I wonder if they just took those apps and rebranded them or if they contacted those projects and asked for their permission (even if legally not required).

I mean, I like what Librem does in general and I also think that marketing those apps as a uniform service (without distracting attributions) is definitely a pro for consumers, but if I would be one of the contributors to those projects I might be a bit pissed off if they didn't ask for permission.