https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=56661
--- Comment #9 from Dmitry Timoshkov dmitry@baikal.ru --- (In reply to Paul Gofman from comment #8)
(In reply to Dmitry Timoshkov from comment #7)
(In reply to Paul Gofman from comment #6)
I think implementing same mechanics doesn't not necessarily assume copying Windows database, or even supporting the format (while the latter would be ideal of course because I saw some games shipping and installing own shim DB with them). Implementing that would probably mean adding compat hacks manually.
Adding compatibility hacks manually implies using Windows shims database as a reference, which seems to be a copyright violation.
How is that different from, e. g, looking at MSVS headers looking at structure definition and function prototypes? The database is available to view with a MS GUI tool (from which I attached a screenshot), without looking at any internal MS files. Also subject for unit testing.
MSVC headers are explicitly designed and licensed to be used in the source form. Inspecting an internal Windows binary database even with the special tool doesn't grant a license for using it in a different product, even in a different format.