Legal Classification and Protection of Configuration Files
Vol.7,No.13(2016)
Abstract
Keywords:
Copyright; Computer programs; Configuration files
Pages:
s. 45–66
The article deals with very specific but important and unfortunately stillrather exotic topic of configuration files for computer programs. These will mostly be the result of individualized installation of computer software, are important forrunning the program correctly and - though not be eligible for copyright protection - developer, publisher or operator of software would have great interest in their control and protection. Given their legal status be disputed or ambiguous, they are likely to be neglected in contractual scholarship between the publisher and the user of the software which leads to unpleasant implications in case ofan argument about rights and obligations eg for the purposes of alterations ofthe software or in case of invoking the contract's exit clause connected with thetransfer of computer programs concerned. This article aims to provide topicoverview, to sum up possible legal regimes of configuration files from thecopyright point of view and finally to analyze possibilities regarding workingwith such files from the licensor and licensee points of view.
Copyright; Computer programs; Configuration files
s. 45–66
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Copyright © 2016 Martin Loučka