Quote - Nice try but no cigar.
Copyright is to protect original expression in tangible form, there can't be a violation even if two expressions are exactly the same provided they were created independantly.

But what made you think I was referrring to expressions that are exactly the same? Quite the contrary, I'm referring to expressions that are completely unalike.

It has to do with the provision that gives the copyright holder control of the creation of derivative works. Within the concept of derivative work lies the trap.

And, by the way, the concept of derivative work is incredibly important here; person X taking a shader (normally for sale as part of a larger body of work) by person Y, changing it (adding GC), and distributing this new version.

In summary, person X acquires the work of person Y legally, extracts a subset (copying), alters that subset (deriving), and distributes that subset (more copying of the original subset).

I believe that some people will agree that this is copyright infringement.

Others will agree that it is not.

Regardless of which point of view you take, the entire house of cards falls down.

---

Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)