• SzethFriendOfNimi@lemmy.world
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    3 years ago

    Because even the possibility that you implemented somebody else’s proprietary code from memory or inspiration opens up a lot of legal issues.

    And while you may win there’s no winners when you or your employer has to pay your side of legal fees. It’s best to just avoid it to make that process easier.

        • AlexWIWA@lemmy.ml
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          3 years ago

          Yes they do. And they’d need to look at your source code to prove you copied theirs. It’d be basically impossible to prove unless you were stupid enough to have the GTA V source code on your work machine.

          Peep the code on a website, and they’ll have no evidence and the case will get dismissed for being frivolous. Do you think Rockstar is omniscient? People look at the source code, then leave the company for a competitor every week.

          Code can’t even be patented, so unless you copy some propriety process for computing physics or something, that they have a patent on, then they really have no legal standing.

          This meme of “don’t look at it” is very ignorant to the reality of professional software development. Our memories aren’t wiped when we switch jobs and they’d have to prove you didn’t pick that idea up from another job, a forum, a colleague, or even a dream.