WarBirds FreeHost - Correspondence with iEN
Boroda's story about his and Aike's correspondence with iEN
Correspondence with iEN

Here is a first letter concerning Russian WarBirds server from mr. Jay Littman, WarBirds "producer", that I recieved. We have made no public announcements or advertising, and never even mentioned the results of our work. Server was up and running for more then five months by that time, with mostly Russian/exUSSR players.

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: I advise you to please stop
> Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 14:03:10 -0500
> From: "Jay Littman, Producer" šjlittman@iencentral.com šmailto:jlittman@iencentral.com>>
> To: tengrie@sky.chph.ras.ru šmailto:tengrie@sky.chph.ras.ru>
>
> Dear Mr. Pavel Pavlov,
> wb:boroda
> Commissar 25th IAP VVS
>
>
> I know what you're doing. My arms are very long. I advise you to
> please
> stop working on (or hacking) a WarBirds servers or any other type of
> free
> host. If you think because you are located in Russia we can't stop you
> via
> the US/Russian embassy you are mistaken.
>
> With respect,
> Jay Littman
>
>
> ========================================================
> Jay Littman
> Producer, iEntertainment Network
> (919) 461-0722 Ext. 3035
> jlittman@iencentral.com šmailto:jlittman@iencentral.com>
>
> WarBirds "Online Game of the Year" 1997, 98, 99, PC Games Magazine
> "Online Fight Sim of the Year" 1999, Dogfighter.com
> "Excellence Online Multiplayer Combat Simulation
> 1999, FlightSim.com
> Dawn of Aces - 4 + out of 5 stars, Computer Games/Strategy Plus Magazine
> ========================================================

Here is my answer:

>
> "Jay Littman, Producer" wrote:
>
> Dear Mr. Pavel Pavlov,
> wb:boroda
> Commissar 25th IAP VVS
>
> I know what you're doing.
>
> I'm happy to know that you think so.
>
> My arms are very long. I advise you to please
> stop working on (or hacking) a WarBirds servers or any other type of free
> host.
>
> Please, define "hacking". Please, tell me what and when i have done
> wrong. Please, tell me what do you mean by "free host".
>
> If you think because you are located in Russia we can't stop you via
> the US/Russian embassy you are mistaken.
>
> Stop me in WHAT?
>
> And please, stop speaking in that "Big Brother" manner. I obey the laws
> of my country. If you think I am in any danger of being sued (I believe
> that some things in your message were written in anger, and you really
> didn't mean any illegal actions) - please let me know.
>
> I beg your pardon for any misunderstanding due to cultural and lingual
> differences.
>
>
>
> --
> With respect,
> Pavel Pavlov,
> wb:boroda
> Commissar 25th IAP VVS

His answer:

> Dear Sir,
>
> I see you are working on an alternative server to WarBirds that would be
> free. I ask you to please stop developing a free server to WarBirds and to
> take these web pages out of production.
>
> You have to understand that WarBirds is a business. It's not just a game.
> If we can not generate money from the development of WarBirds (because
> someone else has created a free server) then we'll be out of business and
> out-of-work. Many people (programmers, artiest, designers and producers)
> make their living from WarBirds. They all have families to support. I
> hope you can understand what I'm trying to say.
>
> With respect,
> Jay Littman

Then the things start to develop in a funny way. On April, 2, 2000, Alex "-aike-" Inozemtsev recieved a beautyfull letter from that clown, consisting only of subject: "Your Going to Jail" (original spelling preserved). So, the intriguing correspondence starts:

> What are you talking about! Your history is full of mass killings and
> midnight disappears. Your leaders have abused your citizens for
> hundreds
> of years and you're doing it now in Grozny
> (šhttp://msnbc.com/news/389161.asp?cp1=1>). I guess "Human Rights" has no
> official translation into Russian. Maybe that is how you can sleep at
> night by stealing my game. I think the war in Russia's Caucasus and the
> surrounding regions is NOT about ethnic discontent but oil and greed.
> Something all to common in Russian since the Czar got his. To bad they
> replaced the Czar with a bunch of dictator's who did nothing buy bring
> mother Russia to a third rate back water county. How many Russian
> citizens
> just disappeared under Joseph Stalin? Do you know that Stalin murdered
> more Russian citizens (your who people) than were killing in World War
> II
> by Hitler?
>
> BTW the United Nations is in Kosovo to stop the mass killings that
both
> sides were doing. It's called a peace mission and sometimes you have to
> use force to stop the killings on both sides. The United Nations did
> not
> start the war in Kosovo but we sure did stop it. Does genocide mean
> anything to you? Do you remember what Hitler and Stalin did to Russian?
> The USA stands for freedom something you have never experienced.

This is what followed the modest reminder about the fact that Russia is a souverign state, where the laws of the United States that he uses to threaten us despite the fact that we didn't violate them, don't work, and that Russia isn't Yugoslavia. Instead of a reasonable answer this so-called "producer" pours a stream of "anticommunist" hallucinations, beaten into his walnut-sized brain during the Cold War.

Then another psycho joins the discussion, someone Dan Neault, WarBirds "chief engineer":

> Here is some "facts" for you.
>
> 1. The USA controls internet access, I know this because I own an ISP, in
> Canada, and
> I often cut off people's access, when the FBI or RCMP TELLS us to.
>
> 2. I have spent a far time in Russian, since I have a past in the defense
> industry. I am VERY
> well aware "how" things work over there. I also still have many contacts
> in
> your country.
>
> 3. iEN has millions of dollars, you have little, given the "way" things
> work
> over there, do you think
> you're recent actions are smart ?
>
> Dan "HotSeat šFubar>" Neault S.A.E.
>

This is getting annoying. That tough automobile repairman spreads his fingers wider then shoulders and promises to involve his"friends" in Russia. Remembering that any legal solution to the "problem" will be in our favour, that we told them many times, it can be understood only as a direct and clear threat to call gangsters to force us stop our work.

