Re: Microsoft needs a help strategy

[Rjack]

> You seem to have a gap in your education in regard to copyrights vs 
> patents vs trade secrets.  The ideas contained in a copyrighted work are 
> not protected.  So how many ways can an idea be expressed in software 
> and can any of them be considered an artistic work for the purposes of 
> copyright?

The “Abstraction, Filtration, Comparison” test has dealt a severe 
blow to infringement claims for non-literal elements of software 
programs.

http://www.ladas.com/Patents/Computer/SoftwareAndCopyright/Softwa06.html#fn39

Sincerely,
Rjack :)