PROTEZIONE del SOFTWARE
COPYRIGHT e BREVETTO
Corrado BORSANO
PANORAMA NORMATIVO
ITALIA
LEGGE SUL DIRITTO D'AUTORE - 22 APRILE 1941 N. 633 e
successive modifiche (LDA)
Legge 248/2000 - Inasprimento sanzioni contro pirateria
LEGGE INVENZIONI - D.L. 10 febbraio 2005 N. 30 (LI)
EUROPA
CBE - CONVENTION, CASE LAW
DIR UE su SOFTWARE PROTECTION N. 91/250
PANORAMA NORMATIVO
Wednesday 6 July 2005 - Strasbourg
European Parliament legislative resolution on the Council common
position with a view to the adoption of a directive of the European
Parliament and of the Council on the patentability of computerimplemented inventions (11979/1/2004 – C6-0058/2005 –
2002/0047(COD))
1. Rejects the common position;
2. Instructs its President to declare the legislative procedure closed
and to forward its position to the Council and Commission.
GENERALITA’ - invenzioni
Art 45 (LI) :
………………………..
non sono considerate invenzioni:
…………………………...
b) ……………., e i programmi di elaboratore ;
c) le presentazioni di informazioni.
………………...non sono considerate invenzioni …………. nella
misura in cui il brevetto riguardi ...…...…….. programmi in
quanto tali.
GENERALITA’ - invenzioni
Art 52 CBE :
…………………………...
(2) The following in particular shall not be regarded as
inventions within the meaning of paragraph 1:
……………………………...
(c) schemes, rules and methods for performing mental acts,
playing games or doing business, and programs for computers;
(d) presentations of information.
(3) The provisions of paragraph 2 shall exclude patentability of
the subject-matter or activities referred to in that provision only
to the extent to which a European patent application or
European patent relates to such subject-matter or activities as
such.
GENERALITA’ - invenzioni
Art 45 LI e Art 52 CBE: i programmi di elaboratore non sono
considerati invenzioni, e non sono brevettabili nella misura in
cui il brevetto concerna programmi in quanto tali.
Partiamo dal presupposto che il software in quanto tale
manchi del requisito di "applicazione industriale" : però il
divieto di brevettazione non si estende ai risultati derivanti
dall'applicazione ed uso del SW, quando nei detti risultati si
riscontri un'applicazione industriale.
DIRITTO D’AUTORE (COPYRIGHT)
art 1 LDA: sono altresì protetti i programmi per elaboratore
come opere letterarie.
art 2.8: sono protetti i programmi per elaboratore in qualsiasi forma
espressi purchè originali, quale risultato della creazione intellettuale
dell'autore.
Esclusi dalla tutela sono le idee ed i principi alla base degli elementi
del programma, compresi quelli alla base delle sue interfacce.
E’ compreso nella protezione il materiale preparatorio per la sua
progettazione.
Nell'interpretazione corrente sono esclusi gli algoritmi (come idee e
principi), mentre sono compresi i diagrammi di flusso (come materiale
preparatorio).
DIRITTO D’AUTORE (COPYRIGHT)
art. 64bis. - Diritti esclusivi conferiti: diritto di effettuare o
autorizzare:
a)-
riproduzione permanente o temporanea, parziale o totale,
con qualsiasi forma e mezzo, compreso caricamento,
visualizzazione, esecuzione, trasmissione, memorizzazione;
b)-
traduzione, adattamento, trasformazione, modificazione;
c)-
distribuzione al pubblico, locazione;
esaurimento del diritto relativo ad una copia del
programma: la prima vendita regolare della copia esaurisce il diritto
di distribuzione.
DIRITTO D’AUTORE (COPYRIGHT)
art. 64ter. - salvo patto contrario, non sono soggette ad
autorizzazione le attività dei commi a) e b) sopra, se esse sono
necessarie all'uso del programma, inclusa la correzione di errori.
Lecita una copia di riserva (back-up)
Lecito studiare e provare il programma, da parte di chi ha diritto di
usarlo, per capirne le idee ed i principi.
art. 64quater - le attività dei commi a) e b) art.64bis sono lecite
per garantire l'interoperabilità con altri programmi, a patto che:
siano compiute da parte di chi ha diritto di usare il programma,
le informazioni per l'interoperabilità non siano già facilmente
accessibili,
queste attività siano limitate alle parti necessarie del programma.
