Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!scea!peter_alau@playstation.sony.com
From: Elliott Lee <tenchi@netmagic.net>
Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.freetalk.english
Subject: Re: Net Yaroze User Agreement
Date: Fri, 08 May 1998 11:53:59 -0700
Organization: Cisco Systems
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Message-ID: <355354C6.27CD1F7A@netmagic.net>
References: <6iujna$2t11@emeka.playstation.co.uk> <6iuppd$aek11@chuka.playstation.co.uk>
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JohnT wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Personally I am following this agreement but I would like to point out a
> flaw in the reasoning for this rule. Sony do not want Net Yaroze code to be
> used by non Net Yaroze people, yes? Well, if the code is unusable by non
> Yaroze people why is it such a risk? Granted the object code and compiled
> programs can be disassembled and secrets can be found out from that but the
> source code is plain C coding and in a text file so where is the harm from
> providing that outside the Sony servers? Non Yaroze programmers don't have
> the compiler libs to be able to compile the source and if they have then
> they are breaking the copyright laws.
> 
> JohnT

There are a growing number of people out there who have pirated dev kits.
People have not only pirated the Yaroze libs, but they also have hacked
their standard PSXs to be able to download data to/from them.  That's how
some have been extracting cheat codes and stuff.  Since your compiled and
linked code now contains Sony proprietary libraries, it is not that hard
to disassemble it and see how the hardware interacts with the software.

And, yes, these people are breaking copyright laws.  Then again, this issue
isn't new.  How many people do you know that have honestly paid for ALL of
their software?   :)

- e!
  tenchi@netmagic.net
  http://www.netmagic.net/~tenchi/yaroze/