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Re: IDL, GDL, copyright, EULAs and such [message #44766 is a reply to message #44694]

Thu, 14 July 2005 08:56

Michael Wallace
Messages: 409
Registered: December 2003

Senior Member

> But if an algorithm is that obvious you can use it of course.
> Just write it yourself and don't copy it.
> It will look different. Even if it is similar: I think nobody could
> convince a judge that you should pay anything because you used
> *similar* code, especially if a subroutine is almost trivial.
> But if you use the *same* code it might be different.

Well, there is one thing that could throw a wrench into the works. It
all depends on what definition of "reverse engineering" RSI is using in
their EULA. In general, reverse engineering is the simply figuring out
how a particular software feature or function works when you do not have
the source code available. Much of the time we think of reverse
engineering as someone getting into the binary files, using decompilers
and figuring things out that way. But, it can also apply to just
figuring out how something works to the point that you can reproduce it
in an independent work.

If an algorithm is purely mathematical and you can point to a source
other than IDL where the algorithm was published, then the reverse
engineering claim doesn't stand. However if you study IDL long enough
and figure out how to duplicate some internal algorithm exactly, then
they could claim you reverse engineered that particular feature, even
though your source code and RSI's code are different.

-Mike

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[Message index]

		IDL, GDL, copyright, EULAs and such By: Y.T. on Wed, 06 July 2005 10:12
		Re: IDL, GDL, copyright, EULAs and such By: Michael Wallace on Thu, 14 July 2005 13:12
		Re: IDL, GDL, copyright, EULAs and such By: m_schellens on Thu, 14 July 2005 12:13
		Re: IDL, GDL, copyright, EULAs and such By: Michael Wallace on Thu, 14 July 2005 10:53
		Re: IDL, GDL, copyright, EULAs and such By: m_schellens on Thu, 14 July 2005 10:26
		Re: IDL, GDL, copyright, EULAs and such By: Michael Wallace on Thu, 14 July 2005 08:56
		Re: IDL, GDL, copyright, EULAs and such By: Y.T. on Wed, 13 July 2005 18:33

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