Is it possible to create something where knowing about the thing constitutes copyright infringement?

  • Corroded@leminal.space
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    1 year ago

    Another example could be clean room design. Essentially reverse engineering code without using copyrighted code. Having someone on a team who has reviewed leaked code could compromise a project and make it more likely to be hit with a copyright claim if they slip up.

    This has been an issue/topic of debate with multiple open source projects such as ReactOS.

    I could be slightly off here but this is my understanding of it. I hope someone corrects me if I’m off base.

    • dillekant@slrpnk.netOP
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      1 year ago

      Yeah this was something else I was thinking of. I’m not exactly sure about the mechanics of the infringement here, but it seems like simply knowing a thing taints you for producing a work. I guess it’s more about ease of proving?

      • Venia Silente@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        The key here is that it taints you, not the thing. Just because the source code of eg.: Acrobat is known because the source is leaked, that does not make the source code of an alternative instantly illegal.