Building software takes a lot of effort, research, ideas, time, and cooperation. The sole motivation for doing so is to create high-quality software that will make your life simpler. In the technology business, successful software may generate billions of dollars for the software firm. With the massive evolution of the tech industry, people are getting engaged with multiple software, web applications, and other DevOps tools. However, preserving software copyright is becoming more crucial nowadays. Software companies need to protect their rightful ownership as well as their revenue streams by monitoring unauthorized use of copyrighted software.
What is software ownership?
In general, “copyright” refers to acquiring legal ownership of anything (books, music, art, pictures, digital goods, movies, etc.) that is owned by the original authors. When it comes to software ownership or copyright, things are a little different than with traditional physical and visual materials.
Software copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects the original expression of an idea. It is not the idea itself, but rather the expression of that idea. The legal definition of software copyright is “a legal right created by law and granted to an author, protecting his work from being copied by others.”
Having the proper copyright for any software allows the owner to have complete control over the software and be declared officially. The most essential aspect of having official copyright for software is that it stops others from cloning or copying it.
Is It Necessary To Copyright My Software?
The short answer is “Yes,” if you believe your software has the potential to generate revenue. For example, Adobe Inc. is the owner of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and a plethora of other amazing software that has transformed the photography business and generates millions of dollars each year. They hold the formal copyright for each of their software products, which prevents anyone from cloning their software or making any technical modifications to them. Copyright rules also empower them to take appropriate action against anybody who attempts to pirate their software.
We are all aware that source code is the foundation of all software. And safeguarding the source code of software can be a significant challenge. If the source code of your software is stolen or hacked, others may readily clone, replicate, and distribute it, causing you significant financial damage. Moreover, the most damaging consequence is that source code contains secrets such as API or encryption keys, passwords, and client transaction data (if your product offers subscription services), and all of these things may be compromised if the source code is exposed or stolen.
As a result, valid patents and copyright rights over the source code are required. Aside from that, the source code should only be shared with a trustworthy developer after establishing sufficient security and taking all technical majors into consideration. There are also several ways and services that can help you keep your source code safe and sound.
Ark Innovation Technology VS Matidor Technologies Inc: A Learning Exemplary Incident of Software Copyright Dispute
A recent dispute between two tech companies has pointed out the importance of having official software copyright. Vincent Lam, the co-founder, and CEO of Matidor Technology Inc., was fined $277,400 for using a copy of Ark Innovation Technology’s software. Vincent Lam, a former co-founder of Ark Innovation, kept an unauthorized copy of the software when he resigned.
Later, Vincent Lam utilized the software copy to start a new software firm named Matidor Technologies. After two years of legal wrangling, Federal Judge Nicholas McHaffie eventually found Vincent Lam liable for causing damage to Ark Innovation arising from the infringement of copyright and passing off. As a co-founder of Matidor Technologies, Vincent Lam paid a significant amount of money to Ark Innovation for using copyrighted software without proper authorization, and has been ordered to return the infringing materials to the rightful owners.
How can you register your software with the United States Copyright Office?
Obtaining software copyright is not as complicated as it seems. You can put © on your software and it will be illegal to duplicate it. However, you will not be allowed to sue anybody until you have completed the procedure to register the copyright. In the United States, registering for your program requires you to fill out a single form with all of the relevant information, such as author verification, software title, publication date, power of attorney, contact information, etc.
You must also provide a portion of your code that is non-returnable and will be made public, but don’t panic since you do not need to give the whole code and may always preserve the crucial portion as a trade secret while still obtaining copyright protection. If you are concerned about safeguarding the copyright of your software code, you can consult with an experienced intellectual property lawyer who has past experience registering software with the US Copyright Copyright office.
Author Bio:
Wali I. is a professional content writer and SEO link builder at LinKRanKseo.com
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imwalibiz/
