[Gdal-dev] MapTech / BSB Legal Issues

[Alessandro Amici]

Frank,

On Wednesday 10 September 2003 21:04, Frank Warmerdam wrote:
> GDAL Users,
>
> I have been contacted by Maptech and I have been requested to remove the
> web page where I talk about the BSB file format, and provide source code
> for reading it.
>
>    http://gdal.velocet.ca/projects/bsb/
>
> They seem to be claiming that the BSB file format is copyrighted by them,

my understatning (mainy as a dayly slashdot reader, so don't get it as the 
golden truth ;) is that reverse engeneering a format or a protocol cannot be 
legally stopped by a company unless it has a patent for the algorithms you 
use in the code.

poor man proofs:
- samba Reverse Engeneered the smb protocol (evil company is microsoft)
- openoffice.org REed the doc format (see above)
both ptojects are still operating and no major problem is on the horizon.

> I am interested in any pointers folks can provide on precidents related
> to copyrighting file formats, or suggestions of an inexpensive
> intellectual property attorney.   Even a student lawyer would help!  I
> don't want to break the law, but I don't want to be give up if I am not.

the one i heard the most is:
http://www.eff.org/

i don't much care for the format either, but it is very depressing anyhow.
alessandro