LiberKey to any of them.

The only publisher we discussed LiberKey with recently is Piriform. Unsurprisingly, Piriform never gave LiberKey permission to repackage. So, LiberKey is repackaging CCleaner, Speccy, Defraggler, and Recuva illegally.

[webfork]

The only publisher we discussed LiberKey with recently is Piriform. Unsurprisingly, Piriform never gave LiberKey permission to repackage. So, LiberKey is repackaging CCleaner, Speccy, Defraggler, and Recuva illegally.

Moderator note - The PortableFreeware site admin has set a policy that discussion of this topic was not going anywhere (see "LiberKey Concerns"). As LiberKey won't provide proof of authorization and Haller won't provide proof that Piriform did not authorize, the topic is an an impasse. Continued discussion of this topic without furthering it via clear evidence is therefore flaming/trolling.

[JohnTHaller]

The PortableFreeware site admin has set a policy that discussion of this topic was not going anywhere (see "LiberKey Concerns"). As LiberKey won't provide proof of authorization and Haller won't provide proof that Piriform did not authorize, the topic is an an impasse. Continued discussion of this topic without furthering it via clear evidence is therefore flaming/trolling.

You may feel free to contact Piriform via their contact form ( http://www.piriform.com/contact ) to confirm. In conjunction with some other discussions we were having back and forth via email, I asked Piriform if LiberKey had obtained permission, since it seemed unlikely. I received an email back from Piriform on Sept 11, 2012 at 1:59pm EDT which stated:

Hi John,

You're right, we haven't given them permission. Thanks for the head's up.

[webfork]

You may feel free to contact Piriform via their contact form

Done

[webfork]

Got a reply:

Hey I'm a moderator over at portableapps.com (and a big fan of Recuva) and we're linking to portable versions of your applications.

However, I've noticed there are a few other services out there linking to modified versions of your programs including PortableApps, LiberKey, and Download.com.

Which ones have you authorized and which ones are against your license?

The thread that spawned this question [link to this forum]

Hi,

Piriform does not allow anyone to distribute modified versions of our products on their websites or otherwise.

Thank you for the information. I will forward this to the relevant team for further investigation.

Regards

[JohnTHaller]

However, I've noticed there are a few other services out there linking to modified versions of your programs including PortableApps, LiberKey, and Download.com.

To clarify, PortableApps.com does not distribute a modified or repackaged version of Recuva or the other Piriform tools. We never have. That's against our policies (and would be illegal). LiberKey and some folks on Download.com do repackage those apps without publisher permission or knowledge, though.

[SYSTEM]

(emphasis added)

Got a reply:

Hey I'm a moderator over at portableapps.com (and a big fan of Recuva) and we're linking to portable versions of your applications.

Ouch. A rather bad typo.

[Checker]

Hey I'm a moderator over at portableapps.com (and a big fan of Recuva) and we're linking to portable versions of your applications.

Ouch. A rather bad typo.

webfork is a double agent

[webfork]

Ouch. A rather bad typo.

lol ... My lengthy attempt at looking competent has come to an abrupt end.

However, I've noticed there are a few other services out there linking to modified versions of your programs including PortableApps, LiberKey, and Download.com.

To clarify, PortableApps.com does not distribute a modified or repackaged version of Recuva or the other Piriform tools. We never have. That's against our policies (and would be illegal). LiberKey and some folks on Download.com do repackage those apps without publisher permission or knowledge, though.

Well, it was a brave effort to clear all this up and we have fallen short. Oh well.

[JohnTHaller]

Well, it was a brave effort to clear all this up and we have fallen short. Oh well.

Well, from the emails that you and I received back from Piriform, we know that there are illegal portable packages of Piriform's tools (Recuva, CCleaner, Speccy, Defraggler) on LiberKey.com. At least that was cleared up.

[webfork]

Well, it was a brave effort to clear all this up and we have fallen short. Oh well.

Well, from the emails that you and I received back from Piriform, we know that there are illegal portable packages of Piriform's tools (Recuva, CCleaner, Speccy, Defraggler) on LiberKey.com. At least that was cleared up.

Yeah I'm clearly not getting through to you. I can see why Andrew closed the topic initially.

Update: oh okay -- I get it now, PortableApps doesn't even have a CCleaner, Recuva, or any other Piriform product. Therefore LiberKey's distribution is illegal. Gotcha.

Got confused with some of the launcher-only options in the PA forums.

[JohnTHaller]

Update: oh okay -- I get it now, PortableApps doesn't even have a CCleaner, Recuva, or any other Piriform product. Therefore LiberKey's distribution is illegal. Gotcha.

As Piriform said:

Piriform does not allow anyone to distribute modified versions of our products on their websites or otherwise.

So, repackaging their apps in a modified form and distributing them, say in renamed zip files with other bits added like LiberKey does, is illegal without Piriform's express permission. As Piriform has confirmed, LiberKey has no such permission.

We've been trying to get Piriform's permission to repackage their apps for quite a while, but they prefer to only distribute their portable versions through their own website. So, we have respected their wishes (and their copyright/the law) and Piriform's apps are not available in PortableApps.com Format in our Portable App Directory on our site or in the app store on our platform. There are some portable launchers that some of our volunteer devs posted in our forums that help make the Piriform apps fit into PA.c Format for easy backups and the like, but they are 'launcher only' releases (as you noticed), intended primarily for testing, so the Piriform apps must be downloaded and added by the end user to try them out. We're still hopeful they will have a change of heart at some point, but we have alternative cleaner apps in our app directory that have proven quite popular. And users can always download and add the Piriform apps themselves sans any launcher, unzip them to their drive, and they'll be listed in our menu.

[vagabond]

Once again, John T Haller take this opportunity to make propaganda against LiberKey.

He attacks LiberKey on a point that was discussed in June 2010.
There are traces in the Piriform forum:
http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?sho ... 7197&st=20
and on the LiberKey forum:
http://www.liberkey.com/fr/forums/discu ... l?start=10

After email exchanges with a few officials from Piriform, we are pleased to announce That CCleaner, Defraggler and Recuva are available for LiberKey users.

Obviously, nobody is obliged to believe this statement. In this case, anyone has the opportunity to send a message to Piriform for inform that there may be an improper use of their software. And that's all!.
Of course, JTH chose a different path, this of the public denunciation of a competitor.
There are many questions without answers about the real motivations of Mr Haller :

• - What is the legitimacy of JTH to require proof of authorization from a competitor and to introduce the relationship between publishers and LiberKey ?
  - why JTH do not give himself evidence of all his authorizations as he asks to LiberKey ?
  - Why is JTH constantly defamatory about LiberKey ?
  - JTH want to be a vigilante on the Internet, but have you noticed that it violates the basic rules of behavior ?
  - is there not a conflict with differents interests of JTH, specialy between his private company and PA?
  - Why JTH do not start an action in justice to solve these serious charges that have started over 4 years ?

We are available for the justice whether necessary and French law is very respectful of the copyright law.
But it seem's that the truth does not interrested him because JTH prefers the allegations to discredit a competitor.

A special dedication for you John: the latest updates for Piriform applications are now available in Liberkey...

[Ruby]

[I am Baas]

@Ruby

You'll probably run out of popcorn looooooooooooong before this saga ends.

@vagabond

Can you start a new discussion @ http://portableapps.com/forums

Would be fun to follow