Legal Definitions - Directive on the Legal Protection of Computer Programs

The Directive on the Legal Protection of Computer Programs is a law created by the European Commission in 1991. Its purpose is to protect computer software by copyright, which means that the creator of the software has the exclusive right to control how it is used and distributed.

Before this law, some countries protected software with patents or other types of legal rights. The Directive standardized the rules for copyright protection across the European Union.

To qualify for copyright protection, software must meet a certain level of originality. This means that it must be more than just a simple list of instructions, but must have some creative element to it.

For example, a program that simply adds two numbers together would not be eligible for copyright protection. However, a program that uses a unique algorithm to solve a complex problem would be eligible.

The Directive has helped to ensure that software creators are able to protect their work and receive compensation for its use. It has also made it easier for software to be distributed across the European Union, since the rules for copyright protection are the same in all member countries.