From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S269133AbTGZChi (ORCPT ); Fri, 25 Jul 2003 22:37:38 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S269144AbTGZChi (ORCPT ); Fri, 25 Jul 2003 22:37:38 -0400 Received: from mail.dt.E-Technik.Uni-Dortmund.DE ([129.217.163.1]:24506 "EHLO mail.dt.e-technik.uni-dortmund.de") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S269133AbTGZChh (ORCPT ); Fri, 25 Jul 2003 22:37:37 -0400 Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 04:52:46 +0200 From: Matthias Andree To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Cc: Larry McVoy Subject: Re: Switching to the OSL License, in a dual way. Message-ID: <20030726025246.GA30151@merlin.emma.line.org> Mail-Followup-To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Larry McVoy References: <20030724215744.GA7777@work.bitmover.com> <20030725143933.GA13840@work.bitmover.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-15 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit In-Reply-To: <20030725143933.GA13840@work.bitmover.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org On Fri, 25 Jul 2003, Larry McVoy wrote: > > This is exactly the same. As long as there is a data format or a > > protocol involved, European laws allow users to reverse engineer it, > > to be able to create another program using the same format and > > protocols. > > Really? Show me that law please. IANAL, but check the "German Gesetz über Urheberrecht und verwandte Schutzrechte" (Urheberrechtsgesetz/UrhG for short), §§ 69c, 69d, 69e. http://bundesrecht.juris.de/bundesrecht/urhg/index.html It concerns itself with "interoperability" of independently developed programs with an existing one that you may use, (not with clones though, the law formulates this differently); decompilation is allowed, unless information needed to obtain interoperability is available, and there are other restrictions. License or contract clauses that attempt to run counter to §69d 2,3 (backup copies to ensure future use) or §69e (decompilation) are void. Anyone interested should check out the exact words of the law though, and in particular he should not rely on my translation.