We ain't doin a damn thing! They are giving away their code. It's their right, they wrote it.
Remember that they are not even giving away their code. GPL != public domain. The authors retain copyright, with licensing allowing redistribution under certain restricted terms.
What GE can't understand is that the company he loves that so values copyright (with questionable claims) that it will blow millions suing IBM over it, yet that same company could care less about the obviously legitimate copyright claims of hundreds of authors.