Computer Law Commons^™

Is Turn About Fair Play? Copyright Law And The Fair Use Of Computer Software Loaded Into Ram, Chad G. Asarch

Michigan Law Review

Computer systems, especially those in heavy-use commercial settings, often require routine maintenance to continue functioning properly. Many businesses turn to an independent service organization ("IS0") to provide computer maintenance services because ISOs frequently charge less than the original equipment manufacturer ("OEM") for those services. The tremendous growth in computer use has spawned a multi-billion dollar computer maintenance industry in the United States, and ISOs and OEMs have become engaged in fierce competition for this computer service business. The struggle between ISOs and OEMs to capture this expanding market has spilled over into the courts, spawning a number of recent decisions …

Fixation On Fixation: Why Imposing Old Copyright Law On New Technology Will Not Work, Douglas J. Mason

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Reverse Engineering Of Computer Software And U.S. Antitrust Law, Robert H. Lande, Sturgis M. Sobin

All Faculty Scholarship

This article explores when efforts by firms to restrict reverse engineering of their software, and corresponding agreements by other firms not to reverse engineer this software, could raise significant antitrust issues.

This article provides an overview of how the laws prohibiting certain acts of monopolization, attempted monopolization, refusals to deal, and tying might apply to restrictions and agreements concerning the reverse engineering of computer software. As a necessary predicate to this analysis, the article first briefly describes the contours of intellectual property protection for software, including the fair use and the copyright misuse doctrines.

Escaping The World Of I Know It When I See It: A New Test For Software Patent Ability, Brooke Schumm Iii

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

The major thesis presented in this article is a focused standard of software patentability, in particular for pure computational methods or algorithms directed to the manipulation of numbers operating on a computer. The general philosophy is to compel inventors to narrow their claims to an algorithm expressed in terms of its utility and then to require that the particular utility or functionality be expressed in the claim as a limit on the claim, thus precluding the patent monopoly from being overbroad. As a corollary, any person is free to use or perhaps to patent the algorithm for a different utility …

Information Wants To Be Free, But The Packaging Is Going To Cost You, Gregory A. Stobbs

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

The question is this: where do we draw the line between private ownership and the public domain? It is not a question of choosing between copyright and patent, of choosing between hardware and software, or of choosing between implementation and algorithm. It is a more fundamental question that reaches back to ancient human values and transcends our current fixation on computers and software. It helps to put things in perspective. When debating where we and the law are headed (as we are now), it helps to know where we have been. In this regard, do not assume that software patents …

Software Developers Want Changes In Patent And Copyright Law, David A. Burton

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

Most software developers do not oppose all software copyrights. There is broad support for basic copyright protection of computer programs which prohibits directly copying computer programs without the author's permission. Nearly all commercial software is copyrighted, and most programmers agree that such protection is necessary in order for software development to be profitable. However, software patents and "look and feel" copyrights go well beyond this to prohibit other programmers from independently writing even programs that are similar to the protected program. Such constraints are strongly resented by many in the software development community who long for the good old days …

Comments In Response To The Patent And Trademark Office's Proposed Examination Guidelines For Computer-Implemented Inventions, Robert R. Sachs

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

The Guidelines reflect a policy decision that computer-implemented inventions require both hardware and software elements. This policy decision and definition present several important issues. First, do the Guidelines accurately reflect and accommodate the practices of the software industry and software engineers? Second, do the Guidelines accurately reflect the current case law?

Software Patents--Just Make A Good Thing Better, David R. Syrowik

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

Some have stated that software is somehow "different" from other technologies and must be treated differently. Others have gone so far as to advocate the abolition of patents for software-related technologies. I disagree with both propositions. I believe a heavy burden rests on those who advocate that a particular field of technology should be exempted from the patent system absent a statutory prohibition. Software-related technology should be treated under the U.S. patent laws as any other technology would be treated. Otherwise, investment in the software industry will be negatively impacted. The current patent system is vital to the protection of …

The Quest For Enabling Metaphors For Law And Lawyering In The Information Agae, Pamela Samuelson

Michigan Law Review

A Review of James Boyle, Shamans, Software, and Spleens: Law and the Construction of the Information Society and M. Ethan Katsh, Law in a Digital World

The Computer As Advocate: An Approach To Computer-Generated Displays In The Courtroom, Mario Borelli

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Foreword: Commercial Transactions On The Global Information Infrastructure, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 209 (1996), Brian G. Gilpin

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Electronic Contracting: Legal Issues, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 211 (1996), Raymond T. Nimmer

