I know a lot of websites that use illegal vBulletin (w/o paying any fees) ...how do they get away with it?? in fact, a friend of mine has just given me a copy ....i don't feel right using it. (I like phpBB better :) )
My question is ...how do they find out if you use it illegally or legally?

People like yourself can report this to vBulletin.

When you have a registered copy you have to fill in your domain name in the members area on vBulletin.

If you notify vBulletin of the stolen copy then just provide the URL and they will check their members areas to see if it's an official copy.

I believe it is ok to have the code... just not allowed to use it on a puiblic server unless the URL is submitted in your members area and you have a valid licence for it.

They 'nullify' it. vB have a system that allows them to see who installs it, on what domain and so forth, but some clever bastard always gets past this sort of thing.

The vB support forum has many posts about this. The script, unless it's "nullified," has a call-back script in the admin area which contacts vB's servers with your license #, etc when you log on there.

I'm amazed that vB don't encode their callback routine so it can't be removed (although I suppose the downside is that that part won't work with safe_mode).

Although I'm still sure that people will find a way around it.

It make me so mad that people think they have a right to people's intellectual property for free. People spend a lot of time and hard work trying to earn a living writing software, just for some idiot to come along and think they have a god given right to a copy for free... fact... you want it... you pay for it!

I think if they did, there would be a lot of negative feedback on that. Recently they made a decision to do the imports inhouse. This meant if you were changing your board from IPB, phpBB and many others, you would log on to the member section, upload your DB and they would convert it for you.

As for this policy, there was such an loud outcry from the licensed users that they changed their mind and allowed licensed users to download the scripts again.

Originally posted by Rich2k
I'm amazed that vB don't encode their callback routine so it can't be removed (although I suppose the downside is that that part won't work with safe_mode).

Although I'm still sure that people will find a way around it.

It make me so mad that people think they have a right to people's intellectual property for free. People spend a lot of time and hard work trying to earn a living writing software, just for some idiot to come along and think they have a god given right to a copy for free... fact... you want it... you pay for it!

they can use zend or iconcube to encripte whole code. modernbill and others so so from a while ago.

vBulletin's standard code have call back functions; the illegal versions (AKA SpyFixed versions) which are booted all over IRC took out / bypassed these call back functions and thus leaves vBulletin uninformed of their copy running.

However, as others have mentioned, if anyone reports to vBulletin about it and they don't find the domain in their members database, vBulletin can and most probably will file a C&D on the guys in charge of running the forum/their host. When that happens, it gets pretty nasty...

My suggestion is to stay the hell away from the illegal copies so you won't be tempted to use it. If you really want vB, buy it; otherwise go with IPB 2 as it have all the features vB have and you can legally use it for free.

vBulletin should offer an incentive for people to report illegal copies (i haven't come by a suspicious site yet but im sure there are plenty out there) say, 10% off the next license or something

Then they will create a bunch of fake sites and then get vB for 10% of the price :)

Originally posted by Aea
Then they will create a bunch of fake sites and then get vB for 10% of the price :) good point ;)

i don't feel right using it. (I like phpBB better :) )[/B]


Just crossing your site, vBulletin was installed :D. By the way, I have reported many website that I'm sure they are using illegal copy, but none of them were take off :angry: