Software Copyright
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Software Copyright
Software and copyright
Current copright and patent laws are inapropriate for computer software; their
imposition slows
down software development and reduces competition.
From the first computer as we know them, the ENIAC, computer software has
become more and more
important. From thousands of bytes on miles of paper to millions of bytes on a thin piece
of tin foil
sandwitched between two pieces of plastic, software has played an important part in the
world. Computers
have most likely played an important role in all our lives, from making math easier with
calculators, to
having money on the go with ATM machines. However, with all the help that has been
given to us, we
haven't done anything for software and the people who write it. Software by nature is
completely
defenseless, as it is more or less simply intellectual property, and not a physical thing,
thus very
easily copied. Copied software does not make money for its creators, and thus they
charge more for whats
not copied, and the whole industry inflates.
There are two categories of intellectual property. The first one is composed of
writing, music,
and films,which are covered by copyright. Inventions and innovations are covered by
patent. These two
categories have covered for years many kinds of work with little or no conflict.
Unfortunately, it is
not that easy when dealing with such a complex matter as computer software. When
something is typed on
a computer, it is considered writting, as it is all written words and numbers. However,
when executed by
the computer, it functions like an invention, performing a specific task as instructed by the
user.
Thus, software falls into both categories (Del Guercio 22-24). It is generally covered
today by
copyright laws, for most mass market software at least. More advanced software or
programming
techniques, however, can be patented, as they are neither obvious nor old. This results
in many problems
which I will go into later.
Copyrights last the lifetime of the author, plus 50 years, and can be renewed.
Patents last only
17 years, but cannot be renewed. With technology advancing so quickly, it is not
necessary to maintain
the protection of the software for the length of the copyright, but also, it is sometimes
necessary to
renew them (Del Guercio 22-24), say, for a 10th sequel in a video game series or
version 47.1 of Bob's
Graphic Program. With copyrighted material, one is able to write software similiar to
someo...
The complete article is about 2794 words and 11.18 pages long.
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