I found the man who stole other's add-on

Paul B said:
@Thangvip9x You are in breach of rule 14: https://xenforo.com/community/help/terms/



You must immediately remove any third party resources (add-ons, styles, translations, graphics, etc.) you have posted on other sites, regardless whether they are free or not.

Actions such as this encourage piracy by allowing unlicensed users to download add-ons they would not normally have access to.

Restrictions have been applied to your account and will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
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Thank you very much! Good job! ❤️

Yenxji

Thread 'Activate key/license XF Core/Addon validation against piracy'

I have seen this XenForo was 15 years old and released from 2010. I think it’s time to make that XenForo core and addon that must have activate key/license to active and protect against piracy. This would save all developers to continue own addon. If they don’t and they would have lost money anyways no matter what that pirate will still continue to re-sell and because that they are rat. They made my heart broken of my addon have been stolen.

Stop piracy and pirate now!

Stop piracy now
 
Yenxji said:
Thank you very much! Good job! ❤️

Yenxji

Thread 'Activate key/license XF Core/Addon validation against piracy'

I have seen this XenForo was 15 years old and released from 2010. I think it’s time to make that XenForo core and addon that must have activate key/license to active and protect against piracy. This would save all developers to continue own addon. If they don’t and they would have lost money anyways no matter what that pirate will still continue to re-sell and because that they are rat. They made my heart broken of my addon have been stolen.

Stop piracy and pirate now!
Stop piracy now
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This still won't work because the code is "open source". Someone with basic to intermediate PHP knowledge could strip it, if AI couldn't do it (it might have rules to not strip it unless you can successfully convince it that you forgot your API token and the only way you could get it is to revive your dead grandmother who holds the knowledge of where she wrote down and stored it).
 
embed a secret backdoor that pings a remote server!!!
Joking April Fools GIF by Katelyn Tarver
 
Here is what ChatGPT had to say about piracy
Preventing software piracy involves a combination of technological measures, legal strategies, and proactive practices. Here are several ways to prevent or minimize piracy:

### 1. Use Licensing Systems
- License Keys: Implement systems where users must input a valid license key or activation code to access the software. These keys can be tied to a specific user or machine.
- Online Activation: Require users to authenticate online before they can use the software. This can be done with cloud-based license management systems.

### 2. Software Obfuscation
- Code Obfuscation: Make your software harder to reverse-engineer or tamper with. Obfuscation techniques change the appearance of the code to make it more difficult for hackers to understand or alter it.
- Anti-Debugging Techniques: Integrate code that detects debugging tools, preventing attackers from analyzing or modifying the software.

### 3. Encryption
- Encrypt Critical Files: Ensure that key parts of your software (e.g., executable files or configuration files) are encrypted so they cannot be easily accessed or modified by unauthorized users.
- License Verification: Enforce periodic license verification, ensuring that the software checks in with an online server periodically to validate the license.

### 4. Watermarking
- Unique Watermarks: Add hidden watermarks to the software code or its output (like documents or images) that can be traced back to the original user, making pirated copies identifiable.

### 5. Frequent Updates
- Regular Patches: Provide regular software updates that fix security holes or functionality that pirated versions may lack. These updates can also include new features that encourage legitimate use.
- Require Updates for Functionality: For certain features or bug fixes, require users to download the latest version of the software, making pirated copies obsolete.

### 6. Use Cloud-Based Solutions
- Cloud Software: Consider offering your software as a service (SaaS) where the application runs on your servers, and users access it over the internet. This eliminates the risk of piracy since users don't have the full software on their devices.

### 7. Limit Functionality
- Feature Locking: Limit access to premium features until the software is activated or a valid license is obtained. Free or trial versions can be made available with limited functionality.

### 8. Legal and Copyright Protection
- Copyright Enforcement: Ensure your software is protected by copyright law, which gives you legal grounds to pursue action against piracy.
- Terms and Conditions: Include clear legal agreements, such as End-User License Agreements (EULA), that outline the consequences of piracy.
- Copyright Infringement Monitoring: Actively monitor websites, forums, and peer-to-peer networks for pirated versions of your software. Sending cease-and-desist notices or pursuing legal action may be necessary.

### 9. Education and Awareness
- User Awareness Campaigns: Educate your users on the risks of piracy, including the potential for malware, security risks, and the impact on developers.
- Incentivize Legal Use: Provide incentives for users to purchase legitimate copies, such as offering support, discounts, or exclusive content.

### 10. Anti-Piracy Partnerships
- Collaboration with Platforms: Work with software distribution platforms (e.g., Steam, Microsoft Store) that have built-in piracy protection mechanisms and track licenses.

