Unprotecting Protected AutoLISP file

I am a 4th year computer science student. I have a file with I am
assuming (PROTECTED) vlx extension with the following header:

VRTLIB-1, .... FAS4-FILE; Do not change it! ....

I attempted to decompile it with a few of the utilities on the net, but
was unsuccessful.

I would like to study some of the code. Also,

A few questions:

Does any one know which tool could be used to decompile?

I would like to learn more about this intermediate process (compiling),
can someone provide a link to resources about this intermediate step?

Yhanking you in advance,

-jpl-

 

This is illegal in most countries.

Tom Berger

 

Good. That's the way it's intended to work.
___

 

Could you expand on your statement and provide more details?

What exactly is illegal? decompiling or attempting to decompile? Please
explain.

 

Not good, I have what I am looking for. Piece of cake.

Protection Intentions: GOOD
reality: NOT GOOD

BTW don't dispair, What I am looking for by reading other peoples code
is harmless. I am attempting knowledge, nothing else. I promise to be a
good boy.

 

Not that I believe that you are really interested in legal matters,
but here you have a link to the §§s of the German "Urheberrecht" (I am
living in Germany), which is the corresponding thing to the US
copyright: http://transpatent.com/gesetze/urhg11.html#69e

This §69e is saying that you are ONLY allowed to decompile a program
without permission by the author, when the code needs to be modified
to make it "interoperate" with other programs or with other hardware,
AND when the nessesary information to achieve this interoperatibilty
can not be obtained by other way, AND when you you decompile and
modify only that part of the code, which needs to be modified.

In the rare cases where you are allowed to decompile the code (in your
case you are not), you are not allowed to use the information which
you get by decompiling the code to create similar programs.

Tom Berger