What you get from Pirate Model websites and why you should stay away!

[airdave]

Theres a well known russian pirate site that everyone around here knows.
We actually have members of this forum who contribute pirated files to that site.

I have fought these thieves for years, occasionally having to block my own pirated model kits from their site.

Just the other day, I had to submit takedown notices for a "new" illegal file share on their site.

Let me illustrate how they operate and more reasons to stay away from CRAP sites like this.

First up, my model is shared without showing the cover (obviously to hide the author, since the cover page reveals a big logo of mine).
In fact, the cover page has been deliberately dropped from the file to hide ownership.
So much for the claim of helping to promote models and designers by sharing their works without their permission!

The site: full of advertising...a lot of it pornographic.
Because thats the driving force here...they sell page ads that require traffic.
They fill the site with something that lures those who also want to steal, and they make money off the advertising.

More problems with the site: malicious adware.
I run a safe (Brave) web browser with "shields" up. It blocks all kinds of unwanted and potentially dangerous things.
I also have AdBlockPlus installed to thwart unwanted popups and ads...like the porn stuff.
And my system uses Windows Defender and Kaspersky Antivirus and malware blocking software.
Still...I get at least two warnings (immediately on visiting the site) of blocked unauthorized file downloads to my system.
Most likely some sort of malware.

Now, to the pirated model of mine...I had to download the file to see exactly what model had been pirated.
Since the cover wasn't being shown, I didn't know exactly what model this was.

I end up with a rar file...which is immediately suspicious and dangerous.
Who knows what malicious things are hidden in there at this point?
You take your chances doing this!

After unpacking the file, here is the crap you get from a russian pirate site...
a set of 10 loose jpegs (the original file was 11 pages packed as a single PDF).
These aren't good quality artwork any more...
in fact, they are low quality jpegs, and look like camera photos of already printed pages of the original kit.
Two pages are quite out of focus, and many of the parts have strange colour changes.
Some areas are blackened and possibly affected by the photographing of a printed colour in poor light conditions?
I can't even be sure that the parts are all to proper scale or not skewed by photographing.

So for all that time and trouble, you get a piece of sh*t file that probably can't be used.
But you hepled some troll make money from their website and steal someone else's revenue.

Oh, and don't forget, if you have any trouble with this model, you will get NO help from me building it.
Good luck, you're on your own.
Are you glad you saved $8 now?

I challenge any of the thieves who submit models to that site to reveal your identity here.
If you don't think you are doing anything wrong, then it shouldn't be a problem right?
But you already know you're thieves.

And I challenge the rest of you to stop visiting pirate sites like that...absolutely no need to go there at all.
Plenty of legitimate free models out there you can get directly from original authors.
And plenty of models worth paying for to help the designers keep supplying you.

[Knife]

Thanks for fighting the good fight. I agree with everything you said.

[altomentis]

Dave,
Thank you very much. I also agree with you.


The other day I found a bunch of models stolen from the Canon website for sale on Amazon. The "seller" prints them for you for US $10. Since I am not the copyright holder there is nothing I can do except share that they are there with the members here.


Christine

[RyanShort1]

He's right, folks... also, a lot of y'all are hoarders who never build, but collect more and more PDFs anyway. Spend less time searching the pirate sites and build more!

[Rhyming Rogue]

Perhaps you could notify Canon that somebody is selling their models. If Canon were to file a takedown, then that would have some impact.

[gotham]

Airdave - good (and right) Pirates - so very wrong
Buy your models !!!

[ct ertz]

Good write up. Thanks.

[sgoti]

All that work to deliver an inferior product...

As always, thank you for taking the time to share what you have learned with us.

It's too bad there isn't an easy way to insert a moire pattern that shows up when the model sheets are scanned/photographed/otherwise illegally copied.

But then, that would create its own set of problems when a legitimate builder tries to photograph their build... Looks like the best way is still education.

Again, thanks for the education!

[ccoyle]

Hey, Dave.


So sorry to read about this! As you probably know, some PM members are also members at Model Ship World, where we take a very strong stance against kit piracy. I have made posts there to alert MSW members to the fact that piracy is a problem in card modeling as well as in wood modeling -- we are your ally in the fight against IP theft! Sadly, not all modeling forums share this stance, and I'd bet dollars to donuts that at least a few of the members of such sites are members here, too. People need to do the right thing -- don't buy pirated kits, and don't turn a blind eye to social media sites that aid and abet the practice!


Keep up the good fight!

[airdave]

Yes! Thanks Chris!

Speaking of social media sites...that must included Pinterest...(which I use)
...had to submit two more takedown notices to them recently to remove Koolwheelz model sheets.

Unfortunately Pinterest can be very slow about responding.

The amount of Model sheets posted on Pinterest is mind boggling.
I'd say every Fiddlers Green model is there also!
If you find a model sheet, you should ask the Pinter(punter?) if they had permission to post it!