Questions tagged [software]
For questions involving programming underlying computers and machines. Consider using the [open-source-software] tag if the question is about open source software or licensing.
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Which jurisdictions require suppliers of software for encrypted communication to provide source code to the authorities?
It appears that in France, the supply of software which enables encrypted communication is only allowed provided that the government sees the source code. Article 30(III) of the "Law No. 2004-575 ...
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Can a software company turn off their license server preventing further use of purchased licenses? [duplicate]
Today, Finale by MakeMusic made an announcement that they are discontinuing their software. Although it makes perfect sense that they won't be issuing updates or allowing new purchases, this line ...
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Do tech companies like Microsoft & CrowdStrike face almost no legal liabilities for major disruptions?
In regards to a widespread technology meltdown, reportedly caused by Microsoft and CrowdStrike, the New York Times states that the "immediate and harmful" impact included:
Airlines canceled ...
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Is there any "incitement" type defence in copyright breach?
There is a paper that is cited in the Coders vs. Github Copilot case.
the judge cited the study's observation that Copilot reportedly "rarely emits memorized code in benign situations, and most ...
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Do I need privacy policy if I don't collect personal data? [closed]
I have made an open-source desktop app. I don't collect any personal data in it. The app only has logging that logs how the app performs and e.g. what events and actions are triggered, but the logs ...
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Is there any law to reference to support copyright derivation wrt software libraries depending on the availability of alternatives?
In a 2019 answer that the bot has just pumped there is an excellent description of a way I have heard how the the rules regarding copyright derivation in respect to software libraries function:
I don'...
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What's the point of registering with "Agence pour la Protection des Programmes" (Software Protection Agency) in addition to pushing the code to GitHub
I read the following in this license in a github.com repo:
This software has been registered with "Agence pour la Protection des Programmes" (Software Protection Agency) by Inria and Adobe (...
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General legallity of selling advanced malicious software systems [duplicate]
Generally, within the United States, would it be legal to:
Develop an advanced network exploitation system that has capabilities like The NSO Group Pegesus Spyware.
Market that software to any US ...
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"Lifetime Use" Software [closed]
I purchased a software suite from a well-known company that was advertised as "Lifetime Use." After not using it for some time, I tried installing them and my key wasn't accepted. I had to ...
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Could a software patent be used against the inventor of the algorithm?
Since in practice algorithms can actually be patented, sometimes I wonder if it is possible for example for a company to take a open-source code I wrote and released and somehow file a patent for its ...
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Why are software licenses required to access a piece of software?
According to the GTA 4 EULA:
LICENSE. Subject to this Agreement and its terms and conditions, Licensor hereby grants you the nonexclusive, non-transferable, limited right and license to use one copy ...
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How does GNU/GPL apply to internal applications? [closed]
I'm writing an internal application for my company. I'd like to use a package released on a GNU/GPL license. Due to internal nature of the application I am obviously free to present its source code to ...
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Can you legally look at decompiled software code and reverse engineer it?
Something I've been curious about, I looked it up and didn't find any straightforward answers. I've heard of clean room engineering where programmers don't look at the code at all of the software they ...
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How do GPL 2, 3 and other copy-left licenses apply in cases of "software as a service" (SaaS) systems?
GPL-style licenses are pretty effective at ensuring the underlying code cannot contribute to proprietary binary programs. But in the contemporary world of SaaS, are there not many ways around this?
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Can I impose licensing terms on the content that users create or transmit using my program?
This comment about email client monoculture made me wonder if what the poster is describing is possible.
Say I write and distribute a piece of communications software, like Outlook or Trillian or one ...
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Deleting Software I Wrote Upon Leaving Employment of a Company
For some context, I live the US, in an at-will state, and there's no employment contract involved.
When I was younger, I worked at a warehouse doing inventory-related activities as an hourly employee ...
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To what extent does strict liability apply to open source software?
I'm curious to what extent strict liability could apply to open source software in cases where what is shared isn't really a product, or even something that is intended to be incorporated into a ...
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Is Microsoft allowed to bring Playstation games (that were ported to PC) to Xbox, or would they face legal backlash?
Sony's Playstation has several games exclusive to their console (e.g. Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart, God of War, Horizon Forbidden Dawn). Recently, Sony ported these games to PC, making them available ...
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Can I legally bypass software when their data is freely available? [closed]
I have built an app on top of an existing ancient software application. That ancient application exists of two parts; a software application and some actual hardware that provides specific sensor data ...
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How to prevent legal issues when allowing anonymous users to upload arbitrary content?
A website like https://cloudconvert.com allows any anonymous user to upload arbitrary video/audio/file and convert it to another format. It seems to save the file temporarily for 2 hours before ...
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Does re-implementing a software API violate copyright?
Company A sells a software services. To promote adoption, it publicly documents the programmable interface.
Company B develops a competing software servic implementing the same interface (but blackbox ...
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When using material that requests attribution, do you have to when using internally?
FlatIcon requests that we add attribution (it is required according to the website). In the case of apps (my case), it states the following:
Paste this link on the website where your app is available ...
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Is making a copycat proprietary software against the law?
Suppose I build and sell closed-source and proprietary software that exactly looks like Microsoft Visual Studio 2022, both in appearance and functionality, but uses a different source code, name, and ...
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Can Microsoft be held responsible for printers missing after a software update?
I want to learn about software liability but most articles on the internet are very generic. So I am asking this specific question to learn by example.
Let's assume after a Windows update printers are ...
