专利法与软件保护

很多专家预测,软件迟早要作为一种保护客体出现在知识产权领域的国际公约中。目前对于计算机软件的法律保护到底采取什么样的形式,仍无统一的看法。本文讨论软件保护的专利法,主要阐述哪些软件可以得到工业产权保护,即专利法保护的客体条件。 软件发明者保护软件的最好方法是通过申请专利取得保护,申请一旦批准,专利法保护发明者的思想,他人利用这种思想,独立开发软件,必须得到专利权人同意,否则是违法的。 可以列为法律保护的软件有:1.控制程序;2.实用(或应用)程序;3.程序说明书;4.使用指导材料;5,输入信号(储存数据);6.输出信号。以上1、2项由工业产权保护,3至6各项一般由版权法保护,其中5、6项被部分国家列为保护客体。

The Law of Patent Right and the Approach to the Protection of the Software

In view of the fact that there is at present as yet no unanimous view on the protection of computer software in the world and no proclaimed law in China either on the copyright or trade secret, the element of the law on patent right is suggested for the protection of computer software.The prerequisite for a software to be protected as an object is that there must be something technical adopted in the invention. On the other hand, whether the programming is technical or non-technical depends on what the core content of the programming is. If the programming uses controllable matural forces and the results are brought about without any comprehensive action of man, the programming is said to be technical, otherwise it is non-technical.To select properly a form of protection suitable for computer software is of great value to the development of computer and to the research, development and utilization of software.