Python secure?

[Grant Edwards]

On 2004-08-16, Grant Edwards <grante at visi.com> wrote:

> Ah.  Nobody said the decompiled code would be redistributed.
> Distributing copies (decompiled or otherwised) is covered by
> copyright law.  Decompiling is not.

I've read up a bit, and I looks like I was wrong.  The mere act
of creating a derived work is an infringement of copyright.
The derived work doesn't have to be distributed for an
infringment to have taken place.  Title 17 says

  § 106. Exclusive rights in copyrighted works

  Subject to sections 107 through 122, the owner of copyright
  under this title has the exclusive rights to do and to
  authorize any of the following:

   (1) to reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or phonorecords;

   (2) to prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted work;

The "fair use" provisions for computer programs (§117) do not cover
de-compiling or reverse-engineering.

-- 
Grant Edwards                   grante             Yow!  PARDON me, am I
                                  at               speaking ENGLISH?
                               visi.com