Software Right
Software is regarded as a literary work for copyright purposes and is protected under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. In order to obtain the protection provided, there are some steps to take to prove authorship of the work and when it was produced.
- At the end of the written programme, mark it with the copyright symbol © followed by the year of completion and name of your employer (who will be the legal owner of the software). The words "All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the copyright owner" can be added. Your name (and those of any co-authors) should follow the formal copyright notice.
- Print out the programme and put it in a sealed envelope. Write a list of contents on the envelope and sign over the seal. Place in a second envelope addressed to yourself.
- Post the envelope by special delivery (which gives a clear date stamp) and on receipt, leave it unopened. You should also deposit a copy in a secure place, for example at a bank or solicitors, where receipt of the envelope should be witnessed and recorded. A copy should also be provided to the representative of your employer authorised to manage Intellectual Property.
- After performing the above tasks you have proof of when the software was produced. You should now place the copyright symbol ©, year of completion and the name of your employer on discs, any further print outs of the programme and written material (e.g. manuals).
- Repeat instructions 1 to 4 for any revised version of the software produced in the future, with the year date of the new version.
Please note that TrusTECH accepts no liability for the use to which these guidelines are put.