Re: Reverse engineering in UK Law

Peter Brudenall <peterb[_at_]copyright.com.au> wrote:
>
> I have recently heard that the UK has granted express rights to users
> of reverse engineering.
>
> Can anyone let me know when this was introduced, and the section of
> the Act that provides for it.
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This may not be a direct answer to your question, but the 91/250 Directive of the Council (of the EEC of that time), also known as the software-directive, expressly allows revererse engeneering. The Directive ordered national legislation to pass executive laws on the Directive in the Member States no later then 1 Jan, 1993. Therefore, keeping the direct applicability of Directives in mind, unless there was an earlier law passed in the U.K., the rule on reverse engeneering has been in effect since 1 Jan, 1993.

I hope this helped a little.

Greetings from Budapest, Hungary,

                                Gabor Palasti


                        Gabor Palasti, dr.
                  ******************************
                   Central European University,
                         Budapest, Hungary
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                      l96pal44[_at_]sirius.ceu.hu
                               also
                    pala[_at_]petra.hos.u-szeged.hu