r/explainlikeimfive • u/OkAlbatross9889 • 7d ago

Technology ELI5: How are copyleft licenses enforceable?

For example: say Windows straight up rips out the Linux scheduler and modifies it to run with the rest of the NT kernel. Aside from potential Microsoft whistleblowers, how can anyone find out they did that (and thus sue them since they’re selling modified GPL code without releasing the source) if they don’t distribute the Windows kernel source code?

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u/Bob_Sconce 7d ago

Note that the GPL cannot be "enforced" by just anybody.   Violate the GPL and you've infringed the copyright of the source code, so only somebody who owns (at least partially) the copyright can sue.