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In the intern's place, I probably would not have bragged about copying that company's idea.

Then again, as the company, if I felt a former intern could threaten my business like that, I'd ask serious questions about my value proposition and moat (which could be premium features, sales, or an attractive/viral free tier - not too familiar with what they do). On a personal level, I can see how it could feel unfair, but the idea does not seem that original.



You cannot patent or copyright ideas. Furthermore it is quite debatable if it’s unethical to copy ideas.

What the intern did is absolutely fine in my book.




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