Anne M. Fitzgerald

The legal status of reverse engineering of computer software

Reverse engineering of computer software has assumed greater importance in recent years because of the need to examine legacy code to remove the year 2000 bug. There are different types of reverse engineering based on the level of abstraction of the code to be reengineered; machine code, assembly code, source code or even CASE code. We describe the different types of reverse engineering and the extent of copyright protection for software. The most common uses of reverse engineering are described. This provides for a comparative overview of the legal standing on reverse engineering at the international level. We propose challenges to the global electronic community in relation to existing and future legislation in the area of reverse engineering and protection of digital works.

Search Engine Liability for Copyright Infringement

The chapter provides a broad overview to the topic of search engine liability for copyright infringement. In doing so, the chapter examines some of the key copyright law principles and their application to search engines. The chapter also provides a discussion of some of the most important cases to be decided within the courts of the United States, Australia, China and Europe regarding the liability of search engines for copyright infringement. Finally, the chapter will conclude with some thoughts for reform, including how copyright law can be amended in order to accommodate and realise the great informative power which search engines have to offer society.

Australian Recommendations on Computer Software Protection

We present the main recommendations of the Copyright Law Review Committee in its submission to the Australian Government in 1995 in relation to the protection of computer software in Australia and the intellectual property of software developers in this country. The implications of these recommendations to the academic and industry computer science community are presented, as well as comparisons with European and US legislation.

Limitless Information – The Challenge for Copyright: A Panel Presentation at the CCI Symposium

This CCI funded research explores the underlying tension under the current copyright law between freedom and control, market and monopoly and free use and ownership rights.