Copyright (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE ICT)
Revision Note
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
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