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HackerRank (YC S11) DMCA'ed the SymPy Docs [fixed]

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Re: HackerRank (YC S11) DMCA'ed the SymPy Docs [fixed]

#2
https://docs.sympy.org/ is down …seems like a lame move for a programming-oriented company.

The takedown message is here – https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2022/04/2022-04-1...

And the offending page is archived here, I wonder what part they wanted removed – https://web.archive.org/web/20220114132753/https://docs.symp...

Re: HackerRank (YC S11) DMCA'ed the SymPy Docs [fixed]

#3
post #2

https://docs.sympy.org/ is down …seems like a lame move for a programming-oriented company. The takedown message is here – https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2022/04/2022-04-1... And the offending page is archived here, I wonder what part they wanted removed – https://web.archive.org/web/20220114132753/https://docs.symp...

What I suspect happened is that the HackerRank test legitimately (fair use) included parts of the docs (the exercise could’ve been about the library those docs are for), DMCA enforcement has been outsourced to the lowest bidder and these idiots just did a blanket search for some phrases from the test, found the official docs and DMCA’d it.

Re: HackerRank (YC S11) DMCA'ed the SymPy Docs [fixed]

#4
post #3
post #2

https://docs.sympy.org/ is down …seems like a lame move for a programming-oriented company. The takedown message is here – https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2022/04/2022-04-1... And the offending page is archived here, I wonder what part they wanted removed – https://web.archive.org/web/20220114132753/https://docs.symp...

What I suspect happened is that the HackerRank test legitimately (fair use) included parts of the docs (the exercise could’ve been about the library those docs are for), DMCA enforcement has been outsourced to the lowest bidder and these idiots just did a blanket search for some phrases from the test, found the official docs and DMCA’d it.

The CC licenses should probably be adjusted to make a DMCA attempt a permanent revocation of license. That way DMCAs can flow in the opposite direction and people can learn things.

Re: HackerRank (YC S11) DMCA'ed the SymPy Docs [fixed]

#5
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I suspect happened is that the HackerRank test legitimately (fair use) included parts of the docs (the exercise could’ve been about the library those docs are for), DMCA enforcement has been outsourced to the lowest bidder and these idiots just did a blanket search for some phrases from the test, found the official docs and DMCA’d it.

The CC licenses should probably be adjusted to make a DMCA attempt a permanent revocation of license. That way DMCAs can flow in the opposite direction and people can learn things.

Realistically speaking, you’d still need to enforce breaches of whatever license you choose but most open-source projects don’t have the resources to pursue those cases.

Maybe there’s a case for a consortium of open-source projects that can pool its resources and serve as an insurance policy to fight back against license violations or malicious/stupid DMCA takedowns.

Re: HackerRank (YC S11) DMCA'ed the SymPy Docs [fixed]

#6
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CC licenses should probably be adjusted to make a DMCA attempt a permanent revocation of license. That way DMCAs can flow in the opposite direction and people can learn things.

Realistically speaking, you’d still need to enforce breaches of whatever license you choose but most open-source projects don’t have the resources to pursue those cases. Maybe there’s a case for a consortium of open-source projects that can pool its resources and serve as an insurance policy to fight back against license violations or malicious/stupid DMCA takedowns.

Whenever you file a DMCA appeal with GitHub/etc you would have the option to file a takedown on the jack ass. Some projects doing it occasionally would trigger the right conservative fears at corporations to reduce the market.

Re: HackerRank (YC S11) DMCA'ed the SymPy Docs [fixed]

#9
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CC licenses should probably be adjusted to make a DMCA attempt a permanent revocation of license. That way DMCAs can flow in the opposite direction and people can learn things.

Realistically speaking, you’d still need to enforce breaches of whatever license you choose but most open-source projects don’t have the resources to pursue those cases. Maybe there’s a case for a consortium of open-source projects that can pool its resources and serve as an insurance policy to fight back against license violations or malicious/stupid DMCA takedowns.

We have so many organizations but in the last 2 decades nobody has thought of creating colloborative legal fund and insurance system to combat and in many cases enforce licensing violation.

Open source projects should have a kind of union of their own. Then again I wonder if it would ever be possible because corporate money has became a key donation source and in many cases many OS projects themselves have become corporatized.

Re: HackerRank (YC S11) DMCA'ed the SymPy Docs [fixed]

#10

This same DMCA company (WorthIT Solutions) previously tried to DMCA the php docs range function page on behalf of HackerRank [0]. Pretty crazy. [0]: https://www.mail-archive.com/php-webmaster@lists.php.net/msg...

One way for HackerRank to do the right thing would be to sue WorthIT for breach of contract and loss of reputation. Their contract must have included some requirements for due diligence on filing those notices, and having these bogus DMCA notices does hurt HackerRank’s reputation, especially with its target audience.

Only way to make this stop is make companies like WorthIT feel financial pain from their actions.

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