This book sets out in a relatively succinct fashion the principle [sic] sources of legal protection of computer software, that is copyright, database right, patents and confidential information. The book should be of interest to students, lawyers and those active in the computer industry who are seeking a readable and rather comprehensive introduction to this subject.
Computer software is a pervasive phenomenon and of enormous economic importance, as the author makes clear in his introduction:
“Computer software now covers such a wide range of subject-matter which includes computer programs, databases, other works of copyright such as text-based and audio-visual works, online entertainment and computer games. Indeed, it is not too great an overstatement to claim that everything now is software or is capable of conversion into software”.
This development is, however, relatively recent, dating perhaps from the mid 1970s, and has caused certain problems with trying to fit software within the traditional categories of intellectual property:
“Reasons for the difficulty in identifying a single appropriate form of intellectual property right for computer programs are that:
· Computer programs are unlike other forms of copyright work in that they are dynamic rather than static as is generally the case with copyright works. Computer programs do things, they manipulate symbols and data and cause or control effects including physical effects....
David Rodgers
EIPR Issue 9 [2008]
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