School of Engineering
and Applied Science Department of Computer Science CSci 1030 -- Technology and Society http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~mfeldman/csci1030/summer14 Prof. Michael B. Feldman, course instructor mfeldman@gwu.edu |
Software as Intellectual Property
Baase, chapt. 4, Spinello, chapt. 4
Notes on Software as Intellectual Property
Sample
Software
License 1
Sample
Software
License 2
****FINAL PROJECT REPORTS DUE*****
WORK ON YOUR final project reports this week!
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: Discussion
1. The policy of the Software and
Information Industry Association (formerly called Software
Publishers Association) is to turn everyone into bounty
hunters for software piracy. They have an 800 phone number that
people can call to turn in companies or people who have pirated
software. They then send in U.S. Marshals with computer experts
who check all of the hard disks of the computers for pirated
software. If any pirated software is found, the person or
company has to pay a fine. These fines are used to support the
work of the SIIA,
which is to educate people about software piracy and to catch
software pirates. Discuss the pros and cons of what the SIIA
does.
2. Look up (online) the concept of a
"patent troll". Discuss the issue, especially as it relates to
software. Do you think it's a problem? (How) should the American
and international legal systems respond?
3. Re-read those sample software licenses and discuss them from the intellectual property viewpoint.
4. Look up (on the web) and discuss an
interesting recent
software-as-intellectual-property case.
FINDINGS FROM YOUR SURVEY: Discussion****FINAL PROJECT REPORTS DUE*****