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Intellectual property and licensing
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Software, music and logos take time and skill to create. The law lets creators protect their work and decide how others use it.
Protecting creations
Software licences
A licence sets out how software may be used, for example how many devices it can be installed on.
Proprietary software: the source code is kept secret. Users usually pay and cannot modify or share it.
Open-source software: the source code is available. Users can study, modify and share it, following the licence terms.
Proprietary software: the source code is kept secret. Users usually pay and cannot modify or share it.
Open-source software: the source code is available. Users can study, modify and share it, following the licence terms.
Breaking the rules
Copying or sharing software, music or films without permission breaks copyright law.
In the UK the main law is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
In the UK the main law is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
A start-up designs a new logo and writes an app. How can it protect each?
- The logo identifies the brand: register a trademark.
- The app's code is protected by copyright automatically.
Answer: Trademark for the logo; copyright protects the code
Copyright protects original work automatically; patents protect inventions and must be applied for; trademarks protect brand names and logos. Licences set how software can be used: proprietary keeps code closed, open source shares it.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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