[ale] [WAY OT]Reverse Engineering MS Visual Basic Applications

[Greg]

< snip stuff Bob already posted that I *was* going to say >

The question here is (minus all the religious non-pertinent bs) is how to
reverse engineer the software.  The company *already* has given the ok to do
it.

Google on "reverse engineer Visual Basic" reveals  33,900 answers in .25
seconds.  See
http://www.google.com/search?q=reverse+engineer+Visual+Basic+code&hl=en&lr=&
ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=20&sa=N

A quick perusal gives the following answers:

YES it can be done.
YES folks are doing it.

Greg


> -----Original Message-----
> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org]On Behalf Of James
> P. Kinney III
> Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 5:16 PM
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
> Subject: Re: [ale] [WAY OT]Reverse Engineering MS Visual Basic
> Applications
>
>
> Hack away. If they come after you, tell 'em to bow it out their a**
> since you tried to get them to do something else. Wave the "OK to
> reverse-engineer" paper and start naming the law firms you had look at
> the documentation that all gave their approval (bluff). I'll be happy to
> refer a good contract lawyer to you if they insist on calling the bluff.
>
> Not to chide anyone, but if someone pays to have software written for
> them, THEY OWN IT, not the writers. The company who writes it, unless
> they are devious and the client doesn't read the the agreement and
> PROTEST LOUDLY, should have no more claim to ownership of the code than
> the shoemaker does to the shoes on my feet.
>
> GPL. GPL. GPL. GPL. GPL. GPL. GPL. GPL. GPL .GPL. GPL. GPL. GPL. GPL.
>
> This situation underscores the overwhelming need for source code access.
> I have hit this wall more than once on projects where the original code
> base writers are gone and the source was not provided and now the entire
> project gets redone FROM SCRATCH to make up for the deficiency. If the
> hood is welded shut, don't buy the car!
>
> On Mon, 2003-09-29 at 16:55, Jonathan Glass wrote:
> > Apparently not.  When the company announced the break-up, the
> > programmers became very disgruntled, and that is a much info as the
> > company's management is willing to share.  :(
> >
> > Jonathan Glass
> >
> > On Mon, 2003-09-29 at 16:43, Geoffrey wrote:
> > > They won't provide the source?
> > >
> > > Jonathan Glass wrote:
> > > > A friend of mine had some custom software written by a
> small consulting
> > > > firm.  The firm has since fallen on hard times, split up,
> and told him
> > > > he's out of luck.  They did (supposedly) provide him with a document
> > > > spelling out his legal right to reverse engineer the
> software.  Anyone
> > > > know how I should proceed here?  Is this legal, does anyone
> on this list
> > > > know how to do or contract for this type of work?
> > > >
> > > > TIA
> >
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> --
> James P. Kinney III          \Changing the mobile computing world/
> CEO & Director of Engineering \          one Linux user         /
> Local Net Solutions,LLC        \           at a time.          /
> 770-493-8244                    \.___________________________./
> http://www.localnetsolutions.com
>
> GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics)
> <jkinney at localnetsolutions.com>
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>