That code is now untouchable. Open, I can use it. Now that I can read it but not use it, if I accidentally reproduce it there’s a case for me having stole it. If it were fully closed, there’s no case.
Very little good comes from non-open source you can just happen to read.
> Now that I can read it but not use it, if I accidentally reproduce it there’s a case for me having stole it
In the decades of existence of GPL-ed software has there even been such a case? I see this point regurgitated time and time again but no concrete examples are ever provided. Seems a bit like anti-OSS FUD.
No, but famously early IBM clones had to do clean-room reverse engineering of bootloaders and other ancillary code to produce compatible designs.
IBM was able to legally annihilate anyone who ever saw the source code or read technical documents on these designs, but the people who made sure they didn't were able to defend their designs in court.
If you've worked in IP-heavy fields (my experience is with video codecs) you will also see strict guidance to not read patents in your day-to-day.
That code is now untouchable. Open, I can use it. Now that I can read it but not use it, if I accidentally reproduce it there’s a case for me having stole it. If it were fully closed, there’s no case.
Very little good comes from non-open source you can just happen to read.