[orlp]

Looking through some of these URLs through Google cache, a lot of these contain verbatim copies of the problem text. Fair enough, legally speaking, if you are the copyright holder.

However, in the DMCA itself HackerRank asks for the removal of entire repositories, claiming "the whole repository is infringing copyright as it contains the solution". This is a blatant lie, HackerRank is not an automatic copyright holder of any solutions to a problem they published.

[tumetab1]

Exactly, very weird DMCA.

Repos like this were DMCA'ed https://github.com/saikrishnareddykatta/react-movie-director...

I think the DMCA is incorrect but the copyright argument might be correct, as in, I imagine that the starting code was provided by HackerRank so they have the copyright. The solution is a whole different thing.

[oaiey]

well... strictly speaking ... how can a git repo exist when a single artifact is blocked. the hashes will not sum up anymore.

[aerojoe23]

The hashes will sum to something. To do it, at least as far as I understand, you'd have to use https://git-scm.com/docs/git-filter-branch . This will create a divergent history and the new master branch or any other branches that exists will have to be forced pushed. As far as "but local copies of the repo will have the 'problem files' still" - Yes they would. All parties would have to be notified of the legal request.

I'm not a copyright expert but it seems like enforcing this is another step in the erosion of fair use. Something about transformative works. The problem was transformed into a solution.

On the other hand hackerrank's terms of service should have banned this activity. I would imagine it does. I'm not sure how much leverage that gets them legally though. I suppose once you intend to publish it you're no longer an authorized user, and then you're violating that https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Fraud_and_Abuse_Act we see get applied harshly from time to time.

[AlfeG]

Well, GitHub seems to be able to remove single `globalMaximum.hs` file from https://github.com/cmk/HR-Haskell

[nerdponx]

This is a great point. The author would have to rebase and force push. Or at least Github could try to selectively block access in the web UI.

[Miner49er]

Since we're getting technical, couldn't you could find a hash collision in the repo without the artifact to make them sum up again?

[realce]

> HackerRank is not an automatic copyright holder of any solutions to a problem they published

That's an interesting point of view. You're saying the question text is copywrite-able but the logical conclusion of such a question is not?

[nightcracker]

Copying the question text verbatim certainly is copyright infringement (and I would guess unlikely to be fair use, but I'm not a lawyer). If you give the problem in your own words, it won't be, just like your solution isn't.

[nikanj]

The same way you may copyright a writing prompt, but you won't automatically get copyright to stories inspired by said prompt

[nkrisc]

Seems to me that’s the simplest and most intuitive point of view. Can you imagine publishing a question and then owning the copyright to every answer to it someone writes!?

[randombits0]

Not in the least. Copyright applies to creative expressions, not functional expressions. My solution to your problem is my creative expression, not yours.

[boomlinde]

Both a question and an answer may or may not be subject to copyright. What GP is saying is that such rights, if any, are assigned to their respective authors.

[scaryclam]

The solution is certainly copywritable, but not by hackerrank as they did not author it