Divieto di arrecare indebito pregiudizio al titolare dei diritti.
DIRITTO D’AUTORE (COPYRIGHT)
art 103: registrazione alla SIAE: dichiarativa e
non costitutiva di diritto
art 171bis LDA e legge 248/2000 - sanzioni
- per uso abusivo di un programma o di una banca-dati a
fine di lucro: reclusione da sei mesi a tre anni e multa da 5
a 30 milioni di lire.
INDICAZIONE DI COPYRIGHT
Mettere l’indicazione di Copyright su ogni
Release software
Indicazioni corrette:
Copyright © “anno” “titolare”. Tutti i diritti riservati.
Copyright © “year” “owner”. All rights reserved.
DIRITTO D’AUTORE (COPYRIGHT)
IMPLICAZIONI CONTRATTUALI
Il software non si vende, si concede in licenza
Differenza tra “titolarità” e “diritto d’uso”
Clausola di concessione licenza d’uso per la parte di
software in un contratto di vendita di un prodotto
Accordi di riservatezza (Non-Disclosure Agreements)
DIRITTO D’AUTORE (COPYRIGHT)
PROTEZIONE BANCHE DATI
DIR UE 96/9 del 11 marzo 1996
Un capitolo apposito della legge sul “Copyright”
Protegge le banche dati
Diritto “Sui generis”:
Protezione estesa a Scelta e disposizione del materiale
Durata 15 anni dal 1°gennaio dell’anno successivo
Corrispondenza tra Hardware e
Software per IPRs
HW
SW
Prodotto
Supporto per il
programma
(ROM, RAM, CD, tape)
IPRs sul prodotto
Contenuto del supporto, cioè
il programma stesso
Diritto di riprodurre il
Diritto di riprodurre il
prodotto e di
programma e di venderne
venderne copie
copie
Licenza d’uso di IPRs
Licenza d’uso del programma
INVENZIONI
Art 45 LI e Art 52 CBE: i programmi di elaboratore non sono
considerati invenzioni, e non sono brevettabili nella misura in cui il
brevetto concerna programmi in quanto tali.
Partiamo dal presupposto che il software in quanto tale manchi del
requisito di "applicazione industriale" : però il divieto di
brevettazione non si estende ai risultati derivanti dall'applicazione ed
uso del SW, quando nei detti risultati si riscontri un'applicazione
industriale.
Quindi vediamo se e cosa si può brevettare
nel campo del software
INVENZIONI
EPO - Case Law Landmark Decisions
T 1173/97 (IBM)
T 935/97 (IBM)
T 1194/97
T 931/95
T 769/92
INVENZIONI
Guidelines EPO - Chapter C-IV 2.3
-
PATENTABILITY - Programs for computers
……………………………………………...
The basic patentability considerations here are in principle the same as
for other subject-matter.
While "programs for computers" are included among the items listed in Art.
52(2), if the claimed subject-matter has a technical character,
it is not excluded from patentability by the provisions of Art. 52(2) and (3).
………………………………..
However ….. the execution of a program always involves physical
effects……...
According to T 1173/97 such normal physical effects are not in themselves
sufficient to lend a computer program technical character.
But if a computer program is capable of bringing about, when running on a
computer, a further technical effect going beyond these normal physical effects,
it is not excluded from patentability, irrespective of whether it is claimed by itself
or as a record on a carrier.
This further technical effect may be known in the prior art.
INVENZIONI
Guidelines EPO - Chapter C-IV 2.3
………………………………….
A further technical effect which lends technical character to a computer program
may be found e.g. in the control of an industrial process or in processing data
which represent physical entities or in the internal functioning of the computer
itself or its interfaces under the influence of the program and could, for example,
affect the efficiency or security of a process, the management of computer
resources required or the rate of data transfer in a communication link.
As a consequence, a computer program claimed by itself or as a record on a
carrier or in the form of a signal may be considered as an invention within the
meaning of Art. 52(1) if the program has the potential to bring about, when
running on a computer, a further technical effect which goes beyond the normal
physical interactions between the program and the computer.
…………………………….
PROTEZIONE
Dalla legge sul diritto d’autore deriva la protezione del software come
forma espressiva (listato, codice sorgente e codice oggetto)
Dalla case law CBE deriva il concetto di brevettabilità del software nei
risultati di carattere tecnico.
Con il diritto d'autore si protegge il software nella sua forma
espressiva, mentre con il brevetto si protegge il software nei
risultati tecnici.
