Can developers use any apps they want?

Question

I'm just curious if developers can use any applications they want. For example they can modify an application to remove the security, so that they do not need to enter serial numbers and use it freely without limitations. Can this be done?

Answer 1

As far as open source software is concerned, yes. Although, those applications are usually free to begin with.

When it comes to proprietary (closed source) programs it is difficult, if not impossible, and still very illegal.

Software is, typically written in a high-level language ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_level_... ) or source code that is then compiled to machine language ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_cod... ) which a computer can 'understand'. This code is represented to humans as 1s and 0s. This is very hard for a human to read, much less understand.

There are programs that can translate machine code back into source code (decompiler- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decompiler , reverse engineering-  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_eng... ). That would also be a lot of work. For most developers it would be easier and simpler to make the money from their own projects and buy other software legally.

On top of that, companies that make fortunes from software take other steps to avoid exactly what you are describing. Such as obfuscation ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obfuscated_... ).

Mehdi brings up a point I hadn't considered: developers of the application in question.

I think that would depend on the company the developer worked for. I doubt that large software companies allow their developers to take the complete source home with them to do as they please with. It would be too easy for that source to be compromised.  But they are probably given free/discounted serials. The same way that someone who works in a restaurant usually gets cheap or free meals. In a small company, security is likely to be less stringent.

Answer 2

Yes in most cases you wont have access to the original source code directly you need  to use something called reverse engineering. If you have the source code obviously you can do whatever changes you want...

I suggest you just find free alternatives if you just want to by-pass a program's security or support the developer and buy their software unless you just want to learn this for educational reasons.

Answer 3

Quite the opposite.

True developers make sure all their software is registered, so that they can actually use and distribute what they made.

If you're talking about the developers of a certain application not having to register *that* application... yeah, that speaks for itself, as they have the app's source code available.