Copyright Law and Computer Display Screens

ROBERT HIGHLEY

ABSTRACT

In recent years, designers of sophisticated personal computer software have sought to augment the elaborate functions contained in their programs with user-friendly human interfaces. The screen displays making up such interfaces often involve authorship wholly distinct from that in the underlying computer program. While the availability of copyright protection for the latter is well settled, its availability for the former remains controversial. Drawing on legislation and jurisprudence from the United States, the author suggests amendments to the Canadian Copyright Act that would protect computer screen displays as audio-visual works while maintaining copyright protection for other aspects of computer software as literary works. It is argued that such dual protection will serve to recognize the different works of authorship involved in sophisticated personal computer software without hindering innovation in the industry.

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Citation: (1990) 48(1) U.T. Fac. L. Rev. 48.
Copyright © 1990. University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review.
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