alt Hacker NewsCopyleft is a mirror of copyright, not a way to fight copyright. It grants rights to the consumer where copyright grants rights to the creator. Importantly, it gives the end-user the right to modify the software running on their devices.
Unfortunately, there are cases where you simply can't just "re-implement" something. E.g., because doing so requires access to restricted tools, keys, or proprietary specifications.
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rileymat2 • today at 5:07 PM
> It grants rights to the consumer where copyright grants rights to the creator.
It also grants one major right/feature to the creator, the ability to spread their work while keeping it as open as they intend.
These are words of Stallman:
"So, I looked for a way to stop that from happening. The method I came up with is called “copyleft.” It's called copyleft because it's sort of like taking copyright and flipping it over. [Laughter] Legally, copyleft works based on copyright. We use the existing copyright law, but we use it to achieve a very different goal."
https://writings.hongminhee.org/2026/03/legal-vs-legitimate/