The Computer Software Copyright Act of 1980
By Summer Seligmann, C2ST Intern, Loyola University
Computers are everywhere. Their technology helps people get around, order groceries, do research, and so much more. Technology is so intertwined with our lives that the average person spends more than 10 hours online everyday. The debate we see today, over how to govern this technology and how to protect the rights of people who create it, has been happening since computers first gained popularity in the 1970s. Before 1980, few laws protected the authors of computer programs and softwares, but this all changed on December 12th, 1980, when President Jimmy Carter signed the Computer Software Copyright Act into law.
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