AdBrite's position on hotlink sites

[JenC]

I asked them if sites like http://fusker.lewww.com/ were compliant with their terms because they are stealing bandwidth from other people who are ignorant about hotlinking. This was their reply:

"Thanks for writing and welcome to AdBrite! I appreciate your concern about http://fusker.lewww.com/ and other Fusker sites. These sites operate in full compliance with AdBrite’s Terms of Service and all US state and federal laws, but they can certainly be a nuisance to adult Web masters. If you’re concerned that any AdBrite publisher is driving up your hosting costs or otherwise interfering with your service, I’d be happy to help you prevent this. Please let me know if you are not already familiar with the steps you can take to keep your content from being hot-linked."

MY reply back to them:
"I know how to prevent hotlinking. The point is a lot of other people do not and it can cost them hundreds of dollars monthly. If you allow sites that are stealing from other people great, I'll set up a phishing site and put AdBrite banners all over it. Then maybe you can leave my banners up and just tell my victims "I can help you prevent phishing"."

[Head Boy]

Can we do anything to block Adbrite site?. Alternatively, can we hotlink their adds to drive up costs to their advertisers?

[BlueQuartz]

Originally Posted by Head Boy

Can we do anything to block Adbrite site?. Alternatively, can we hotlink their adds to drive up costs to their advertisers?

Headboy - why attack the advertisers? Seems like a very strange response indeed.


jenc - i'm sure all the webmasters who are too clueless to use htacess will thank you for looking out for them


pussycash - http://6buckamateurs.com/ seems to be your site.
You are gettin hit by mr fusker and the horny masses are lovin those 300kb images you are so kindly serving for them

[RawAlex]

adbrite's position is that they will pay for and support companies who's entire business model is to steal content and use it without permission.

To display content in this manner is very likely a violation of copyright, far beyond standard "fair use". One or more content providers or paysite programs needs to take legal action against these people to show them the light.

Note on fair use: I can concede that the use of a single image (usually in thumb form) to guide people to a site is a fair use of that image. However, to present all the images from a site on a page by themselves, with no links, no context, and without permission is clearly outside the scope of fair use.

If you haven't figured it out, adbrite is the same guy who runs fuckedcompany.com - Mr Kaplan is a big fan of lawsuits and getting sued, and invites it without end.

There is going to be one big fucked company, and that would be Mr Kaplan if he keeps it up.

Alex

[Head Boy]

Originally Posted by BlueQuartz

Headboy - why attack the advertisers? Seems like a very strange response indeed.

His advertisers are knowingly supporting his bandwidth theft and profiting from it, or am I misunderstanding the concept.

But I agree that some sort of surfer block would be better - if they can't get into any sites then they will stop using it.

[BlueQuartz]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

adbrite's position is that they will pay for and support companies who's entire business model is to steal content and use it without permission.

To display content in this manner is very likely a violation of copyright, far beyond standard "fair use". One or more content providers or paysite programs needs to take legal action against these people to show them the light.

Note on fair use: I can concede that the use of a single image (usually in thumb form) to guide people to a site is a fair use of that image. However, to present all the images from a site on a page by themselves, with no links, no context, and without permission is clearly outside the scope of fair use.

If you haven't figured it out, adbrite is the same guy who runs fuckedcompany.com - Mr Kaplan is a big fan of lawsuits and getting sued, and invites it without end.

There is going to be one big fucked company, and that would be Mr Kaplan if he keeps it up.

Alex

looks like he has been operating in a similarly controversial manner for many years

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...y%2Ecom+kaplan

I certainly dont agree with what the guy is doing by allowing these fusker sites to stay up. Why havent any content providers sued? Is it because there is no legal grounds to do so?

[Head Boy]

Having thought about it - you're right Blue Quartz. My suggestion wasn't too clever, all it will do is to increase the revenue for AdBrite I suspect.

[RawAlex]

Well, based on this, I am going to change my fusker block htaccess to instead pull in a picture of Mr Phil Kaplan on every page.

This guy seems to get his thrills being sued (more press time for time)...

IMHO, hs is a fuckwad.

Now, if you want to have fun, go here:

http://fuckedcompany.com/report/

and report news that adbrite is going to end up in court because it supports hotlinkers.

After all, the report form is in the open and not protected by htaccess, so I am sure we can legallly access it as we like (otherwise he would have blocked it, no?)

Alex

[BlueQuartz]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

Well, based on this, I am going to change my fusker block htaccess to instead pull in a picture of Mr Phil Kaplan on every page.

This guy seems to get his thrills being sued (more press time for time)...

IMHO, hs is a fuckwad.

Now, if you want to have fun, go here:

http://fuckedcompany.com/report/

and report news that adbrite is going to end up in court because it supports hotlinkers.

After all, the report form is in the open and not protected by htaccess, so I am sure we can legallly access it as we like (otherwise he would have blocked it, no?)

Alex

hehe I like your style Alex

hey is it easy to serve a pic when you block hotlinkers? I might have a play with that hehe

I looked thru some of the links I found in google about Kaplan - he looks like a complete idiot and certainly a scumbag - has been up to tricks and deception for years - he deserves everything he gets imho.

[JenC]

Maybe greenguy can hotlink some of fuckedcompany's images on his "high traffic" pages.

[Joe]

I earned a couple dollars here and there putting up an image to sponsors like AAC if my image was hotlinked by a fusker.

[digifan]

Nice Jen,

at least they entertained you with an answer. I brought this up here too earlier.

[RawAlex]

Philip Kaplan is the biggest cowboy on the net right now when it comes to legal issues. I suspect he has someone in familiy who is a bigshot lawyyer, and he just hopes ot get sued.