Putting aside all the threats and bullshit we try to develop a solution that suits both us and them. This is the answer to another letter from mr. Littman, that is given as "double quote".

> > I have nothing more to say to you. You have stolen my game WarBirds.
>
> Well, mr Littman, I doubt that Alex feels he had stolen something. He just
> gave many people an opportunity to play after your designers made it
> impossible for them... As for me - I don't feel that I steal anything when I
> play FreeBeerds. Do you really think that I have to pay 2 bucks per hour for
> constant warps and buggy damage model?... Especially when I don't have this
> problems on Russian host?
>
> Anyway, it all is just a matter of personal attitude and traditions, so I
> can understand your point of view. So - let's think if you can benefit form
> Russin host. Honestly.
>
> > Why
> > don't you just make your own game instead of stealing someone else hard
> > work? For example a WWII Russian Vs German tank game or even better a
> > submarine game.
>
> I bet you knew it! ;)
>
> > How can you sleep at night knowing you are stealing
> > someone else's work, SHAME ON YOU!
>
> The only thing that makes me worry now is a possibility that someone will
> introduce connecting instructions to the majority of your customers. In this
> case we'll certainly take some measures.
>
> Another bad thing is that if you'll start a case against us in a Russian
> court - 99% that you'll lose it, because Russian server doesn't even violate
> your own EULA:
>
> "You acknowledge that the
> Software in source code form remains a confidential trade secret of iEN and
> therefore you agree not to modify the Software or attempt to decipher,
> decompile, disassemble or reverse engineer the Softwareexcept to the extent
> applicable laws specifically prohibit such restriction."
>
> Russian laws allow to reverse-engineer any program in case it is nessesary
> to achieve compatibility with your own product. I hope it is clear enough.
> "...to the extent applicable laws specifically prohibit such restriction.".
> Not even speaking that there was no decompilation of the FE at all.
>
> Please read this page: šhttp://cooler.irk.ru/ivanopulo_vs_mm.html>
>
> NB: I don't think that guy is right, but - so it goes...
>
> And if you'll lose the case in the court - it would be very bad not only for
> you, but to the whole software industry.
>
> We have been loyal to you so far. We wish you business to be successful.
> But - things like what mr. Neault wrote me make me think about preparing to
> some unfair actions from you. Until that letter I thought that we all are
> civilised people, not kids in a sandbox.
>
> Russian server will exist. I think it's reasonable to work out some solution
> so you don't lose money on it. The first idea that comes to my head is that
> you can place it as a separate arena to your servers, and bill people who go
> there from your server.
>
> Any other ideas?
>
> Still hoping to cooperate.
>
> With respect,
> Pavel Pavlov,
> wb:boroda
> Commissar 25th IAP VVS

After that I recieved an answer that made me stop any attempts to find an agreement with iEN before they will take serious psychic treatment:

> Do you think that I work for free? Do you think that my staff of
> programmers, artist, designers and production personal also work for free?
> Do you think the computers we work on and the electricity to run them are
> free? Do you think the building we work in is rent free? Do you think
> that our investors and stock holders don't want a return on their money?
>
> No you imbecilic communist bastard. This is a market driven game and that
> gives us the right to charge people to play and make a profit. It's call
> capitalism. For more information on capitalism please read, 'The Wealth
> of
> Nations' by Adam Smith if you can't find the book because your leaders
> burned them all go to
> (šhttp://www.bibliomania.com/NonFiction/Smith/Wealth/)>. If we lose the
> right to make a profit from WarBirds because some communist thinks that
> everything on the internet should be free is just showing how moronic you
> are.
>
> Do you remember that type of government that brought mother Russian to its
> knees? Its called communism. Communism made Russia a third world back
> water country that she is today. Russia can't even paid it's own bills
> and
> depends on hand outs from others. Did you and your community learn
> anything from that? I guess NOT! Well I'll spell it out for you. You
> dim-witted, stupid moron. No profit, no money, no work, no food, no
> house,
> no car, no family, no life. There is no safety net, no collective; just
> risk and your own hard work, creativity and sweat here. Try it sometime
> it's call thinking. Try exercising that thing that is between you ears.
>
> The reason you have to steal my game is because you are to stupid to be
> creative and make your own game, or you are lazy and you want someone to
> give it to you. You live off the hard work and sweat of others. YOU ARE
> A
> PARASITE! Don't worry you will soon see the inside of your counties jails
> which I'm sure you have already seen.
>

"Imbecilic communist bastard" is still my favourite phrase. Not speaking about the suggestion to read Adam Smith. It's no doubt that he doesn't even know that Adam Smith's economy is one of the three sources and basic parts of Marxism.

I hope this little compilation will give you an idea of what we experienced from "the multimillion dollar corporation" called iEN. And it's only an unofficial correspondence, their legal actions were even more funny, but I am not autorised to reveal the details of that circus show. The only thing I can say is that they had all possible explainations from Russian authorities proving that we didn't violate any laws of Russian Federation. So far they have no legal decisions proving that we ever violated any laws of any country, so they still follow their traditional route of false accusations, lies and slander. Way to go, indeed, we really enjoy their business style.