gameinworld.ru - they're bundling viruses!

Fodaro · 08-15-12, 07:14 AM

After reading Cairenn's latest thread about the "World of Addons" site, I thought that I'd better check who's been hosting my addons recently. A Google search turned up gameinworld.ru. At first I thought that this was just another site with a translated description and a link to WoWI; I was wrong.

It's minor, I know, but they've violated my Creative Commons License by not crediting me as the author. My more major worry is that the download they're offering isn't a ZIP archive, but a Windows executable (exe). A quick virus scan shows that it contains at least one Trojan and various other offensive files, presumably to be installed when it's run.

So, if you're an author, it's probably best to check their site for your addons. Trouble is, I haven't got much of a clue about how to pursue the issue - they're hosted in Russia (by FastVPS) and I'm in the UK. Can I send them a Cease and Desist or DCMA takedown notice, or would I have to bury myself in Russian copyright law to find out what to do? Any advice would be appreciated.

Phanx · 08-15-12, 02:40 PM

Russia is party to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty, the Universal Copyright Convention, and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, so you can definitely send them and their hosting provider a Cease and Desist notice. Whether they'll actually respond to it, who knows; their hosting provider may at least care enough about appearing respectable to respond.

Their website contact form is useless, as it apparently does not accept URLs; you can contact the domain name registrant at www.reg.ru/whois/admin_contact?dname=GAMEINWORLD.RU. Their host can be contacted at http://vps2fast.com/kontakti/; they have a special contact for for reporting abuse, so maybe they will actually do something.

Phanx · 08-17-12, 01:06 AM

I got the following response to the message I sent to their web host (FastVPS):

Dear [name]!

Thank you for contacting! Complaint is forwarded to the site owner.
As soon as we have any information will inform you immediately.

Best regards,
Ekaterina Pavlova.

Customer Care Department.

So, we'll see what happens.

Fodaro · 08-17-12, 07:58 AM

Thanks for the help, Phanx. I've just sent their ISP an email giving gameinworld.ru a week to respond. Let the waiting begin...

Ennie · 08-17-12, 12:09 PM

Sadly, in our Soviet Russia laws isn't on your side. I sent complaint too. Let's flood them out