The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights Essay Example

The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights Paper Digital information technology has contributed to the development of information and technology by enabling easier modification and copying of information. While computers have the ability to achieve this for the well-being of mankind, the system of copyright serves as a hurdle in this as it assigns owners to software programs, most of whom are reluctant to share the potential benefits of their software with others (Stallman, 2009). â€Å"To use free software is to make a political and ethical choice asserting the right to learn, and share what we learn with others† (Free Software Foundation, 2014). Copyright protection only enables the developer of software to deter the software’s copying or copying of the source code. Software copyright does not provide protection against the copying of any process, method of operation, procedure, system, principle, discovery, or concept in the software. In addition to that, software copyright does not provide any surety against independent development of software of the like. A vast majority of the software products cannot address the variety of requirements set forth to get broad protection that the patent law can afford. Most applications of software patent face problems because of the requirement for the invention to be not obvious and be new. Nevertheless, this requirement helps in the process analyzing if or not an individual should pursue copyright protection or patent. â€Å"because copyrights protect the implementation (the actual code) but not the concept, copyrights do not prevent someone from implementing an algorithm in a different programming language or with a different set of routines, for example, offering almost no protection for something as complex and flexible as software† (Zeidman, 2011, p. 93). We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Negative Effects of Software Copyrights specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The look and feel of software amount to behavior and thus copyright should not be used to protect them in software; the Computer Law Review Committee (CLRC) did not recommend addition