Copyright Designs and Patents Act

The Copyright Designs and Patents Act is a way of ensuring that copyright holders maintain their intellectual property rights. If you have a photo etc. then you have the rights to say who uses it, where it is used etc. You have control of the resource. Software piracy is a direct breach of this law.

Intellectual property applies to any original creation that can be bought or sold.

Copyright

Copyright is an automatic right, which means you don't have to apply for it. It can protect almost any original creation

Such as:

• Literary works, including novels, instruction manuals, computer programs, song lyrics

• Dramatic works, including dance or mime

• Musical/Artistic works,

• Recordings of a work, including sound and film

• Broadcasts of a work

Copyright usually lasts for 50 years (25 years for a photograph).

When you purchase software you are essentially granted a license to use the software, with some licenses allow multiple installs, and some even enforce a limited number of installs. Piracy is when you use software you are not licensed to use.

There are four main types of software license.

1. Freeware – This software is free to use

2. Shareware – Legal to download and use for a particular period. After which it must be paid for or deleted.

3. Commercial – Boxed/Purchasable downloads – once these are purchased you have the right to use them indefinitely. Sometimes called a perpetual license

4. Leasing – Some software can be paid for on a period by period subscription. This can be cheaper in the short run and will usually entitle the user to upgrades etc. when new versions are released. But using this method you never actually ‘own’ the software.