If you don't want to be responsible for it, another way is to just publish it anonymously: make a GitHub that isn't attached to your real name etc, perhaps using a one-off disposable email address, and put it there. Then you don't have to think about what the lawyers think. Worst case it'll get taken down, but by that point it'll likely be popular enough that there'll be plenty of copies.
[Pirate flag emoji here]
> Worst case it'll get taken down,
Eeh, worst case scenario you'll get sued as Microsoft will have no problem with handing over everything they have from your Windows installation information, GitHub accounts, NPM authentication and everything else they own today if the courts tell them to.
You can't just commit crimes on the open internet without really hiding IPs and what not, and expect that to not come back to haunt you eventually. Kind of poor form to suggest otherwise too.
> You can't just commit crimes on the open internet without really hiding IPs and what not, and expect that to not come back to haunt you eventually.
Not sure what you're talking about, the current AI boom is entirely based on committing crimes on the open internet without really hiding IPs and what not.
So is much of big tech in general.
Keyword being "you". "They" can commit crimes, because they're big tech companies who give gifts to the right people. But "you" are not "they".
"You can't just commit crimes on the open internet "
Who said it is a crime, are you a lawyer?
Allegedly commit potential crimes*
I'm not saying yay/nay if this is a crime or not, but if you think it might be, and you create a new account on GitHub to "be anonymous", you're not taking opsec seriously enough for something you believe might be a crime.
By the way, generally judges or juries would be the ones to decide if something was illegal or not, it's not the lawyers who decide this, in any country I'm familiar with.
Tbf "is it a crime" is hard for even a single lawyer to answer because it depends on: who you are, your skin colour, how rich you are, your sex, whether it's a white collar crime or not, did you commit the crime on behalf of a corpo, etc.
But we like to pretend that the justice system delivers justice evenhandedly I suppose.
No it does not. The law defines what a crime is. That you are bummed out about how it is applied, does not change the question, whether it is a crime. One thing is the definition of what constitutes a crime/felony/misdemeanor, another thing is the application and the punishment meted out.
That's not quite the case in common law countries. In countries like the UK and the US, the interpretation of the law as written is ultimately decided by the court, meaning that the definition of what constitutes a crime/felony/misdemeanor is subjective. The more courts that attempt to interpret that specific law, the more 'jurisprudence' builds up, meaning that the interpretation applied in a previous decision can certainly have an impact on a future decision.
Sure, on github it will (still) get the most attention, but perhaps another repository outside the US is a better fit.
You could also create a text document instead of a software that details the mechanism used to fool other MIDI decoders and publish only that (for now).
Finally, familiarize yourself with the Art. 6 Software Directive (2009/24/EC) / §69e UrhG — decompilation for interoperability. It may be your ticket for a legal status in Germany/EU.
What if the companies start auto subpoenaing the AI companies to try and tie the code to an account?
Let them do it. It will end up really well. I know the system has been protecting these companies, but that has been an economic concern as much as other motives. Now that AI is the crown jewel of economy and global dominance, let the entertainment industry have a go at it. Let them.
Do companies in the US really have the right to do that? I would think that kind of investigation is reserved for law enforcement only. If the design was made over email, would the piano company be able to subpoena Google for someone's private gmail messages?
> Do companies in the US really have the right to do that?
Does it matter? What's important is if it can happen or not, and how if so. We already know that MPAA is willing to basically do whatever, even contribute themselves to piracy, if it means they can put people in jail for copying stuff eventually. They themselves also gotten in trouble for copyright violations themselves in the past, so doesn't seem like they're hiding away from breaking a little bit of laws to hunt pirates.
Attorneys can subpoena if the court approves, as part of ongoing litigation, AFAIU (IANAL).
Consider previous cases where companies like Reddit have unmasked their users at the behest of court order.
Maybe then using an open weights model is a good way to hide your tracks...
Or at least use an obscurer model from an obscure company, so they don't know who to subpoena.
Everyone is aware that multiple services offer zero data retention, right?