Cracking Down on Leakers

[Luigical]

I was just made aware of MCM's policy today on a certain type of leaker.

The situation today went as follows.

• A user of this site actively shows that they were aware of having a leaked product.
• Actively lied about using a leaked product
• Only purchases the product once they are forced to for support.

As long as this user is willing to purchase the product after they are being caught, this is something that the user is completely allowed to do.

Here is the problem I have with the above. I completely understand a user either lied to or just unknowingly using a leaked product suddenly realizing they are using a leaked product and changing their ways. This has happened to me with quite a few customers and they had no idea what was going on.

The true problem comes with people are actively aware that they are engaging in this kind of activity. We already have harsh punishments for people selling leaked products that they didn't know were leaked. So why are we letting people that are actively supporting these communities run off free?

Here is my suggestion: We need some sort of action for people using leaks that are aware of it. I do not see any place in the community for people that actively support leaked products and only purchase after being forced to. This suggestion is completely with people with malicious intent that know they are using a leaked product and are okay with it.

 

[Justis]

MCM will facilitate a cease and desist on behalf of a content creator at that creator’s request, whenever there is sufficient evidence that a user of our website has been using that creator’s product without an active usage license.

If the user refuses, or if they accept and then are found to have continued unrightful usage, they will be banned for copyright infringement.

That is our current policy.

Our community has absolutely evolved in the last several years.
At one point, if someone were to suggest punishing anyone for simply using a leak, you’d get walls of retorts saying things like:
- Server owners should be able to use leaks to try out a product before purchasing it
- Server owners should be able to use leaks to determine if the code is of good or poor quality before purchasing it
- If we didn’t pay for anything, we haven’t supported leaking, we’re just making use of what is freely available
- I wouldn’t buy the product anyway, so using the leaked version isn’t making the author lose out on any money
- MCM is stretching their authority way too far by trying to punish me copyright violations through other platforms, what’s next? They’ll punish me for downloading music off of Youtube?

Now, and especially after having posted the current General Discussion sticky about combatting leak sites, we’ve seen the tides slowly start to turn. What used to be widely accepted and even encouraged by the creator community is now more or less looked down upon.

If we have reached a point where the community at large wants us to start also taking a more aggressive approach to people found to be using leaks or simply using something they don’t have the right to be using, then I’m definitely happy to discuss incorporating that into our existing policies in whatever way will most effectively serve everyone’s interests.

EDIT: I want to point out that "leakers" refers to people who create leaks. The people you’re asking us to crack down on are users of the leaks. Those aren’t leakers unless they’re propagating the file.

 

[Luigical]

MCM will facilitate a cease and desist on behalf of a content creator at that creator’s request, whenever there is sufficient evidence that a user of our website has been using that creator’s product without an active usage license.

If the user refuses, or if they accept and then are found to have continued unrightful usage, they will be suspended for copyright infringement and the process will repeat until they have ceased or are permanently banned for excessive warning points.

That is our current policy.

Our community has absolutely evolved in the last several years.
At one point, if someone were to suggest punishing anyone for simply using a leak, you’d get walls of retorts saying things like:
- Server owners should be able to use leaks to try out a product before purchasing it
- Server owners should be able to use leaks to determine if the code is of good or poor quality before purchasing it
- If we didn’t pay for anything, we haven’t supported leaking, we’re just making use of what is freely available
- I wouldn’t buy the product anyway, so using the leaked version isn’t making the author lose out on any money
- MCM is stretching their authority way too far by trying to punish me copyright violations through other platforms, what’s next? They’ll punish me for downloading music off of Youtube?

Now, and especially after having posted the current General Discussion sticky about combatting leak sites, we’ve seen the tides slowly start to turn. What used to be widely accepted and even encouraged by the creator community is now more or less looked down upon.

If we have reached a point where the community at large wants us to start also taking a more aggressive approach to people found to be using leaks or simply using something they don’t have the right to be using, then I’m definitely happy to discuss incorporating that into our existing policies in whatever way will most effectively serve everyone’s interests.

EDIT: I want to point out that "leakers" refers to people who create leaks. The people you’re asking us to crack down on are users of the leaks. Those aren’t leakers unless they’re propagating the file.

Then I would have to agree with you and say, at least personally. I feel anyone who knowingly is using leaked products, does deserve to have more than simply stop it. This person knew what they were doing long before. This site even bans for intention to scam so I do believe that intention to leak should definitely be against the rules

 

[Justis]

Then I would have to agree with you and say, at least personally. I feel anyone who knowingly is using leaked products, does deserve to have more than simply stop it. This person knew what they were doing long before. This site even bans for intention to scam so I do believe that intention to leak should definitely be against the rules

Again, I just have to correct you because you’re using the terminology incorrectly.

Receiving or using a leaked product is not leaking.

Leaking is when someone redistributes copies of something without right.
It is the person who is doing the redistributing that is leaking, not the receiver(s).

In other words, there is no inherent "intention to leak" when someone downloads or uses a leaked product.
Intention to leak is already something that is banned for.

 

[Luigical]

Again, I just have to correct you because you’re using the terminology incorrectly.

Receiving or using a leaked product is not leaking.

Leaking is when someone redistributes copies of something without right.
It is the person who is doing the redistributing that is leaking, not the receiver(s).

In other words, there is no inherent "intention to leak" when someone downloads or uses a leaked product.
Intention to leak is already something that is banned for.

Let me correct myself, I am talking about someone who knowingly uses a leaked product.

 

[RileyN]

Proper licensing, license verification/activation, and code obfuscation.

 

[Dev1]

Proper licensing, license verification/activation, and code obfuscation.

Even then, it is still fully possible to have your product leaked.

Regarding this post in early 2019 by Justis R, has this had any progress at all?

 

[Justis]

Even then, it is still fully possible to have your product leaked.

Regarding this post in early 2019 by Justis R, has this had any progress at all?
View attachment 438897

Yes, Harry is currently working hard developing it.

 

[testx]

Even then, it is still fully possible to have your product leaked.

Regarding this post in early 2019 by Justis R, has this had any progress at all?
View attachment 438897

With proper license verification/activation system leaked plugins won't work even after they are "cracked"
+ in that way you can find leakers profile