January 09, 2003

Does the DMCA ban reverse engineering?

Lexmark is suing Smartek, a company that makes replacement toner cartridges, under the DMCA.

News.com reports: "Lexmark alleges that the Smartek chip mimics the authentication sequence used by Lexmark chips and unlawfully tricks the printer into accepting an aftermarket cartridge."

Now, I am not and have never been a lawyer. But isn't this the kind of reverse engineering that used to be a protected exemption to copyright law?

Will the case actually test whether the DMCA bans reverse engineering?

Posted by alevin at January 9, 2003 10:03 PM | TrackBack
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