Computer Software Copyright Act of 1980

Citation: Computer Software Copyright Act of 1980, Pub. L. No. 96-517, 94 Stat. 3015.

The Computer Software Copyright Act of 1980, amended the 1976 Copyright Ac concerning software. In the 1976 general revision of the copyright law, Congress was unable to agree on the proper scope or application of copyright law to computer programs. Accordingly, Congress legislated, in section 117 of the 1976 Copyright Act, that the state of the law on copyrightability of computer programs would be preserved as it was on December 31, 1977. At the same time, Congress formed a the CONTU Commission to make recommendations for copyright legislation on various computer-related matters.

Congress enacted legislation recommended in the CONTU Final Report several years later. The new law did two things:

(1) It defined "computer program" as a "set of statements or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a certain result.”

(2) It amended Section 117 to state that it is not an infringement for the owner of a copy of a computer program to make copies or adaptations needed in utilizing the program or copies for archival purposes.