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My open source project was relicensed by a YC company [license updated]

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Re: My open source project was relicensed by a YC company [license updated]

#41
post #38

Maybe I’m looking at the wrong repos but both appear to be GPL-3 (or maybe it was relicensed back to original GPL-3?) https://github.com/sohzm/cheating-daddy https://github.com/pickle-com/glass

They committed the (presumably ripped off) repo yesterday, changed the license from GPL to Apache, and now have changed it back (presumably in response to this thread).

https://github.com/pickle-com/glass/commits/main/LICENSE

Re: My open source project was relicensed by a YC company [license updated]

#42
looks like they fixed it: https://github.com/pickle-com/glass/commit/5c462179acface889...

let's not freak out - you can't "steal" open-source code, they used an incompatible license. that was accidentally too free.

people monetizing something you open-source isn't stealing.

Re: My open source project was relicensed by a YC company [license updated]

#45
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm having trouble mustering sympathy.

If our rights are contingent on taste then we have no rights at all.

Lacking sympathy for someone does not mean you condone them losing/lacking rights.

Re: My open source project was relicensed by a YC company [license updated]

#46

In a general sense, open source theft is bad, obviously. I have trouble feeling bad for this specific case though, given that it is a tool for cheating in interviews and tests.

A GPL violation is a GPL violation.

I made an OSS tool to help you cheat on your taxes, screw your business partner, or ensure your ex wife cannot see the children. Someone stole the source and is backed by a major VC firm. Is the thought different at all or exactly the same? Just raising the question.

Re: My open source project was relicensed by a YC company [license updated]

#48

Is there a way to file lawsuits for such cases? These incidents lead to death of open-source and crush hearts of open-source developers.

It's always possible to try, especially as it seems there was a technical violation here, but whether it's worth it or likely to gain enough legal traction to yield results is another story, especially in instances of "your AI generated boiler plate looks like my AI generated boilerplate, and therefore is theft"

Re: My open source project was relicensed by a YC company [license updated]

#49
post #42

looks like they fixed it: https://github.com/pickle-com/glass/commit/5c462179acface889... let's not freak out - you can't "steal" open-source code, they used an incompatible license. that was accidentally too free. people monetizing something you open-source isn't stealing.

If it was 'just' a licensing slip up sure, but there's still a lot of integrity issues here despite that. The presentation of "we created an open source library to do X in just days" comes across as a lie right?

I feel like ycombinator leads may want to look more deeply into this one. If they are presenting it as something they've achieved that's an integrity issue right?

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