Rulings unlock software copyrights. (Products and Careers Edition) (reverse engineering)

EDN, January, 1993 by Karon, Paul

Recent court decisions give more legal backing to reverse engineering of software Lawyers argue about possible effects on the computer industry More than 16 years ago, computer software became an official part of US copyright law. Since then, companies have bickered over what should and should not be protected by those laws.

Recently, several court decisions have heated up the debate once again. In particular, decisions have given legal backing to the process of reverse engineering. In simple terms, reverse engineering means the careful disassembly of something--a car engine, perhaps--to see how it works. This practice, as most engineers know, is common throughout the electronics industry. Some copyright experts say the courts' verdicts may...

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