Can software code be protected by copyright or a patent?
Both. Copyright law protects a software code as an original work of authorship. However, copyright protection cannot exclude other entities from using the functional aspects of software. While the software code can be protected by copyright, a competitor can still reproduce the program in another software language with a different code. Copyright only protects the form of expression, but not the idea or the invention. Once a patent right has been granted to the owner of a software, it not only grants the patent holder the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the patented invention but it also gives the patent holder the right to prevent others from creating software that perform similar functions. To learn more, visit the Software Patent Institute (SPI) is supported by the United States Patent and Trademark Office which assists it in providing information and technical support to the public. What guarantees do I have of confidentiality and safe handling of my Intellect
