Spyware and Copyright Infringement in an Online Game

Well basically after a lot of research, i feel there is a conspiracy out there about an online video game. Let me say i'm not the one that started this investigation on the website..but however after doing a lot of background checking, and fact finding..i have found everything they originally stated to be true.

I have confirmed that a popular online video gaming web site, called Street Fighter Online, is committing copyright infringement against Marvel Entertainment. In addition to that, they are implanting spyware on Users computers, mistreating their community, as well as disrespecting their own fellow gaming communities.

The web site www.streetfighteronline.com, is using characters from popular Marvel games from the '90's, and modifying the characters to have new moves and features, that they did not previously have in the games from which they originated. The problem is the site is not affiliated with Marvel Entertainment, and is using the characters without a licence. The web site forces people to pay $5 to use the modified characters. This is copyright infringement, because the web site does NOT let people play the modified characters for free. As an example, they just released Iron Man..and you CAN NOT use all his moves, unless you buy the full version of the game for $5.

You can read how to "buy" the full version here:streetfighteronline.com... However something sticks out as very bad. On the page they say,
Wait a minute..$5 MINIMUM? That's NOT a donation. See a donation is simply any amount of money. But to say that you can not be VIP unless you donate $5, is copyright infringement. By giving the characters special moves, and then saying that the only way to use those moves is by "donating" $5, is illegal if you don't have a licence to do so.

The fact that many moves, and features..are ONLY available if you pay $5 is a direct violation of copyrights. Also there is a status of "elite VIP" which you can pay $20-$60 dollars for, and receive special colors. The colors are semi legal, however selling modified version of the characters for $5 is not.

As for the spyware, they make you download something called Game Vindicator. However the Game Vindicator is a known data miner. Recently, while researching this..i saw logs that were apparently pulled from GV using a packet viewing product. The product identified several instances of the GV sending information back to a remote server.

The Game Vindicator website (www.gamevindicator.com) states that:


Read this quote from TMyApp..the man who makes people use the Game Vindicator to play his game:
. Original topic: update

Wait a minute..#1, why would the game vindicator need a server? They specifically said "no information is sent back to IT'S SERVER". If you don't need to collect information, and the product is a stand alone app..there is really no good reason for having a server.

#2...TMyApp ADMITED there are "violation logs". This directly contradicts information on the Game Vindicator website. Not only that, but these "violation logs" could contain anything. The program can read your Internet history, as well as program files/system 32 data.

game vindicator logs Those are the partial logs for anyone with computer knowledge. The problem is that information IS in fact being sent back to a server. Who knows what this information could be? The point is that they are LYING when they say no information is being back, the fact they have a "violation log" means that information is being data mined at least in some quantity.

As for cheating their brethren..there was some fan art..that got added to SFO. The creator of the game never credited the original authors with their work. It was a minor disrespect, but in gaming communities respect means a lot.

I have contacted Marvel, as well as several other news outlets. Please investigate the Street Fighter Online web site for copyright infringement. Do NOT let them get away with ripping off Marvel fans..as well as committing copyright infringement against the Marvel Corporation.

Please Write to Marvel Here: help@marvel and explain that the game is in serious violation of copyright laws, and needs to be shut down.

Here are some of the original people who opened my eyes to this corruption and conspiracy.

SFO corruption, youtube video

freewebs page with more in depth information

There's not much that gets my blood boiling..but to see someone blatantly making money off copyrighted characters is unacceptable. I'm asking everyone on ATS to please write marvel, as well as other news stations like ABC, CBS, CNN, and FOX news.

It would be ok if the game was free, but the fact that you can NOT play the full version without paying $5 is absurd..considering they are NOT affiliated with Marvel, or capcom.

Contact ABC

Contact FOX

Contact CBS

Please write them all and explain that Street Fighter Online needs to be investigated for copyright infringement. I know this may seem trivial to some of you, but the truth is that there is a large video gaming community that realizes what SFO is doing is wrong, as well as illegal.

Don't let them continue to sucker little kids, and their parents..out of their hard earned cash anymore!

putting spyware in games is just sick and the TOP OF MY NERVES.
why dont they just shut up and stop cariyng what do i have on my computer,warez or anything and stop trying to scam me...

reply to post by Spawwwn

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Unless the company is under license with Marvel to produce this game and use their characters, it's still copyright infringement even if they let people play for free. The creater of a work of intellectual property has the exclusive right to how it's reproduced. It doesn't matter if an infringer is giving it away or not.