I truly hope that he gets what he deserves for his less than moral business practices.

Alex

[adamneve]

Originally Posted by BlueQuartz

pussycash - http://6buckamateurs.com/ seems to be your site.
You are gettin hit by mr fusker and the horny masses are lovin those 300kb images you are so kindly serving for them

BlueQuartz i'd be happy if you'll point to me where you saw the hotlinked images.

you can also add us as an epassporte sponsor now

[Greenguy]

Adam - I did a search over there:
http://fusker.lewww.com/index.php?query=6buck

Some are getting thru
http://fusker.lewww.com/index.php?li...9&query=6buck&

[Ann Omness]

If I might suggest a possible alternative way to put some pressure on the Adbrite issue, Adbrite entered into a partnership with AVN in January to split off the adult portion of their business. AVN Ads handles that part now. Since AVN has always taken a position against copyright violations and other unethical practices of some adult webmasters, it does not seem unlikely that they would respond to emails from a lot of webmasters complaining of their sponsorship of Fusker and others like that.

I saved the email I got concerning the partnership:

Dear AdBrite Publisher,

You are receiving this message because one or more of your AdBrite zones has just taken an exciting leap forward - welcome to AVN Ads!

AdBrite has teamed with Adult Video News (AVN) to create the Internet's first adult ad marketplace. AVN is the trade magazine of record for the adult industry, produces the Adult Entertainment Expo and Internext tradeshows, and throws the (in)famous AVN Awards show - commonly referred to as the "Oscars of Porn".

Your Adult ad inventory that used to be listed in AdBrite is now for sale at AVN Ads (http://www.AvnAds.com). AVN Ads combines AdBrite technology with the AVN brand and a focus on optimizing ad sales for the adult market.

Your AdBrite login and password will get you into AVN Ads. Your payment schedule remains the same. You will receive a single check for all payable AdBrite and AVN Ads revenues at the end of each month.

If you have any questions about AVN Ads or AdBrite, we encourage you contact us through the following link:
http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/contact_form.php

Thanks for using AdBrite!

Best wishes,
The AdBrite Team

[RawAlex]

aly avn - aly_avn alyavn, we need you in this thread! Aly drummond, you are wanted in this thread! :-)

Alex

[Dr Bizzaro]

This just took an interesting turn....

[mikeyddddd]

Isn't this a picture of Halcyon from FlashCash with the asshole?

I don't know when the pic was taken, but I would say Hal has some 'splainin' to do.

[Jim]

Originally Posted by Ann Omness

If I might suggest a possible alternative way to put some pressure on the Adbrite issue, Adbrite entered into a partnership with AVN in January to split off the adult portion of their business. AVN Ads handles that part now. Since AVN has always taken a position against copyright violations and other unethical practices of some adult webmasters, it does not seem unlikely that they would respond to emails from a lot of webmasters complaining of their sponsorship of Fusker and others like that.

I saved the email I got concerning the partnership:

Dear AdBrite Publisher,

You are receiving this message because one or more of your AdBrite zones has just taken an exciting leap forward - welcome to AVN Ads!

AdBrite has teamed with Adult Video News (AVN) to create the Internet's first adult ad marketplace. AVN is the trade magazine of record for the adult industry, produces the Adult Entertainment Expo and Internext tradeshows, and throws the (in)famous AVN Awards show - commonly referred to as the "Oscars of Porn".

Your Adult ad inventory that used to be listed in AdBrite is now for sale at AVN Ads (http://www.AvnAds.com). AVN Ads combines AdBrite technology with the AVN brand and a focus on optimizing ad sales for the adult market.

Your AdBrite login and password will get you into AVN Ads. Your payment schedule remains the same. You will receive a single check for all payable AdBrite and AVN Ads revenues at the end of each month.

If you have any questions about AVN Ads or AdBrite, we encourage you contact us through the following link:
http://www.adbrite.com/mb/commerce/contact_form.php

Thanks for using AdBrite!

Best wishes,
The AdBrite Team

Why doesn't this surprise me?
I guess it's ok to be all about the money as long as you are not only about the money.

[DirtyD]

FUCK Fusker

Sponsors with Hosted Galleries and all Gallery/Free Site Submitters beware!

Here is an .htaccess snippet that you guys can use.
Just put this in an .htaccess file in your gallery directories...

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.yourdomain.com/.*$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://yourdomain.com/.*$ [NC]
RewriteRule .*[Gg][Ii][Ff]$|.*[Jj][Pp][Gg]$|.*[Jj][Pp][Ee][Gg]$|.*swf$|.*wmv$|.*mpg$ http://www.yourdomain.com/images/hotlink.gif [R,NC]


Feel free to download this /hotlink.gif file to serve from your own box


http://www.thestall.com/images/hotlink.gif

[mikeyddddd]

Originally Posted by mikeyddddd

Isn't this a picture of Halcyon from FlashCash with the asshole?

I don't know when the pic was taken, but I would say Hal has some 'splainin' to do.

Hal explained on another board that the picture was taken at the Webby awards in 2000 and has no business dealings with him.

[adamneve]

Originally Posted by Greenguy

Adam - I did a search over there:
http://fusker.lewww.com/index.php?query=6buck

Some are getting thru
http://fusker.lewww.com/index.php?li...9&query=6buck&

thank you very much Greeny

[aussiewebguy]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

Well, based on this, I am going to change my fusker block htaccess to instead pull in a picture of Mr Phil Kaplan on every page.

That is hilarious!

[Toni KatVixen]

Since this is on the topic of hotlinking, I found another site in my stats that you may want to keep an eye out for: http://www.pronzilla.com/pronzilla/index.php