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In discussing the legal electronic contracting issues, the author gives an in-depth analysis of current UCC provisions in the context of electronic contracting. The author further gives recommendations to the UCC amendments so that the UCC would be adequate to meet the technological challenges of the future. The analysis first addresses the subject matter of electronic contracting before turning to the methods of initiating or responding to electronic messages. Then, there is the electronic data interchange which allows parties to exchange data for direct processing by parties information systems. The technology may have made exchange of data more efficient, but …

Commerce On The Net: Surfing Through Cyberspace Without Getting Wet, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 247 (1996), Diana J. P. Mckenzie

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

It's business as usual: parties transacting business with paper, pens, phone calls, faxes, etc. With the convenience of computers in the market places, however, the business landscape is no longer the same: no more paper or less face-to-face contacts. Cyberspace provides an environment that obliterate physical time and space, but it also brings along risk fertile to create liabilities. In this article, the author attempts to address areas such as advertising; selling of money or goods; direct distributing of digitized products; contracting; intellectual property rights; common law torts and right to privacy on the Internet. At the end, the author …

Commercial Transactions On The Global Information Infrastructure: A European Perspective, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 269 (1996), Christopher Millard, Robert Carolina

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In an attempt to facilitate a single European marketplace, EU directives tried to amend its laws and regulations to accommodate the ever-advancing technology of the Internet. In tackling the issues, the authors discuss different layers of the Internet as laying the foundation for further analysis. Digital data networks are virtual networks; they are composed of a series of unrelated networks with each potentially owned and operated by different person. While the physical layers of such networks are important, the focus of this article is on the data layer: the layer that packages the data in a very efficient manner. This …

The High Price Of A Cashless Society: Exchanging Privacy Rights For Digital Cash, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 303 (1996), Catherine M. Downey

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The Internet has lured both shoppers and business people to its online economy. When a user wants to purchase an item from a merchant, he simply sends the bank a special electronic message, encoded with a unique digital signature requesting the money. The bank debits the user’s account and sends “e-cash” to the users computer via the Internet. After receiving the e-cash, the user’s computer transmits it to the merchant’s computer, which verifies the authenticity of the “e-cash” with the bank and credits it to the merchant’s account. This move to a cashless society stretches the parameters of current legislation …

Cryptography And The First Amendment: The Right To Be Unheard, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 325 (1996), Phillip E. Reiman

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The author proposes that current technology has made cryptography an important element in maintaining a society's right to free speech. Cryptography is the process of using secret codes to protect information. This protection increases society's privacy because cryptographers can limit the amount of information that is seen by others. The world is becoming a place where there is virtually no privacy. Everyone is open to surveillance through the Internet, use of a credit card or being filmed on a security camera. Cryptography is a means in which a person can protect his privacy. Through this protection, the author states that …

Don't Shoot The Messenger: Protecting Speech On Editorially Controlled Bulletin Board Services By Applying Sullivan Malice, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 347 (1996), Iris Ferosie

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Courts must determine the standard of liability for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that proactively edit their Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) for defamatory content. ISPs are computer services that provide data processing and communication services to customers - individual computer users who subscribe to the ISP's service. BBSs are computer programs that act like a traditional bulletin board. They are centrally located on the ISP's computers, and people who subscribe to the ISP can access that bulletin board to publish (or "post") messages on the board, and read and respond to other people's messages. Some ISPs allow people to post messages …

Patent Reexamination And The Pto: Compton's Patent Invalidated At The Commissioner's Request, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 379 (1996), Terri Suzette Hughes

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In 1985, two executives at Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. introduced the idea of a multimedia search system that interfaxed textual and graphical entry paths in a single database. At that time, Encyclopedia Britannica was not interested in publishing its own volumes of encyclopedias in an electronic format. Instead, they decided to make Compton’s Encyclopedia the basis of the proposed multimedia encyclopedia. On August 31, 1993, the PTO issued U.S. patent 5,241,671 for a multimedia search system to fourteen inventors who had previously assigned all their patent rights of the claimed invention to Encyclopedia Britannica. Questions arose about the validity of the …

Harmonisation Of European Union Privacy Law, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 411 (1996), Ulrich U. Wuermeling

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article presents a summary of the 1995 European Union Data Protection Directive, including a description of the provisions of the directive, general rules on lawfulness, rights of the individuals, remedies, and affect on the laws of the member states. The historical background and development of the Directive is also covered, including the first data protection laws and activities of the Council of Europe and United Nations.

Computer Legislation: Israel's New Codified Approach, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 461 (1996), Miguel Deutch

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article presents a description and evaluation of the 1995 Israeli Computer Law including the structure and scope, the protection of computers and programs, computer crimes, computer-assisted crimes, torts, evidence rules regarding the admissibility of computer print-outs and business records, and search and seizure laws.

