The Wholesale Plagiarism of Obscure Sorrows

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

DMCA, Copyright, and Enforcement

  • Many see this case as a textbook use of DMCA, yet note that takedown attempts apparently failed, reinforcing a view that DMCA mainly works for large “partner” entities, not individuals or small publishers.
  • Some argue platforms like Google and Apple effectively ignore non-court DMCA requests for apps/sites, while being hyper-aggressive on YouTube where ad revenue is at stake.
  • Others suggest escalating: suing, involving state attorneys general, targeting hosts/registrars, and leveraging lost safe-harbor protections—but cost and power imbalance against big tech are seen as major deterrents.

AI vs. Human Agency

  • Several commenters stress that the core wrongdoing is human: a small agency allegedly copied a book verbatim and wrapped it in AI-flavored UX and marketing.
  • Others object to blaming “AI” as such, calling it a tool used by plagiarists, though some insist AI itself is inherently built on “stolen” training data.

AI Laundering and Future of IP

  • Strong concern about “AI laundering”: using models to rephrase or re-implement copyrighted works (text, software, media) to evade licenses.
  • Examples raised: rewriting GPL code in another language, cloning OSS projects, and AI-powered “redo any URL” tooling that could reconstruct products with trivial effort.
  • Some fear this undermines incentives to create; others argue businesses and non-technical aspects still matter more than code alone.

Divergent Views on Copyright Itself

  • Opinions range from:
    • “Copyright is legalized plunder / tax on the poor; only attribution rights should exist,”
    • to strong defense of existing laws and expectations of enforcement (including for FOSS licenses).
  • Debate over whether using DMCA or copyright at all is morally compromised, even when addressing clear theft.

Platforms, SEO Slop, and Monetization

  • Commenters note that the plagiarized site uses Amazon affiliate links, illustrating how AI slop and copied content are monetized via low-friction programs.
  • Frustration that such sites can outrank original creators in search results, turning them into “parasites” on genuine work.

Personal Experiences and Broader Anxiety

  • Multiple anecdotes of software and games being cloned, rebranded, or wrapped in AI-generated content.
  • Overall mood mixes anger, cynicism, and resignation about a future where copying is nearly free and enforcement is expensive and uneven.