

Ask HN: Is Copying HTML Bad and Unethical? - sathishmanohar

I'm wondering about this, as the result of recent Curebit/37 Signals Scenario. Which has 3 components to it, using design, Linking to resources and Copying HTML Source code including ids and classes.<p>In this question, I'm sticking to Copying HTML Source code issue only. I've seen Old School internet people talk about, copying other websites source code, and tweaking it a bit, to make what they wanted. I guess, that is one of the main reason HTML/CSS/JS is in the open for everybody.<p>Am I missing something? Lets say, If I copy complete HTML of a site, and change it with my content, is it bad? Does it count as plagiarism?
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jmilkbal
Sounds like you've been reeducated by the RIAA.

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geuis
Markup isn't really a big deal. There's only so many ways to markup certain
kinds of features anyway. This only really starts being an issue is when your
site looks substantially similar to another site. That's more to do with CSS,
colors, imagery, and content. It's actually quite easy in many cases to
visually replicate a site without using the original HTML at all.

I wouldn't worry about it.

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sebphfx
I would say that since it's only markup and doesn't affect the look of the
site like CSS, it doesn't matter, unless you would use the same id's and the
same classes but still, look at all the grid frameworks,they use the same
classes. It's different when you copy CSS but html, I don't think it's bad at
all.

