TBNTech
Tell HN: GitHub refuses to remove cracked copies of my software after a month
Publication: Hacker News: Best
Author: IvanK_net
Source published: 06/10/2026, 18:54:01 UTC
Briefing created: 03/11/2026, 08:35:29 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 07/10/2026, 23:34:28 UTC.
Briefings
A developer of Photopea reported a cracked version of their software to GitHub on September 4, 2026, but a month later received a DMCA takedown notice stating the platform could not confirm a violation of 17 U.S. Code § 1201. The developer notes that many similar repositories exist and that they want their website to be the sole source of a stable version. They received emails from users complaining about features in Photopea, which took several messages to identify as non-Photopea users, causing minor reputation damage. The developer suspects automated responses were sent to most reports.
Key points
- A developer of Photopea reported a cracked version of their software to GitHub on September 4, 2026, but a month later received a DMCA takedown notice stating the platform could not confirm a violation of 17 U.S. Code § 1201.
- The developer notes that many similar repositories exist and that they want their website to be the sole source of a stable version of their program.
Context
The developer of Photopea, a popular photo editor running in a web browser, reported a cracked version of their software to GitHub on September 4, 2026, but a month later received a DMCA takedown notice stating the platform could not confirm a violation of 17 U.S. Code § 1201. The developer notes that many similar repositories exist and that they want their website to be the sole source of a stable version of their program.
Limitations
The evidence is limited to a single developer's report and a single DMCA takedown notice from GitHub. The developer suspects automated responses were sent to most reports, and the specific nature of the cracked software is not detailed beyond the existence of tens of similar repositories on GitHub.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 03/11/2026, 08:35:29 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
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