Ive played a few online free mmo's before. If game vindicator is an anti-hack/anti-cheat program, then it has to connect to a server run and owned by the producers of such software in order to update its definitions of cheats and hacks used within the game(s) it is licensed to.

Im not sure the case for spyware has been made.

Edit to add: After a bried look at the logs posted in this thread, there are definately some suspicious activity.

[edit on 13-9-2007 by InSpiteOf]

It is for Marvel to determine if their stuff has been infringed upon? Just send them an email and they'll check it out.

This is from the site. Notice how it tells you that the Game Vindicator informs other players that you are using it. So at the very least it is sending out info on whether it is in operation. After looking at the logs, there really isn't any way to tell what it is actually sending. You would need to run a packet logging program to see what it is actually sending.

Oh believe me i know that it's copyright infringement even if the game is offered for free. I'm just saying that people would be less inclined to try to get the game shut down, if the man offered all the characters and moves for free.

As for the spyware...the thing is that game vindicator scans your Internet browser history, including cookies. This can be seen in the logs.

"Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\index.dat
0160 Mutant 8 00100000 \BaseNamedObjects\c:!documents and settings!owner!local settings!temporary internet files!content.ie5!
0164 Section 8 00000002 \BaseNamedObjects\C:_Documents and Settings_Owner_Local Settings_Temporary Internet Files_Content.IE5_index.dat_10813440
0168 Mutant 8 00100000 \BaseNamedObjects\c:!documents and settings!owner!cookies!
016C Semaphore 13 001F0003 \BaseNamedObjects\shell.{210A4BA0-3AEA-1069-A2D9-08002B30309D}
0170 File 1 0012019F \Device\HarddiskVolume2\Documents and Settings\Owner\Cookies\index.dat
0174 Mutant 8 00100000 \BaseNamedObjects\c:!documents and settings!owner!local settings!history!history.ie5! "

Also, it was proven on the youtube video that the thing can read open websites and folders. Folders i might be able to understand, and even some parts of your hard drive. But i have a tough time figuring out why they would need to scan your website history as well. There's just no real hack you can do via a web site. Proxy server, that's about it. All real game cheats are Speed Enhances, Packet Manipulators, and Memory Editors. I actually can't think of one program that works via a web page.

So that's why it's suspicious. Especially considering that there are "violation logs" by an Administrators own admission. IF i were to guess i would say that when a violation is committed, a users ip and possible machine information are sent back. However even if it's something as small as an IP, that is a DIRECT contradiction to what the Game Vindicators website says. Why lie about it? Why not say that GV from time to time may send some of your information back? The fact they are covering it up leads me to believe it's spyware.

Does anyone know a good packet viewing product? IF i can get one i'll download the GV and see what in the packets being sent out.

I still think we all need to do our part, and write Marvel..as well as the other authority figures i listed..and get SFO shut down. The site is very suspicious and it needs to be investigated one way or the other.

Even if everything's on the up and up, i still think the $5 for characters and moves, is wrong and needs to be handled by the proper authorities. It's disrespectful, and wrong..as well as illegal, to sell property that you don't own.

Like i said, please write Marvel and the above addresses listed.

wireshark is a great packet capture product.

It looks like the gv app only sends back information about how it is functioning on you pc. It really dosn't look like that is in violation of what they stat in the pp. It isn't sending or collecting your personal info from your pc. The game is browser based. The scan can be purely game realated.

I don't see how a game violation log is against what is stated in the pp. Cheating on the game is not personal information.

I am not trying to say that there is not the potential for a trojan to exsist in the game. Many olg's have been exploited and used as trojans, although the original intent was not to be a trojan.

I've been playing SFO reguraly for some odd years and haven't noticed any crucial damage done to my system,but I do find it very odd that GV would need to scan anything other than programs in direct contact with the game itself.

Hopefully SFO will "go striaght" or it will lose some members

I would first like to say that, I have been playing SFO for about a year and a half, and I have never had any problems.


The staff are all fairly nice, and people arent aloud to cheat or be rude too much, the mods keep them in line.


As far as TMyApp, he is a cool dude also, and he bears most of the burden himself. (he handles all the emails, and issues people have with their accounts)



To play the game is completely free, and the option to donate is simply to help keep the game running. Never are you asked to give money in order to play, and as fare as the extra moves, if you beat a vip member, you can use the moves for a short amount of time, so its not that one sided.


And the way I feel about the vindicator, its just to monitor your pc to make sure there are not any cheat programs on there, or any running... period.


But SFO is really a gem for Street Fighter fans, and Marvel fans alike. And its 100% free. But I have given a little to help its upkeep, and I dont feel bad about it, because its a game I really enjoy.