"1) Copying the CD for your own backup use 2) Selling your software if you don't want to continue using it 3) Illegal or unfair use of EULA which removes a consumers rights of fair trade 4) Replacement or refund of software which does not fulfil the specifications (ie - software creators have to finally accept that if they write shit code, they get it back)" Points 1-3 are covered by Copyright Law. Point 4, I am sure, is covered by other laws; although I would have to look it up. "There are a number of other things software designers can do to your system which, right now, the end-user isn't protected against." Not necessarily true. Many of the 6 Points above this quote are covered by existing laws, and I think you could make a case for any of the Points you raised; especially in a Class Action type of setting. "This should be totally against the law, they are preventing the rightful people from getting 'credit' for the reference, and taking that credit themselves - which usually equals cash..." I imagine that this is, or soon will be, challenged in a court of law; if it is not already. "Legally there was nothing we could do about it..." One of the legal reasons for "reverse engineering" is for this purpose. If a company goes out of business and there is no successor, then it is perfectly legal to reverse engineer around any protection scheme to ensure that legitmate users can still use the software if an alternative has not been presented.