Re: what's the killer app for GNU/Linux systems?

[John Hasler <jhasler@debian.org>]

Andrew Sackville-West writes:
> you release code anonymously into public domain. companyA sees that code,
> likes it, grabs it, incorporates it, copyrights and distributes it in a
> closed source application. this of course is their right as there are no
> licenses or rights attached to the code.  simultaneously, userB sees it,
> grabs it, incorporates it, and releases it under gpl. later, companyA,
> having lost track of how it got the code, sees it in userB's gpl code and
> sues userB claiming that they stole it, violated companyA's
> copyright. userB ends up in court trying to defend themselves. If there
> is no other record available of this code being in public domain, nor any
> clear release from the author, then userB is effectively screwed.

CompanyA has to show that userB had access to their source code.  Copyright
is not patent. 
-- 
John Hasler