Sulake target more retro sites

[xxMATTGxx]

Looks like Sulake are targeting more retro sites in getting them closed down. Including the sites that provide the .swf files but this was pretty much expected.

"Sulake has taken down all of our download links. Sorry." on: http://dcr-project.bifi2000.net and by the sounds of the thread on Ragezone they are also going for a few others.

[lemons]

SO GLAD THEY ARE FINALLY TAKING PROPER ACTION

[MKR&*42]

Yeah I've been taking a look at what they're saying over on ragezone and apparently quite a few hotels keep getting warned by Sulake now.

I also believe the owner of www.furnihabbo.com took his site down (it displayed the latest furni from Sulake, not a retro or anything) because of warnings from them.

But yeah they've clearly had enough.

[sex]

i wonder will the hotel see a sizeable increase in users with them closing down

[Tom]

It's nice to see them taking action, but at the same time I worry about the young people who run these sites and what perhaps may happen to them.

[Aiden]

i wonder will the hotel see a sizeable increase in users with them closing down

Hope so, but they might get pissed, they could of played them retros loyally and I doubt they'd be happy about losing everything. :)

glad there doing something though!

[Daltron]

i wonder will the hotel see a sizeable increase in users with them closing down

I suspect they will just move to another retro, but it's good Sulake is taking action regardless

[Chippiewill]

It's nice to see them taking action, but at the same time I worry about the young people who run these sites and what perhaps may happen to them.

I suspect Sulake will not be bothered enough to pursue them seriously.

[Tom]

I suspect Sulake will not be bothered enough to pursue them seriously.

Well there was the whole Aaron case. I know he's a little older and was in charge of most of the emulators, but even so.

[Chippiewill]

Well there was the whole Aaron case. I know he's a little older and was in charge of most of the emulators, but even so.

offtopic but your avatar has a fat belly. Also he was probably just an example to others. no serious risk to the majority.

[Tom]

offtopic but your avatar has a fat belly. Also he was probably just an example to others. no serious risk to the majority.

You're jealous. Perhaps he was just an example, I don't even know what happened to him in the end either, but yeah.

[David]

Well there was the whole Aaron case. I know he's a little older and was in charge of most of the emulators, but even so.

@Varnius; aaron?

also someone link me to the ragezone threads discussing it

[xxMATTGxx]

@Varnius; aaron?

also someone link me to the ragezone threads discussing it

Different person altogether. The threads are in: http://forum.ragezone.com/f802/

[Tom]

@Varnius; aaron?

also someone link me to the ragezone threads discussing it

No, no - Aaron as in Sojobo Aaron as in owner of Otaku.

[Mr-Trainor]

Well there was the whole Aaron case. I know he's a little older and was in charge of most of the emulators, but even so.
But he was selling Sulakes property and making a lot of money from it, whereas retros aren't really selling Sulakes property for money? Or not in the way he was anyway. But also, he ignored Sulakes warnings so it's not like he didn't have a chance to stop what he was doing :P.

[Tom]

But he was selling Sulakes property and making a lot of money from it, whereas retros aren't really selling Sulakes property for money? Or not in the way he was anyway. But also, he ignored Sulakes warnings so it's not like he didn't have a chance to stop what he was doing :P.

I'm not saying what he's doing was right and I do understand the whole of it, I just don't know how it ended which is what makes me think really. At the end of the day, he probably should've seen it coming anyway.

[edible]

Not surprised now they have money from Elisa.

[Aaron]

@Varnius; aaron?

also someone link me to the ragezone threads discussing it

Oh no, not me haha! Interesting to see Sulake finally knuckle down on retros, can't tell if they'll take the owners further or just close their sites.

[Absently]

it would be quite nice if there was a rise in users using habbo!

[Michael]

Good riddance. Nasty things they are.

[Shorty]

i wonder will the hotel see a sizeable increase in users with them closing down
No as we're all banned for using Otaku and/or RaGEZONE.

http://i.imgur.com/ZzNvyv1.png

Those who seek to play private servers are already most likely banned from Habbo for one reason or another, or seek to play them to design rooms which they later build on Habbo itself.

[brackson]

I didn't know that they were targeting users that used Otaku/Ragezone.

Anyways, I'm glad that Aaron got caught. I don't think that anyone realizes that they took his vehicle because he used money that he got from users buying licenses to pay for it (or at least some of it), lol. And he gave customer intel to Sulake (which I can only assume because of one of Shorty;'s comments on RZ), which he should have never done.

But I guess that I'm okay because I've never talked about it in-client; I've only joined the Otaku group badge back when It had one.

[Gibs960]

People will probably get annoyed that the retro they loved has been taken down, if they wanted to play Habbo, they would do in the first place. I don't think it'll affect Habbo's amount of users too much.

[Abdicators]

People will probably get annoyed that the retro they loved has been taken down, if they wanted to play Habbo, they would do in the first place. I don't think it'll affect Habbo's amount of users too much.

Who cares if they annoyed, they shouldn't be on a retro.

[Gibs960]

Who cares if they annoyed, they shouldn't be on a retro.

Sulake will care because if people are annoyed at the company people are going to use their products.

