Re: [stella] Re: 2600's TIA & the TV Boy

[Chad Schell <gamer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Hmmm.  Dunno.  Would it still be piracy even though the end result was of 
> a totally different design than the original?  i.e. HDL vs. NMOS 
> transistor layout?  Or does it count because the design is based off the 
> original work?

Most likely, yes it would piracy.  I looked into a lot of this with the 
Cuttle Cart.  It's copyright that will kill you.  The DMCA has made 
everything horrible, throwing out many of the former restrictions on what 
could be copyrighted, etc.   Basically the stance on reverse engineering is 
that if you have had access to the original product, then it's assumed 
you've stolen information rather than doing a ground up 
recreation.  Everything now requires clean room reverse engineering, where 
one team breaks something down, then provides a flow chart of the operation 
that another team recreates everything from - having never had access to 
the original.

It's actually reached the point where any reverse engineering is likely 
illegal in the US.  That's why companies are now doing that work over in 
Europe, then having people in the US recreate things based on the findings 
of the European team.

Since you've done so much with the TIA, and are about to receive chip masks 
/ schematics for the chip, you wouldn't have much defense.  I know there 
used to be special rules governing chip masks specifically, and that there 
are no valid patents on the VCS because the Coleco case established that 
fact, but I don't know how well you'd fare in the copyright arena.

It's definitely something to consider, especially if you had any commercial 
ventures in mind, like a portable VCS, etc.

Chad
============================================
Chad Schell
gamer@xxxxxxxxxxx
Like the Atari 2600?  Check out the Cuttle Cart.
http://www.schells.com/cuttlecart.shtml


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