Under current federal copyright law (17 U.S.C. 105), federal agencies cannot copyright and license their computer software. Officials at the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Institutes of Health state that a significant…

A statement by Senator Orrin G. Hatch opened the hearing on The Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1988, a bill which would amend title 17, United States Code, the Copyright Act, to protect certain computer programs. The text of the bill is then presented, followed by the statements of four witnesses: (1) Dr. Alan C. Ashton, president,…

Explains the exceptions incorporated in the Copyright Act to deal with problems raised by computer software. The exceptions discussed include the right to load copy, to make backup copies, and to modify software, as well as the fair use doctrine. (CLB)

The second article in a four-part continuing education course on legal issues affecting libraries and librarians addresses the issues of liability insurance, malpractice, and copyright laws pertaining to print materials and computer software. (12 references) (CLB)

Discussion of reasons for and possible implications of the illegal copying of software focuses on software theft in higher education. Copy protected versus non-copy protected software is discussed, the technology of microcomputer systems is considered, and the impact of theft on software developers and vendors is examined. (LRW)

This background paper reviews copyright, patent, and trade secret protections as these issues are related to computer software. Topics discussed include current issues regarding legal protection for computer software including the necessity for defining intellectual property, determining what should or should not be protected, commerical piracy,…

The Copyright Act of 1976, particularly the guidelines on fair use, did much to clarify the ambiguity of the 1909 Copyright Act in relation to new electronic media. Although some specific guidelines for teachers were included, it should be noted that microcomputers and disk drives were not yet widely available in 1976. Because experts were divided…

Presents current licensing practices of software for microcomputers and demonstrates inadequacies of these practices to situations where installations make use of multiple microcomputers using realistic scenarios. Suggestions for possible revisions to licensing agreements that might alleviate these inadequacies are provided. (MBR)

Reviews specific problems associated with software protection (copyright license, trade secret license), clauses in software license agreements that most frequently cause difficulties, and solutions university administrators and software industry should consider. Topics include confidentiality, restrictive use of modifications, use on single…

Briefly reviews the laws pertaining to copyrights, patents, and trade secrets, and discusses how each of these may be applied to the protection of computer programs. The comparative merits and limitations of each category of law are discussed and recent court decisions are summarized. (CLB)

Designed to provide educators with guidance for the lawful reproduction of computer software, this document contains suggested guidelines, sample forms, and several short articles concerning software copyright and license agreements. The initial policy statement calls for educators to provide software developers (or their agents) with a…

Various legal methods, such as copyright, trade secret, and patent law, protect proprietary rights in computer software. Users of this software must respect these rights or face infringement lawsuits. (TE)

To avoid microcomputer software copyright infringement, administrators must be aware of the law, read the software agreements, maintain good records, submit all software registration cards, provide secure storage, post warnings, be consistent when establishing and enforcing policies, consider a site license, and ensure the legality of currently…

This discussion of copyright protection for computer programs focuses on the "first sale doctrine" and "shrink wrap" licenses, copyright of databases, copyright ownership, and copyright notices. (EM)

Building on the 1983 policy statement developed by the International Council for Computers in Education (ICCE), this statement recommends the adoption of a school district copyright policy, adoption of the suggested software use guidelines, and use of the copyright page of software documentation to ascertain user's rights, obligations, and licence…