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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 9/18/2006
Posts: 294
Location: Netherlands
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Hi Doug,
Huhhhh are you porting webguide to mediaportal ????? have a look at their site (Webinterface for tvserver3):
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/WebGuide/startpage?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=web_guide_startpage_1.jpg
http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/WebGuide/recordings?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=recordings_1.jpg
Guus Soomers
Silverstone LC03, Asus 8N SLI Deluxe S939, AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 1024MB Memory, 6600GT 128 MB video, 2*160 GB SATA, 1* 500 GB SATA, Hauppauge 150MCE, MCE2005 NL - Microsoft Vista Ultinate: Intel C2D 6600, 2 GB Mem, NVIDIA 8500GT, 400 SATA II GB HD - Microsoft Vista Ultimate: Intel 3,4 GHz HT, 1 GB Mem, Nvidia 6600, 160 GB & 120 GB SATA HD - Microsoft Vista Home Premium: Intel ViiV C2D 6300, 2 GB Mem, ATI X1300 Pro 256MB Video, 320 GB SATA HD - Microsoft Windows Home Server: Xeon 3 GHz, 4GB Mem, 720 GB HD (1 * 400 GB SATA II, 4 * 80 GB SCSI)
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 2/21/2007
Posts: 53
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Wow, what an infamous "copy" of WebGuide4. Hopefully it's either a System Builder version or otherwise licensed... 
Cheers ~ Arne http://www.theunwired.nethttp://www.theplaceshift.net
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Rank: Administration
Joined: 8/19/2006
Posts: 3,365
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Nopoe. Neither. I've already contacted them to see what is going on. Not only are they using the name, but it looks like they actually are using the graphics from WebGuide as well.
Does anyone have a link to the actual file download? I want to investigate a bit further to see what else was "borrowed".
More info here...
http://msmvps.com/blogs/chrisl/archive/2007/04/02/745347.aspx
arnehess wrote:Wow, what an infamous "copy" of WebGuide4. Hopefully it's either a System Builder version or otherwise licensed...
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 4/3/2007
Posts: 2
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I posted a link in a comment in Chris's blog - but here is a link to the 'images' directory in the repository.
Check out the last two members.
http://mediaportal.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/mediaportal/trunk/TvEngine3/MPWebGuide/MPGuide/images/
Mash
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 4/3/2007
Posts: 2
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Hi, Let me introduce myself, I'm frodo, the main developer of mediaportal and currently working on MP's webinterface It seems that atm we are indeed using some of webguide's images. Dont worry, those will be replaced with our own gfx asap. I'll also check our svn to see if other items (like css styles) or something contain material from webguide and ifso, replace those with our own version Apologies to all that this happened. We started out developing MP's webinterface and took the layout of webguide as an example with the intention to replace all graphics/styles with our own ones It seems however that there is still some webguide things left but like i said, we'll remove those asap Update: I would like to make clear that we didnt 'steal' any code or somthing like that we just used the html layout during development and sadly it was not removed before release... btw, all gfx/css styles/scripts etc have been removed from our svn until we find out what exactly are left-behinds from webguide and what was created ourselves... Update2: The text here is also posted on our website http://www.team-mediaportal.comFrodo
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 4/3/2007
Posts: 2
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In reply to Frodo
"...took the layout of webguide as an example with the intention
to replace all graphics/styles with our own ones" - that in it's self is still copyright infringement.
Let's say I took a copy of Moby Dick, and I went thru and changed every line, I even changed story it so it wasn't even about a whale - that's still copyright infringement.
Copyrights do not just protect objects like a image files, style sheets, and source code - they protect the originality ("creative spark") of the work.
Copyrights can not protect "ideas", so you are free to create a product with the same functionality - ie, a web based product that allow interaction between a "guide" and a software pvr product, management of recordings, etc.. etc.. - but you can't use copyrighted material as a basis for your work - because then your work is not original.
I'm not sure how I would proceed if I were you, there is a saying "you can't unring the bell" - and what you have so far clearly infringes upon Webguide4, so I think it's safe to say that if there are ANY 'similarities' between a future product that you come out with and a copyrighted work, you might run into problems.
If you really what to move forward with your product, I would see if you can work something out with the author of Webguide4.
Mash
PS - sorry if anyone thinks I've been out of line, but I too am a developer and have had my work infringed upon.
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 4/3/2007
Posts: 2
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>Copyrights can not protect "ideas", so you are free to create a product
with the same functionality - ie, a web
>based product that allow
interaction between a "guide" and a software pvr product, management of
recordings, etc..
Thats was and is our idea creating a webinterface for mediaportal.
We are very sorry this happened and we don't want to do with any copyright issues here.
Like i said, its a mistake from our side. The idea was to replace the entire style/layout/gfx before release
so it would not look /feel anymore like webguide4
As said, everything has been removed already on our side. Be assured that when we release the next
version it wont look/feel like webguide4 and it wont use any copyright material from webguide4
Frodo
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Rank: Member
Joined: 12/13/2006
Posts: 26
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This really chaps my hide. Just thought I'd say that. Doug, I'd recommend taking legal council --> not so much as to take action against mediaportal, but to review other protective/preventative measures for the future. I do realize the only defense for a small business (such as yourself) is to agressively protect your copyrights/trademarks, it's probably something you are already thinking about.
Stealing code and/or design is stealing the labor that you put into your product and it IS protectected by various laws if you have the means to pursue it.
On an upbeat note, I love webguide4 and have been using it flawlessy for 6 months now.
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Rank: Administration
Joined: 8/19/2006
Posts: 3,365
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I'm mystified as to why I was not contacted by MediaPortal in the first place when they wanted to "borrow" my work, and I'm having difficulty reconciling Frodo's explanation with the extent of the "borrowing" that took place. My entire library of images (more than 120 and the WebGuide logo) were included in the MediaPortal site, my stylesheets are being used, and the source-code is strewn with hardcoded pieces from my HTML/ASPX pages. There's also some awfully familiar logic flows to the layout. And the site was even called WebGuide! That's an awful lot of "borrowing!" I am reassured that Frodo has stated that any references to or infringements upon WebGuide's copyrighted material will be removed from MediaPortal's site.
I've spent thousands of hours over the past four years turning WebGuide into what it is today, and it is discouraging and even a little mind-boggling to find that someone has "borrowed" my work to jump start their own product. I appreciate the Media Center communities' overwhelming support and help in solving this issue. Developing for such an engaged and loyal community is extremely satisfying, and I look forward to focusing on making WebGuide an even better product.
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 4/4/2007
Posts: 1
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Hi, a long term Mediaportal user here. I just want to apologise on behalf of the Mediaportal team. Some of the team developers appear to feel they are above any reproach (no names but you've already guessed I see), but that does not mean the rest of the community are not sorry that they were part of this pathetic situation.
Please don't forget that anything good gets copied in some way, your WebGuide looks fantastic, and I can see why it would be yours that they chose to rip.
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