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To: lamaster@george.arc.nasa.gov
cc: freebsd-smp@FreeBSD.ORG
From: Poul-Henning Kamp <phk@dk.tfs.com>
Subject: Re: Lots 'o PCI slots 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Wed, 23 Jul 1997 15:44:11 PDT."
             <199707232244.PAA29632@george.arc.nasa.gov> 
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 08:31:55 +0200
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In message <199707232244.PAA29632@george.arc.nasa.gov>, lamaster@george.arc.nas
a.gov writes:
>
>Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org> wrote:
>
>> I don't think it's possible for it to be illegal to write code
>> for hardware you own.
>
>I always thought that reverse-engineering was generally protected
>in the U.S. (but not in all countries).  Increasingly, however,
>I am noticing shrink-wrapped licenses that say something to the
>effect that by opening the package, I am agreeing not to reverse-
>engineer anything inside the package.  Is this legally binding
>in the U.S. and/or other countries?

Not in the EU.  We are explicitly allowed to reverse-engineer if
the "interface needed for usage" isn't well documented.

--
Poul-Henning Kamp           | phk@FreeBSD.ORG       FreeBSD Core-team.
http://www.freebsd.org/~phk | phk@login.dknet.dk    Private mailbox.
whois: [PHK]                | phk@tfs.com           TRW Financial Systems, Inc.
Power and ignorance is a disgusting cocktail.