http://digg.com/software/PirateReports_revokes_vBulletin_license_of_HongFire_com_for_moral_reasons
http://www.hongfire.com/
http://www.hongfire.com/vbulletin.txt
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=213539
http://blogs.dirtyworker.com/2006/12/23/vbulletin-license-problems/

One of your main competitors vBulletin, have some crazy idiotic license. They say that they have the right to close any site when they don't like the content. As in this site which has loli (anime sex thing), then Jelsoft (or PirateReports) did inactive their license just because they don't wanna be associated with that content.

Please say that UBB Threads don't have that kind of nasty licesing.

There doesn't seem to be any mention of restrictions on the kinds of content.

http://www.ubbcentral.com/terms.php

I am glad if UBB Threads has a honest license. I am actually considering buying UBB Central even though the price is high.

Although it would be a good idea to open up a support ticket with management to be sure about something like this.

I'm ultiamtely sure that groupee doesn't give two toots about what content you run on your site; they're not affiliated with you afterall, you're just simply using their software...

This would be like microsoft flipping out on you for using linux...

Alright, I am awaiting an answer from someone at UBB Central, so I can be 100 % sure about it.

Would be cool if anyone of the staff or support could post in this thread.

If it is like you say Gizmo, then I like it, I like that attitude.

Rick is the sole programmer on UBB.threads, the only other staff from Groupee that I've seen post here is Dave, and he's not on the UBB7 project to the best of my knowledge.

No, once you buy the software it's yours to use on your website. You pay the money for the license and we're not affiliated with the site beyond providing the software that is used. In the 10 years that I've been working on this software that thought has never even entered my mind.

Thank you Rick. I am glad you have a honest license, exactly as it it should be! You buy the software, it isn't affiliated to the forums (quite obvious) and you do whatever you want with it.

PS, if you could lower the pricing, I am sure that would be good for the competition, because this is a great forum, just a little bit expensive! DS.

What does the license exactly do? Gives you the power to install it on a server or one active install? What is it there for?

The analogy that comes to mind for me would be comparing forum software with the file sharing networks that have come under scrutiny for having illegal content available. Yet I sort of think that if a site has illegal content, then law enforcement would go after the forum's owner and not the software vendor.

One active install per license.

Okey, so the UBB Central has no right to inactive the license? If they would then I still could run the software since I payed for it?

They can terminate your license if you don't abide by their agreement and then you would have cease using the software.

Unlike vbulletin, the UBB doesn't even have a way to shut off a license (as there are no callbacks in the software). If you where in violation of the license agreement they would ask you stop using the software, but the only real reason they'd ever do that is if you where giving their softwareout.

So then it is almost like vBulletin.

They can cease the use of the software whenever they want.



Good that there is no callback, bad that they can cease the use of the forumsoftware.

UBB isn't anywhere near as restrictive as what vB is trying to be. Read through the license. It's very basic and seems to only be concerned about piracy of their product.

Well, it might be.
But I would feel concerned about such a policy that UBB Central has the right to do so.

Aye, Piracy is the one thing that every vendor worries about; the Groupee doesn't care what you use their software for, as long as you don't share it

Well, they might do, but how can you be safe as an user?

Read the license is ultimatley all you can do; the Groupee (the UBB authors) don't care what content you have on your site, as it's not their site; I don't see why Jelsoft would alienate you so much as to drive you off due to the content of yoru site (which is of no concern to anyone but the site owner in the first place)

What makes you think a little about this, is if law enforcement will start to go after the software vendors (for providing the vehicle of delivery) of forums that fool with illegal content. I'm wondering what caused vB to jump the gun in this case? Sort of seems like the content in question might be in a grey area that might be a little more difficult to define.

The only restriction that UBB used to have was that they would not support Adult sites (you can use the software on such a site, but there was no support) - I do not know if this is still the case.

Forgive me if I am wrong - but this is what my memory says.

I've worked on plenty of adult sites lately, installs..upgrades, etc. When I'm working on them from home and the wife is around then I just pretend I'm not looking at the pictures

lol, bad rick, bad bad bad! :x...

They any good? :hides in corner:

My sincere apologies then - I was wrong

Dangit, I meant to say I just read the articles.....

suuure... I shall now refer to you as... spanky...

LOL

Bottom line is that unless you're here in the US (and even then it would be difficult) there is no way for them to stop you from using their software once you've bought a license.

For one it is nearly impossible for Microsoft to stop someone in another Country without the direct help of their Government laws supporting the claims of wrong doing and then there is still a high cost in legal fees that most small companies just can not afford to pursue.

Even if you were pirating their software in another Country they are probably too small to be able to do much about it, but that sure would suck and mean that you're being a [censored] about it.
How would you like it if someone came along and took money off your table?

You buy the license, use it for anything you want, just please don't be a low life and give it away to others to use for free, be an up and up person about it and treat it as you would want to also be treated.

.

Not entirely true - I also run a hosting company - and all sites have to comply with our TOS, which in turn we have to comply with our upstream providers. Therefore if we got a complaint against pirated software or illegal site then we will act without delay.

If we ignored it then the complainers have the ability to go upstream, and apply pressure to us that way.

If they had their own server, then they would still have the server in a datacentre who would have their own TOS - or if at home then their ADSL provider.

I am not denying that rules seem lax in certain countries - but is a site owner going to keep moving their site - I doubt it in most cases.

I'm not saying you can't and shouldn't, but I know that it took Microsoft over 3 years of legal battle to shut down a site in HK that was obviously providing illegal content and they have BILLIONS to spend on it and couldn't stop them for a long time.

There are thousands of site around the World that snub their nose at all our "legal" claims here in the US. Give Russia a try, they have thousands of sites currently dealing in illegal content from a US standpoint, but can't seem to stop them either.

I'm not saying he should pirate, that is just lame. But the reality is that MONEY is often a main factor in being able to stop someone and if it's done here in the US then we have a much better chance of stopping it. But if push comes to shove and you don't have physical proof then you have to go to court and prove it, and again, most small companies just can't afford to take you to court over a $300 piece of software when if they loose they can quite possibly be held liable for all court costs as well.

Why do you think the MPAA used threats all the time, even though they have millions of dollars, if they're wrong then they end up losing in court as well and that is quite costly. There are plenty of people that stood up to them and the MPAA dropped it because they didn't have enough proof to go to court over it.

.

valid points

LOL

Somehow I think we went slightly offtopic ;)...

never....

Well I told my girlfriend I wanted a rack but she said she would never let me go to that country.