From: David O'Callaghan (ocalladw at domain tcd.ie)
Date: Mon 13 Aug 2001 - 17:29:18 IST
On Mon, Aug 13, 2001 at 05:17:06PM +0100, John Kelly wrote:
[...]
> Under "Section 82: Exceptions to infringement of copyright in computer
> programs", it states
>
> (2) It is not an infringement of the copyright in a computer program
> for a lawful user of a copy of the computer program to observe,
> study or test the functioning of the program in order to determine
> the ideas and principles which underlie any element of the program,
> where he or she does so while performing any of the acts of loading,
> displaying, running, transmitting or storing the program which he or
> she is authorised to do.
>
> I guess this basically says reverse-engineering is okay, doesn't it?
Cool! Ireland as a reverse-engineering haven!
I don't like the look of sections 147 and 148 which seem to
imply that the revenue commisioners and the customs people
can be asked to treat "protection-defeating devices" as
prohibited goods, and disallow importation.
To my mind, something illegal should have to be done with
a protection-defeating device before the owner can be accused
of being a criminal. We're not talking about importing guns
or explosives here.
David
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