GitHub repository for Sedgewick's Algorithms is taken down

The notice is here:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;github&#x2F;dmca&#x2F;blob&#x2F;master&#x2F;2021&#x2F;04&#x2F;2021-04-20-pearson.md" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;github&#x2F;dmca&#x2F;blob&#x2F;master&#x2F;2021&#x2F;04&#x2F;2021-04-2...</a><p>Kevin Wayne (repo owner presumably) is listed as co-author on the book that is published by Pearson, who have issued the notice.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pearson.com&#x2F;us&#x2F;higher-education&#x2F;program&#x2F;Sedgewick-Algorithms-Fourth-Edition-Deluxe-Book-and-24-Part-Lecture-Series&#x2F;PGM2366556.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pearson.com&#x2F;us&#x2F;higher-education&#x2F;program&#x2F;Sedgewic...</a>

Here is the counternotice: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;github&#x2F;dmca&#x2F;blob&#x2F;master&#x2F;2021&#x2F;04&#x2F;2021-04-29-pearson-counternotice.md" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;github&#x2F;dmca&#x2F;blob&#x2F;master&#x2F;2021&#x2F;04&#x2F;2021-04-2...</a>

If you&#x27;re just looking for the algorithms, there&#x27;s always this C# port (from 7 years ago): <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;angellaa&#x2F;algs4" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;angellaa&#x2F;algs4</a><p>Interestingly, the README includes an e-mail exchange with Kevin, who noted the code is GPL

That seems odd, given that Kevin Wayne is co-author of the 4th edition of &quot;Algorithms&quot;.

Is it time for a sci-hub like event to replace github? It would be better for the repository of nearly all modern public programming creativity be something more like Wikipedia, and less like LinkedIn.

Speaking of Robert Sedgewick, I deeply enjoyed his course Analysis of Algorithms, as Sedgewick beautifully showed the power of generating functions. Generating functions, or analytical combinatorics in general, make it order-of-magnitude easier to analyze algorithm complexities compared to what we learn in an introductory course. It&#x27;s mind boggling to experience how higher-level constructs of math reveal simplicity and deep insights.

So, distributed git has become sort of centralised. Maybe people depend too much on github? I wonder, what would happen to IT over the world if github will be down for a week or a month?

The story I don’t see being discussed is that Github is now engaged in the same kind of rotten behavior as YouTube.

I don&#x27;t understand this; does DMCA imply no one can use algorithms in a book within open source projects ?

For anyone looking for the code:<p>archive.org doesn&#x27;t have the source, but it has the list of forks ( <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;web.archive.org&#x2F;web&#x2F;20200908104954&#x2F;https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;kevin-wayne&#x2F;algs4&#x2F;network&#x2F;members" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;web.archive.org&#x2F;web&#x2F;20200908104954&#x2F;https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.co...</a> ). The forks themselves are still online. For instance, <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;FGM-148&#x2F;algs4" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;FGM-148&#x2F;algs4</a> . As usual with forks, use caution.<p>Then there is the website of the book <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;algs4.cs.princeton.edu&#x2F;code&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;algs4.cs.princeton.edu&#x2F;code&#x2F;</a> . This might be a less useful format, though.

It&#x27;s the Sedgewick&#x2F;Wayne Algorithms 4 in Java part. The author had an arrangement with the Pearson editor to release the accompanying code for the Java update under the GPL, but apparently someone else at Pearson&#x27;s had a different idea. Let&#x27;s see if he has it in writing.

When I was an undergrad student, we had an algorithms and data structures lecture based on the Java version of the book. We also got an archive with the samples to work with that was IIRC GPL licensed.<p>Did this repo contain the code or the entire book as well?<p>In the former case, if I remember correctly, this DMCA claim would clearly be bogus. Yet another case where sending out DMCA claims having penalties for the sender if they are fraudulent, but putting a burden on the recipient who might suffer if they don&#x27;t immediately act.

We should have a penalty&#x2F;fine for fake DCMA requests.<p>Big corps keep sending automated DCMAs with little consequence and often the little guys do have the resources to fight back.

If this was a youtube channel takedown people would be mad at Google, but good to see at least here HN is blaming the bad actors like they should - ie. the copyright laws and its abusers.

Looks like we have a mirror that is outside of github.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;git.ahlawat.com&#x2F;sharad&#x2F;algs4" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;git.ahlawat.com&#x2F;sharad&#x2F;algs4</a>

I give a lot of credit to Sedgewick’s course for helping me break into the software industry, having come from an adjacent field in academia. I hope they can get the repo back up.

Is there a clone of these not in github? Please share it so that we can keep them in a different repositories.<p>Risky to keep these exclusively in Github.

Context?

Wayback machine has a version<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;web.archive.org&#x2F;web&#x2F;20201016112929&#x2F;https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;kevin-wayne&#x2F;algs4" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;web.archive.org&#x2F;web&#x2F;20201016112929&#x2F;https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com...</a>

let me get this straight, this was gplv3 licensed code, allowed by pearson, and then pearson auto dmca&#x27;s it? Looks like some algos need to be fixed on pearson&#x27;s side, in any case here you go : <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;algs4.cs.princeton.edu&#x2F;home&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;algs4.cs.princeton.edu&#x2F;home&#x2F;</a>

So is whoever filed the notice going down for perjury?

DMCA needs a song like YMCA.

Not totally unrelated: Pearson is a piece of trash company. They sell very overpriced textbooks and always use DRM in online copies. They lobby for standardized tests in states and get them mandated. Students are put through them. And guess who provides the certificate required by teachers to evaluate those exam copies? Yes, Pearson.<p>And they make a ton of money.<p>Please watch this talk for more context (even if you don&#x27;t like TED talks): <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;BnC6IABJXOI" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;youtu.be&#x2F;BnC6IABJXOI</a>

This isn&#x27;t worth getting your feathers ruffled over. Some algorithm or barely-paid human automaton flagged it, someone higher up will notice it, it&#x27;ll be added to an exception list, problem solved. It&#x27;s not ideal, but it&#x27;s not malicious or nefarious or even worth talking about every time something like this happens. It&#x27;s a simple mistake that has a simple solution.