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Melody-Maker
Melody-Maker
Participant
May 16, 2026
Question

Open Source Software - Are they stealing code?

  • May 16, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 34 views

When I first read about free software, I got the idea they were stealing code from businesses, as well as borrowing it from each other. Is this the case with free open source software? This may be why it doesn’t work very well, as well as being unethical. I do not agree with the free software movement. It violates business law. Just because they are having trouble stopping it, does not mean that it is ethical. They are stealing code from businesses. I did not get at first, that the open source software was about that. I am thinking that it is, though. It doesn’t seem to work very well. I was going to use Inkscape, which is meant to replace Illustrator. It isn’t working, though. If they are stealing code from businesses, I am against it, on ethical grounds. It does violate business law. That does relate to money. So does copyright law. That is actually serious. It is code. Copyright law relates to money. It is the truth. Does anybody else agree?

    2 replies

    B
    Community Expert
    Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 18, 2026

    In the specific case of Inkscape it has been developed over the years by volunteers. They’re not copying and pasting code from other applications. Sometimes I’ll recommend Inkscape to amateur/casual users who need to create vector graphics just for one specific project and can’t justify the expense of professional level graphics applications. Inkscape is no replacement for Adobe Illustrator; the app has just too many limitations.

    If was I going to be suspicious an organization was stealing code from Adobe’s applications I would be more likely to suspect a commercial rival rather than an open source effort. Even if a commercial rival doesn’t copy code verbatim they can still get into trouble for copying features that are patented -even if they develop different source code to duplicate the feature.

    Dave Creamer of IDEAS
    Community Expert
    Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 17, 2026

    So, if I understand your post correctly, just reading about free or open source software made you come to the conclusion the code was stolen. Is that correct?

    Open source software may or may not be as good as commercial software, but that doesn’t make it unethical or make it violate business law. Neither of those opinions many any sense. 

    Open source software code is not stolen from the commercial companies, which protects their code. It’s more likely that code is being stolen from open source software, but by other small companies, not the “big” guys. The big guys would sic their lawyers on the persons that supplied the code and have the software taken down. 

    Just because you don’t agree with it, doesn’t make it wrong or bad. 

    David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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