When Google released its Google Pinyin (GP), many Chinese users noticed unusual similarities with Sogou Pinyin, a rival Input method editor developed by search competitor Sohu Inc. A few purposely mistaken and obscure phrases Sogou had embedded in its code to work as digital signatures and names of some Sohu engineers were also found in Google’s Pinyin.

Google apologized on its chinese blog (translation here), admitting to have used “non-Google originated data source” in GP version 1.0. Explanations were given elsewhere and Google’s Code of Conduct is certainly not sufficient to avoid copycat software, and probably other legal problems still to come.

That’s a very interesting argument, given the fact that removing the copied code and releasing a “clean” new version is something very easy for Google to do. But Google’s image of “Don’t do evil” in China may be affected forever, and that’s not easy to repair in short-time. The problem gets bigger and bigger everyday, since much of the software Google produces is probably derived from other “Free Software“, which makes much easier (or convenient) for Google engineers to perform such copycats because, even when GPLv2 code is modified, no one can ever know which product was modified neither download the code, since it is not considered a “release”.

Well, what if a really Free License existed for source code on the web? What if GPLv3 permitted web users to download the code of the web applications they’re using remotely? After all, it is all free code, contributed by volunteers, and the paradox is that they cannot get back what they have contributed even being users of such application. This right is partially denied in new GPLv3 draft, because the Affero clause will be optional.

What does it have to do with PloneGroups? Well, for the past 2 years the Telematics Freedom Foundation has been working on how to solve this issue. And we think we’re pretty close to the solution, to be applied in our GoogleGroups/YahooGroups (really) free alternative. Drop us your comments, tell us what do you think :-)