N.B.: LE DUE FORME DI TUTELA POSSONO COESISTERE
PROTEZIONE
SITUAZIONE IN USA
Non esistono più divieti specifici, quindi sono brevettabili
sia i programmi per computer
sia i metodi di business
purchè nuovi ed utili
35 U.S.C. 101 Inventions patentable.
Whoever invents or discovers any new
and
useful
process,
machine,
manufacture, or composition of matter, or
any new and useful improvement thereof,
may obtain a patent therefor, subject to
the conditions and requirements of this
title.
Protezione brevettuale
per il Software
BREVETTO
Due tipi principali di invenzioni software:
- quelle in cui il programma produce [ulteriori] effetti tecnici all'interno
dell'elaboratore in cui è fatto girare, ad esempio come miglioramento
del funzionamento dell'elaboratore stesso;
- quelle in cui il programma produce [ulteriori] effetti tecnici esterni,
distinti dal funzionamento dell'elaboratore, ad esempio comandando
apparati o procedimenti industriali.
In ogni caso l'elemento chiave è se esistano effetti tecnici come
risultato dell'invenzione.
CLAIMS
Metodo ….. (elenco di un determinato numero di fasi (steps) che
corrispondono ad operazioni più o meno complesse realizzate tramite
procedure software, definite in sequenza eventualmente ripetuta (loops or
state transitions)).
Dispositivo…… (elenco di un determinato numero di mezzi per eseguire le
fasi del metodo. Di solito le rivendicazioni di dispositivo sono la riscrittura di
quelle di metodo in un’altra forma)
N.
Computer program comprising computer program code means
adapted to perform all the steps of claim ... when said program is run on a
computer.
N+1.
A computer readable medium having a program recorded thereon,
said computer readable medium comprising computer program code means
adapted to perform all the steps of claim ... when said program is run on a
computer.
ESEMPI
Metodo e dispositivo di elaborazione dati per la rappresentazione
interattiva ad immagini di oggetti e luoghi su terminali mobili e fissi
1.
Metodo di elaborazione dati per la rappresentazione ad
immagini di oggetti e luoghi (panoramiche) su un elemento di
visualizzazione,
caratterizzato dal fatto che detta rappresentazione è eseguita in modo
interattivo con l’utente tramite visite virtuali ad immagini reali o
sintetiche,
e dal fatto che comprende le fasi di :
compressione progressiva di una collezione di N immagini di
rappresentazione interattiva di oggetti e/o luoghi, e memorizzazione;
decompressione progressiva di detta collezione di N
immagini di oggetti selezionati e/o immagini di luoghi a panoramiche;
eventuale visualizzazione di dette immagini decompresse
mediante motore grafico specializzato.
ESEMPI
Method and apparatus for edge-based image and video encoding and
decoding especially for selective encryption application and flexible
network services.
1.
Method for edge-based image and video encoding,
characterized in that it comprises decomposing images according to the
following steps:
- edge detection, for generating an edge-set image (ESI);
- edge description for gray-tone/luminance and/or colour sampling along
the edges, for generating encoding bit-streams (EdgeC) describing the
edge-set image (ESI);
- residuum “smooth” image extraction and encoding according to any
image
description/ compression standard.
ESEMPI
Esempi
Software architecture aspects
For example:
Network management or service management
architecture
Internet or multimedia software architecture
Software methodology aspects
For example:
Method of searching an object in an object library
Method for retrieval of stored graphs
Method to maintain the containment between objects
Esempi
Kernel or System software
Software for:
Operating system
Data base management
User interface
Application software
Software for:
Typical functions for specific applications
Network services
Esempi
Interworking of software modules
For example:
Automatic detection of reachable network elements
Software for exchange of information, translation, …
Network management system
Conversion of data representations
For example:
Transformation between CMIP and SQL for database
access
General managed object model for LAN domain
(converting SNMP view to CMIP view)
Esempi
User interfaces
For example:
Direct manipulation of icons via conversational linking
Method for inputting data
Support software
For example:
Apparatus and method for logic description conversion
Graphical system for modelling a process
Display method in software development support
system
Patent Protection
Specific examples
PROBLEMS AND NEEDS
Many product segments of the market tend to comprise an increasing
amount of embedded software
The products within said segments tend to be differentiated more and more
only by the performing differences of the embedded software rather than the
utilized hardware
The future demands of software designs in general will very great with respect
to both fault recognition and elimination, and short-term development deadlines.
