[Biojava-l] File formats

[VERHOEF Frans]

Hi,

Just my take on it, but if developing software that reads ABI files
would be illegal, I think Microsoft would already have sued Sun
Microsystems for StarOffice being able to read/write in MS Office
formats.
So I do not think you have to worry about it.

Kind regards,
Frans


> -----Original Message-----
> From: biojava-l-bounces at portal.open-bio.org [mailto:biojava-l-
> bounces at portal.open-bio.org] On Behalf Of Rich Heath
> Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 5:59 PM
> To: biojava-l at biojava.org
> Subject: [Biojava-l] File formats
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I am a software developer based in the UK that has
> been asked about producing a piece of software that
> outputs data from the files in ABI sequencers in a
> more human readable format. I hope the
> org.biojava.bio.program.abi package will let me do
> this, but I have some concerns about the legal
> implications of using and contributing to this
> package.
> 
> Does anyone know what the legal position is with
> regards reverse engineering the Applied Biosystems
> file format (and any other file formats come to that
> matter)? I would imagine this file format is the
> property of Applied Biosystems and they would not like
> me producing applications that read from it unless I
> provide them with a sizable licence fee (although I
> guess I am not reverse engineering it if I just use
> the above package, just if I contribute to it?).
> 
> Many thanks in advance for your help,
> 
> Rich
> 
> 
> 
>
________________________________________________________________________
> Want to chat instantly with your online friends?  Get the FREE Yahoo!
> Messenger http://mail.messenger.yahoo.co.uk
> _______________________________________________
> Biojava-l mailing list  -  Biojava-l at biojava.org
> http://biojava.org/mailman/listinfo/biojava-l