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An Anonymous Coward offers the following:
Car owners and security experts can tinker with automobile software without incurring US copyright liability, according to newly issued guidelines that were opposed by the auto industry.
The Library of Congress, which oversees the US Copyright Office, agreed with fair use advocates who argued that vehicle owners are entitled to modify their cars, which often involves altering software.
Automakers including General Motors and other vehicle manufacturers such as Deere & Co opposed the rules. They said vehicle owners could visit authorized repair shops for changes they may need to undertake.
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US Copyright Office Says People Have the Right to Hack their Own Cars' Software
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You will be advanced socially, without any special effort on your part.
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Thursday October 29 2015, @03:59AM
Because, technically, you can't "rip out a page" of the built-in program, and insert a page of your own. You have to make a copy of the built-in program [assuming you want to figure out how it works and/or restore the system to the original setup] and then replace it with your own.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday October 29 2015, @04:23AM
I've heard it alleged that there are so few manufacturers of engine and transmission computers that the software is somewhat standardized across many manufacturers. There are already many companies in the business providing "tunes" for all sorts of vehicles, from hot rods to trucks. Some of these simply change data in manufacturer's software tables that control shift points or fuel injection timing etc, other tunes replace significant parts of the code.
One poster here on SN pointed me to a third party open-ish source entire engine management software.
There are simply too many cars on the market for even Ford or GM to keep up with custom engine management for each model. It tends to be the the same computer and the same software with custom tables for each vehicle. And it tends to be supplied by just a few specialized companies. Bosch in the case of many German brands.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Thursday October 29 2015, @09:01AM
Because, technically, you can't "rip out a page" of the built-in program, and insert a page of your own. You have to make a copy of the built-in program [assuming you want to figure out how it works and/or restore the system to the original setup] and then replace it with your own.
Which, um, would mean it is not a "copy", it is a "replacement"? So absolutely no copyright violation involved. And more to the point, only altering my copy, which I can fold, spindle, or alterate to my heart's content without violating copyright, unless I sell copies at a profit! Remember that part of when copyright was a tort? Where there had to be some profit? Not just ripping a DVD or John Deere' diesel ECU? Oh what sad times we live in, where corporations can find such saps to defend the indefensible!