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Ask HN: Is "no source code was copied" still a sufficient copyright defense?

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Why This Matters

The increasing use of AI-generated code and the ease of copying UI elements are challenging traditional copyright defenses, raising important questions about intellectual property rights in software development. This shift impacts both developers and consumers by potentially lowering barriers to innovation while also risking legal disputes over originality and fair competition.

Key Takeaways

We are all familiar with the Corgi event: https://x.com/mfts0/status/2070080422482977095

With the barrier to create new apps having dropped significantly thanks to LLMs, I am seeing more cases about copyright and unfair competition.

I've seen and participated in some of these cases. Usually expert witnesses are required.

Curious to hear the community stance on this one.

"Now software developers are feeling what authors and artist felt". https://x.com/PriyRanjan96/status/2070204156703568377

There are several claims of: Copying UI is Ok, your product is not undifferentiated enough.

Here is a legal assessment of the situation: https://x.com/jessebradner/status/2070492879718350986