ncl47
2007-02-06, 13:16
I included Spybot Search and Destroy on an Anti-virus and Spyware CD which I put together and was selling on eBay. The CD was designed for people who didn't really know much about PCs and was provided with detailed instructions which I had written explaining how to use each of the programs on it.
After a couple of weeks of selling it, my listing was removed and I was suspended from eBay for selling counterfeit software. eBay told me that the author of Spybot had informed them that I was breaching his copyright.
Within the listing, I described what Spybot was, and I provided a link to the website. I was surprised when I discovered that I was breaching copyright since as far as I knew the software was available for download for free to anyone. Also, I made no claim anywhere that I had written the software and I provided a link to the site, where anyone could have downloaded it for free anyway.
I followed up my suspension from eBay with an email to legal@spybot.info asking what I could do about this, but a week has passed and I have had no reply.
So, my question is twofold. First of all, what is the policy of the copyright holder of Spybot Search and Destroy with regard to the software being included in a CD like mine? Second, is there any way that I can legitimately sell a CD containing this software?
I am not a pirate, I have been a computer engineer for 15 years and I use this software every day as part of my job, in conjunction with several other programs. The CD I was selling was the result of years of experience of cleaning junk off people's PCs, and I provided full technical support to all the people who purchased it who needed it.
I have checked the FAQ but can't find anything relating to this, so I hope that by bringing it up in this discussion forum, my questions can be answered by someone in the know.
Many thanks,
Nick.
After a couple of weeks of selling it, my listing was removed and I was suspended from eBay for selling counterfeit software. eBay told me that the author of Spybot had informed them that I was breaching his copyright.
Within the listing, I described what Spybot was, and I provided a link to the website. I was surprised when I discovered that I was breaching copyright since as far as I knew the software was available for download for free to anyone. Also, I made no claim anywhere that I had written the software and I provided a link to the site, where anyone could have downloaded it for free anyway.
I followed up my suspension from eBay with an email to legal@spybot.info asking what I could do about this, but a week has passed and I have had no reply.
So, my question is twofold. First of all, what is the policy of the copyright holder of Spybot Search and Destroy with regard to the software being included in a CD like mine? Second, is there any way that I can legitimately sell a CD containing this software?
I am not a pirate, I have been a computer engineer for 15 years and I use this software every day as part of my job, in conjunction with several other programs. The CD I was selling was the result of years of experience of cleaning junk off people's PCs, and I provided full technical support to all the people who purchased it who needed it.
I have checked the FAQ but can't find anything relating to this, so I hope that by bringing it up in this discussion forum, my questions can be answered by someone in the know.
Many thanks,
Nick.