Re: [ECOS] License restrictions

["Lewin A.R.W. Edwards" <larwe at larwe dot com>]

>What are the restrictions on looking at the code and then going off and
>completely rewritting it?
>What about just looking at the header files and supplied API documentation
>and none of the source code?

The problem is that should it ever come down to a lawsuit, it would be very 
hard for you to prove that you didn't just rewrite the code from memory. 
And if you read the original code, then you will find it hard to avoid 
thinking in the same lines (or at least I know I do) so there is a good 
possibility that sections of your code will closely resemble the original, 
even if there is no actual cut and paste at work.

It is much easier to cover your rear if you can point to a paper trail that 
says "The team that wrote our code have never been allowed to read the 
original code you claim we are infringing. Any similarities are 
coincidental and due entirely to the fact that we are writing an 
equivalently functional piece of software".

=== Lewin A.R.W. Edwards (Embedded Engineer)
Work: http://www.digi-frame.com/
Personal: http://www.zws.com/ and http://www.larwe.com/

"Und setzet ihr nicht das Leben ein,
Nie wird euch das Leben gewonnen sein."