CSC - Legal Obligations of Developers When Creating New Software

When developing software there are many rules that should be followed.
Some people don't follow these rules and are creating software illegally by copying software from other people.

Software developer named X, works for a company that is developing software for a new traffic light system that will dramatically change the traffic light system and prevent hundreds of car wrecks every year.
But software developer named X, changes company and he is now working for a different company.
He takes with him to the new company, all the ideas for this new traffic light system and they start to make the software.
The boss hears about this great new system and talks with him about where he got his ideas. The boss is NOT happy.
If they copy these new ideas they will be breaking the law. They must respect Intellectual Property (IP).
Software developers are legally obliged to follow the law and not copy ideas from other developers.
Software developer X is wrong for stealing the ideas of the company he worked for in the first place.

The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Act 1998 was an act to amend The Copyright Act 1968, the Designs Act 1906, the Patents Act 1990 and the Trade Marks Act 1995, and for other purposes.
The Copyright Act 1968 (in Australia)
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (in USA)

If a company is paying you to develop software, they own the software, not you.
You as a software developer cannot make money from giving these ideas to a different company.
To keep confidentiality, some companies make their developers sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
All countries have laws that protect intellectual property.

Found an error on this page? Please let us know via the contact form under the Home menu item.