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Conclusion |
Computers have become ubiquitous, as is evident in their near invisibility in so many settings. They have made the leap from the desktop and laptop to our pockets and purses. They are the heart of our communications and entertainment. They increasingly control our homes, our cars, and nearly all other forms of transportation.
The hardware component of computers is nothing more than a collection of highly sophisticated switches: they are on, or they are off to represent the binary 0 and 1. The heart and soul of computers is software, the intangible instructions that direct the millions -- perhaps billions -- of switches in specific ways to complete complex tasks. Industry and the economy rely increasingly on software for their success. Yet the legal property protections for software developers and owners have failed to keep pace with the needs of the industry and economy. Existing intellectual property law falls short in providing the support the software industry requires to ensure the continued promotion of the arts and sciences. Just as the industrial revolution of the 19th century made necessary the development of a sophisticated system for regulating interstate commerce, the information revolution of the 21st century necessitates a regulatory system that supports, promotes, and encourages the new businesses and workers of the burgeoning information age. The principles of the existing legal protections afforded by trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, and patents can be adapted and modified to meet the needs of the new class of information property holders. What is required is an entirely new category of information-property legal protections conceived and applied with the unique requirements of the information industry in mind. |