European Union: Ruled decision on ECJ Case C 13/20 on decompilation with the purpose of troubleshooting

On 6 October 2021, a judgement was reached by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) regarding Case C 13/20 and the decompilation of software under Article 5(1) of the Software Directive (Council Directive 91/250/EEC). The judgement broadly interprets Article 6 of Directive 91/250 (Computer Programs Directive), allowing the acquirer of a computer program to decompile it with the purpose of correcting errors that hinder the functioning of the software. This right is given under Article 5(1) and is independent of Article 6 of the Software Directive.