Ducatidiag robbers and pirates! Be warned! - Ducati.ms

ilampa · Aug 3rd, 2012, 12:13 am

If you haven't heard of it before, there is a freeware program called Ducatidiag, available for download from ducatidiag :: Diagnostic and maintenance software for Italian bikes

The software lets you do a number of things that commercial software does, like VDST. The developer, JP, also has a Writer program (not free but reasonably priced) which will let you flash your ECU with any map you fancy (for example Ducati Performance). Maps are freely downloadable from a central repository as well.

Lately, there are unscrupulous people trying to cash in on JP's hard work, mainly on Ebay, where they sell the program for profit! As I said, the Diagnostics program is freeware! However, in order to make it function 100%, you need to register with JP and get a license key file.

These operators often disguise what they are up to by "packaging" the software with the hardware cables needed, or, they will send you a separate "offer" after you have bought the cables from them, wanting to charge for the software!

This is piracy and clearly stealing intellectual property.

Should you have bought or paid for this software, please contact JP on the board above!

Mad Dog · Aug 3rd, 2012, 1:28 am

Nice post ilampa. The fine efforts of JP should be protected by us all. Great reminder of the duty we should all feel in this regard.

ilampa · Aug 3rd, 2012, 3:35 pm

Bump this subject. If anyone cares. This is true stellar community work and is important! Sure different to all the requests for advise on bling-bling parts or poorly disguised commercial plugs on this board!

C'mon guys! Show your support!

By the way: forgot to mention another piece of companion software, also free, and also a huge effort: ECM - Edit & Custom Maps, by Arnaud Charpentier. Lets you explore, modify or create your own fuelling maps which you can then download to your ECU with JP's Writer.

Oh, get this: If you have a friend who has a great map for his bike, you can use Ducatidiag to "dump" that map, then upload it to your bike with the writer program. And (I hope!) share this map with the rest of the community. Of course, you can go back to what you had at any time, by dumping your own ECU contents and saving it. This is in fact the first thing to do and on its own, a good argument to get Ducatidiag in the first place. JP will analyse the dump for you and make sure it's complete and not corrupt in any way. Talk about good service...by enthusiasts, like me and you!

pgeller · Aug 3rd, 2012, 3:52 pm

"Robbers" and "Pirates" are strong words. I only saw one listing on the German Ebay site; maybe there were/are more? To me, it seems like he is selling an interface, albeit an expensive one, and then bundles in the free software that the developer markets as free and distributes using free methods. I don't see where the seller assigned any monetary value to the software. To use it, you'd still have to register with the developer and go to the developer for support. The developer still gains a customer/user, maybe one he would not have gained otherwise. Is this really "piracy"? Opportunism, surely, but hardly unethical or illegal. I didn't see a warning about promoting the product or a EULA or other protections/restrictions on the developer's website. To my mind, if you are unwilling to charge for a product and post it to an open forum, you don't have any method to control it's distribution.

I'm not an attorney, but I played one in my high school play.

Just my $.02.

pg
DD

ilampa · Aug 3rd, 2012, 3:59 pm

Check this thread pg. ducatidiag :: Connexion

Ok?

pgeller · Aug 3rd, 2012, 4:13 pm

Thanks, Ingemar. I'm trying to read that thread, but like most forum threads, it heads off in a lot of directions. Maybe you could just explain it to me. Or not, I was just making an observation.

Update: the links to Ebay ads don't seem to exist any more. Do you have new links showing the same kind of activity?

Is there a EULA (End-User License Agreement) or other text that limits distribution?

Again, I only saw one Ebay ad and it is in Germany. Maybe there are more?

pg
DD

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilampa

Check this thread pg. ducatidiag :: Connexion

Ok?

ilampa · Aug 4th, 2012, 12:20 am

Yes, the Ebayers doing this are only active for a limited time. Moving targets. I guess they know they are in the wrong. There has been ads on several ebay sites. I guess with a bit of googling, you could probably find sites/persons outside ebay as well.

I haven't seen any EULA per se, but you have splash screens in the software stating its status as freeware and the fact that it can not be sold commercially.

DropLock · Aug 4th, 2012, 6:36 am

I recall reading at JPs site a blurb about 'not for commercial use" and assumed that related to workshops utilising the program for commercial gain so, while technically it may not be illegal what the ebay seller is doing he's certainly exploiting jps' hard work.

No doubt jp could consider selling the necessary lead kits however he's clearly got a magnanimous character and probably has better things to do.

Profitering from jp's hard work is unscrouplous, so at the very least this thread can serve to let folks know the score.