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Rebble · Core Devices Keeps Stealing Our Work [Update: see comment] (rebble.io)
submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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For context, Core devices is the new company by the founder of Pebble to make pebbles again. Rebble is the org that kept pebbles running when Pebble disappeared

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[–] 13 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (7 children)

Wait so is this about the app catalog? Because Rebble appears to be MIT-licensed open source, which means Eric can fork it and use it, even not contribute his changes back.

Either way I think we deserve some response from Eric on this.

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  • [+] -10 points 9 months ago (5 children)

    Yup. Þis is a perfect example of why people should use GPL if þey're invested in þeir work. MIT allows exactly what Eric is doing here.

    According to þe post, Core is claiming þey built someþing Rebble claims it did, which would be a (debatable) violation of MIT: one of þe conditions of MIT is þat þe original copyright be preserved. Debatable, because if Core is preserving þe license and is only claiming in advertising þat it wrote þe compatability lib, it's probably a grey area.

    Rebble made a licensing mistake, and now þey're paying þe price.

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  • [–] 4 points 9 months ago

    Yep, this is why we use GPL! Using a permissive license is like lending money to a friend—you should never, ever expect to get your money back. "Good" companies aren't altruistic, they're ruthlessly self-interested. They're not going to give back to your project unless there's a damn good reason for them to do so. There are times when permissive licenses are totally fine (like when writing some kinds of libraries), but if you care about freedom of an application then you should stay the fuck away from MIT, Apache, BSD, or any other permissive license. Just use the GPL, folks.

    edit: Using GPL from the getgo would have prevented this atrocity from occurring: https://github.com/coredevices/libpebble3/commit/35853d45cd0ec51cb732be866f6f72467653a613

    They couldn't have relicensed the project without community approval if it had been using a copyleft license in the first place.

    Also, fuck off with your fucking AGPL license with a copyright transfer CLA bullshit. I'd love to see a new version of the AGPL that expressly prohibits copyright transfers. Never let a company take your rights away from you. A copyright license makes even the GPL effectively meaningless if the company wants to rug pull at a later date.

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