Copyright, Patent, and Trade Secret Protection of Software
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the legal methods available for protecting proprietary rights in software. Copyright, patent, and trade secret law have been used to protect different types of material and are now being used to protect software. This investigation examines what protection is available and how it protects the software developer's investment. Special emphasis is placed on Air Force software procurement and retention of software data rights. Statutes and court cases are reviewed to determine the legislative and judicial views of the copyright, patent, and trade secret protection available for software. Of particular interest was the handling of software technical issues by the nontechnically trained judges and attorneys. This study recommends changes to the legal system based on deficiencies in handling computer software based upon legal and technical computer science issues.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA172456
Entities
People
- Richard A. Magnan
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology