Appropriate and inappropriate legal protection of user interfaces and screen displays. 3. Copyright law, the courts, and the copyright office

For pt.2 see ibid., vol.9, no.4, p.7-10, 92-4 (1989). The applicability of US copyright laws to computer programs is examined, and the enforcement of copyrights is discussed. Court decisions are cited showing that the copyright status of screen displays for computer programs remains confused. An important variable in predicting the scope of copyright protection, namely, the position that the US Copyright Office takes in the exercise of its registration function and in its rulemaking capacity, is examined.<>