CoinVoice has recently learned that, according to Cointelegraph, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been criticized for allegedly violating the terms of the MIT license in its smart contracts. X user 0xCygaar (self-proclaimed AbstractChain contributor) publicly accused the agency of not properly including the required license attribution when using OpenZeppelin's library (an open source code resource). If confirmed, this omission may constitute a violation of copyright law because the MIT license explicitly requires that any substantial use or modification of its code include the original license. X users claim that they have warned the FBI to "take necessary measures against the FBI."
The MIT License governs the use of blockchain technology, particularly within the Ethereum ecosystem. It can be distributed, modified, and used for free, as long as the terms of the original license are adhered to. A public inspection of the FBI smart contract on Etherscan showed that the code was marked as “unlicensed,” sparking mixed reactions from the community. The repercussions of the alleged violation could be severe because the MIT License, while generally considered developer-friendly, is legally binding, and if OpenZeppelin chooses to do so, it could take legal action by sending a cease-and-desist order requiring the FBI to correct the violation or stop using the code. However, any formal lawsuit against the FBI would face challenges due to sovereign immunity. [Original link]