[CrackMonkey] bad and stupid people of 1998

[Nick Moffitt]

Forwarded with permission.

----- Forwarded message from Martin Pool <mbp at users.sourceforge.net> -----
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 01:09:23 -0700
To: gnu at gnu.org, mbp at users.sourceforge.net, palmdev at reapertech.com
Subject: GPL violation

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On Tue, Sep 05, 2000 at 09:55:31AM +0100, Palm Dev wrote:
> At 12:12 28/08/2000 +1100, you wrote:
> 
> Dear Sir
> 
> In reference to your email, we would like to inform of the history
> of our SafeKeys application.
> 
> This application was originally written for a client during 1998.
> This application was delivered to the client during Decemeber 1998.
> However this application was not paid for by the client after
> delivery because the client ceased trading. When we originally
> delivered we provided the client with all rights however because
> they where unable to pay our invoice, as a result we recently
> received the rights back and a decision was made to make it
> available free on the Internet.  The license is our standard
> freeware license.  We have no intention of charging for this tool
> for commercial use either however we would like commercial users to
> first contact us prior to use so we can confirm that they will not
> violate any patents, etc. for the algorithms within the RSAEuro
> library.
> 
> As this application was originally developed prior to your
> application we belive this application is different to yours. 

This is plainly false.  The application is not different in any
significant way.  Either you are lying, or you are being lied to by
one of your employees.

If you did write an application in 1998, then it has since been
completely replaced by code from GNU Keyring for PalmOS.

There are abundant points of similarity between SafeKeys and GNU
Keyring for PalmOS.  I have consulted several expert software
developers and a lawyer specializing in intellectual property law and
they all agree that it seems beyond reasonable doubt that SafeKeys is
a derivative work.

On all of these measures, SafeKeys is identical or almost identical to
GNU Keyring:

 * User interface (pixel-for-pixel identical in most cases)

 * Strings (largely identical, including errors)

 * Bugs, including a showstopper data loss bug that makes this version
   of the software completely unsuitable for commercial release.  (If
   you were going to sell this software and you wrote it, presumably
   you know what the bug is.  Do you?)

 * Program functionality (exactly the same)

 * Internal strings in the program, including filenames, assertion
   messages, and errors

I have documented some of the above on this web page, and will add
more details if necessary.

  http://gnukeyring.sourceforge.net/safekeys/

I challenge you to examine these pages and repeat your statement that
the programs are different.

I am extremely disappointed by your continued denial and evasion of
obvious infringements.  I expect to receive a satisfactory written
apology and retraction within a week.

--  
Martin Pool                      mbp at users.sourceforge.net
GNU Keyring for PalmOS           http://gnukeyring.sourceforge.net/
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