Re: CyberPatrol sues cryptanalysts who revealed flaws in itssoftware

[Tom Vogt]

Ed Gerck wrote:
> "Reverse engineering" is done with the intent to break the protection built
> into the product, between the user and the technology behind the software.
> If this is done for your own private purposes and you tell no one, there is
> not even a way for the producer to reach you. However, if you are
> Microsoft and you reverse engineer code of a competitor (as MS did, with
> Stac -- 1994) and stealthly use it in your own Microsoft  product (as MS
> did, in its DoubleSpace product) ... then, is that OK?  Should that breach of
> privacy be allowed?

this is not privacy. call it trade-secret or whatever, but unless you
use the word very different on your side of the pond, privacy is
something that only applies to people.