The Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988

The Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988.

1.5.1 Computing Related Legislation

Computing Related Legislation — Note 3 of 4

Candidates need to understand the purpose and principles of the Copyright and Patents Act, including the actions that it prohibits Candidates need to understand how the regulations impact organisations and the use of computers and electronic communication.

What you need to know

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act protects the intellectual property of creators, including software, music, films, images and text. It makes it illegal to copy, distribute or adapt protected work without permission.

What to know

Actions it prohibits include copying software or media without a licence, distributing copies (e.g. through file sharing), and using someone's work without permission or acknowledgement.
Software licences set out what a user can legally do, e.g. how many computers the software may be installed on.

Key terms

Copyright: The legal right of a creator to control how their original work is copied, distributed and adapted. It applies automatically when the work is created.
Copyright covers software (source code and compiled programs), as well as books, music, films, images and websites.
Copyright on most written and artistic works lasts for the creator's lifetime plus 70 years.
Patent: Protects an invention or a new process, giving the owner exclusive rights for a set period. Patents must be applied for.

Exam technique

Tip:Explain how the Act impacts organisations, e.g. they must ensure every copy of software they use is licensed.

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