From:	wagray AT taz DOT dra DOT hmg DOT gb (Walter Gray)
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: Disassembly
Date:	11 Aug 1998 16:56:34 GMT
Organization:	Defence Research Agency
Lines:	36
Message-ID:	<6qpt42$53q$1@trog.dra.hmg.gb>
References:	<199808101645 DOT MAA09421 AT delorie DOT com>
Reply-To:	wagray AT taz DOT dra DOT hmg DOT gb
NNTP-Posting-Host:	taz.dra.hmg.gb
To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway:	from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp

In article <199808101645 DOT MAA09421 AT delorie DOT com>, DJ Delorie <dj AT delorie DOT com> writes:
 :
 :> Would you mind stating the law as IN REALITY it applies and how (if
 :> it is all right) an amateur can disassemble at home and still be
 :> doing the RIGHT THING.
 :
 :When an entity produces a piece of software, they require that you
 :agree to their terms of use before they allow you to use it.  In the
 :case of GPL software, you are required to distribute sources with
 :binaries.  If you cannot agree to this, you are not allowed to use the
 :software.  That's the law.  For most commercial software, they require
 :that you agree to not reverse engineer or disassemble the software
 :before they'll allow you to use the software.  If you do so anyway,
 :you are breaking the law by violating the contract under which you
 :obtained the rights to use the software.
 :
 :Morals have nothing to do with it.  Read the license agreement that
 :comes with the software.  If it says you cannot disassemble, you
 :cannot legally disassemble the software - at all.


I am not a lawyer but... I always thought that breach of contract is
a civil matter. If someone disassembled your software, it wouldn't be
"agin the legal law". You would have to sue them for the cash value
of any damages you have suffered and get an injunction to stop them
doing it again. Not easy if you are in the free-software business. So
in fact morals have EVERYTHING to do with it, as you don't have any
real legal sanctions you can use against violators.

As an aside, I don't understand why gcc etc is free. Knock off the
rough edges and it could be a very saleable product.


Walter

Disclaimer: My employer is not responsible for this stuff.

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