i think it's a reality that FOSS scored some major victories in recent decades. it's not longer a niche thing to use FOSS tools for development. one major mobile platform is heavily based on it, and even Apple releases source code.
when it's common knowledge and not fresh R&D that would give a competitor an advantage, it makes sense for a company to open source it.
it's not always easy for the suits to know which is which though. i've had a couple of experiences where someone who knows less about the subject things i invented something patentable, but i was just drawing on existing knowledge.
@lore Android has changed quite a bit over time. There is a list of companies and products that haven't properly released their source code. I presume that Android has gone with more "permissive licenses" to mitigate the damages by the companies who think they don't have to abide by laws. Android has also cracked down on bad practices and support in the past.
Apple does release code but it's due to licensing if I recall correctly.
