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How to copyright software
How to Copyright Software Sanely
If you're wondering how to copyright software the good news is you've probably already done it. At least you have if you have ever written software. Most people however get confused over exactly what having a copyright for their software means and this is the trickier question to answer. First of all, thinking it isn't going to do it and you can't really copyright the things you think.
Second, only those things that can be seen (when it comes to software) can be copyrighted. If you want to protect the abstract, look into patents. Otherwise if it is original, fixed, and tangible you can copyright it. Essentially you already know how to copyright software if you've put it into a finished form. Once you've written the source code the copyright belongs to you.
Copyrighting software doesn't offer the protection that many people hope it will. The idea of the software and anything about the finished product that wasn't available in a tangible (visible) form isn't protected by the copyright. In fact the only thing that is undeniably protected by copyright when it comes to software is the source code. The question you should be asking is now how to copyright software, it is how to patent your software and that requires a much more involved and prolonged explanation.
To obtain a patent for your software you must apply for a patent in each country that offers patents for software and in which you wish to have the protection a patent can offer. I warned you this was much trickier than how to copyright software. Then it gets trickier still. There is no universal legal definition of what a software patent is so each country that offers patents also has a different definition for what is protected by that patent as well as for why a patent will be granted. If you want to add to the confusion a little more while wondering how to copyright software, also consider the fact that your software may be given a patent in one of the countries where you applied and none of the others.
Of course, if this is not enough fun for you, you can try to deal with the red tape involved in dealing with multiple governments in order to resolve any issues or disputes that may have arisen from the result of the software patents you hold. If you've forgotten the original question it was: how to copyright software? I told you that one was much easier.
The main thing you need to do if you're going for international patents (which can secure a profitable future for you and your business) is to get a really good patent lawyer and have him walk you through and hold your hand for the entire process. In fact, I would say that's probably the best advice you can get. Patents are complicated and when you're not exactly sure of what you're doing, whom you need to talk to, and what the next step is you stand to waste a lot of time while taking a bigger risk. It is much easier to deal with how to copyright software on your own than it is to work out the complicated world of software patents.
If this is your first time designing your own software you have every right to be nervous and excited and scared to death at the same time. Remember lawyers went to school much longer than you in order to know what to do in this situation so you should not be expected to know how to copyright software when you've never done it before.
Everywhere You Look There are Creative Writing Prompts (creative writing prompts) As glamorous as creative writing prompt sounds, it is nothing more than they start of an idea for your writings. A prompt could be virtually anything from a picture to a dream, whatever gives you that “Oh that would be a great story” feeling is your prompt. Like a movie preview it gives you a taste of what is to come or a sample at a store that makes you want to buy the product. It could be a single word or a collaboration of words. Whatever it takes to get the story into your head and then onto the paper would be considered a creative writing prompt. The need of finding creative writing prompts often stems from having writers block. If coming up with your own prompts has become difficult don’t worry. There a literally millions of prompts out there. You just need to find the right ones for you. Take the Internet for example. Do a search for creative writing prompts. You now have pages and pages of story starter’s right at your fingertips. You have many options available while searching for prompts. From one or two words starters to a brief synopsis of an idea they are available to you. Some sites offer daily prompts. They will even email them to you. There are many books available with nothing but lists of prompts just waiting to be turned into great stories from your mind. There are a lot of writers that feel that using lists of prewritten prompts by someone else is cheating. They feel that all prompts used must be their own. But truth be told, there is not a creative writing prompt that has not been wrote about. It is the creation that comes after the prompt that makes the writing your own. The prompt is not what your creative writing is all about, but a springboard for your imagination. It is merely what opens the portal to your imagination, to your passion, and to your thoughts. Sitting at your computer and staring at the blank page will most likely give you a headache before a great idea. Go outside, close you eyes, and clear your mind. Listen to the sounds around you. What do you hear? Children’s laughter, neighbors chatting, or ever the birds chirping. Let those sounds drift away and your mind float. Slowly letting things come back into your mind, your last trip to the beach, your kids at the playground, your spouse cooking dinner any of these can be an idea jogger that gets the creative writing flowing. These thoughts alone could spark a hundred ideas just waiting to be words on your canvas. It also may help to keep a notebook with you at all times. That way whenever you have a great idea you can jot it down before it escapes you. Many writers only use creative writing prompts from outside sources. They are given to them by editors and publishers telling the writer what they want you to write about. Some writers work better this way being given the idea and running with it. Others prefer using their own. Creative writing prompts not only help initiate ideas, they also help spark your memory for you to write about your own past experiences and adventures. You can use them for writings on your website or blog. Whether you use outside sources for your inspiration or use your own it does not affect the integrity of the words that complete the idea. The story behind the prompt is the vision of your creative abilities, not the prompt itself. Copyright lawyer guild What exactly is a copyright lawyer guild? A copyright lawyer guild is just like any other guild, it a is club just for copyright lawyers. Many times you can find a list of names of all the copyright lawyers that have joined, as well as all their contact info and if they have a website or not. Sometimes you will have to be invited to join, while others it is free for you to look around. However as a guest you may only be able to view certain information, once you pay though you’ll get to look at all the goodies the guild holds. There will most likely be a select amount of newsletters put out by the guild, the number depends on the guild itself and how many they want. In a way this is very much like a writer’s guild, you will have a list of every writer in a certain state and their information about them. Any client can find a copyright lawyer’s guild online, this is basically a site that lists all types of information about copyrights, cases, lawyers, releases and much more. A client may even find out if the their copyright lawyer has been acknowledged for any special awards in the at-a-guy section, not all have this but most will. There will probably be a lot of articles on copyright issues and might explain to you what it is you need. You can also find cases that are currently going on and others that have already been through trial, this is a great way to stay up to date with all the latest copyrighting issue. If you are lawyer it is great so you always know what is going on and what is being added to the laws that already exist. One may even find a forum inside an online copyright lawyer’s guild; this opens doors to both clients and lawyers. A lawyer may be able to find help in an area they aren’t 100% about and a client is able to ask for help without being charged. A copyright lawyer guild may also be a group that meets every couple of months at a restaurant, office or a number of different places to discuss things. Topics may include things they are dealing with, cases in the press or inside the office, or hot topics in the field. How to help a client that is upset, how to use etiquette in emails, etc. They may watch a short film on copyrights and how they effect the business. There may be a few seminars that they are invited too or asked to actually give speeches at, the topics are endless but will all reflect on their field of expertise. Guilds are a great way for a person to meet and greet others in their profession and share stories or experiences with one another. Not all copyright lawyer guild list every lawyer, only those that pay for membership are. Which means if your lawyer hasn’t paid his dues than he won’t be listed, however this doesn’t make him a bad lawyer. Your lawyer may just be starting up and hasn’t got around to joining a guild or if he’s been around for a while maybe he hasn’t had much luck in finding clients through guilds and would rather do it the way he’s been doing it. |