Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone
Poachers Pilfer Pwnage
Looks like unscrupulous poachers are stealing free software. Word this morning is that UK-based iphoneunlockuk.com is selling the otherwise free Pwnage tool and for a hefty 29.99 ($60). Not a bad profit margin for software they neither built nor have the right to distribute.
To quote the iPhone dev team, "We have all put in lots of time to bring you this application for FREE. We didn't license this application to them, we don't license it to anyone." Looks like the miscreants didn't do much to try to cover their tracks either. The application contains the original Pwnage credits and help file. In the words of the dev team, "Stop Thief!"
Pwnage is a free jailbreaking and unlocking tool for the iPhone and iPod touch. Among other things it allows users to access the iPhone's Mac OS X command line and install and run third party applications.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
slimy33 said 1:34PM on 7-01-2008
So did anyone buy it?
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mark said 1:39PM on 7-01-2008
Not surprising at all. I wish they had a lawyer to go after these people. I'm used to people stealing my iphone related work to profit from.
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MoonMan said 5:14PM on 7-01-2008
The iPhone Dev Team has no legal grounds to go after them, because the software they created, the Pwnage tool, violates Apples EULA.
It's a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
MoonMan said 5:16PM on 7-01-2008
Addition: I'm not saying that I think it's okay they sell someone else's work, but the law is on no one's side here.
harrywolf said 1:45PM on 7-01-2008
No surprise they are in the UK - theft is normal behavior in the UK, as MANY sociological studies have shown.
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badpuddin said 1:57PM on 7-01-2008
Yeah. We learnt from the good 'ol US of A how to rip people off good and proper. After all, Bush rips whole countries off for their oil so we had some good teachers.
keli said 2:37PM on 7-01-2008
Now Now, lets not get political. :)
paul said 2:02PM on 7-01-2008
Strangely, they have given their real number on one of their pages: 01905 429295.
Now what would happen if they had their lines overloaded with complaints / had their lines taken down...
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NJI said 2:03PM on 7-01-2008
is someone going to do something about this!!
And they have the cheek to charge for the 2.0 upgrade for 1.1.4 users.
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Phil Bridges said 2:04PM on 7-01-2008
Interesting to read on their website "recommended by The Guardian", wonder if Uncle Jack picks up on this! They also mention "Never be locked out by Apple - lifetime support,' and "PhoneUnlockUK.com were the world's first and still the only legitimate iPhone Unlocking company - even Apple Store employees use our software!" Must be few law suits bubbling away there I'd have thought.....
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paul said 2:05PM on 7-01-2008
Can anyone find an email address for this shower?
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mentalsticks said 2:17PM on 7-01-2008
And this is worse than music piracy WHY?
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mentalsticks said 2:18PM on 7-01-2008
Oh, of course, because you know the people who are being ripped off. How stupid of me.
jason said 3:34PM on 7-01-2008
it is worse than music piracy (or any kind of piracy for that matter) because not only are they ripping off other peoples work, but they are also selling it for a major profit.
mentalsticks said 5:41PM on 7-01-2008
so if i steal a bicycle and give it away or keep it for myself then it's fine, but when i sell it it's bad?
NJI said 2:17PM on 7-01-2008
Got this email a while ago from a friend who bought from these scammers!!!
support@iphoneunlockuk.com
"As you may or may not know, Apple will release iPhone 2.0 in a few weeks, an update to the iPhone software that includes a great many new features. The operating system has been written from the ground up, and so too has our software to enable you to get these features and remain unlocked.
We will continue to support iPhone 1.0 software free of charge as promised, and deliver the support and updates to keep you unlocked at this version, but if you want to upgrade your iPhone to support the version 2.0 software (and we recommend you do, to be honest), its going to be a paid upgrade - similar to upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista, and Tiger to Leopard on the Mac.
We have created a special price for our previous loyal customers which is £19.99. This will enable you to upgrade to iPhone 2.0 and future software updates WITHOUT having to unlock your iPhone again, as we will be delivering the firmware updates, rather than Apple, so you can restore your iPhone using iTunes using our custom firmware, which automatically keeps the iPhone unlocked and installs the necessary software for using foreign sim cards.
We feel this is a great price, and this special offer is only valid for the next 7 days.
For more information and to upgrade your account, please use this SPECIAL LINK which is tied to your account:
http://www.iphoneunlockuk.com/specialoffer.php?customer_identification=2671
Kind regards
Jody Sanders
Managing Director
iPhoneUnlockUK"
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Tom said 2:38PM on 7-01-2008
Well, while you showed that he was the 2671st sucker, you also showed that there are at least 2671 suckers :(
mike said 2:18PM on 7-01-2008
So, are we supposed to feel like the people reselling this software are stealing something, but the people who get the software for free and use it are NOT stealing?
If Apple and AT&T sell an iPhone under the condition that you have a service agreement with AT&T -- and that service agreement provides income to both Apple and AT&T -- and you unlock, jailbreak, or otherwise weasel out of the agreement and use the iPhone without the agreement, you're essentially stealing the phone. (The equivalent would be if you went into a store, walked out with a $500 leather jacket, but left $200 on the counter as you left. Yes, you've paid something for it, but this ain't frigging PriceLine, you don't get to name your own price (and terms) for the iPhone.
"Stop, thief" indeed.
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spooky2k said 4:39PM on 7-01-2008
Just in case you guys are wondering, a hell of a lot of people use that site.
I remember when I first got my iPhone and there was so much crap on forums etc about unlocking phones, I couldn't help but feel the average consumer would google 'unlock iphone' and be so confused, they'd simply return the phone.
My auntie uses that site not because she prefers to pay for free software, but because it's like having a resident geek on tap to let you know when there are updates. It's essentially the only stop she has to make to update her phone.
I know I sound preachy, but it's not as bad as everyone is making it out to be. I suggest everyone realise that it's as unethical to sell free software (DVD shrink comes to mind) as it is to unlock exclusive devices.
Simply put: Touché
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Kronis said 6:30PM on 7-01-2008
It's over, Check out devteam's News over at the Hackintosh Site.
"iphoneunlockuk" caved because of there illegal activity and some smart coding on the devteams part, written in their Software.
Also, Yes it is illegal to sell and to illegally offer something that is not yours or you did not code or write. There is more to this, But i will not Feed the Trolls.
After reading a few post that think it is ok to Charge for someone else's free software, PLEASE, this type of behavior is stealing the devteam's property. " Not for Commercial use" "its encoded in the software, can't get around it."
I have to conclude that a few of these post are put together just like our friend "Jody".
It's funny that when someone Blogs, there are certain characteristics in a way a person writes and words their sentences, it has a way of pointing to the same poster,
even if they use different user names and on different sites.
Please check out the Post's at the devteams forums, and decide for yourself if it is the same person that posted 2 times above me, they either think alike or are "Jody" clones.
Congrats go out to Devteam, great job, and good thinking on copyright and wording in your software, the best to all of you and the Community.
Peace.
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