This AI Tool Rips Off Open Source Software Without Violating Copyright
Full article231 words · extracted from 404media.co · click to collapse
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· Apr 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Malus, which is a piece of satire but also fully functional, performs a "clean room" clone of open source software, meaning users could then sell software without crediting the original developers.
For a small price, Malus.sh will use AI to ingest any piece of software you give and spit out a new version of it that “liberates” it from any existing copyright licenses. The result is a new piece of software that serves the same function, but doesn’t have to honor, for example, the kind of copyright licenses that ensure open source software remains free to use and modify, a process which could upend the already fragile open source ecosystem.
The site is an elaborate bit of satire designed to bring attention to a very real problem in open source, but it also does exactly what it advertises and is a real LLC that is making money by using AI to produce “clean room” clones of existing software.
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Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://www.404media.co/this-ai-tool-rips-off-open-source-software-without-violating-copyright/