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How to copyright software
How to Copyright Software Sanely
If you're wondering how to copyright software the good news is you've probably already done it. At least you have if you have ever written software. Most people however get confused over exactly what having a copyright for their software means and this is the trickier question to answer. First of all, thinking it isn't going to do it and you can't really copyright the things you think.
Second, only those things that can be seen (when it comes to software) can be copyrighted. If you want to protect the abstract, look into patents. Otherwise if it is original, fixed, and tangible you can copyright it. Essentially you already know how to copyright software if you've put it into a finished form. Once you've written the source code the copyright belongs to you.
Copyrighting software doesn't offer the protection that many people hope it will. The idea of the software and anything about the finished product that wasn't available in a tangible (visible) form isn't protected by the copyright. In fact the only thing that is undeniably protected by copyright when it comes to software is the source code. The question you should be asking is now how to copyright software, it is how to patent your software and that requires a much more involved and prolonged explanation.
To obtain a patent for your software you must apply for a patent in each country that offers patents for software and in which you wish to have the protection a patent can offer. I warned you this was much trickier than how to copyright software. Then it gets trickier still. There is no universal legal definition of what a software patent is so each country that offers patents also has a different definition for what is protected by that patent as well as for why a patent will be granted. If you want to add to the confusion a little more while wondering how to copyright software, also consider the fact that your software may be given a patent in one of the countries where you applied and none of the others.
Of course, if this is not enough fun for you, you can try to deal with the red tape involved in dealing with multiple governments in order to resolve any issues or disputes that may have arisen from the result of the software patents you hold. If you've forgotten the original question it was: how to copyright software? I told you that one was much easier.
The main thing you need to do if you're going for international patents (which can secure a profitable future for you and your business) is to get a really good patent lawyer and have him walk you through and hold your hand for the entire process. In fact, I would say that's probably the best advice you can get. Patents are complicated and when you're not exactly sure of what you're doing, whom you need to talk to, and what the next step is you stand to waste a lot of time while taking a bigger risk. It is much easier to deal with how to copyright software on your own than it is to work out the complicated world of software patents.
If this is your first time designing your own software you have every right to be nervous and excited and scared to death at the same time. Remember lawyers went to school much longer than you in order to know what to do in this situation so you should not be expected to know how to copyright software when you've never done it before.
Copyright lawyer support service Things a Copyright Lawyer Support Service Covers There are a few things every copyright lawyer support service should cover and those are summaries of any cases that are currently ongoing. This is a way that the client and the copyright lawyer stay up-to-date and should something new come up they know all about it. You would have to be going up for an issue you think has only been ruled one way until last week, however if you were you would know because of the copyright lawyer support service would be right in front of you. In this you would find the court case and number, the day it was held, who the judge was and the representing attorneys plus a summary of what the case was actually about. See how much information a copyright lawyer support service gives you? Now you will know if it is a new lawyer or someone that you are already familiar with, which is good especially if you will be going up against them. A client or a lawyer may find themselves wanting to look into the archives of the copyright lawyer support service if one is available. There are always a ton of gems from the past that can help someone out, maybe there is a copyright case that others forgot about. This is when a lawyer would be able to quote the case number and know exactly what it was about and could share it with the others. There aren’t just one or two different copyright lawyer support service, no you can find just about as many as there are lawyers. Think of every one that has been to a court hearing, or that was ruled outside of court for years, plus the many that haven’t even gone forward yet. An entire firm may have one or a copyright lawyer that is working on their own. It doesn’t matter exactly who it is, only that they are there to support YOU. Another copyright lawyer support service may actually be that they are there to help you fill out an application, whether it is online or in their office. If you have questions call their help line or your lawyer and find out what you should do. Or you may just want to use the service to copy your copyright right there in front of you and not have to make an appointment to do it. These days copyright lawyer support service is getting much better and faster, due to the ever growing demand of their own services. A service may also include a list of recommended copyright lawyers as well as all the summaries of current cases. What better way to find the lawyer you need than to get one that is highly praised in a document that provides you with so much information. A lawyer will learn exactly what they need to do to help you if they read a copyright lawyer support service very carefully. They’ll barely have to do much research once this is in front of them, all they have to do is read the page and find out how the lawyer did it. Due to the internet changing so frequently so does copyright laws and the best way to keep up is by following along with the copyright lawyer support service. Sure they are there to support you but they are also there to support the lawyers. It is a great service for everyone involved but it won’t help a single person if you aren’t aware that it is out there. Copyright Infringement Statistics Copyright infringement statistics, by most standards are inflated. Most recent copyright infringement statistics cite that almost 30 percent of software is pirated in the United States of America. This means that they think 30 percent of the software on your computer is illegal… they think we’re all thieves, to an extent. However, copyright holders have good reason to worry that we’re violating their rules: the number of suspects referred to the United States attorneys with an Intellectual Property lead charge increased twenty six percent in the period between 2002 and 2004 – and there have been studies that show that this is rising. Copyright infringement statistics are difficult to come by, but it’s plain to see it’s affecting every aspect of intellectual copy. Copyright infringement statistics show that in addition to software privacy, there are a lot of violations in the music world. Copyright infringement statistics show that many unsuspecting people, from college students to thirty-something a professional, download music on a consistent basis, and often it’s not downloaded legally. Often times, someone will download a song off a MySpace or YouTube page, without giving thought to who really owns the copyright and if it’s legal for them to have it. Copyright infringement statistics, brought to us by the music recording industry, would have us believe that online infringement is seriously hurting the recording industry. A sensible person, however, would realize that with the abundance of MP3 sales sites that this will turn quickly and recording giants will see the huge profits available online. It’s already begun, you see, we have yet to see the impact of online music sales, and how it will increase revenue. I’m sure, with the huge talent pool at their disposal, the media giants will find a way to monetize the internet to their fullest advantage. Copyright infringement statistics also show that many people are downloading games off the internet. With the litany of games available to us – from complete alternate worlds such as World of Warcraft to the more mainstream “The Sims” series, people are clamoring for PC games – and for good reason. They’re fun, intelligent games that play on a system everyone has – a computer. Because of this, people are always looking for new games to play and download, and they may download a game without knowing that it’s not ‘freeware’ (as many internet games are). In addition to computer games, copyright infringement statistics also show that movies are downloaded in abundance on the internet. Many peer to peer file distribution sites and programs (such as bit torrent or Kazaa) allow for the transfer of very large files, and they’re easy to find online. Using a tool provided by one of many suppliers, users can search for any item they like – and, of course, the system is abused and people download copyrighted movies and entire DVDs instead of publicly available works. Copyright infringement also branches into written works, such as articles, books, poems, etc. Many times, a student will copy a paragraph or two without realizing the implications of such copying. While they may think of it as ‘borrowing’, if it’s used on a grander scale, the person could be opening themselves up to a large court fight, especially if it’s used commercially. As you can see, copyright infringement statistics show us that many people are using copyrighted works illegally. Do your best diligence when using another’s work – and ask for permission every time you want to use something that you haven’t created. Chances are, if you just ask the question up front you’ll save yourself from becoming another copyright infringement statistic and save yourself from a major lawsuit. |