Is legal the same as legitimate: AI reimplementation and the erosion of copyleft
Summary
The article examines whether legal permissibility equals social legitimacy in AI-driven reimplementation of copyleft code, using the chardet LGPL-to-MIT shift as a focal point. It argues law sets a floor but does not justify the erosion of the commons, urging a socially grounded approach such as a spec copyleft to protect essential interfaces like test suites and APIs. It contrasts GPL, MIT, and copyleft dynamics to highlight the need for community norms that preserve user freedom and reciprocal sharing.