What is reverse engineering ?
Reverse engineering (RE) is the process of discovering the technological principles of a mechanical application through analysis of its structure, function and operation. It often involves taking something apart and analyzing its workings in detail, usually with the intention to construct a new device or program that does the same thing without actually copying anything from the original.
This kind of inquiry engages individuals in a constructive learning process about the operation of systems and products.
Through reverse engineering, a researcher gathers the technical data necessary for the documentation of the operation of a technology or component of a system. Reverse engineering begins with final product, and works backward to recreate the engineering concepts by analyzing the design of the system and the interrelationships of its components.
The goal of reverse engineering itself is the improved documentation of how the original product works by uncovering the underlying design. The working product that results from a reverse engineering effort is more like a duplicate of the original system, without necessarily adding modifications or improvements to the original design.
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What are the different uses of reverse engineering?
A common misperception regarding reverse engineering is that it is used for the sake of stealing or copying someone else's work. Reverse engineering is not only used to figure out how something works, but also the ways in which it does not work.
Some examples of the different uses of reverse engineering include:
- Understanding how a product works more comprehensively than by merely observing it
- Investigating and correcting errors and limitations in existing programs
- Studying the design principles of a product as part of an education in engineering
- Making products and systems compatible so they can work together or share data
- Evaluating one's own product to understand its limitations
- Determining whether someone else has literally copied elements of one's own technology
- Creating documentation for the operation of a product whose manufacturer is unresponsive to customer service requests
- Transforming obsolete products into useful ones by adapting them to new systems and platforms
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Is reverse engineering legal?
Reverse engineering has long been held a legitimate form of discovery in both legislation and court opinions in several countries Semiconductor Acts such as Canda and United States. The Supreme Court has confronted the issue of reverse engineering in mechanical technologies several times. |
