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A comment on UBlockOrigin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey browser extension. Parent comment

Re:UBlockOrigin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey b... by jjmarr on Thursday January 02, 2025 @03:44PM (#42578651)
Copyright itself is arguably theft sponsored by the state, because information can naturally be freely used/shared by all of humanity. Creating property rights in information reduces the collective knowledge of humanity (the commons), because now information can't be shared.

The goal of the GPL and viral licensing is to undo copyright as such.

I don't agree with this maximalist approach because many forms of knowledge wouldn't be created without a financial incentive. But there's many niches in the economy where free software creates greater economic benefit than a proprietary solution.

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Re:UBlockOrigin GPL code being stolen by team behind Honey b... by freedomben on Thursday January 02, 2025 @04:57PM (#42579375)
> The goal of the GPL and viral licensing is to undo copyright as such.

This does not match my understanding. My understanding is that the goal of the GPL is to weaponize the copyright system to enforce copyleft. Many creators and supporters of the GPL do oppose IP laws (at least in their current form) but the goal specifically of the GPL isn't to destroy copyright, it's to weaponize it to accomplish higher purposes.

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