Tell HN: GitHub refuses to remove cracked copies of my software after a month
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Photopea developer reports GitHub refuses to DMCA takedown for a month.
Ivan, developer of Photopea, reported dozens of GitHub repos copying his JavaScript code, stripped of ads, to GitHub on September 4, 2026. A month later, GitHub responded that they couldn't confirm a 17 U.S.C. § 1201 violation. He wonders if he needs a lawyer, suspecting no human reviewed his report.
The copies cause reputational harm: users email complaints about bugs in modified versions, assuming they are using Photopea.com.
What commenters are saying
Commenters sympathize but offer little hope. Many note JavaScript in the browser is inherently copyable, so the business model must change. Top advice: pursue trademark protection for the Photopea name to stop impersonators, though it won't protect the code itself. Some split over whether copying code is 'stealing', a debate about digital ownership. A few question how Ivan knows it's exact copying; he confirms identical JS files. Others point out that AI-clean-room implementations could legally reproduce functionality, undermining his position.