Title :
Functional compatibility and the law: from the necessity of clean room development of computer software to the copyrightability of computer hardware
Author_Institution :
Skjerven, Morrill, MacPherson, Franklin & Friel, Santa Clara, CA, USA
fDate :
Feb. 29 1988-March 3 1988
Abstract :
A detailed summary and outline is given of the influence of patent and copyright law on the computer industry. In particular, the focus is on the effect of this body of law on functional compatibility of available computers, present and future. It covers: the source of the conflict between the patent and copyright laws; the expanding scope of copyright protection of computer software, including the idea-expression dichotomy, the merger doctrine, and clean-room development of software; and the possible copyright protection of computer hardware.<>
Keywords :
industrial property; legislation; clean room development; computer hardware; computer industry; computer software; copyright law; copyright protection; functional compatibility; idea-expression; merger doctrine; patent; Computer aided instruction; Computer industry; Concrete; Copyright protection; Costs; Hardware; Patent law; Reverse engineering; Software; Technological innovation;
Conference_Titel :
Compcon Spring '88. Thirty-Third IEEE Computer Society International Conference, Digest of Papers
Conference_Location :
San Francisco, CA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-8186-0828-5
DOI :
10.1109/CMPCON.1988.4890
