This is really a question of abiding by the letter of the law versus abiding by its intent. The intent is to make sure airplanes are safe. One would think that would be a long-term goal of the industry too. However, short-term interests often take precedence, as they did in this case with Boeing’s hope to beat Airbus to market. Legislation/regulatory rules can never specify everything. The industry players must also cooperate in good faith.