4 ms·

Samsung ripped off my hobby project and published it under a different license

38 points by dmitrygr 7y ago

I wrote a tiny JVM a while ago and it has been licensed by a few companies for their internal use, but then Samsung ripped it off, republished it on github under a different license (against my license's terms) and even were nice enough to taunt me with "uJVM extensively uses sample code provided by uJ. Developers of uJVM would like to express their gratitude for invaluable info provided by Dmitry Grinberg." Their code is a copy of mine with a few renames ("uJ"->"uJVM"). Especially the code of the jvm core, the heap code, etc. They added some comments, but in some places those are wrong since they did not understand how the code worked. What do to? https://github.com/Samsung/uJVM http://dmitry.gr/?r=05.Projects&proj=12.%20uJ%20-%20a%20micro%20JVM

sarcasmatwork 7y ago
Have you contacted Samsung about this issue? Any response? Do you have a copyright, Trademark, Patent on this code? Please consult with a Copyright/IP lawyer as soon as you can. A simple letter from a lawyer may result in action from Samsung. Copyright lawsuits are not fun and can take years and lots of money. Do what you can now for as cheap as you can.
- dmitrygr 7y ago
  I have not yet contacted them. Code includes a license that is incompatible with Apache (the license they are distributing under) I just found out today when someone emailed me with a link. I license my tiny jvm out to companies, and one client who was about to sign a contract for a license emailed me with a link to this asking why pay me when there is a similar project out for free, so not only did they deprive me of income, they are handing my non-free code out for free! Do you have an IP lawyer to recommend?
  - sarcasmatwork 7y ago
    Sounds like you have a good claim for infringement here.. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/copyright https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/copyright I went with a lawyer in state, and I'm on the west coast. I hope you can get someone that will give you a free consultation (most do) and can actually help. This road can be long and very expensive fyi.
  - rabidonrails 7y ago
    I wouldn't be as worried about this taking lots of money quite yet. Get an intro to a firm and see what they say.
  - seanwilson 7y ago
    Before discussing lawyers and how much they're going to cost... why don't you just contact the developers first to get their side of the story and their suggested resolution? You're using really emotive language like "ripped off" and "taunt" and assigning malice to this without knowing the whole picture. To give them the benefit of the doubt, a developer likely made a mistake in understanding or checking your license. The mention of you being the author is probably their (incorrect) attempt to follow your license and not an attempt to taunt you. It's unlikely there was some conspiracy at the upper levels of Samsung to steal your code.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - dmitrygr 7y ago
      wouldn't contacting them give them a chance to destroy evidence that would have helped a legal case?
      - deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
      - guillerodriguez 7y ago
        You can clone their github repo first.
        sarcasmatwork 7y ago
        ^Yes! Gather the evidence, then contact Samsung and advise them you're an individual with a product that they stole the IP. If you call (1-800-726-7864) tell them you're recording it too as they probably are. if you email, chat etc.. Collect the digital trail of evidence.
  - laken 7y ago
    Not defending Samsung, but it doesn't seem like they're redistributing your code under the Apache license, rather the rest of the project under that license. In the COPYING file they have your license in there, under the files that appear to be yours, as an exception of being under the Apache license. https://github.com/Samsung/uJVM/blob/master/COPYING https://github.com/Samsung/uJVM/blob/master/COPYING So this means that in the example you shared, you could just link them to the /COPYING and say that you'd still have to get those files re-licensed under your terms, as it's still not free.
    - dmitrygr 7y ago
      They claim their project was Apache license. How can something be Apache license if its very core is not?
smileypete 7y ago
IF they don't cooperate ASAP, might as well hit them as hard as poss on social media; twitter/youtube/blogs, see if you get interest from sites like The Register.
theli0nheart 7y ago
Find a lawyer, stat.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
dusted 7y ago
Classic Samsung ^_^ We worked at a place where they basically pushed us for POCs until they had enough to say "No, thanks, we don't need" and a few months later, tadaaa, Samsung had the feature. (tbh, our company was partly to blame since they actually sent source code..)
clusmore 7y ago
They just pushed a commit which attempts to give you some credit[0] > Note that using this **project for commercial purposes or change of licensing terms must be agreed upon with** [uJ](http://dmitry.gr/?r=05.Projects&proj=12.%20uJ%20-%20a%20micro%20JVM) developer **Dmitry Grinberg**. And they've added your licence back into a few header files. * 2. uJ cannot be used in a commercial product/service without first obtaining * permission from me (dmitrygr@<redacted>). [0]: https://github.com/Samsung/uJVM/commit/6f705aa2b2e46ca5e43b2c617b454ade69e73725 https://github.com/Samsung/uJVM/commit/6f705aa2b2e46ca5e43b2...
- dkimitsa 7y ago
  yep, I've pinged them in post at habr, you can see their comments there https://habr.com/ru/post/459358/ https://habr.com/ru/post/459358/
- dmitrygr 7y ago
  I am seeing a 404
laken 7y ago
It looks like that Samsung have now just removed your code entirely. Now though you may have lost the leverage you had before, as you still had control over their code, as they originally kept your license intact...
dmitrygr 7y ago
code has been removed, DMCA takedown notices sent to github for forks with a note saying that they can change the license to comply with mine, or remove code as they wish. thanks all for adice!

