Mod for Software Developer of Chevereto copies SC screenshot sharing website from a paying client

[DirectorGunner]

I have been working hard on something (a website for sharing HQ screenshots, art, and cosplay for SC) with @mr-hasgaha and @RiceMaiden and others.
After some research, I settled on buying a network license for Chevereto.
I introduced myself and about why I bought a license and a little about the project in trust
https://chevereto.com/community/threads/hi-new-chevereto-user.10709/

Well today, he registered a domain for this and hastily posted it to reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/a5m3vc View: https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/a5m3vc/dedicated_star_citizen_wallpaper_screenshot_site/


So... I PM'd him to give him a chance to respond and maybe make this right.. since IMO this is beyond unethical... and since he didn't respond.
I publicly called him out for this on the reddit post.

 

[Montoya]

I just saw your post on reddit and responded.

I would bring this up to Chevereto, if this guy is an employee, there must be some non-compete clause, you can't go taking ideas from people coming to for help on developing a site using their platform.

As for this guy, the biggest content creators will support you over him any day of the week.

 

[Gauna]

I commented, downvoted tomsit and awarded DG a platinum medal.

 

[Sirus7264]

I have been working hard on something (a website for sharing HQ screenshots, art, and cosplay for SC) with @mr-hasgaha and @RiceMaiden and others.
After some research, I settled on buying a network license for Chevereto.
I introduced myself and about why I bought a license and a little about the project in trust
https://chevereto.com/community/threads/hi-new-chevereto-user.10709/

Well today, he registered a domain for this and hastily posted it to reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/a5m3vc View: https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/a5m3vc/dedicated_star_citizen_wallpaper_screenshot_site/


So... I PM'd him to give him a chance to respond and maybe make this right.. since IMO this is beyond unethical... and since he didn't respond.
I publicly called him out for this on the reddit post.

Wow..... didnt realize he stole that idea from you that is insane im not sure if it fits in the legal realm though since it doesnt seem to be trying to grab up cash and he was first to the finalized product. Maybe ask youtuberlaw if he knows anything?

 

[DirectorGunner]

thank you, I pour my heart into projects like this, I never expected to be betrayed like this by a developer I bought a license from.
The support means a lot to me!

 

[WaterShield]

Down voted his posts. This is beyond shady. Have you contacted the company (Chevereto) as well? He should definitely face trouble there for this.

 

[DirectorGunner]

yes I PM'd Rodolfo and posted an update on the introduction thread on their own website. Tomsit is also the owner of their discord channel to my dismay...

 

[SoloFlyer]

Wow..... didnt realize he stole that idea from you that is insane im not sure if it fits in the legal realm though since it doesnt seem to be trying to grab up cash and he was first to the finalized product. Maybe ask youtuberlaw if he knows anything?

I'd definitely ask. I mean if he paid the company to use their services, explained what he wanted to do, and then one of their employees snatches the idea and does it first that can't be on the up and up legally right?

 

[Blind Owl]

Fucking dirty.

 

[Printimus]

What kind of website/forum is chevereto?

 

[CloudyDaze]

Is there a lawyer in the house? lol

 

[Sirus7264]

I'd definitely ask. I mean if he paid the company to use their services, explained what he wanted to do, and then one of their employees snatches the idea and does it first that can't be on the up and up legally right?

my thoughts exactly problem is we are now dealing with international law so things do change. This is how chinese steal proprietary data from companies and manufacture them on their own terms and are not subject to U.S. Law. All the U.S. can do is ban the sale from that company here(if its even worth pursuing.). This is not really concerning data though this is more in the "Invention category?" possibly. and since he doesnt have a patent for his idea i dont think there is anything he can do even in america. It's a tough thing. Personally i wouldnt have explained what i was planning to do with their software i would do it then once it was pubilished say something to get ideas.

 

[Doc Shaftoe]

Seriously? How skeevy can you get?

I hope you get this resolved favorably ASAP Gunner.

I'll be sure to downvote the hell out of the guy and spread the word.

 

[DirectorGunner]

Timsit just responded...

How do you be a backer since 2013 taking screenshots and not think of the most prolific screenshoot maker - multi MVP - backer in all of the community?
Hasgaha was the first person I PM'd when I got serious about making this, he's the FIRST person that came to mind.
Then 2 weeks after Timsit reads my thread about why I bought Chevereto, and he responds multiple times.. .he magically forgets?
Chevereto is supposedly a big part of his life, and supposedly so is Star Citizen... why wait till now? Or better yet... why after having the ONLY Star Citizen conversation with him on the entire Chevereto forum does he then somehow magically forget that conversation?

