Software and Intellectual Property Protection: Copyright and Patent Issues for Computer and Legal Professionals

(Hardback)

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How has the legal system used its traditional body of copyright and patent law to protect rights in computer software The last 15 years have changed the entire landscape with regard to the creation and protection of software as intellectual property. Written by a computer expert with extensive participation in some of the most important software trials of the period, this book invites you to think critically about significant software issues and learn about the legal pitfalls surrounding software development in the industry today. The book is organized around various legal issues raised by both plaintiffs and defendants in copyright litigation, and the problems of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office in dealing with the rapid proliferation of applications for software-related patents. The author explains important terms and concepts in software litigation such as infringement, substantial similarity, reverse engineering, the merger defense, and look and feel. A succinct, readable survey for computer professionals, nonlegal academics, and lawyers who need a fast summary of the critical issues and cases in software and intellectual property matters.

Reviews

"From his explanation of the code of 0's and 1's, the formatting of instructions and the history of computer languages through the function of operating system programs and the writing and processing of application programs, the reader is led from the seemingly simple to the obviously complex in a seamless style yielding constant illumination. Professor Galler's book is proof that the power of clear statement is the ultimate gift of the great teacher."-Jack E. Brown, founding partner Brown & Bain
.,."a thoughtful and reflective analysis of how intellectual property law has adapted itself to accommodate protection of computer software over the past two decades."-The Computer Law And Security And Report
.,."this work succeeds in its aim to please a diverse readership. It is an excellent resource for curious international readers seeking an understanding of current developments greater than that available from popular press reports. It is a vital tool for any legal, computing or information management professional."-Australian Library Review
...a thoughtful and reflective analysis of how intellectual property law has adapted itself to accommodate protection of computer software over the past two decades.-The Computer Law And Security And Report
...this work succeeds in its aim to please a diverse readership. It is an excellent resource for curious international readers seeking an understanding of current developments greater than that available from popular press reports. It is a vital tool for any legal, computing or information management professional.-Australian Library Review
The author, Bernard A. Galler, is eminently qualified to author such a work...Galler has made readable an extremely complex set of issues. For those interested in following the intricacies of intellectual property, the book provides an approachable entre into what may be an impossible body of literature. It is a well written text and a good introduction for the novice: at the same time, it has depth for the more knowledgeable reader.-Journal Of The American Society For Information Science
..."a thoughtful and reflective analysis of how intellectual property law has adapted itself to accommodate protection of computer software over the past two decades."-The Computer Law And Security And Report
..."this work succeeds in its aim to please a diverse readership. It is an excellent resource for curious international readers seeking an understanding of current developments greater than that available from popular press reports. It is a vital tool for any legal, computing or information management professional."-Australian Library Review
"The author, Bernard A. Galler, is eminently qualified to author such a work...Galler has made readable an extremely complex set of issues. For those interested in following the intricacies of intellectual property, the book provides an approachable entre into what may be an impossible body of literature. It is a well written text and a good introduction for the novice: at the same time, it has depth for the more knowledgeable reader."-Journal Of The American Society For Information Science

Author Bio

BERNARD A. GALLER is Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan, and has served as an expert witness in major intellectual property cases during the last 15 years. He is founder and president of the Software Patent Institute, founding editor-in-chief of the Annals of the History of Computing, and a former president of the Association for Computing Machinery. Among his other books are The Language of Computers (1962) and A View of Programming Languages (with A. J. Perlis, 1970).