4 ms·

The original LEGO Mindstorms did something similar. In order to upload firmware to the RCX brick (a common operation, since the firmware was stored in volatile

The original LEGO Mindstorms did something similar. In order to upload firmware to the RCX brick (a common operation, since the firmware was stored in volatile RAM) you had to pass a "copyrighted unlock string" ("Do you byte, when I knock?") which would be verified by both the interface DLL and the boot ROM itself. The intent was apparently to use the copyright on that phrase as a means to force developers to use the officially sanctioned API. I don't know if that was ever legally enforceable; it certainly didn't stop hobbyists from plugging the unlock string into their code.

monocasa 12y ago
On the trademark side of things, it's not enforceable. Not sure about the copyright side. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Enterprises_Ltd._v._Accolade,_Inc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Enterprises_Ltd._v._Accola....
- Jolijn 12y ago
  Working link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Enterprises_Ltd._v._Accolade%2C_Inc%2E http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Enterprises_Ltd._v._Accola...
  - monocasa 12y ago
    Thanks, do you know why HN strips the period off of the link?
    - peri 12y ago
      HN has a very particular parser because a lot of us have found we'll copy paste too much too fast if we don't have a weird parser with separate noprocrast settings from our normal work.
Jolijn 12y ago
A lot of countries have provisions in their laws that make breaking DRM legal 'for the purpose of interoperability'. E.g. http://www.twobirds.com/en/news/articles/2012/decompilation-infringement-exception-applied-against-nintendo-dispute-ds-linker-modchips http://www.twobirds.com/en/news/articles/2012/decompilation-...