[sdiy] cloning, copying, copyrights

[Florian Anwander]

Hi Cheater

> Ah yes, but aren't we talking about redrawn schematics?
> After a redraw, the PCB has no riders on it, so you can sell it freely...
> you're also not selling a circuit...
> and not infringing in any trademark patents (since you're only selling
> a pcb, and not a case)
> 
> Abstracting from that, I understood that if you want to copy a
> patented circuit for personal use you could do so at your own
> discretion? 
Yes, you may do that, but (in theory) only because assumingly noone will 
ever know, that you did so.


> Can you confirm or deny that? Which part of the US law or
> the German law would treat on this?
In German law there are several different laws. I will explain it in a 
mail in response to Harry Bissel

> We're unfortunately stepping on weird ground, which changes from
> country to country...
> Is the EU regulating this? Does the EU say you can or can't copy
> copyrighted circuits for personal use?
The general structure of the laws is: there are national laws (in France 
slightly different as in Germany), and there are international 
agreements and contracts which agree on the general principle *that* 
authors or producers rights have to be protected, but not *how* they are 
protected. The EU provides a framework of recommendations for its 
members, but nothing like a law.