Jack L. Frost <fbt@???> wrote:

> Yeah, I was going to say that too: a rewrite in another language is a
> completely new piece of software ...

I wouldn't be too sure.
It will vary considerably on the details.
At one extreme, you look at what the original is doing and write new code to do the same manipulations on data - but in your own way. *Probably* OK.
At the other extreme, you look at what the source is doing and merely "translate" that into another language making minimal changes. *Probably* not OK.

Not to mention, in many jurisdictions, people can't assume they can afford to win in court !

I'd suggest the sensible way is, as already suggested, to contact the original developer/copyright holder. If it's a single person, they may be happy to extend the licensing anyway and completely remove any debate or risk.