Ask HN: Legality of reverse engineering game for engine reimplementation?

1 point·Akronymus··6 comments

I have been thinking about reverse engineering SimCity 4 for the purpose of doing a engine reimplementation in the vein of Open RCT2 (Open source, Free, no assets included).

What I am concerned about, is what the legality is/if EA would go after me.

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If you engage in clean room reverse engineering, probably not.

Some have already done this: look at ScummVM and https://github.com/GTAmodding/re3

That'd require additional people, right? Some to RE and some to write the code.

Edit: Also what about possible patents? (Not that I think any were used in SC4)

Yes, it would require additional people. If you did it by yourself, would you get in trouble still? Probably not - its still possible to do it by yourself, clean room just makes a stronger legal case for if they did come after you. But the engine is probably so complex you'll need other people to help you anyway.

Note this really only applied for Americans, correct me if im wrong but Reverse Engineering with no limitations is legal in the EU (software patents are also illegal in some parts of the EU, that i am certain of)

Oh, I am in fact from Europe. Austria specifically. Do you know where I can read up on these laws?

http://racolblegal.com/legality-of-reverse-engineering-of-a-...

https://lwn.net/Articles/134642/

Usually its allowed for interoperability, which is what you are trying to do.

Thanks a lot. Will read those articles.

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