Define Copyright, Trade Secrecy, and Patents as They Relate to Software.

1255 Words6 Pages
1. Define copyright, trade secrecy, and patents as they relate to software. Copyrights: Copyright is a form of protection in United States and is granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers unpublished and published works. Copyright, a form of intellectual property law protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. As stated by the author “Copyright is how the U.S. government provides authors with certain rights to original works that they have written.” (Quinn, Pg. 168). Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed. Copyright protects original works of authorship. Trade Secrets: Trade Secret is any valuable commercial, information that provides a business with an advantage over competitors who do not have that information. According to reading “a trade secret is a confidential piece of intellectual property that provides a company with a competitive advantage.” (Quinn, Pg. 165). In general terms trade secrets include inventions, ideas, or compilations of data that are used by business to make it more successful. Specifically, trade secrets include any useful formula, plan, pattern, process, program, tool, technique, mechanism, compound, or device that is not generally known or obtainable by the public. Whatever type of information is represented by a trade secret, a business must take reasonable steps to safeguard it from disclosure. Patents: The United States Patent Office began routinely accepting patent applications claiming software inventions first as new and useful processes, or as articles of manufacture when associated with some hardware or tangible media. “A patent is a way

More about Define Copyright, Trade Secrecy, and Patents as They Relate to Software.

Open Document