Abstract :
The four pillars of intellectual property-patents, copyright, trademarks, and trade secrets all play roles in protecting software. No wonder this is one of the most slippery subjects for an engineer´s lawyer. To protect your intellectual property, choose the best tool for each stage in its creation. Luckily, the courts have established a framework that matches the way the real world works (up to a point). The framework begins by considering three milestones in software development: function, design, and code.
