Original developer cries foul

Kagi, the former payment processor for the video-converter software VisualHub, has opted to market a $5 "Lion upgrader" kit called vHub Updater that offers a polished installer for the original developer's own free patches to the program -- without permission or payment, says the original developer, Tyler Loch. The program, abandoned in 2008, won a devoted fan following that continues thanks to Loch's patches to make it work under Lion.

VisualHub (and its later companion program AudialHub) featured easy conversion from almost any format of video supported by the Mac to almost any other format, topped off with an interface that relied on presets for most jobs but allowed fine customization when needed, marked by humorous dialog boxes that satirized normal error and instructional messages. It originally sold for around $24, but was suddenly and mysteriously discontinued when the one-person company Techspansion (developer Tyler Loch, who built the app upon a foundation of open-source libraries) closed its doors in October 2008.

After some pressure from the community and customers who had recently bought the software, Loch relented, posted the source code and posted instructions on how alter VisualHub to disable its licensing for current users, though new users would have to find the original software on their own from the dwindling number of websites that hosted independent copies. Because it remained useful for years beyond its discontinuation, it remained a popular and highly-recommended option for easy video conversion despite being difficult to find.

Since 2008, a number of programs based on some portions of VisualHub's code have appeared, but even the developer himself admits that none of them have quite managed to recapture all the features and style that made VisualHub popular. Though the full source code of all Techspansion's products are available for updating to 2011 standards, serious efforts to develop a modernized successor appear to have stalled, and new competitors based on the ffmpeg libraries have emerged as replacements.

Shortly after Lion was released, a rare update appeared on Techspansion's website with instructions on how to modify VisualHub's application "package" and update the ffmpeg core it relies on to make the program work under Lion. What Kagi has essentially done with vHub Updater is repackage the modifications and links into a normal "installer" type program that, for a five dollar charge, automates the process for users uncomfortable with editing application packages or who were unaware of Loch's free option.

Kagi argues that it is merely offering support for customers Loch abandoned in 2008, and responding to customer complaints that the program they paid for in 2008 didn't work in Lion. Loch, for his part, says he gave no authorization to the company to make the vHub Updater program and that he does not receive any money from sales of the product.

Kagi says it did not ask for permission because Loch shuttered the company and ceased development years ago, also claiming that he did not respond to e-mail inquiries. Kagi does not mention Loch's free alternative method for updating VisualHub in its product description for vHub Updater.

Reached by MacWorld for comment, Loch says he was in contact with representatives of Kagi as recently as last month, but the company did not mention its plans to sell an updater for his program. On the Techspanion website, Loch says that Kagi's vHub Updater makes "unauthorized use of our copyrighted code" and that he did not consent to Kagi's use of Techspansion's customer contact list to solicit for its paid vHub Updater program.

Neither Loch or Kagi have offered to support or update the original VisualHub program beyond the current version of Lion (Apple may make changes in future versions that disallow 32-bit applications entirely, or forbid non-sandboxed apps). Loch remains hopeful that other developers will take his source code and update it into a genuine successor that will be supported going forward.

He is in contact with Kagi to try and resolve the matter. So far, Kagi has maintained that it is simply offering a service to users who are willing to pay for an easy way of keeping VisualHub working in Lion -- in fact, the updater makes a copy of the VisualHub application called "VisualHub Lion" during the process so the original, unpatched app is preserved. [via Macworld]

by MacNN Staff