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Microsoft Tried To Steal A Project And Almost Got Away With It.... (www.youtube.com)
submitted 2 weeks ago by InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world to c/linux@programming.dev
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Direct link to a text article about the situation

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[-] codexarcanum@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 2 weeks ago

How can sole maintainers work with multi-billion corporations without being taken advantage of?

They can't, thats why GPL is noncommercial. Capitalism is an exploitative system that relies on power imbalance. As soon as MS reached out, he should have made it clear they can't even look at his code for ideas without a contract and payment. He shouldn't have told them anything else without a contract. Papers with legal claims on them are the only language business speaks.

[-] woelkchen@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago

GPL isn't non-commercial. Non-commercial licenses are explicitly against the free software and open sources definitions by both FSF and OSI.

[-] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 6 points 2 weeks ago

I think they meant it doesn't have broad commercial appeal. Which is somewhat true.

[-] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

AGPLv3 is the only way to go. If you want to make open source software, you need a license that protects your project and your users from corporate abuse.

[-] Suoko@feddit.it 20 points 2 weeks ago

I'm almost sure they steal ideas that people write in teams chat too..

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

Did they steal your idea for an AI bot that places UberEats orders for Chipotle?

Sorry, bro ๐Ÿ˜”

[-] Kowowow@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago

Hey maybe i can get microsoft steal my idea for a service that combines local radio news with spotify/podcasts

[-] Suoko@feddit.it 3 points 2 weeks ago

I would also try to let them steal the current idea of European countries to stop using HW and SW solutions made in US, and switch to locally provided services. We'd avoid having around the globe those strange billionaires semi-tech bots

[-] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

This came out a while ago. The developer used a license that said, "Steal this software, I don't care." Then he was shocked Pikachu when it was stolen.

His problem is the exact reason GPL was created.

[-] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 19 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The license does not allow removing the original license and purport that the code was created by someone else. It looks as if large parts of the project were copied directly from Spegel without any mention of the original source.

[-] Kolanaki@pawb.social 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

At the bottom of the README there was a thank you to myself and Spegel.

How much credit is needed to be counted as giving credit?

[-] HelloRoot@lemy.lol 17 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The license says (paraphrased) that you need to keep the original license file, which has the authors name. Even if you re-license it, you leave the old license there without touching it and put your new license next to it.

They did not follow that clause and deleted the original license and the original attribution.

A thanks does not necessarily imply credit.

[-] Kolanaki@pawb.social 9 points 2 weeks ago

In that case, I firmly disagree with Blue_Morpho's assessment.

[-] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 7 points 2 weeks ago

I'm not a programmer, but I'd say if you copy large sections of a code, the original author belongs into the list of authors, not into the acknowledgement part, where you e.g. thank your significant other for their support, your collegues for their fruitful discussions or some society for their funding.

this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2025
48 points (91.4% liked)

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