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I would assume the TOS of this site covers the issue of the original poster and that the mod has been taken down. I don't really see an issue with copying code as long as you retask it, do something different with it. I would imagine the original poster has no issue with others generating a grid in basically the same manner, even outright copying his code as a base to start from. He likely went through many iteration before he came up with a way he was satisfied with. Copying his code saves a person the time and effort going through those iterations themselves, but he likely has no issue with that. It's using his work to compete directly with him that's his issue.
If your competitor is using you work then you can never do better than your competitor. I see no way to view that as a good thing. That's lose-lose. The only way to stop that is stop improving your own product to show they can't actually do the work, but that's a hollow victory. When they do something else with it then, to me, it's win-win. Perhaps it's a lost opportunity but even if so it's likely an opportunity you never would have pursued. Instead you have a useful product you and others can use instead of just something you woulda, shoulda, coulda, mighta done had you had the resources to do it.
There's certainly exceptions. You can release an product with the intent of it forming a foundation of an entire line of products. Allowing people take the technology exposed in that initial release to head you off at the pass does no one any good. It's a fine line though. Apple certainly benefits from all the accessory makers that jumped on the band wagon. That's no detrimental. Android pushing into higher pixel densities following their lead isn't a problem. Someone releasing an iPhone with LTE before Apple is a problem. They have legal protections against that, patents, trademarks, copyrights and such. You can't call something an iPhone, you can iOS on it, some of it is a bit excessive the part preventing you producing an iPhone, even a better than Apple's, isn't silly, it's essential. I think the same can apply to mods. Hey, we converted your mod a frame work and released mods adding these features while you working on adding those features, aren't you happy. Hell no. We didn't modify your code, just replaced a few functions after you load so we can use it as a framework. No, you might as well just pasted my code into your addon for all the difference it makes.
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