Author: Shep
Date: 06:23:26 08/25/99
Go up one level in this thread
Here's what German Copyright Law (paragraph 69e) says about this:
(translation by myself)
--- begin quote ---
(1) The copyright holder's permission is not required if the [...]
translation of the code with regard to par. 69c No.1 and 2
[read: reverse engineering] is required in order to gain
the information necessary to achieve interoperability of an
independently created computer program with other programs,
as long as the following conditions are met:
1. the actions are performed by the license holder [...];
2. the information [mentioned above] are not available to the
persons mentioned in No. 1 in any other form;
3. the actions are limited to those parts of the original program
which are necessary to gain interoperability.
(2) Information acquired through actions as defined in section (1) may not be
1. used for other purposes than the assertion of interoperability
of the independantly created program,
2. made available to any third party unless this is required for the
interoperability of the [...] program,
3. used for the development, production or marketing of a program with
essentially similar characteristics or any other acts of copyright
violation.
(3) Sections (1) and (2) are to be interpreted in such manner that their
application neither limits the normal use of the product nor violates the
rightful interests of the copyright hold in an excessive manner.
--- end quote ---
(see http://www.knowledgeagent.de/kgesetz.htm for the original German text)
Seems section 2, #1 is the only thing that remains unclear in our case.
Gee, I feel dizzy now from this bureaucrat language...
---
Shep
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