Does "modification" include translation to another HLL?

[John Cowan]

Rod Dixon wrote:

> Hence, John's second
> fact pattern switched from an inquiry concerning authorization to create a
> derivative work to a question of whether the Perl program was
> independently created (i.e. original to that author). In my opinion,
> John's hypo is just as likely to lead to litigation as the one he was
> responding to since "reading" the program could be circumstantial evidence
> of copying.


Yes, of course.  Instead of "read" I should have said "examine".
If I observe what your program does and write an equivalent program,
I do not infringe you (unless the ever-irritating DCMA gets into
the act: it forbids some kinds of reverse engineering).


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