I think things other than choice of algorithm are harder to copy. For instance, finding good outside sets sounds a lot easier than it is. But I do see your poin

I think things other than choice of algorithm are harder to copy. For instance, finding good outside sets sounds a lot easier than it is. But I do see your point. For me these competitions are more a fun educational tool where I can practice the model-building process. I agree that they probably aren't useful for finding the best engineers... although there are companies who see things differently.