Ask HN: If LLM reverse engineering is deemed illegal, is that precedent for OSS?

Re:Ask HN: If LLM reverse engineering is deemed illegal, is ... by turtleyacht on Saturday November 07, 2026 @08:42PM (#50409764)

LLMs are not human, so they can't violate licenses. Licenses are for humans to adhere to (or not).

However, the intent to reverse engineer without source--only public API and analysis of data streams--for commercial use almost certainly violates OSS, since it's to evade strictures.

Private use like retrocomputing, "right to repair," should support the individual.

Basically, if LLM's output is relicensed for different intent, courts should see through that.

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Re:Ask HN: If LLM reverse engineering is deemed illegal, is ... by chistev on Sunday November 08, 2026 @01:15AM (#50410867)

That doesn't make sense to me, seeing as the LLMs are used by humans to violate licenses.

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Re:Ask HN: If LLM reverse engineering is deemed illegal, is ... by turtleyacht on Sunday November 08, 2026 @05:11AM (#50411901)

The whole thing or the last sentence? Would have revised the last to be

  Basically, if LLM's output is relicensed for
  different intent, courts should realize that.

[ Parent | on HN ]