Law Commons^™

Legal Protection Of Computer Programs In The United Kingdom, Timothy S. Bishop

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The computer software and firmware industries spend an enormous sum of money each year on the development of new programs. Developing, marketing and maintaing an individual program may involve a substantial investment. A potential for profit obviously exists if a successful program can be copied, thereby saving development and other related expenses, or if a copmuter user can run a program wihtout paying the usual fees to its owner. It is hardly surprising that considerable attention is now being focused on the means by which owners may secure legal protection against the copying or unauthorized use of their programs.