One of the things I am really passionate about (as a software copyright attorney)  is simplifying complex issues in the law (maybe that is how I process things) and I have found that software law is too complex for most people to really effectively deal with. As the title suggests, I am going to try to explain and discuss important areas of software law and keep it simple.  Ok, so here we go.

So what is software law? This seems like a good place to start. Well the wiki definition is really not what I am thinking about link. Software law on this blog will be more about the important legal issues affecting software companies as they grow and are then eventually sold through a company exit strategy (i.e. mainly expansion stage software companies). I plan to discuss licensing/drafting issues, IP protection, software development and sales/marketing issues, HR issues, other regulatory issues and some fun topics too. What is really interesting about software law though, is that it is relatively new. The law associated with goods and services has been around for hundreds of years, but in relation to software, the law is relatively new and quite frankly it is still being created (most of the issues have only really been developed/addressed in the last 15-20 years). Ok that is the extent of the history lesson; so let’s discuss something more interesting.

What I find fascinating about the software law legal model is that the cost of replacement goods is essentially zero. So if there is a very significant legal dispute, the parties m