The Constitutionality Of Congressional Efforts To Ban Computer-Generated Child Pornography: A First Amendment Assessment Of S. 1237, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 483 (1996), Ronald W. Adelman

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article addressed the constitutionality of the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1995 (Hatch Bill) in regard to computer-generated child pornography. The Bill outlaws a visual depiction that is or appears to be of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The author claims the comments of David B. Johnson and John C. Scheller regarding the constitutionality of the Bill are analytically flawed because they focus on dicta from New York v. Ferber and Osborne v. Ohio. The author then engages in his own assessment of the Bill using a First Amendment approach and suggests what findings Congress should make …

State And Local Taxing Authorities Taking More Than Their Fair Share Of The Electronic Information Age, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 493 (1996), David C. Blum

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This comment discusses the trend of state and local departments of revenue taxing users and providers of computer and information services even though the tax is not included in the jurisdiction’s legislation. While services are normally exempt from tax unless specifically enumerated, the Departments of Revenue recharacterize the service of providing electronically transmitted information into a purchase or lease of tangible personal property so the transaction can be taxed. This comment argues that users and providers of electronic information services should not be liable for a sales or use tax in a jurisdiction that lacks clear and specific statutory authority …

Discovery Of Computer Stored Documents And Computer Based Litigation Support Systems: Why Give Up More Than Necessary, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 523 (1996), Patrick R. Grady

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This comment discusses discovery issues related to documents stored on a computer or litigation support system. The basics of computer information storage, business records systems, and litigation support systems are discussed. To eliminate unnecessary discovery, this comment suggests the creation of a record retention system that takes into consideration the company’s need of efficient storage, archival of information, and destruction of documents no longer legally required to be kept. An in-house counsel’s ethical considerations for document destruction are also discussed, as well as his or her ability to protect litigation support systems from unnecessary discovery with the work product privilege.

What You See Is Not Always What You Get: Thoughts On The O.J. Trial And The Camera, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 555 (1996), Roger Cossack

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This commentary is from the unique perspective of Roger Cossack, host of CNN’s “Burden of Proof.” In it, he reflects on the O.J. Simpson trial and the effect televising it had. He concludes that televising the trial revealed the depth of racial conflict that divides our country. This was shown by issues involving pre-trial publicity, control of the courtroom, racism in reporting, the failure of DNA evidence and prior spousal abuse to convince the jury, and the effectiveness of counsel.

1995 John Marshall National Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Bench Memorandum, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 563 (1996), Gary L. Gassman

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This is a Bench memorandum for the 1995 John Marshall National Moot Court Competition in Information Technology and Privacy Law. It is an interlocutory appeal from a circuit court’s denial of the defendant’s motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s defamation action. The facts include the defendant, Robert Jacobs, posting an allegedly defamatory comment aimed at the plaintiff, Jennifer Fetty on an online discussion board during a debate on abortion. Both reside in Illinois, but the comment was read and replied to by David Bornmann, a resident of the State of Marshall. The issues include whether defendant is subject to personal jurisdiction …

1995 John Marshall National Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Brief For The Petitioner, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 595 (1996), Aaron Reber, Todd Schrader, Rachelle Zidar

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

1995 John Marshall National Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Brief For The Respondent, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 627 (1996), John Matney, Carmen Symes, Laura Underwood

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property Protection Of Software: International Perspectives: Foreword, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 657 (1996), Donald P. Reynolds

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Software Protection Against Third Parties In Belgium, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 661 (1996), Philipe Péters, Florence Verhoestraete

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

On June 30, 1994, Belgium became the first nation in Europe that incorporated Directive 91/250/EEC into a specific law, the "Software Act." Unlike many other countries that deal with copyright issues involving software, Belgium enacted the Software Act to satisfy the practical and specific need to protect software. In this introductory article on Belgium’s protection of software, the author discusses the main provisions of the Software Act while making reference to the Copyright Act since computer programs are also protectable through patent, trademark or unfair competition laws. In furthering its commitment under the Berne Convention, Belgium enacted the Software Act …

Intellectual Property Protection Of Software In Canada, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 673 (1996), A. David Morrow, P. Bradley Limpert

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In Canada, the Criminal Code and the Copyright Act explicitly protect computer software programs while existing patent, trademark/trade secret and fiduciary duty laws also extent their protection to computer software. In this article, the author gives an overview of computer software protection under Canadian laws and analyzes courts’ applications of these laws to software by examining several caselaws. Computer software may be protected as trade secrets and thus may be part of a contractual agreement between parties. In the absence of an explicit agreement, Canadian laws imposes an implied non-disclosure duty on employees concerning trade secrets acquired in the scope …