[sword-devel] OpenScriptureFormats.org

[Daniel Holmlund]

As far as the questions of the legality in the USA of reverse engineering
file formats, the DMCA speaks for itself.
These quotations are taken from *Sec. 1201. Circumvention of copyright
protection systems (f)* and can be found at Harvard
Law<http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/openlaw/dvd/1201.html>
.

 *(f) Reverse Engineering.— (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection
(a)(1)(A), 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 achieveinteroperability of an independently created computer program with
other programs, and that have not previously been readily available to the
person engaging in the circumvention, to the extent any such acts
ofidentification and analysis do not constitute infringement under
this title.
*

* (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a)(2) and (b), a person
may develop and employ technological means to circumvent a technological
measure, or to circumvent protection afforded by a technological measure, in
order to enable the identification and analysis under paragraph (1),
or forthe purpose
of enabling interoperability of an independently created computer program
with other programs, if such means are necessary to achieve such
interoperability, to the extent that doing so does not constitute
infringement under this title. *

* (3) The information acquired through the acts permitted under paragraph
(1), and the means permitted under paragraph (2), may be made available to
others if the person referred to in paragraph (1) or (2), as the case may
be, provides such information or means solely for the purpose of enabling
interoperability of an independently created computer program with other
programs, and to the extent that doing so does not constitute infringement
under this title or violate applicable law other than this section. *

* (4) For purposes of this subsection, the term "interoperability" means the
ability of computer programs to exchange information, and of such programs
mutually to use the information which has been exchanged. *

So the issue of encryption comes into play when the end user is attempting
to bypass digital protection, but the creation of software to help Bible
publishers maintain interoperability is explicitly provided for.

Daniel Holmlund


On Wed, May 21, 2008 at 7:45 AM, jhphx <jhphx at cox.net> wrote:

>
> > Are these EULAs valid?
>
> When this become a matter of reverse engineering the DCMA also needs to
> be considered if the information is protected by something like encryption.
>
> Jerry
>
>
>
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