In this free course, Software and the law, you'll look at the laws relevant to software and its use, taking a global perspective. A major part of this course is devoted to intellectual property law, the issue of who owns the software and digital content and how that ownership can be protected using instruments like copyright and patents. We also cover how contracts are used to formalise the relationship between purchasers and suppliers of software. Finally, we look at some of the laws that apply to information technology and software to ensure that organisations meet their responsibility of care towards employees, customers, and the general public.