The New Sudoku Players' Forum

[waterfall]

Fellow puzzlers,

I invented a game called Str8ts in 2006. Andrew Stuart and myself have worked relentless to perfect the puzzle. To my horror I found my game on Djape.net " the home of the perfect Sudoku".
It turns out he is even producing books using my concept. I was never contacted or made aware of the fact that he was using my puzzle. A simple e mail and a discussion on a royalty payment would have been the right behaviour. He renamed my puzzle Sudoku Straights. The absolute "Highlight" is the fact that he posted this message in the comment section of the puzzle. It is still in plain view to this date, even though I have asked to have it removed.

Princess Amy says:
February 27th, 2009 at 7:14 pm

Hi Pedja,

Since you invented this concept, I would be interested in seeing a 13 x 13 puzzle with straights, including 10’s, Jacks, Queens and Kings.

An interesting twist, if I’m remembering the rules right. Ones are replaced by Aces. The Ace could either go below the two or above the King.

Wow, I’m already addicted to these puzzles, but it would be great if you could make one (just for me?) like this!

Anyway, thanks again for a great variation,
Amy Grace

Kind of funny we have already used playing cards a long time ago (Printable Sample Packs)
It was a sad evening when I made this discovery. Publishing the puzzle is one thing but actually taking credit for a puzzle you ripped off is beyond anything I have ever experienced in my gaming career.

I just want every one to know I invented Str8ts, it was first presented at the Nuremberg Toy Fair Feb 1 2007.

Still in shock and sick to my stomach,

Jeff Widderich
Syndicated Puzzles

It is time for creativity and hard work to be rewarded. Not.....

[Red Ed]

Wasn't sure if I should believe you or not, so I did some searching.

• str8ts.com was registered at the end of 2007
• you announced str8ts on the web sudoku forum on 27 Nov 2008
• djape announced straights on his site on 24 Dec 2008.

Yep, that sure reads like unattributed copying to me. Bad luck.

[waterfall]

Thanks Red Ed,

Predrag, has e mailed me and has made it clear to me that he has absolutely no problem with his behaviour!
He has a great Internet presence with his website Djape.net. How he presumes to keep his respect with his audience displaying this type of attitude is beyond me. The only possible solution I could see is that he feels so strong about Str8ts, that he wants to be one of the first out of the gates to make a profit.

Sometimes it is so much easier just to ask for permission or make an arrangement with the author. I am really pissed off that he is promoting the idea that he invented Str8ts. That doesn't work for me at all. Especially when you are displaying Dec 24 2008 as your release date.

Jeff

[Red Ed]

Is he promoting "straights" as his own work? I don't think so. He's just not attributing it to anyone else, so is allowing his audience to assume that he invented it. Still questionable behaviour, but there you go.

I started a topic on his web site to discuss the situation. No responses yet.

[waterfall]

Thanks for your effort.

The moment Predrag posted the comment Amy made, (directly associated with Straights ) about him inventing the concept, you are actively promoting the idea that he accomplished this task. He had the choice not to publish this portion of Amy's comment, but by choosing to do so he is promoting the idea of him being the inventor of the game. He controls the content of his website. Sorry Ed, he his actively promoting the idea of him being the inventor.

Jeff

[aman]

Dear Jeff,

I understand your feeling of "still in shock and sick to your stomach" because many of my sudoku variants have been plagiarized by others. I advise you to post your message in as many sudoku forums as possible. I don't expect your problem can be solved in the way you hope for; but by doing so, you will leave many records in the cyberspace that you are the original inventor of your game or puzzle.

I also wish to comment on your statement "It is time for creativity and hard work to be rewarded". There will come a day when you wake up to the fact that "creativity and hard work won't pay" in the puzzle/sudoku world where plagiarism is brazen, rampant and widespread.

Because of such brazen plagiarism, I am no longer interested to waste my time thinking how to invent puzzles. Instead, I spend my time combing the Internet everyday to detect any "admirer" who uses my sudoku concepts and thank him for his "flattery". (Remember the English proverb "Imitation is the best flattery"?)

After spending some time in the puzzle/sudoku world, you will find that the amount of monetary reward you can get from puzzles is miserable. It is equally miserable if you hope to gain any fame from the invention of puzzles. If you want eternal fame, try your hand in mathematics and science in the hope of discovering some mathematical theorems and scientific theories.

Finally, if your more famous partner Andrew Stuart could come out to say something about your invention, I think his words will carry more weight.

[Red Ed]

In conversation with DJApe, he pointed out that his "straights" is not, actually, a direct copy of Jeff's "str8ts". So bear that in mind if you're going to post on this issue more widely.

If you decide to take this further then you can expect a fight:

I started a topic on his web site to discuss the situation. No responses yet.

... and none will be forthcoming, since DJApe deleted the topic! Rather ungentlemanly, I thought.

[waterfall]

Red Ed,

You probably are the most forgiving guy in the world. The only difference are the white clues in the black cells. That makes it OK to take my idea and call it his own! You aren't serious!

One of the best programmers in the puzzle industry ( Andrew Stuart) took four weeks to perfect the generation of these black cells with white numbers as part of the complete package of Str8ts. It is was a nightmare to program that is probably why Predrag gave up on it.

The fact that Predrag dropped your conversation on this topic on his forum should have set off bells and whistles.

I still think you are a great guy for sticking your neck out for me.

Jeff