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- Software and the law
Software and the law

In this free course, Software and the law, you'll look at the laws relevant to software and its use, taking a global perspective. A major part of this course is devoted to intellectual-property law, the issue of who owns software and digital content and how that ownership can be protected using instruments like copyright and patents. We also cover how contracts are used to formalise the relationship between purchasers and suppliers of software. Finally, we look at some of the laws that apply to information technology and software to ensure that organisations meet their responsibility of care towards employees, customers, and the general public.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- explain the differences between various types of intellectual property and the legal frameworks that apply to each type
- understand the issues that arise when drawing up contracts relating to acquiring or developing software
- explore the legal frameworks relating to software systems in a specific context.
First Published: 12/03/2015
Updated: 01/08/2018
You can start this course right now without signing-up. Click on any of the course content sections below to start at any point in this course.
If you want to be able to track your progress, earn a free Statement of Participation, and access all course quizzes and activities, sign-up.
Course content
- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Why law is necessary
- 2 Intellectual property (IP) rights
- 3 IP rights: copyright, patents, marks and brands
- 4 IP rights: Common and public goods
- 5 Contracts
- 6 Responsibilities to employees and the public
- 7 External threats
- Conclusion
- Glossary
- References
- Acknowledgements
- This site has Copy Reuse Tracking enabled - see our FAQs for more information.
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About this free course
8 hours study
Level 3: Advanced
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