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Does the end user need a license for embedded software? Or just the manufacturer?
According to this answer, legal responsibility for operations performed via computer isn't as simple as always attaching to the owner of the computer or to the person who hit the button. It attaches ...
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If I pay for a software, do I have the rights to access its source code?
In other words, can I reverse engineer the software that I paid for? I feel like since I spent money, I should be able to know what the software is actually doing and does it have any hidden malware ...
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Is it illegal to simultaneously run instances of a software more than I physically own?
I own old gaming consoles such as the Nintendo DS. The consoles have aged significantly and they have a hard time recognizing legit cartridges, so I dumped the contents of dozens of carts on a 3rd ...
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Who is accountable if a truly driverless car hits and kills a person? [duplicate]
Last night, I couldn't sleep, and in my wakeful state, I allowed the river of thoughts to take me wherever it wanted to flow. This led me to a question: "Who is accountable if a truly driverless ...
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Does the personal data use required to distribute software online make activity "commercial"?
The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) has an exception for non-commercial/open source software. As an exception to the exception, commercial activity seems to explicitly include "the use of personal ...
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What stops stolen software from offering a valid license?
A common pattern in software distribution is to have an installer program that pops up and offers the user a license to the software, and prompts the user to accept it. This End User License Agreement ...
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Trying to get a complete set of SCOTUS opinions
I am trying to get a complete set of SCOTUS opinions, and have been trying to use courtlistener.com for the purpose, but the API is horrifically under-documented, and crippled. If anyone can tell me ...
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Are developers data processors?
This question is inspired by this other question: What are an employed/contracted software developer's responsibilities under the GDPR?
I wanted to understand more precisely the concept of a data ...
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Is it legal for two or more users to use a Microsoft Windows computer at the same time?
I happened across a video called 7 Users on 1 PC! - but is it legal? that is about an older product that allowed a computer with Windows XP or Windows server to be used by 7 different users at once ...
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Will this be considered proof of purchase?
Each product has a traceable serial number, and to operate the product, it must be registered and activated through the manufacturer's software. The registration and activation process requires the ...
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If a person is working for two companies as a regular employee who owns the copyright to software created by that employee?
The general rule is that if you are an employee software you create in the course of your employment belongs to your employer.
In the United States an employee can work for more than one company ...
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When will the baseline patents for encoding/decoding the AAC format expire?
The MP4 container is the most ubiquitous video format in the world. It is commonly used with the H.264 video codec, of which there has been a lot written about when the patents for this codec will ...
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Why is disclosing that you offer no warranties so prevalent in documents?
I was signing an NDA and noticed that there was a clause on the owner offering no warranty relating to the document. I never particularly understood this. It is often prevalent in copyleft licenses ...
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Can a company that releases code as GPL, use it privately?
If a company has a Github repo under GPL license, can they, as the owners of the original code, distribute closed-source copies of it, i.e do they have a different right over the code ?
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USA Employment Law: Job Search with Moonlighting
I am a Software Developer contractor but I also want to have my own side-hustle business. This side hustle business might contain programming, research or developing new software products. However, it ...
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Can ex-employer ask/require in a severance agreement that if I plan to disclose information about the severance agreement, I must tell them first?
Can a severance agreement ask/force an employee to inform the ex-employer if they plan to disclose the severance agreement?
My understanding is that the National Labor Relations Act allows me to share ...
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Would it be legal to avoid Unity (Game Engine) licensing by having the end-user build the project
Is it legal (assuming US) if instead of paying for a proprietary software and accepting their terms and conditions for distribution, to require the user to own this proprietary software and use it as ...
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Can a software's dictionary file include popular culture terms?
Example: can a dictionary included in a word processor include pop culture terms, such as character names, so they are recognized as valid words (not triggering autocorrect or spellcheck) etc. Should ...
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How did software copyright work in the US before 1978?
Prior to the Copyright Act of 1976 (which, confusingly, only went into effect in 1978) the copyright rules were different. One of the things that was introduced was that after the beginning of 1978, ...
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Is it legal to backdate monthly software license fees if you reactivate a license?
I live in the UK and use software from a US-based company. I currently pay a software licence fee of $150 every six months.
This covers access to support and access to monthly software updates, new ...
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What is the copyright status of this piece of code from 1976?
Back in 1976, Steve Wozniak of Apple fame published a computer program library in volume 1, issue 7 of Dr Dobbs Journal of Computer Calisthenics and Orthodontia (Running Light Without Overbyte), a ...
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Question concerning the legality of Software Patents
I have a question concering the public reveal of new patents filed by Nintendo Co., Ltd., and how such patents are legal given how general the concepts are, and how this would effect development of ...
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Firmware code written under GPLv3 was modified. What should be published? [closed]
The firmware for an embedded device (e.g., a toaster) is modified significantly. Algorithms are rewritten from scratch, the code is made compatible with different hardware, etc. The end (hardware) ...
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Is a "login timestamp" considered as personal data according to GDPR?
If software is saving the timestamp of the last login of a user, would that timestamp itself be considered personal data by GDPR?
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GDPR and privacy policy compliance for software used internally by customer company
We are developing software that are sold to and used by other companies. In the software, certain types of personal data, like name, email and phone number, can be stored when a user registers. The ...
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Does replacing the operating system on my laptop void my warranty?
I purchased a typical mid-range laptop in late March this year. It came with Windows preinstalled. As soon as I unpacked the computer I removed Windows and installed Linux. I have been using it ...
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