> it takes quite some time to update its ability to work with certain one click hosts
This might have more to do with the quality of the software (a desktop Java app? in 2012?) than anything else. I would love for someone to come along and make a JDownloader clone using GTK or Qt.
That said, you're right in that JDownloader's in a gray area. They can't have possibly gained approval from all those sites.
I am affiliated with one of the sites JDownloader supports, and they certainly did not ask us for approval. Whatever you try to stop them is futile, since they can react quickly.
JDownloader breaks our business model since we don't have premium accounts, but in the end you have no other choice but to accept that some people are leechers.
So, please don't think you're doing good when using tools like that and advocating their use.
This might have more to do with the quality of the software (a desktop Java app? in 2012?) than anything else. I would love for someone to come along and make a JDownloader clone using GTK or Qt.
That said, you're right in that JDownloader's in a gray area. They can't have possibly gained approval from all those sites.