Re: Legality of analysing DSDT table

[Mateusz Jończyk <mat.jonczyk@o2.pl>]

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W dniu 04.08.2014 o 13:58, Ian Jackson pisze:
> Mateusz Jończyk writes ("Legality of analysing DSDT table"):
>> I am working on some bug in Linux kernel that is probably somehow related
>> to ACPI.  Would it be legal if a bug reporter in India sent me his DSDT
>> table and I would then decompile and analyse it?
> 
> You seem to be in Poland.  I think there is no problem with this in 
> European Union law: AIUI reverse engineering for the purpose of 
> compatibility is excluded from the copyright monopoly.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_engineering#cite_ref-34:
(EU Computer Program Directive)
"It has therefore to be considered that, in these limited circum­stances only,
performance of the acts of reproduction and translation by or on behalf of a
person having a right to use a copy of the program is legitimate and
compatible with fair practice and must therefore be deemed not to require the
authorisation of the right­holder. "

The analysis would have to be done "by or on behalf of a person having a right
to use a copy of the program"
It is unclear what precisely in legalese the phrase "on behalf of" means, but
I would be cautious:
http://www.translegal.com/legal-english-dictionary/act-on-behalf

(my national copyright law is similar in this respect)

> Also it seems very unlikely that anyone would want to complain.

Why? I don't think that there are a lot of trade secrets in the DSDT, but
there may be some (at least if the producent is paranoid).

> NB I am not a lawyer.
> 
> Ian.
> 
> 


- -- 
Pozdrawiam,
Mateusz Jończyk
AEI, Informatyka, Semestr 3 Magisterskich, BDiIS

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