the author. Therefore, it is not necessary that a copy of the software program be.
deposited with the Copyright Office in Washington, D.C. for the program to be.
protected as copyrighted. With that in mind then a copyright is a property right.
only. In order to prevent anyone from selling your software programs, you must.
ask a court (federal) to stop that person by an injunction and to give you damages.
for the injury they have done to you by selling the program.
The Software Rental Amendments Act Public Law 101-650) was approved by.
Congress in 1990, this Act prohibits the commercial rental, leasing or lending of.
software without the express written permission of the copyright holder. An.
amendment to Title 18 to the United States Code was passed by Congress in 1992.
This amendment. Known as Public Law 102-561 made software piracy a federal.
offense, and instituted criminal penalties for copyright infringement of software.
The penalties can include imprisonment of up to five years, fines up to $250,000 or.
both for unauthorized reproduction or distribution of 10 or more copies of software.
with a total retail value exceeding $2,500 or more. .
Under United States law duplicating software for profit, making multiple.
copies for use by different users within an organization, and giving an.
unauthorized copy to someone else - is prohibited. Under this law if anyone is.
caught with the pirated software, an individual or the individual's company can be.
tried under both civil and criminal law. A Civil action may be established for.
injunction, actual damages (which includes the infringer=s profits) or statutory.
damages up to $100,000 per infringement. The criminal penalties for copyright.
infringement can result in fines up to $250,000 and a jail term up to five years for.
the first offense and ten years for a second offense or both. When software is.
counterfeit or copied, the software developer loses their revenue and the whole.