Re: [Gimp-print-devel] Wow!

[<sh...@al...>]

>    I won't mention how I got this information since it's not available in
>    Epson level 1 programming documents.  I normally like to give credit where
>    credit is due, but, in this case, it may be better not to.
> 
> I want to be very careful about information obtained from questionable
> sources, particularly this kind of very specific info.  I don't have a
> problem with people using information reverse engineered out of print
> files.  For example, if you print a uniform color patch from Windows,
> and then disassemble the generated output to determine how much of
> each color was used, that's fine by me.

What's fine by you is largely irrelevant, however.  What matters is what's
fine by Epson (which determines if a suit gets filed) and what's fine by
the courts (which decide who wins the suit).

I downloaded their current W95 driver a few days ago, and I read the click
license before downloading it.  It specifically states that reverse engineering
is not allowed.  Although I did download it, I have not installed it,
specifically because of this very problem.

> Likewise, the spectrometer
> idea.  If someone under NDA (who you had good reason to believe was
> under NDA) told you something that you had good reason to believe was
> under NDA (e. g. he or she told you), then stay away from it.

Why?  If someone is under NDA and tells someone else who is not under NDA,
then those people under NDA are not liable for anything.  It's the same
issue as was raised in the DVD case when the MPAA tried to claim CSS was
a trade secret.  They could get the guy who cracked it, but, once it was
given to "an innocent" it was no longer protected.  The MPAA quickly changed
their position, saying that the code would promote further copyright
violations.  I can't see how Epson could claim that about the ink colors.

Anyway, his or her words justifying this release were "you can get these
yourself with the right equipment, so they aren't strictly covered by the NDA",
but it's enough of a grey area that I don't feel comfortable mentioning just
who he or she is.

But, I think using this information is legally safer than printing color
blocks with the windows driver.  I'm not a lawyer, though.

Two days ago I sent a message to Epson tech support asking for clarifications
on what activities would likely result in legal retaliation.  Other than the
auto-responder, I have not heard back from them yet.
  
Eric