One of many examples of relevance may be within the automotive industry.
The large scale appearance of software-controlled units will cause increasing
troubles to the system designers
It may be difficult to overview every aspect of the possible state of each unit,
and to keep track of the synergy between all the subsystems utilized.
PRIOR ART PROBLEMS
One way of testing such types of products is to check the logic design prior to
the fabrication of a device through symbolic model checking.
Another approach is described in US-5,465,216 in which a method of automatic
design verification is described. A drawback is that the possibly obtainable
results will only be partial and non-exhaustive.
A more promising technique is presented in W. Lee ... This technique uses a
partitioned transition relation, and a greedy heuristic is used to select subsets
of the transition relation. For each chosen subset, a complete fixed point
iteration is performed. If the formula cannot be proven after this iteration,
a larger subset is chosen. ….. A drawback of the technique is that it uses a
greedy strategy involving a fixed-point iteration for each of the remaining
machines. If the system only has a single initial state, as is typical in
embedded software systems, the greedy strategy reduces to selecting an
arbitrary machine, thus involving extraneous fixed-point iterations.
AIM OF THE INVENTION
The present invention meets the requirement of both a formal verification
and a use of an unreduced system model and provides the possibility of
performing theoretical model "crash tests" in even very large-scale state
based system models.
Moreover, analyses and verification of the said models can be achieved in
non-reduced models at a much higher rate than prior art analyses and
verification tools.
Rivendicazioni brevetto europeo
Rivendicazioni brevetto europeo
Rivendicazioni brevetto europeo
NOTA: sono concesse 22 rivendicazioni:
20 rivendicazioni di metodo
"A method of analyzing a state based system model
comprising a set of machines (Ml,.., Mn),….. "
2 rivendicazioni di prodotto computer
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
NOTA : sono concesse 82 rivendicazioni.
Rivendicazioni indipendenti 1, 11, 29, 37:
"A computer-implemented method of performing a reachability check of a
state based system model comprising a set of machines(Ml,.., Mn), ..”"
Rivendicazioni indipendenti 42, 52:
"A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for
performing …. "
Rivendicazioni indipendenti 70, 78:
"A computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequencies of
instructions for performing …. "
Rivendicazioni brevetto USA
SW Patents: Examples
TITLE
Managing remote IP NEs through the Sonet/SDH DCC
PROBLEM:
To connect IP managed network elements NEs to Sonet/SDH network element
SOLUTION:
The management information is carried to the IP NEs using Connection Less Network
Protocol, placing IP over CLNP via the Sonet/SDH OSI DCC.
LIG
RIG
IP
NI
NAP
TSP/IP LAN
IP
Intermediate NEs
NI
CLNP
CLNP
SONET DCC
NAP
CLNP
SONET DCC
TCP/IP LAN
SW Patents: Examples
TITLE: SN MP POLLIN G MAN AGEMEN T
PROBLEM:
The use of a connection-less
protocol (as SNMP) in
Manager-Agent interface
generates a problem related
to the detection of both Manager
and Agent Isolation.
As the SNMP protocol is
of the connection-less type, this
functionality is not automatically
provided, as for example checking
the state of the connection in a
connection-oriented protocol,
such as CMIP.
SOLUTION :
At the start-up, the Manager will store inside the Agent, in a persistent way, its address and
time-out value. This time-out is the time interval between two different polling messages sent
by the manager. This way the Agent can check the time-plus-address and can be informed of
the Manager’s presence.
SW Patents: Examples
TITLE:
SN MP ALARM MAN AGEMEN T IN A CON N ECTION LESS PROTOCOL
(SN MP)
The Manager does not know when an alarm has been sent by the Agent.
PROBLEM:
SOLUTION : The Manager maintains the timeout polling mechanism, however the Agent
sends “ very urgent alarms” to the Manager. Furthermore, it stores all the arisen alarms, both
urgent and not, in the Log and Active Problem Table (APT). The Agent will send an alert alarm
in order to highlight new alarm occurrences. This alert alarm is sent at fixed timeout and/ or
after a frequency period, where frequency means a number of alarms the Agent has to
generate and count in order to send the alert.
