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A comment on GitHub Copi­lot inves­ti­ga­tion. Parent comment

Re:GitHub Copi­lot inves­ti­ga­tion by williamcotton on Monday October 17, 2022 @08:09PM (#33241319)
If the code was purely utilitarian in nature, such as something that was optimized for execution time, there is plenty of precedent stating that the code in question is not covered by copyright.

Do an internet search for “copyright utilitarian” and read up on it if you don’t believe me!

Copyright is about protecting artistic expression which is held in contrast to the useful nature of a work.

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Re:GitHub Copi­lot inves­ti­ga­tion by bdowling on Monday October 17, 2022 @10:46PM (#33242396)
Note: In the US, this concept is explicitly in the Copyright Act:

"In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work." (17 USC 102(b) [0]).

See also the "Useful Articles" doctrine. [1]

[0] https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/102

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_the_United_St...

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