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Intellectual Property Law Commons

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Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Intellectual Property Law

Software Copyright Infringement Claims After Mai Systems V. Peak Computer, Trinnie Arriola Apr 1994

Software Copyright Infringement Claims After Mai Systems V. Peak Computer, Trinnie Arriola

Washington Law Review

In MAI Systems Corp. v. Peak Computer, Inc. the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Peak committed copyright infringement by running MAI operating system software incidental to Peak's repair of the computer system. The court rejected Peak's section 117 defense under the Copyright Act because it refused to recognize a licensee of computer software as an "owner" of a copy of software. This Note argues that the decision contravenes both the substance and principles of federal copyright law, and unnecessarily harms computer owners. It suggests a two-tiered analysis that courts should follow when evaluating copyright infringement claims involving software …


The Copyright And Trade Secret Protection Of Communication Software: Placing A Lock On Interoperability, 13 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 17 (1994), Steven N. Dupont Jan 1994

The Copyright And Trade Secret Protection Of Communication Software: Placing A Lock On Interoperability, 13 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 17 (1994), Steven N. Dupont

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The author argues that courts must take into account industry demands for interoperable computer products in determining the proper scope of protection enjoyed by computer software. Part II of the article discusses the technical aspects of a communications software system in the context of a hypothetical software developer. Part III of the article analyzes how compatibility concerns affect the determination of the proper scope of copyright and trade secret protection. Part IV of the article gives an overview of the anti-trust concerns in light of the current debate surrounding interoperability. The article concludes that economically adequate legal protection for communications …


Brown V. Iowa Legislative Council: Struggling With The Application Of The Freedom Of Information Act To Computerized Government Records, 13 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 123 (1994), Elizabeth M. Dillon Jan 1994

Brown V. Iowa Legislative Council: Struggling With The Application Of The Freedom Of Information Act To Computerized Government Records, 13 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 123 (1994), Elizabeth M. Dillon

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In 1996, Congress passed the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to promote public access of information held by the federal government. Consequently, fifty states followed the lead by passing similar statutes providing public access to information held by state governments. While FOIA statutes facilitates the dissemination of information, the use of "records" in the statutes proves to be problematic in this computer age. Part of the accessible records is the information of redistricting of the states, a federal constitutional requirement on the states every ten years. In the Brown v. Iowa Legislative Council, plaintiff sought to gain access to the …


Has The Computer Changed The Law?, 13 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 43 (1994), David C. Tunick Jan 1994

Has The Computer Changed The Law?, 13 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 43 (1994), David C. Tunick

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The computer has caused changes to over forty areas of the law. While not exhaustive, the areas of law examined in this article show that computers have caused certain areas of the law to evolve while others remain virtually unchanged. Computer use has not changed in the area of commercial law. Computer contracts can involve hardware, software or services. Whether the Uniform Commercial Code applies to acquisitions has been the subject of much litigation turning on whether the software is canned or custom. Courts analyze the custom software cases under existing tests including the "dominant element" test, the "end product …


§ 117 - The Right To Adapt Into The Fourth Generation And The Source Code Generator's Dilemma, 12 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 537 (1994), Marvin N. Benn, Richard J. Superfine Jan 1994

§ 117 - The Right To Adapt Into The Fourth Generation And The Source Code Generator's Dilemma, 12 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 537 (1994), Marvin N. Benn, Richard J. Superfine

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Section 117, of The Copyright Act of 1976, which regulates the copying of a computer software program by an authorized or registered user, serves as an exception or defense to an allegation of software infringement. This exception is grounded in the concept that an individual who lawfully purchases a computer software program should have the right to copy that program to some extent. However, courts have not developed a uniform approach to analyzing Section 117. This paper offers a union of tests used individually by courts to resolve this problem of legal inconsistency. The courts have developed a three-step approach …


Watch Your E-Mail - Employee E-Mail Monitoring And Privacy Law In The Age Of The Electronic Sweatshop, 28 J. Marshall L. Rev. 139 (1994), Laurie Thomas Lee Jan 1994

Watch Your E-Mail - Employee E-Mail Monitoring And Privacy Law In The Age Of The Electronic Sweatshop, 28 J. Marshall L. Rev. 139 (1994), Laurie Thomas Lee

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.


Legitimizing Decompilation Of Computer Software Under Copyright Law: A Square Peg In Search Of A Square Hole, 28 J. Marshall L. Rev. 105 (1994), Allan M. Soobert Jan 1994

Legitimizing Decompilation Of Computer Software Under Copyright Law: A Square Peg In Search Of A Square Hole, 28 J. Marshall L. Rev. 105 (1994), Allan M. Soobert

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.


Engineering Competitive Policy And Copyright Misuse, Marshall A. Leaffer Jan 1994

Engineering Competitive Policy And Copyright Misuse, Marshall A. Leaffer

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.


Four Reasons And A Paradox: The Manifest Superiority Of Copyright Over Sui Generis Protection Of Computer Software, Jane C. Ginsburg Jan 1994

Four Reasons And A Paradox: The Manifest Superiority Of Copyright Over Sui Generis Protection Of Computer Software, Jane C. Ginsburg

Faculty Scholarship

The "Manifesto Concerning the Legal Protection of Computer Programs" offers an extensive and challenging critique of current intellectual property protection of software. The authors argue strongly that the law should focus on the value of the know-how embodied in programs and the importance of protecting it, rather than on the particular means which might be used to appropriate it. The authors seek to compel reconceptualization of the place of computer programs, and of software authors' creativity, within the domain of intellectual property. However, their brief for change manifests several flaws. Paradoxically, it comes at once both too soon and too …