reverse engineering
noun [ U ]
ukus PRODUCTION, IT
the process of studying another company's product to see how it is made, sometimes in order to be able to copy it:
The software is then copied using a reverse engineering technique.
The country's pharmaceutical industry now supplies sophisticated drugs at low prices, having mastered the techniques of reverse engineering.
reverse engineer
verb [ T ]
You must hereby agree not to copy, adapt, or reverse engineer any of the software.