Montoya asked me earlier today if I was Tomist because he knew I was working on this kind of a website, I responded to the effect that I KNEW that name, it made an impact on me, and then it dawned on me... maybe 30 minutes later... Tomsit was the Chevereto staff member who hit it off with me about Star Citizen. That kind of interaction is not common. An avid backer simply doesn't forget about something like that. Especially when you "get the idea' to make the same thing weeks later.

I don't even know how to respond to this, because it reads like back peddling to me.

"people should enjoy"
.....

 

[Vavrik]

First, I am not a lawyer. I'm someone who has experienced a similar problem. I also have a little experience with US and international intellectual property laws. My first thought was, "Oh crap, now I get the context of the other post." My second thought was something like "uh. wait Vav ... didn't you learn this lesson the hard way too?" Yes I did. It took me 3 times before I caught on.

The lesson is, ideas cannot be protected by anything but a contractual agreement, and the onus is on you to ensure that is in place to protect your ideas. That seems like a reasonable thing after the fact, let me tell you. Regardless of where the idea originated, there is no nation that I'm aware of that allows protection of ideas. You cannot even legislate against them. The only protection is contractual. What is protectable though, at least in most jurisdictions, is the expression of the idea, the words you use to describe it ... that's poorly worded... here's an example. If I come up with a scientific hypothesis (colloquially a "theory") the hypothesis itself is not protectable. It's just an idea. But I might write a paper to describe the hypothesis, and explain some of its principles. That paper is protectable. Someone else might describe the same hypothesis - he might have even got it from me. He's perfectly free to have that idea, and use it. What he's not allowed to do is use my description of it.

So. what can you do? Learn not to disclose ideas you believe have business value. It's HARD to drill this into your head, it took me 3 times longer than I would have otherwise liked. Initially I was angry at what I saw as an infraction against my rights - but I've since realized that this is the way it has to work or there would be no innovation.

 

[Capt_Baldi]

Signed up to Reddit just to downvote.
Let's get this biatch.

 

[Printimus]

To play the devil's advocate here, what if he really did have a similar idea as you? If anything, why not compete to see who has the better website? All of us Testies know you and your ability to take awesome screen shots, so you can count on at least 17k people to use your thing. Instead of bashing someone, why not make it competitive?

 

[Capt_Baldi]

To play the devil's advocate here, what if he really did have a similar idea as you? If anything, why not compete to see who has the better website? All of us Testies know you and your ability to take awesome screen shots, so you can count on at least 17k people to use your thing. Instead of bashing someone, why not make it competitive?

I prefer the below. xD

SUE ALL THE THINGS!

 

[Bambooza]

Fucking dirty.

You say this like its a bad thing. Not that what happen here is not horrible but why tarnish the good name of those dirty dirty people who had nothing to do with this?

But in all honesty this is Vavrik speaks the truth. Until you get a patent/copy right ideas are worthless, and even then the patent war has shown that those with lots of money still rule.

 

[DirectorGunner]

To play the devil's advocate here, what if he really did have a similar idea as you? If anything, why not compete to see who has the better website? All of us Testies know you and your ability to take awesome screen shots, so you can count on at least 17k people to use your thing. Instead of bashing someone, why not make it competitive?

Because he was in a position of authority for Chevereto in a Developer - Client relationship.
I don't believe he is being sincere that he "forgot" about what I wrote earlier or who the screenshot community leader is (Hasgaha).
No he is supposedly an expert in image sharing websites / Chevereto and an avid Star Citizen backer... but didn't think to make one for the Star Citizen community for years before this?
No I call bullshit on that one.
They guy knows exactly what he did, probably thinking no one would notice, and now is trying to do damage control.

I am open to seeing both sides, but this is not something that I can justify... he'd have to have a serious memory disability or be outright lying. And... I'm willing to bet money that he's lying.
If you look into him, he's not active in the SC community in terms of sharing content often. In fact, I couldn't find much of anything... maybe you could?

You say this like its a bad thing. Not that what happen here is not horrible but why tarnish the good name of those dirty dirty people who had nothing to do with this?

What do you mean? He's in a position of authority at Chevereto and owns their discord channel, and Rodolfo has not touched this yet.
If I had an employee (or even an intern) pull some shit like this, they'd face discipline or be fired.
You don't ever take advantage of the client relationship for your own gain, there's a ton of court cases where employees got fired for stuff like this, and they lost their case. I'd have to dig for them but it's in my employment law book. Employees have a duty of loyalty to their employer in the USA. Abusing a client relationship for your own gain outside of the company is breaking that duty. As far as I understand it so far