[free-sklyarov] Re:FAQ request

[Lars Gaarden]

Mike Genin wrote:

> In Russia programs of Elcomsoft are _legal_, and moreover actions of
> Adobe eBook reader is illegal, because by our copyright law any user
> must have right to do backup copies of files.


Is an official english translation of the relevant parts of the
russian copyright law available?


In Norway, the owner of a copy of a software program has the right
to make backups if required. This right can not be signed away by
contract. However, this does not _require_ the maker of the software
program to provide means for producing this backup.

i.e., backup is explicitly legal, but the software producer is under
no obligation to make it easy to perform the act.

So, Elcomsoft programs should be legal in Norway but it is uncertain
weither the Adobe eBook reader is illegal.

The relevant law in .no is 39h, para2 of the copyright law. See links
below for official norwegian version and english translation.
http://www.lovdata.no/all/tl-19610512-002-029.html
http://www.unesco.org/culture/copy/copyright/norway/page2.html#s39g

This will probably change once Norway and the rest of EU implement
the new EU copyright directive. While not quite as bad as the DMCA,
it will severely restrict the public's right to make use of digital
copyrighted works. See http://eurorights.org for more.


Also, this only covers software. An eBook can be argued to be either
a normal copyrighted work, software, or both.

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