December 25, 2012

WSLL Recommends: The Law of Computer Technology

With a title like The Law of Computer Technology: Rights, Licenses, Liabilities, extensive coverage of software development, contracts, liabilities, and licensing is unsurprising. What may surprise some users of this set is the information throughout that can be applied to ordinary business or end-user technology concerns.

This four volume set is organized into three broad sections:
  • Intellectual property issues 
  • Transactional issues 
  • Contemporary information issues 

The intellectual property issues section spans the first two volumes and covers typical issues of concern to a software business. Software copyright, patents, trade secrets, and ownership are discussed in depth. Domain name ownership and the related issues of cybersquatting, infringing content, and domain protection are of interest to the average business owner looking to set up or protect their online identity.

The transactional issues section is useful for businesses with both a deep history of software sales and those looking to start up a new enterprise. Learn about standards for contracts and end user license enforcement. Find guidance for service, programmer, or consultant contracts. This section covers popular issues in the news, like the rule of first sale, and ownership of free or open source software.

Further contemporary issues are covered in the third section, including online defamation, spam, spyware, and threats. Uploading, downloading, and content sharing are examined in the context of copyright law. An overview is provided of different types of computer crimes, as well as jurisdiction over websites and individuals.

Each chapter includes detailed case, article, and treatise references for further research.