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From: jbeard@quintus.UUCP (Jeff Beard)
Newsgroups: misc.legal,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Should software ideas be protected? (Was Re: Software Copyright Law
Keywords: European Community, copyright, reverse engineering
Message-ID: <1341@quintus.UUCP>
Date: 9 Apr 90 15:46:19 GMT
References: <1093@goofy.UUCP> <14867@s.ms.uky.edu> <1990Apr8.003410.9841@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Reply-To: jbeard@quintus.UUCP (Jeff Beard)
Organization: Quintus Computer Systems, Inc. Mountain View, CA
Lines: 36

> However, what if I buy some copyrighted software?  Am I allowed
> to study its innards and learn from it?  Well, doing this would be
> called "reverse engineering",

engineering typically takes parts,components and creates product(s).

a literal reading of "reverse engineering" then would be to
disassemble product(s) into the constituent parts,components.

As most parts and components are 'off-the-shelf', this is almost valueless
in and of it self.

We should be aware that IDEAS per se can not be trademarked nor copyrighted.
These protections are placed upon the product, and/or the means to produce
products.

Thus software "reverse engineering" that IS being restricted is the
repackaging of parts and components obtained from disassembling someone
elses product and not only presenting it as your own (ie: plagiarism ),
but also profiting from their original work.

A copyrighted publication may be copied, say at your local library, 
FOR YOUR PERSONAL USE, but not for redistribution.  

An expensive automobile may be stripped to its base parts and components,
but not remanufactured AND distributed.

A software product, assuming valid access such as purchasing the first copy,
may be ""reverse engineered" for YOUR OWN enjoyment BUT NOT redistributed.


-- 
======
Opinions are the possession of the speaker and to assert otherwise is plagiarism.
Jeff Beard, Quintus Computer Systems, Inc.
e-mail ...!amdahl!sun!quintus!jbeard 		phone  (415) 965-7700