some ownership issues with github hosting

Question

I know SO is not really the right place for anything related to legal, but I'm not really asking any legal advice ... just some hints&tips.

I'll soon be starting a project (academia) which I'll probably keep at github (for some not-getting-into-that-now reasons). Free package. And once the project is done, I'll remove it (I'll keep it locally, I'll just delete it from github.com)

Keeping that in mind, I wanna know ... does github take any ownership in projects hosted on it ? Also, does it keep them after they're removed ? (Will it show somewhere on the net 6 months after I delete it from their site ?)

All experiences appreciated.

Answer 1

Someone can fork the project. If that happens, you cannot make them delete the code. Github is usually only meant for open source projects where the source will be shared to others, and others can collaborate.

Answer 2

Easy answer.. if you don't want it publicly on the internet forever, do not ever put it on the internet publicly.

GitHub does offer private repository accounts, if you need that level of security.

Answer 3

Their terms of service say:

All of your Content will be immediately deleted from the Service upon cancellation. This information can not be recovered once your account is cancelled.

and

We claim no intellectual property rights over the material you provide to the Service. Your profile and materials uploaded remain yours. However, by setting your pages to be viewed publicly, you agree to allow others to view your Content. By setting your repositories to be viewed publicly, you agree to allow others to view and fork your repositories.

and I agree with @mletterle that you can never be sure to fully recall something that you release "into the wild."

And you can get a private plan starting at $7/mo.