I'm not an Open Source developer or copyright guru but I find I have to reply to this. There were too many "yes, please do..."s here.
1) Realize that just because you're not copying code doesn't imply you're not breaking copyrights. Think of it from the standpoint of, can you write a story using Mickey Mouse or Spiderman, or Mickey Mouse-like or Spiderman-like characters. Just because you like the ideas represented in the copyrighted works, does not give you the ability to use the idea again. I realize that this doesn't jive with many of the opinions, but I'm trying to be cautious here. I'm also taking an example from a completely different spectrum of copyright law, but I think it still applies.
2) Read the description of the Clean Room implementations that were included in the Ask Slashdot article (today?). If you've read the code, you are definitely NOT doing a Clean Room implementation. You've already been tainted.
3) I doubt (I'm probably wrong) that the Open Source folks would go after you for doing so, but every single non-Open Source company would. It's a matter of attitude, not legalism. Legally, I don't think you have any right to do so. Even under the GPL, I'd say you're probably obliged to Open Source anything you create after reviewing the code for ideas.
4) But all of this is kind of kludgy anyways, you're talking about implementation of ideas, not flat out copying of code, which really breaks into Patent law more than copyright law. IMO.
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I'm not an Open Source developer or copyright guru but I find I have to reply to this. There were too many "yes, please do..."s here.
Later.