GPL - possible violation - what should I do?

[Georg Jakob]

Hi,

On 20 Mar 2002, Claus Färber kindly wrote:

--snip-- 
> Although you might be distributing code that cannot function
> independently, you are not copying the original code, so you don't
> need the permission of its author.
> 
> Please also note that the EU Copyright Directive for Computer  
> Programmes also includes a statement that even allows reverse- 
> engineering to make other software interoperable. So a licence  
> clause that disallows (proprietary) interoperable software should  
> be void in most member states.

Why the hell would anybody want to reverse-engineere a programm when you 
can have the source under GPL?

So, your analogy is incorrect: What you are reffering to is a legal 
measure designed for cases in which you buy software and can not use it 
the way you need, because the Licensor refuses to give you the source.
This is the purpose of the law (in German: Schutzzweck der Norm, since you 
want to become a lawyer, you should study this). *Nothing* more.


-- 
kindest regards,         jack at unix.sbg.ac.at
Georg Jakob              http://www.users.sbg.ac.at/~jack
"After explaining the situation to the machine clearly with appropriate
 use of a screwdriver and cleaning up I got the update to behave." (A. Cox)