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It's my understanding that software with multiple copyright holders, especially when their work is all mushed together and being derivative of each other's work
by retrac 6y ago
It's my understanding that software with multiple copyright holders, especially when their work is all mushed together and being derivative of each other's work, is a major headache scenario. There's a reason the FSF requires that contributions to FSF-owned projects include a transfer of copyright.
- kadoban 6y agoI'm not a lawyer. As far as I understand copyright though, any copyright holder, aka any of the contributors, could take action (eg sue or submit a DMCA claim).
- uberman 6y agoYes, any ONLY them. Assuming they could even find an interested prosecutor/attorney which is rather unlikely.
- skissane 6y ago> Assuming they could even find an interested prosecutor/attorney which is rather unlikely It would be a civil matter, so prosecutors would not be involved. Finding an attorney isn't hard assuming you are willing to pay for one.
- uberman 6y agoAbsolutely true. But the cost to prosecute an IP related civil case on average with less than $1 million USD at stake is $250k USD. With out the financial / legal support of lets say the FSF are any of the 60 or so 3rd party contributors willing to put up $250k USD to protect their 1 line commits? Are they willing to risk a quarter million in legal fees on the chance that the repo owner proceeds to trial without undoing their one line commits the night before making their claims moot? Without financial/legal support from someone like the FSF, the only way this would proceed is if the aggrieved parties were independently wealthy or could find a lawyer to take the case pro bono.