GrapheneOSGrapheneOS started in 2014 and was originally named CopperheadOS. In late 2015, the Copperhead company was founded which was meant to support the project. Copperhead didn't create CopperheadOS and didn't own or control it. Copperhead made a failed takeover attempt on it in 2018.
GrapheneOS still has the original CopperheadOS repositories on GitHub. Copperhead seized a bunch of the project's infrastructure and accounts. They created a closed source fork of GrapheneOS called CopperheadOS after the split which was not the same CopperheadOS as the original.
Copperhead remained entirely dependent on GrapheneOS and had to keep forking our code for each major Android update. Despite depending on GrapheneOS, they waged a war against it trying to destroy the project and attempting to ruin the lives of our team, especially our founder.
Copperhead heavily pushed the false narrative that they created the project and that we created a fork in 2018 which absolutely isn't true. Their claims fell apart in their legal attacks on GrapheneOS and we wiped out their closed source fork by forbidding them using our code.
Copperhead heavily edited Wikipedia to push their false narrative. It's why there's a huge article on CopperheadOS presenting it as a separate product when it wasn't one and an inaccurate history in the GrapheneOS article. False narratives about our team are still there too.
Copperhead published a bunch of press releases and did interviews pushing their false narrative. Many companies including Twitter defaulted to taking the word of a tiny corporation falsely claiming credit for our work over us. We've yet to receive back our stolen Twitter account.
Copperhead made the attacks personal and targeted the founder of GrapheneOS with fabricated stories and vile personal attacks. Henry Fisher (Techlore) collaborated with Copperhead to make it into widespread harassment. Others opportunistically took advantage of the situation.
Nicolas Merrill took advantage of the situation. He hired a Copperhead employee involved in the takeover to create CalyxOS. CalyxOS heavily used our code and documentation. It was promoted by attacking us and portraying themselves as being above the situation with Copperhead.
Nicolas Merrill burned down Calyx and CalyxOS on his way out. Nick was secretly working on a for-profit company to replace Calyx. He used Calyx resources for his personal benefit and was pushed out. Louis Rossmann is one of 3 co-founders of the company:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2009536/000200953624000001/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml
No one should believe the false narratives peddled by these people. They've always been in it for personal benefit and have caused immense harm to actual efforts to improve privacy and security. We're willing to forgive people who were duped by their fabrications, just reach out.
We're offering forgiveness to people who have engaged in years of libel/harassment towards us if they take down their attacks, debunk it and help repair the harm caused to us. This offer even extends to Henry Fisher and Louis Rossmann. Alternatively, we can address it in court.
Stone@GrapheneOS I'm new to grapheneOS and I love your operating system. All you guys do a perfect job. Thank you for that. What I cannot understand is, why you take part of some discussion around your organization and your team. To my opinion, you don't need to do that. You are above this statements and don't need to come down on this stage. To my opinion, this is useless and you reduce your value taking part of useless discussion.
HybridStaticAnimate@stoneubi @GrapheneOS Suggesting apathy in the face of adversity is not ok. It does not work. What is going on is not retaliatory trolling, rather proactive, malicious harm. Meaning GOS is being attacked to kill it off, not to get a reaction out of the team.
This attitude of not holding people accountable is why the world is the way it is. Dont allow wrongs to go unaddressed.
They take part in this kind of discussion the same way a victim wants their abuser to face justice.