ISSUE:
Whether Defendant’s “reverse engineering,” which involved copying, of a copyrighted computer program to gain an understanding of the unprotected functional elements of the program constitutes of fair use?
RULE:
Copyright disassembly refers to the process of legally breaking down or circumventing the protections granted by copyright law. This can involve analysing, modifying, or dismantling copyrighted content or technological safeguards, often with the goal of accessing or distributing copyrighted material without permission. However, such actions typically violate copyright laws and may lead to legal consequences. If disassembly of a copyrighted object code is the only means to access unprotected portions of the code and the goal is justified, it qualifies as a fair use of the material.