The history of copyright protection of computer software

Computer software was one of the first electronic information technology products that penetrated the domain of intellectual property. The chapter outlines how the protection of computer software has evolved. Because of the technical character of software, more so than with other information technologies, the question arises as to which area of the law should provide for computer software protection and, specifically, whether the protection should come from within the patent law that has a high threshold and a broad scope of protection or from the copyright law that has a low threshold and a narrow scope of protection. The very nature of this question indicates that computer software is hybrid and deserves serious legal consideration. To understand the description of the history of the development of software, it is essential to present the framework of legal developments.