Day 5

Two part question:

A) What is reverse engineering?
The video, Triumph of the Nerds, defines reverse engineering as taking a final product and moving backwards, trying to figure out the bits and pieces that made it what it was. For example, in the movie they talk about taking the PC and taking it apart piece by piece to try and figure out how they built it. For me, it is easier to understand the idea of reverse engineering if I think of it in fashion terms. There are many designers who have clothing that are very expensive. Stores like Forever 21, Old Navy, Gap, etc. take the look of these clothes and make their own, cheaper versions. Although it may not look exactly how the designer piece looks, it's similar enough that a person could get the two confused.

B) Is reverse engineering illegal?
My personal opinion is that reverse engineering is not illegal. Even though they are replicating the same exact thing, I don't consider it an ethical issue because the person(s) who are doing the replicating have no previous knowledge of the product they are duplicating. They are completely new to the research they will be conducting and then later developing. If it were that research was done, and then they got help from people who had information about the product I think that would be considered unethical, but since that is not the case I don't think it's wrong. Just as Professor Squire mentioned in class, it's as if two different people, who working independently of each other, come up with the same idea at different times--that is not illegal.
I also looked up reverse engineering online to see what others thought about it and here were their responses. Most believe reverse engineering is "an important part of software development"( http://www.chillingeffects.org/reverse/faq.cgi#QID195) because things can be improved upon if it is allowed. If researchers and programmers aren't allowed to take things apart and replicate them or improve them how will we get newer, better software?