Ask HN: Can someone steal my code under Apache 2.0?

2 points by allfou 9y ago ↗ HN

I wonder what stops someone from copying my code (iOS) under the Apache 2.0 licence? Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I'm a developer about to ship my app to the App Store, I can copy any code under Apache 2.0 and make it my own.

No one will ever know?? How do you stop that?

3 comments

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jareds 9y ago ↗

It's not stealing since the Apache license specifically allows Apache licensed code to be changed and redistributed with out providing the source as long as mention is made of the shipped product being derived from some other APache licensed code. See http://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/56927...

olegkikin 9y ago ↗

https://tldrlegal.com/license/apache-license-2.0-(apache-2.0...

Nomentatus 9y ago ↗

You mean, other than law, police and the courts? You're describing an illegal action, under copyright law. If I steal your car and give it to a charity it's still stealing. Ditto, open source. They don't get to keep the car, they don't get to keep your code.

Granted, the courts treat genuine donations and pledges to charities differently than other gifts, and regard them as binding contracts; crediting the good work of charities of consideration to everyone including the donor (whether that's really true or not.) But I doubt your question referred to such subtleties.