If Coca-Cola (just an example) had given you really bad service when you'd complained about a can being half-full when purchased, would you buy their products again? Or as frequently?

[xxMATTGxx]

Sulake will care because if people are annoyed at the company people are going to use their products.

If Coca-Cola (just an example) had given you really bad service when you'd complained about a can being half-full when purchased, would you buy their products again? Or as frequently?

Yes because I know those sort of products could have bad batches. And since I've drank coke before hand without any problems there's no reason to stop.

[MKR&*42]

I'm sure someone... going to GommeInc; as a guess.. has said this before. It's wonderful that Sulake are taking action, but they really need to consider why people are even going to these retros in the first place. Yeah I understand free credits might drag a few in but it gets boring very quickly - they'll only stay on those retros if they enjoy events/the community that's on there. Sulake should try improving Habbo to be more of a community again (MORE staff interaction, events where decent prizes are given out and not always badges, competitions to win credits etc.) so that people stick around instead of buggering off to retros.

The main reason I used to play retros was because they almost always had ROTW (room of the week) - I'd really enjoy it if Sulake brought something like that back to Habbo ergh.

[Chrisbud1]

I'm sure someone... going to GommeInc; as a guess.. has said this before. It's wonderful that Sulake are taking action, but they really need to consider why people are even going to these retros in the first place. Yeah I understand free credits might drag a few in but it gets boring very quickly - they'll only stay on those retros if they enjoy events/the community that's on there. Sulake should try improving Habbo to be more of a community again (MORE staff interaction, events where decent prizes are given out and not always badges, competitions to win credits etc.) so that people stick around instead of buggering off to retros.

The main reason I used to play retros was because they almost always had ROTW (room of the week) - I'd really enjoy it if Sulake brought something like that back to Habbo ergh. And some retro's had the old public rooms. I don't even know how they have it and habbo can't manage to bring it back. The new one's are just a load of crap.

[MKR&*42]

And some retro's had the old public rooms. I don't even know how they have it and habbo can't manage to bring it back. The new one's are just a load of crap.

Yesss those rooms were awesome. I remember a year or so ago I found one that had WORKING battleball and I just went crazy over it because I had missed that game so much and it was nothing compared to the Battle Banzai that's in the hotel now.

I honestly don't blame people for going on retros. I will admit they're illegal and stuff but I completely understand why someone would leave Habbo and go to the retro community.

[Abdicators]

Sulake will care because if people are annoyed at the company people are going to use their products.

If Coca-Cola (just an example) had given you really bad service when you'd complained about a can being half-full when purchased, would you buy their products again? Or as frequently?

Sulake hasn't given me bad service though. I rarely get banned, and when I do it's just. I can still use Habbo for what I've always used it for; chatting to friends. The only thing Sulake doesn't give me, that retro's do is thousands of free credits.

[MKR&*42]

They're going after developers too. Another RaGEZONE member said he received this e-mail from Sulake yesterday:


Dear ****,

As you are aware, we have taken legal actions against retro owners and emulator developers. We have also noticed that you are developing the ******* emulator.

From our research it appears that the ******* software enables unauthorized use of Sulake’s Habbo client and copying of Sulake’s graphics and source code in order to create retro sites. By enabling the users to do this without our consent you are authorising and/or procuring primary copyright infringement. It seems that the ******** software has been designed for no other reason than to enable users to gain unauthorised access to Sulake’s products and services and to produce infringing copies of Sulake’s Habbo Hotel game. Your activities mean that a court could find you jointly liable for copyright infringement with a user who produces a retro site using ******* software. Furthermore, based on our research it seems that ****** contains software code that is designed to bypass technological protection measures that protect Habbo Hotel (http://www.habbo.com), created and copyrighted by us. This is also infringement of our copyrights.

We have recently taken legal actions against Aaron Marshall, the developer and distributor of Phoenix. That case proceeded as far as to the Helsinki District Court but we finally settled the case:http://www.sulake.com/press/releases/sulake-shuts-down-a-pirate-habbo-software-distributor/ Legally speaking your case is almost identical to Aaron's case.

In your case, if you sign the attached undertaking and return it to us together with a copy of your passport or other ID and cease from further developing ****** and close your sites infringing Sulake's rights, I am prepared to drop the legal case we have prepared. If you are underaged, please ask your parents to sign the document.

Please let me know if you have further questions. If you are willing to be involved with the Habbo scheme, I would also recommend you getting familiar with our Fan Site Program,https://help.habbo.com/entries/22405102-habbo-fansite-policy . It offers a legitimate possibility to be involved with our copyright and trademark protected content.

Sincerely.

I've purposely put the stars in just to hide the name of the emulator and the person's name.
--

Based on the thread, he seems to be giving up developing and will follow what Sulake asked of him^. Kinda nice of them to offer him a final chance am ngl.

[Gibs960]

Sulake hasn't given me bad service though. I rarely get banned, and when I do it's just. I can still use Habbo for what I've always used it for; chatting to friends. The only thing Sulake doesn't give me, that retro's do is thousands of free credits.

I've made friends through retros. The point still stands, Habbo will probably gain a few members but a lot of people who use retros, don't want to use Habbo.