What U.S. Copyright Law Doctrines Allow Reverse Engineering?
Permission: a copyright owner can always give you permission to make copies (perhaps in a license agreement), and depending on the nature of the permission, it may authorize reverse engineering. For example, if a license agreement authorizes you to “use” the software, and it does not expressly prohibit reverse engineering, that may be all the permission you need. Fair Use: The fair use doctrine allows users to make unauthorized copies in certain circumstances. Courts have found that reverse engineering for interoperability, for example, can be a fair use.
