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From: lotto@talcott.UUCP (Jerry Lotto)
Newsgroups: net.legal,net.micro
Subject: Re: Modifying Copyrighted ROM's
Message-ID: <549@talcott.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Dec-85 08:38:20 EST
Article-I.D.: talcott.549
Posted: Wed Dec 18 08:38:20 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Dec-85 02:35:52 EST
References: <1019@homxb.UUCP> <4712@alice.UUCP>
Organization: Harvard Univ. Chem. Dept.
Lines: 28
Xref: watmath net.legal:2643 net.micro:13165
Summary: Copyright protects against SALE

In article <4712@alice.UUCP>, ark@alice.UucP (Andrew Koenig) writes:
> I'm not a lawyer, so take this with a large grain of salt.
> 
> > I am curious as to the legality of taking a copyrighted ROM from my
> > own computer and making a copy of it (with changes) and then using this
> > new ROM in my computer (I had to do this to support an oddball disk on
> > my IBM PC/AT).  Did I do anything illegal (Egad!).  What if a friend
> > ...
> When you made a copy of the IBM ROM without their permission, you
> violated the copyright law.  Not only that, but you've admitted
> it. If IBM decides to sue you, I expect you won't have a chance.

I am not a lawyer either, but I cannot be as sure as you that anything
is wrong here. You copy the OS all of the time (for use by one
person, one machine...). Some people even hack the thing to bits (eg:
the many useful and interesting patches which have graced this and
other newsgroups). Copyright gives one exclusive rights to make AND
DISPOSE of a product for a period of time. If I want to rewire my
machine, rewrite the OS or a ROM or disassemble everything I can get
my hands on for personal use, my RIGHT to do so is protected under a
much higher law than copyright...
-- 

Gerald Lotto - Harvard Chemistry Dept.

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