this post was submitted on 07 May 2026
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I built a 90.7kb tool that strips out Windows screen capture protection, but now I am concerned about whether I should make it open source. I'm worried it can be misused for piracy or to violate DRM policies.

I built it because I had a piece of software that wouldn't let me copy text. I tried using Windows OCR to copy it, but it just showed a black screen.

The tool is great for personal use, but it can be misused, so I am concerned. Any thoughts on this? Will I get into legal trouble if I make it public on GitHub?

I don't want to get into any trouble, so I need expert advice from someone who is experienced.

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[–] grue@lemmy.world 49 points 1 week ago

"Violat[ing] DRM policies" isn't "misuse." DRM itself is misuse of the machine owner's property.

Anyway, you might have already foreclosed the possibility by talking about it on this Lemmy account if it can be traced back to you, but my suggestion would've been to release it as open source anonymously.