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EU Court Adviser Says Software Ideas Can't Be Copyrighted

Posted by timothy on from the perhaps-a-bot-but-not-robotic dept.

bhagwad writes "The EU continues to ooze common sense as a court insists that software functions themselves cannot be copyrighted. Drawing a box or moving cursor are examples. To quote: 'If it were accepted that a functionality of a computer program can be protected as such, that would amount to making it possible to monopolize ideas, to the detriment of technological progress and industrial development.'" Note that this is a "non-binding opinion by Yves Bot, an advocate-general at the Luxembourg-based EU Court of Justice," and that the court "will rule on the case next year."

5 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Please let the Americans know this ... by Dark$ide · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Dear EU,

    Can you point out to those folks on the other side of the Atlantic that software patents stiffle invention and innovation.

    Thanks.

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    Sigs. We don't need no steenking sigs.

    1. Re:Please let the Americans know this ... by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Dear EU,

      Can you point out to Slashdot moderators the difference between copyright and patents?

      Thanks

  2. Intellectual Property is killing everything by kawabago · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are so many lawsuits flying around over patents, copyrights and wishful thinking that it's no wonder we are in recession. It doesn't matter what you want to do, you are going to get sued by someone. So why bother? People don't.

  3. Re:Finally! by Comboman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You can't copyright a recipe but you can copyright a cookbook. Likewise you shouldn't be able to copyright a software design/function but you should be able to copyright a software implementation of that design/function.

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    Support Right To Repair Legislation.
  4. Re:Finally! by bky1701 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Copyright is for protecting written information."

    Copyright is for controlling the distribution of information. The only protection for information is duplication and distrubition.

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    Great Intellect...