By combining these methods, developers can significantly reduce the risks associated with software piracy and encourage legitimate use. However, it’s important to balance security measures with user experience to avoid alienating paying customers.
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Seeker-Smith said:
Is it Xenforo's business to deal with add-on theft? I'd think not, its the add-on developer.
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No, but it's Xenforo's business to assure security to the developpers, I mean I've read post in the beginning of that thread that say there's way to protect the addons but it's against the Xenforo's policy and I don't understand why.

Now about the addons piracy, there's some difference between just reshare them for free and resell them when you don't own them, the first one isn't fine either but as each paid thing there's always nulled/cracked versions and I admit that has its useful part since there's no other way to test forum plugins before buy them so I'm doing that, I'm testing them nulled on my local server then If I like how it works I'm buying for my site, that saves lot of money believe me. :)
But resell them, if you do a simple search for Xenforo plugins you'll found at least 10 sites which resell them by one or another way.
 
Bubstar said:
No, but it's Xenforo's business to assure security to the developpers, I mean I've read post in the beginning of that thread that say there's way to protect the addons but it's against the Xenforo's policy and I don't understand why.

Now about the addons piracy, there's some difference between just reshare them for free and resell them when you don't own them, the first one isn't fine either but as each paid thing there's always nulled/cracked versions and I admit that has its useful part since there's no other way to test forum plugins before buy them so I'm doing that, I'm testing them nulled on my local server then If I like how it works I'm buying for my site, that saves lot of money believe me. :)
But resell them, if you do a simple search for Xenforo plugins you'll found at least 10 sites which resell them by one or another way.
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I disagree. Xenforo allows the option to add custom features but I do not think they should be held to a standard to protect the developer outside of what is given, or at least point a finger and just say its their fault.

It is like saying Microsoft is at fault for not protecting COMPANY A because PARTY A shared pirated content. Wordpress has this issue, mass reselling of premium products, how do we go about that too?

You can steal a car, should the manufacturer have made it more tamper proof? These are not simple things.
 
Itworx4me said:
Here is what ChatGPT had to say about piracy
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Licensing is easy to bypass, people already sell $5 licenses for cpanel by example. Online activation? Have you seen Adobe and its offline keygen? A simple host file edit to null the domain,ip stops that. I could keep going...
 
IU'm just glad to see this was handled. I'm thankful for the developers of the platform and addons. For someone like me, I run a niche site which makes some side $ for a community I enjoy. I want to make sure all of you get paid for the quality work that you do and that these addon's and platform keep getting updated and people don't take money away from you guys. XF is still one off the most affordable platforms out there, where we can host these communities.

Glad the platform staff listens to its developers and this was resolved. It's one of the most important lines of communication & respect there is. I really hope online communities start to get popular again. It's nice to own your own data and not be in a large public pool where all your data is own and mined.
 
MentaL said:
Licensing is easy to bypass, people already sell $5 licenses for cpanel by example. Online activation? Have you seen Adobe and its offline keygen? A simple host file edit to null the domain,ip stops that. I could keep going...
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@zappaDPJ old site the admin zone made sure you were licenced with a xf forum of your own.
It was required.
Even @Siropu does this
 
Ozzy47 said:
That is almost useless, as 99.9% of these people running pirate sites are valid XF license holders.
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Not really. It is just helpful that they want only licenced users on their sites.
I know that my mate @BIG LLC does a lot of other things. He used to collect phone numbers as a way of dealing with the spam.
That was until his own number was left unhidden and people started sending him all sorts of sms's.
 
Suzanne O said:
Not really. It is just helpful that they want only licenced users on their sites.
I know that my mate @BIG LLC does a lot of other things. He used to collect phone numbers as a way of dealing with the spam.
That was until his own number was left unhidden and people started sending him all sorts of sms's.
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Suzanne O said:
@zappaDPJ old site the admin zone made sure you were licenced with a xf forum of your own.
It was required.
Even @Siropu does this
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Yeah, that doesn't stop piracy. Easy to null a license check, as we have seen given this thread! Those systems use tokens as verification.
 
MentaL said:
Yeah, that doesn't stop piracy. Easy to null a license check, as we have seen given this thread! Those systems use tokens as verification.
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Yeah but there are ways to prevent piracy from happening.
It includes making your RM's and addons open to licenced people only.
A bit like making your staff lounge only for staff.
Those that disagree with me, perhaps look at getting all your stuff copyright protected and then go after the criminals in the law courts
 
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