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Re: n...


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In article <82ku40$17d0$1@nserve1.acs.ucalgary.ca>, 
wbdesnoy@acs2.acs.ucalgary.ca (Byron Desnoyers Winmill) wrote:


> : If you modify a program and distribute it, you are definitely doing
> : something illegal but if you are modifying a program for your own
> : personal use, then I believe the law says you are okay.  After all,
> : you own that piece of software.  Whether you decide to use it as is,
> : modified slightly or erase the disk altogether is up to you.  Just
> : don't go distributing it.
>
> I believe that Canadian copyright law gives us the privilage to modify
software
> under copyright.  (This is according to a government website, not my
> imagination.  :-)  It is a privilage which most licence agreements attempt
> to deny users.

My understanding of copyright law also says it is OK to modify a copyrighted
program for personal use. On the other hand, licenses can be written to do
absolutely anything. They can be more restrictive than copyright law. If you
violate the license, but not the copyright, the difference is how you can be
sued, not whether you can be sued.

Mike Westerfield