Professional Ethics for Computer Programmers By Dr Awad Khalil Computer Science Engineering Department The Social Context of Computing Why do we study the social context of computing How is this relevant to us The dramatic increase in computer use throughout society requires that people who design computers and software for future users have a higher level of understanding of social issues As computer technology spreads throughout modern society so do the opportunities for its misuse We should understand the legal and ethical dimensions of computing so that we will be prepared to deal constructively and responsibly with such issues when they arise CSCI 106 Professional Ethics of Computing 2 The Intellectual Property Intellectual property is not physical property like a car or a house but is instead an idea or a representation of an idea in any of a variety of media Intellectual property has rights that can be assigned licensed or used as collateral There are currently four commonly used ways in which intellectual property rights can be identified and hence protected 1 Copyright 2 Patent 3 Trademark 4 Trade Secret CSCI 106 Professional Ethics of Computing 3 Software as an Intellectual Property Computer software is a term that applies to the collection of all computer programs For example computer software facilitates computer use by banks publishers and government agencies A software product has three complementary aspects a source program an object program and a user interface When a software product is developed for commercial use its constituent source program written in a high level language such as Pascal is usually not distributed Only the object program machine language code resulting from the translation of the source program is distributed along with some documentation and tutorial information A software product s user interface consists of the information presented on the screen by the software along with the interactivity required to effectively use the software A software product is an intellectual property It is an original CSCI 106 Professional Ethics of work of authorship 4 Computing Applying Intellectual Property Law to Software Software Copyrights Because the source program in a software product is an original work of authorship it is protected by copyright law Copyright law protects all original works of authorship against unauthorized copying Copyright protection means that the owner of the copyright has the exclusive right to make use and or sell the original work The copyright law protects the verbatim text of the program source code and machine language code but not the ideas that underlie the program Someone else can independently arrive at the same idea and express it in a different programming style This will not violate copyright protection Any piece of academic work involving computer programs is governed by the same rules of copyrights The use or adaptation of another s program in one s own program without proper written acknowledgement constitutes plagiarism Copyright law applies to an original work of authorship immediately from the day it is created until 50 years after the owner s death It also applies automatically Many copyright owners prefer to post explicit notice of copyright on all CSCI as 106 Copyright Professional Ethics of Awad Khalil All rights printed copies of the work such 2002 5 Computing reserved Applying Intellectual Property Law to Software Software Patents Software can also fall into the realm of patent protection Patent law explicitly protects processes machines manufactured items or inventions from unauthorized reproduction use or sale by anyone besides the owner Some algorithms can be patented One famous one is Karmarkar s algorithm for solving certain types of problems which was a truly unique and original algorithm Most algorithms are however in the public domain and not patentable Unlike a copyright patent rights do not automatically apply to a piece of software A software patent must be obtained by application to the US patent and Trademark office Once obtained a patent remains in force for a period of 17 years after which the patented process or machine falls into the public domain CSCI 106 Professional Ethics of Computing 6 Applying Intellectual Property Law to Software Software Trademarks A trademark is any word name symbol or device adopted and used by a manufacturer to identify its products Like patents trademarks are obtained by applying to the US patent and trademark office Software Trade Secrets A trade secret is generally any item of knowledge or characteristic of a product which is generally kept secret from the competition Trade secrets often arise by contract Employees are bound not to reveal any of the software designs or implementations with which they came into contact CSCI 106 Professional Ethics of Computing 7 Software Licenses and Piracy 1 2 3 4 By purchasing a software product a person automatically obtains a license to use that software Such licenses come with specific restrictions that are designed to protect the manufacturer s rights to the software product Singleuser licenses usually specify the following conditions The software product can be used only on one computer The software product cannot be copied except for backup or modified The software cannot be used in the creation of a derivation work The software is provided as is The manufacturer is not liable for any damages arising out of the use of the software Several variations on the single user license are also widely used Site licenses are usually purchased by an institution like a college or university CSCI 106 Professional Ethics of Computing 8 Software Licenses and Piracy Public domain software is often distributed with its source code in the interest of widening the dissemination of technological ideas and improving the quality of future versions of the software Some users obtain software products illegally Illegal copying of software is called software piracy and is a direct violation of copyright law and a violation of the terms of the license agreements Software piracy probably occurs for three main reasons the cost of the software the ease with which it can be copied and ignorance of copyright laws A solution to the software piracy problem is not near at hand It will require a policy on pricing and licensing that is realistic for users and guarantees a fair return on investment for manufacturers A new level of awareness on the part of