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I've the following scenario:

I've written some programming code which I own, but I lost the source code, however I've binary which was created by the compiler.

Can I simply decode my own binary code back to the source code if I know how to do it?

Here are the technical details to reproduce that scenario on the computer:

  1. Write a dummy program:

    $ echo "void start() { }" > foo.mq4

  2. I've downloaded the compiler (without accepting any agreement):

    $ curl -O https://download.mql5.com/cdn/web/metaquotes.software.corp/mt5/mql.exe

  3. Compile the program (which generated encrypted foo.ex4 binary file):

    $ mql.exe /mql4 foo.mq4
MQL4/MQL5 Compiler build 1162 (02 Jul 2015)
Copyright 2001-2015, MetaQuotes Software Corp.
foo.mq4 : information: Compiling 'foo.mq4'
Result: 0 error(s), 0 warning(s)

  4. I lost my source code:

    $ rm -v foo.mq4
removed ‘foo.mq4’

  5. I'm trying to decompile the binary file using a tool to recover my source code:

    $ ./decompiler foo.ex4

Is that perfectly fine to do that, or not? Or it depends, if so, on what?

kenorb
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1 Answers1

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I certainly don't see why this would not be legal. If you wrote a novel in English and paid someone to translate it into Spanish you could translate it back if you want.

The copyright scenario is they have copyright in the compiler; you own the copyright in the input and output of it. The compiler's creators have no claim on the output because there is none of their creativity in it.

Dale M
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