Reverse engineering is when someone takes a product, figures out how it is made, and then essentially copies that product for their own use. An example would be a chef who goes to another restaurant, finds a dish he likes, and then tries to replicate it at his own restaurant.
According to Wikipedia reverse engineering is legal in the US, though many times patent owners will try and dispute the claim.
This website also points out that the Supreme Court has on several occasions heard cases relating to reverse engineering and upheld peoples right to do so. They have said that it is important for technological advancement.
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What do newer laws, such as DMCA, say about reverse engineering?
ReplyDeleteSection 1201(f) of the DMCA states that "a person who has lawfully obtained the right to use a copy of a computer program may circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a particular portion of that program for the sole purpose of identifying and analyzing those elements of the program that are necessary to achieve interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs."
Interoperability???