Computer software and copyright protection: Health care implications

✍ Scribed by Robert F. Roarke; Catherine Szenczy

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 527 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1074-4797
• DOI: 10.1002/jhrm.5600120404

✦ Synopsis

Copyright law is the predominant form of legal protection afforded to computer software producers. Historically, copyright law was concerned solely with protecting and encouraging the creative expression of authors and artists.

W h e n Can Software Be Legally Reproduced?

Preliminarily, it is important to note that all software purchased may not be subject to copyright protection. For all software published prior to March 1989, notice must be provided on the face of the software packaging or in the program computer display that the software is subject to copyright protection (ref. 3). The required notice traditionally takes the form of the copyright mark or other language that indicates that the software is subject to copyright protection. Depending on the circumstances, a failure to provide such notice may be a waiver of copyright protection and may, therefore, place the software in the public domain. Of course, reproducing or modifying software in the public domain will not result in copyright infringement.