It should be kept in mind that lawyers routinely put things in these
"click-through agreements" that is unenforceable or illegal.

It may be perfectly legal to reverse engineer, for example: ( from
https://www.eff.org/issues/coders/reverse-engineering-faq )

"Courts have found that reverse engineering for interoperability, for
example, can be a fair use."

If it's being used for teaching it can also be fair use: ( from
http://www.teachingcopyright.org/handout/fair-use-faq )

"the court found that the biographer's use was fair, in part because the
biographer's purpose was to educate and inform the public"

Of course this reflects US law but it most likely also applies in Germany,
and is probably even more favorable for fair use there.


On Mon, Jun 29, 2015 at 6:42 AM, John McKown <john.archie.mckown at gmail.com>
wrote:

> On Sun, Jun 28, 2015 at 7:24 AM, <bob_sqlite at web.de> wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > I teach pupils SQL in school.
> >
> > I want to create exercises about the SQLite database of Whatsapp.
> >
> > Can you tell me the names of tables and the names of columns?
> >
> > For the tables, I'll think of data.
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> > Bob
> >
>
> I'm going to go a bit sideways on this, I hope it is not objectionable.
> Have you contacted Whatsapp about this? I ask because on their web site at
> https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/, it specifically has legalese saying "
> (iii) you will not attempt to reverse engineer, alter or modify any part of
> the Service;" I am not any kind of a lawyer. But it _might_ be argued
> (similar to Oracle vs. Google on the Java API) that the schema of the
> SQLite data base is "part of the Service" and that, especially by using it
> for teaching purposes, you are "reverse engineering" it. Yes, likely a
> extreme position. But IP lawyers can be sharks. Just myself, personally,
> I'd contact Whatsapp and simply ask permission, perhaps explaining what you
> want to do and why you thought that their DB would be a good teaching
> scenario for your students.
>
> Again, I'm just trying urge caution in today's litigious society. I don't
> mean to imply that you are doing anything illegal or immoral (or fattening
> <grin/>).
>
>
> --
>
> Schrodinger's backup: The condition of any backup is unknown until a
> restore is attempted.
>
> Yoda of Borg, we are. Futile, resistance is, yes. Assimilated, you will be.
>
> My sister opened a computer store in Hawaii. She sells C shells down by the
> seashore.
> If someone tell you that nothing is impossible:
> Ask him to dribble a football.
>
> He's about as useful as a wax frying pan.
>
> 10 to the 12th power microphones = 1 Megaphone
>
> Maranatha! <><
> John McKown
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