Vintage Synth Repair

As far as I have understood, you cannot have copyright on a how circuits 
are connected, just on the PCB layout and the schematic. So, it is 
totally OK to reverse-engineer a PCB and make a replacement. However, if 
there are any programmed components (ie. microcontrollers, FPGAs) on the 
board, then you are stuck, because the software is protected by 
copyright and cannot be replicated unless you write your own software 
from scratch (a huge undertaking).


Motherboards are tricky in this regard, as they contain software. You 
would have to write new software, a lot of work, but it is possible (as 
far as I know, this is how the Kiwi-106 and similar upgrades are made). 
Analog boards are much easier, as you can trace the board and lay out a 
new one.


Karl H.