Though illegal, copied software is now common
Article Abstract:
The computer software industry estimates that it lost an additional $2.4 billion of its total 1990 sales of $5.7 billion to software piracy. There is a widespread attitude that copyrighted software is in the public domain and that individuals should not be required to pay for it. Users offer the justifications that most software is so costly as to be affordable only to corporate buyers and that it is appropriate to test a program before buying it, although developers consider this unethical. Software developers initially incorporated protections into their products so that they could not be copied, but users demanded the ability to copy programs onto their hard drives. Now that software is unprotected, it can be copied within seconds onto another disk and given or sold to other users. The Software Publishers Association is working to reduce piracy and in 1991 filed 33 lawsuits, conducted 75 raids and sent 561 warning letters to users suspected of piracy.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: News, opinion and commentary
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1992
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Lotus sues 2 on copyright violation
Article Abstract:
Lotus Development Corp reacts to a Federal court ruling giving copyright protection to commands used in Lotus 1-2-3, the spreadsheet program. Lotus has sued two California software companies, Borland International and the Santa Cruz Operation, accusing the companies of copyright infringement. In the week of Jun 25, 1990, Judge Robert E. Keeton of Federal District Court in Boston ruled that Paperback Software International has infringed on the distinctive command structure of the Lotus spreadsheet. Lotus's lawsuits were consequent. Borland executives say that Lotus's suit is without merit because Borland's spreadsheet, Quattro Pro, has its own distinctive menu system. Lotus's stock slipped 12.5 cents in NASDAQ trading on Jul 2, to $34.625, and Borland's stock fell $4.375, to $17. Santa Cruz is privately held.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: News, opinion and commentary
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1990
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Lotus wins copyright decision: U.S. court expands software protection
Article Abstract:
A federal judge in Boston ruled that Lotus Development Corp's copyright has been infringed upon by competitors whose software imitates the distinctive appearance of Lotus's 1-2-3 spreadsheet program. The 110-page ruling, which resulted from a Lotus suit against Paperback Software International and Mosaic Software Inc, continues a legal trend in the 1980s that has broadened the notion of what constitutes intellectual property protection for computer software. Lotus officials stated that the ruling would affect only programs that directly copy the visual appearance and the command structure of 1-2-3 and would not extend to companies that publish programs that are compatible with Lotus files. Software industry executives say the decision could be a very important one.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: News, opinion and commentary
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1990
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