MAN AGER
LOG, APT
POLLIN G
GET
ALERT
TIME- OUT
ALERT
FREQ- COUN T
LOG
AGEN T
URGEN T
APT
SW Patents: Examples
Patent No.:
Priority Date:
Proprietor:
Subject:
EP 0 627 143
28/08/92
ERICSSON
Management in telecom
and open systems
Main Claim:
1. A management network with at least one managing system and at
least one managed system for telecom or open systems, in which said
managed system includes physical and/or logical resources, which by
the managing system are considered and managed as managed
objects in the form of data images of the resources, and in which the
managing system for its operations directed towards the managed
system utilizes an information model of the managed system, which
includes a description of all managed objects adapted to the mode of
operation of the managing system, characterized by the management
network including, besides the managed system, a generic manager
and å representation of the management information model, where the
performance of the generic manager during operation is determined by
this model representation.
SW Patents: Examples
Patent No.:
Priority Date:
Proprietor:
Subject:
EP 0 624 964
14/05/93
GPT Limited
Transformation between
CMIP and SQL for
database access
Abstract:
A Generic Database Agent (G-DBA), provides the
database access component of a Service Logic Execution
Environment (SLEE). The G-DBA provides for online
deployment of new data objects to a relational database
(RDBMS) in a high availability real-time system, requiring
conversion between CCITT’s Common Management
Information Protocol (CMIP), and a Structured Query
Language.
A database access component provides a
transform between a Common Management Information
Protocol and Structural Query Language.
SW Patents Examples
1. A network browsing system comprising:
a network including a plurality of nodes and a host computers,
said host computer and said plurality of nodes being
interconnected for the transmission of data;
a client computer including a display, said client computer
being connected to said network for the transmission of
data;
a network browser process implemented on said client
computer that is capable of establishing a connection
with said host computer and of generating a request for
desired data from said host computer which is to
generate desired images on said display of said client
computer; and
a server process implemented on said host computer which
services said request for desired data received from said
client computer by modifying the desired data into
modified data such that no additional connection
between the client computer and the host computer is
required to receive the entirety of the modified data,
where said browser process can generate said desired
images from said modified data, said server process
further being operative to transmit the modified data to
the client machine, and disconnecting from the client
computer after the transmission of the modified data;
wherein said server process determines whether said
requested data includes a local embedded URL and, if
so, obtains the data associated with said local embedded
URL and includes such data with said modified data.
SW Patents Examples
Claim 1:
A method for controlling the transfer of command
lines to a network element, comprising the
steps of:
1) determining the maximum number of
command lines that can be acknowledged
by a network element,
2) determining the wait duration for a command
line;
3) reading a command line from a batch file;
4) determining the number of command lines that
have not been acknowledged by the
network element and if the number of
unacknowledged command lines is less
than said maximum number, transferring the
command line to the network element after
waiting an amount of time equal to the wait
duration; otherwise waiting at least until the
number of unacknowledged command lines
is less than said maximum number before
transferring the command line to the
network element; and
5) repeating at least steps 3 and 4.
SW Patents Examples
Claim 1:
1. A computer readable storage medium containing a
program element implementing a software object,
said software object having self-tracing capability,
said software object being characterized in that:
a) said self-tracing capability is acquired by said
software object by inheritance;
b) said software object having a traceable object class
allowing said software object to manifest said selftracing capability, said traceable object class
including a parameter subclass, said parameter
sub-class providing means for storing tracing
parameters;
c) upon acquisition of said self-tracing capability, said
software object implementing:
a message analyzer for receiving a message containing
a tracing instruction and for processing said tracing
instruction to generate tracing data, the tracing
data being indicative of events occurring during
execution of a certain function by said software
object; and
a message loader for outputting a message containing
the tracing data, the tracing data being recordable
in a logfile.
SW Patents Examples
1. A cellular telephone communications system accessing an
asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) transport network,
comprising:
a plurality of base stations effectuating radio frequency
communications with subscriber mobile stations;
a base station concentrator connected to the plurality of base
stations;
a first and second access nodes connected to the ATM
transport network;
a first communications link connecting the base station
concentrator and the first access node of the ATM
transport network;
a transport network management system;
a second communications link connecting the transport network
management system to the second access node of the
ATM transport network;
wherein the base station concentrator and each first and
second access node include interfaces for communicating
voice information over the first communications link using
a communications bit stream that includes an embedded
operation channel carrying system operation and
maintenance information for delivery to and from the
transport network management system; and
wherein each first and second access node includes means for
converting between the communications bit stream
carried over the communications link and ATM cells
carried over the ATM transport network.