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Legal aspects of writing NetMD software

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TowerLess

Is writing NetMD software legal?  

  1. 1. Is writing NetMD software legal?

    • Yes
      3
    • No
      0
    • As long as it is not sold
      5


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Would those who have written software that uses NetMD libraries please comment? I wonder if I write an application that works with MD players via Sony's NetMD libraries, is it going to be an illegal thing to do? People who have done it - did you have any issues with that?

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Would those who have written software that uses NetMD libraries please comment? I wonder if I write an application that works with MD players via Sony's NetMD libraries, is it going to be an illegal thing to do? People who have done it - did you have any issues with that?

Well, because it is not forbidden, and the API is developed with open interfaces, it is very likely, that this is not ilegal :wink:

I think if it is not forbidden, then it must be legal! :shock: laugh.gif :idea:

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Ive said this a million times (well, 3 actually) - but ill write in again

First off, if you used the COM interfaces then you would be limited by the restrictions that Sony put in - ie: Only MP3, WAV and CD can be the source media, Files must be converted to Atrac3 before converting to encrypted pcm for SP mode transfer (sucky). Still millions of files scattered over hard-drive (its the API that does this, not the OpenMG software). Check-out restrictions... etc.

If you go down to the lower layers (like the netmdapi.dll) then you can transfer and receive data directly to/from the MD - but unless you know how the encryption/decryption system works you can forget this idea.

All Atrac3 / PCM data transferred to the MD is encrypted in some mystic way. Oh, and I did say PCM because the API cant encode to the original Atrac format. The API decodes the Atrac3 file and sends encrypted PCM to the MD for it to encode into Atrac1... but anyway....

Now if you tackle (somehow) the second solution, you run into legal problems. The main one being that Sony will not like their (propiratry) encryption system to be cracked. And since Sony is not likely to handout details on how that stuff is done, reverse engineering is the main route to success. Of course, reverse engineering commercial products is kind of illegal.

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KIND OF illegal. I've heard it referred to as the freedom to tinker.

What the hell is the matter with Sony? If I was Sony, and someone made a program to go with one of my products that improved the product and therefore raised sales, the last thing I would want to do is punish the guy. I'd hire him before I sued him. Sony pisses me off so much sometimes...

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