Re: Echo II emulation?

[dog_cow@macgui.com (D Finnigan)]

mmphosis wrote:
> 
> 2.  It would be a leap to emulate the echo cards as the details of how
> the actual Echo card works would need some research, and it sounds
> like this product may still be sold which brings in copyright issues,
> and possibly patent issues.  The MAME project has emulation for
> TMS5200/5220 chipset.   The Apple II emulator software developers have
> made leaps like emulating various Apple II hardware cards in software
> such as the Z-80, mockingboard, uthernet, etc.  So, yes definitely
> possible.  Legal?  I don't know.
>

Work-alike software should be legal, as long as the exact Echo code isn't
used. It's the same situation as distributing Apple II ROMs with emulators.
Assuming that the Echo card does have a ROM, then legally, someone could
write software which emulates the Echo, but you would need a physical copy
of the card, and thus, the ROM.

But I'm not a lawyer.