The patent/copyright interface for software protection: determining the proper role of each

A comparative overview is given of copyright and patent protection for computer software under US law. The two forms of protection are compared in terms of a number of factors, including subject matter, scope of protection, level of disclosure required, and relative cost. A number of second generation software copyright issues are discussed, such as protection of the structure, sequence, and organization of programs, the look and feel of user interfaces, and the clean-room approach to the design of compatible software.<>