Copyright Law and Software Protection

By means of copyright law, not only artistic performances are protected, but among other things also computer software.  For these types of product copyright law is to be obtained due to the restricted possibilities for patent protection here, and this is often the only possibility for protection. Copyright rights result by the creation of the work – independently of the type of work -, i.e. – unlike with patents, trademark rights or design patents – there is no possibility of obtaining protection by means of a formal application.  Copyright protection can – like the design protection law – also come about in the event of imitation of aesthetically formed objects as a basis for a claim in addition to the design protection law.

Our office became involved very early in judicial disputes concerning the protection of computer programmes and can therefore fall back on appropriate experience.  We also advise our clients in particular regarding to what extent patent protection can be applied to software and how software can be better conserved by additional trademark and/or title protection (see under this heading).