[linux-dvb] AW: Re: DVB driver for B2C2 based budget cards (such as Technisat SkyStar 2)

["Torsten Schlabach" <tschlabach@gmx.net>]

>> In many coutries even disassembling the driver in order to write a 
completely new one is ont illegal EVEN IF the vendors licence 
prohibits disassembling.

Do you know what countries these are or do you have any pointers to some
literature on this topic? I think the other part of the story is if
anyone (let’s say: the vendor) was ever able to prove that one
disassembled his driver in order to gain the necessary information. I
don’t think that a vendor has any legal means to force the author of
some piece of software to proof where he or she got his or her knowledge
from. And I don’t think it can be illegal to publish a piece of
software, can it?

Aside from legal issues, I am not sure if I think it will be realistic
to understand the chipset interface from looking at the uncommented
disassembled code. Anyone has any experience with this? I might be wrong
or over-estimate the complexity ?!?

>> There is an available Linux driver.

I’ve heard that, but please, where is it?

Torsten

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Miernik [mailto:miernik@tarnica.ctnet.pl] Im Auftrag von Miernik
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 30. Januar 2003 20:41
An: linux-dvb@linuxtv.org
Betreff: [linux-dvb] Re: DVB driver for B2C2 based budget cards (such as
Technisat SkyStar 2)

On Thu, Jan 30, 2003 at 04:46:47PM +0100, Torsten Schlabach wrote:
> not be disclosed. Meaning that in case anyone had the necessary
> documentation for whatever reason (because he or she is a customer of
> B2C2 ???) and would make it available to me that would in my
> understanding not be illegal, would it?

In many coutries even disassembling the driver in order to write a 
completely new one is ont illegal EVEN IF the vendors licence 
prohibits disassembling.

There is an avialable Linux driver. It would be enough to disassemble 
it, and then write completely new open source drivers. Of course for 
it to be legal your drivers must be written from scratch, you can only 
look at the disassembly to find out what your driver needs to do. And 
that is legal only in some countries.

-- 
    Miernik
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