Copyright Your Software [Paperback]

Stephen Fishman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Copyright Your Software | Publication Date: September 2001

Everyone in the software industry -- developers, programmers, publishers and authors -- should have this book. Copyright Your Software tells you everything you need to know about software copyright protection. It provides step-by-step instructions and all the forms you need to register your work with the Copyright Office.

In plain English, the book explains:

• who owns a copyright
• how to sell a copyright to publishers and clients
• what your copyright notice should say and where it should appear
• the scope of the copyright protection
• what to do about infringement
• how to recognize a derivative work

Copyright Your Software includes new copyright-office forms and the latest developments in this ever-changing field.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I recommend the book Copyright Your Software, by attorney Stephen Fishman. Read it before seeking a copyright lawyer. -- Don Crabb - Chicago Sun-Times

If you think you have a hot program, at the very least invest in Copyright Your Software. -- Associated Press Associated Press

About the Author

Attorney Stephen Fishman Stephen Fishman received his law degree from the University of Southern California in 1979. After stints in government and private practice, he became a full-time legal writer in 1983. He has helped write and edit over a dozen reference books for attorneys. He is the author of Software Development: A Legal Guide, Copyright Your Software, The Copyright Handbook, Consultant & Independent Contractor Agreements, Wage Slave No More: Law & Taxes for the Self-Employed, and Hiring Independent Contractors: The Employer’s Legal Guide, all published by Nolo.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: NOLO; 3rd edition (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873377192
• ISBN-13: 978-0873377195
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,272,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephen Fishman is the author of many Nolo books, including Tax Deductions for Professionals. Other titles include Deduct It! Lower Your Small Business Taxes, Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide and Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn--plus many other legal and business books. He received his law degree from the University of Southern California in 1979. After time in government and private practice, he became a full-time legal writer in 1983.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent starting point for multimedia copyrights, January 25, 2000

By 

Matthew Berberian (Bridgewater, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Copyright Your Software (Paperback)

For multimedia developers, this book is a great stepping stone. It explains the entire copyright process, including what forms to fill when and why. It also goes in depth about copyright infringment and attaining rights. As a bonus, it includes samples of library of congress forms, and also contains the actual forms needed to apply for a copyright. This book is inexpensive, and i'd recommend to anyone.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First step in due diligence and protecting your work, May 12, 2002

By 

Mike Tarrani "www.tarrani.com" (Deltona, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Copyright Your Software (Paperback)

This book focuses solely on what you need to know about software copyrights and how to go about obtaining one. In addition to covering the basics of copyrights, you're shown how to sell copyrights, what to do in the event of infringement, and the limits of protection that a copyright affords you. Note that patents offer much stronger protection. It comes with the following forms:

* Copyright Application for Software (Forms PA, VA and CA, Request for Special Handling, continuation forms, search request forms and cover sheets that are explained in the book and are required to file for a copyright.

* Eight sample forms in electronic format that are covered in the book.

The book is up-to-date (published in late 2001), easy to read, especially considering the thorny legal issues involved, and is complete enough to assure some degree of due diligence when researching copyright issues and making business decisions based on that research.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative but overly verbose and lacking..., June 10, 2003

By 

John K. Reed (Harrisburg, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Copyright Your Software (Paperback)

insofar as providing a basic and customizable yet still fairly comprehensive copyright/terms of use notice that could be included with a software package. As a non-lawyer, I feel that just placing a (c) with a company name and 'All Rights Reserved' notice must somehow be insufficient. Otherwise the length of the terms of use verbiage present in so many public and commercial software products would not be so descript and specific. If Nolo had provided such a notice for use by the book's readers I would probably rate the book as 5 stars rather than 4.

I found it particularly disconcerting to find that once your software is published (made available for sale or download) that it is automatically protected by copyright even without obtaining an official copyright from the government. I personally feel like that key point should have been made clear and prior to any other issues being stated in the text. I specifically had avoided making my software available for distribution becuase I, obviously stupidly, assumed that you needed to obtain an official copyright prior to making software available for public use.

I also found it once again disconcerting to learn that it may take upwards of a year until official notice of a copyright is obtained from the US Copyright office. Another point that in my mind is essential and should have been made clear and early in the text. Unfortunately it wasn't.

Minus those points the content is (generally) clear and concise where legal precedent allows. Not that there are instances where that is not true. However I feel like much of the verbiage could have been eliminated while still maintaining the clarity.

I would recommend that any readers begin with 'Chapter 15 : Other legal protections for software' as the distinctions between trade secret law, patents, trademark, and copyright are illuminated. This was certainly one of if not the most enlightening chapter of the book for me and I would have logically liked to have had those distinctions made early so as to lay the foundation for all future topics.

Well worth the investment but tbere is certainly room for improvement and additional resources.