Copyright (Cambridge International IGCSE ICT)

Spec point — 9.2.1

Copyright

What is copyright?

• Copyright is covered under a law called the Copyright Designs & Patents Act

• This protects the intellectual property of an individual or a company

• It makes it illegal to copy, modify or distribute software or other intellectual property without the relevant permission

• If original work is original, copyright will be automatically applied and will not expire until 25 - 70 years from the death of the creator depending on the type of work

• If an individual believes that their work has been copied it is their responsibility to take action under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act

• Many sites online offer free downloads of copyrighted software/videos which prevents the intellectual copyright holder from earning their income on the work they have created

  • E.g. If someone downloaded videos from Netflix and shared them with others, they would be breaching the act

• The act covers videos and audio where peer-to-peer streaming prevents a copyright owner from receiving an income

What is prohibited under the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act?

Primary breaches:

• Copying an original work
• Issuing a copy of the original work to the public
• Renting/lending a copy of the original work to the public
• Performing, showing or playing the original work in public
• Making an adaptation of the original work

Secondary breaches:

• Importing a copy of the original work
• Possessing or dealing with a copy of the original work
• Providing means to make copies of the original work
• Permitting the use of premises for making copies of the original work
• Provision of props/equipment for a performance of a copy of the original work

Software piracy

• Software piracy is the illegal copying and distribution of software

• Companies often take a lot of steps to prevent software piracy, some of these methods include:

  • Product key / license: Often a unique string or letters and numbers supplied with the software to activate it
  • Agreement of terms and conditions: Users will be asked to click to agree to the license agreement before being able to install the software
  • Holograms: Holograms are often used on the packaging of software and they indicate that the copy is genuine as they are too difficult and costly for pirates to implement
  • Some older software would only run if the CD ROM or memory stick was physically in the device using it

Worked Example Describe methods that software producers use to prevent software copyright from being broken. [4]

Answer: One mark for naming the method then one mark for each reason*

Serial numbers/product keys When software is being installed, users are often asked to enter a unique number which proves the software is original

Serial numbers and product keys are supplied with the original copy of the software

Holograms Holograms are often used on the packaging of software and they indicate that the copy is genuine

Software without a hologram on the packaging is usually an illegal copy as they are too difficult and costly for pirates to implement

Licence agreements Licence agreements are part of the software installation process and they inform the user exactly how they are legally allowed to use the product

Users are required to 'agree to terms of use' before they can complete the installation Any breach of this can mean prosecution and fines