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From: new@ee.udel.edu (Darren New)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2,comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Do *NOT* reveal or mention "hacking" information (was Re: paper clip trick)
Message-ID: <36465@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 15 Nov 90 17:43:05 GMT
References: <11071@milton.u.washington.edu> <1990Nov14.225343.4867@isis.cs.du.edu> <5V*^Z|@rpi.edu>
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In article <5V*^Z|@rpi.edu> sigma@pawl.rpi.edu (Kevin J Martin) writes:
>Uh, excuse me, but have you *read* the license that comes with just about
>any software you buy these days?  Most of them clearly state, in thick
>legalese, "You do NOT own this software, you have been given a LICENSE to
>use this software, Company X still OWNS this software, etc" and they then
>proceed to restrict just about every right they can think of.

Except that such a liscense is a contract at best (meaningless at worst),
and that means it is enforcable by state law.  On the other hand, Copyright
law is federal law, which supercedes state law.  If the company claims a
copyright on the work, and sells it to you with the liscense saying "you
may not disassemble this program," then (at least in Louisianna (sp?))
you may disassemble it, because FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAW SAYS YOU MAY.
Similarly, if they say "you may not back up this software," you are still
allowed the one backup provided by federal copyright law.  Now, if they
don't claim a copyright, then this is not the case.  On the other hand, they
have no protection unless they make you sign the agreement *first* before
they give you the software.             -- Darren
-- 
--- Darren New --- Grad Student --- CIS --- Univ. of Delaware ---
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