38 points by dmitrygr 7y ago

sarcasmatwork 7y ago

Have you contacted Samsung about this issue? Any response? Do you have a copyright, Trademark, Patent on this code? Please consult with a Copyright/IP lawyer as soon as you can. A simple letter from a lawyer may result in action from Samsung. Copyright lawsuits are not fun and can take years and lots of money. Do what you can now for as cheap as you can.

dmitrygr 7y ago
I have not yet contacted them. Code includes a license that is incompatible with Apache (the license they are distributing under) I just found out today when someone emailed me with a link. I license my tiny jvm out to companies, and one client who was about to sign a contract for a license emailed me with a link to this asking why pay me when there is a similar project out for free, so not only did they deprive me of income, they are handing my non-free code out for free! Do you have an IP lawyer to recommend?
- sarcasmatwork 7y ago
  Sounds like you have a good claim for infringement here.. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/copyright https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/copyright I went with a lawyer in state, and I'm on the west coast. I hope you can get someone that will give you a free consultation (most do) and can actually help. This road can be long and very expensive fyi.
- rabidonrails 7y ago
  I wouldn't be as worried about this taking lots of money quite yet. Get an intro to a firm and see what they say.
- seanwilson 7y ago
  Before discussing lawyers and how much they're going to cost... why don't you just contact the developers first to get their side of the story and their suggested resolution? You're using really emotive language like "ripped off" and "taunt" and assigning malice to this without knowing the whole picture. To give them the benefit of the doubt, a developer likely made a mistake in understanding or checking your license. The mention of you being the author is probably their (incorrect) attempt to follow your license and not an attempt to taunt you. It's unlikely there was some conspiracy at the upper levels of Samsung to steal your code.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - dmitrygr 7y ago
    wouldn't contacting them give them a chance to destroy evidence that would have helped a legal case?
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - guillerodriguez 7y ago
      You can clone their github repo first.
      - sarcasmatwork 7y ago
        ^Yes! Gather the evidence, then contact Samsung and advise them you're an individual with a product that they stole the IP. If you call (1-800-726-7864) tell them you're recording it too as they probably are. if you email, chat etc.. Collect the digital trail of evidence.
- laken 7y ago
  Not defending Samsung, but it doesn't seem like they're redistributing your code under the Apache license, rather the rest of the project under that license. In the COPYING file they have your license in there, under the files that appear to be yours, as an exception of being under the Apache license. https://github.com/Samsung/uJVM/blob/master/COPYING https://github.com/Samsung/uJVM/blob/master/COPYING So this means that in the example you shared, you could just link them to the /COPYING and say that you'd still have to get those files re-licensed under your terms, as it's still not free.
  - dmitrygr 7y ago
    They claim their project was Apache license. How can something be Apache license if its very core is not?

smileypete 7y ago

IF they don't cooperate ASAP, might as well hit them as hard as poss on social media; twitter/youtube/blogs, see if you get interest from sites like The Register.

theli0nheart 7y ago

Find a lawyer, stat.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

dusted 7y ago

Classic Samsung ^_^ We worked at a place where they basically pushed us for POCs until they had enough to say "No, thanks, we don't need" and a few months later, tadaaa, Samsung had the feature. (tbh, our company was partly to blame since they actually sent source code..)

clusmore 7y ago

They just pushed a commit which attempts to give you some credit[0] > Note that using this **project for commercial purposes or change of licensing terms must be agreed upon with** [uJ](http://dmitry.gr/?r=05.Projects&proj=12.%20uJ%20-%20a%20micro%20JVM) developer **Dmitry Grinberg**. And they've added your licence back into a few header files. * 2. uJ cannot be used in a commercial product/service without first obtaining * permission from me (dmitrygr@<redacted>). [0]: https://github.com/Samsung/uJVM/commit/6f705aa2b2e46ca5e43b2c617b454ade69e73725 https://github.com/Samsung/uJVM/commit/6f705aa2b2e46ca5e43b2...

dkimitsa 7y ago
yep, I've pinged them in post at habr, you can see their comments there https://habr.com/ru/post/459358/ https://habr.com/ru/post/459358/
dmitrygr 7y ago
I am seeing a 404

laken 7y ago

It looks like that Samsung have now just removed your code entirely. Now though you may have lost the leverage you had before, as you still had control over their code, as they originally kept your license intact...

dmitrygr 7y ago

code has been removed, DMCA takedown notices sent to github for forks with a note saying that they can change the license to comply with mine, or remove code as they wish. thanks all for adice!