>Hi Ed,
>
>There was a thread similar to this one on west-wind msg board. One of the responses was that as soon as you file for a (can't remember which they spoke of) copyright or patent, it becomes public. Then your competitor can see all of the details. It may not always be the best route to go was the gist of the thread.

Filing a patent places public notice of the concept being patented, which may include details of implementation. In order to assert patent violation, you must prove that someone else used your property without having purchased the right to use the technology. Your protection of concept is broader than the protections of copyright, which cannot establish in detail ergonomic aspects of the technology, only the specific instantiation of the technology.

>
>Talking with an IP attorney is the best thing to do. Every states' laws differ also. I don't know if this is true in every state, but in Ohio, any computer code you write for a client is yours, not theirs. You grant them a license to use it in their business. Computer code/software is by law not a "work for hire". This is one of the reasons why John Harvey's client couldn't just go sell the product.
>
>As John Peterson suggested, and my attorney always tells me, it is your business decision. You need to make up your mind about your business goals and then base decisions on those goals. This is where I seem to run into trouble. I'm always afraid of making a bad business decision. But I've always learned from my mistakes.
>
>Jacci
>
>>
>>Check with an IP attorney; often, copyright is the wrong means to protect your interests; patent filings can often protect better than copyright with some types of IP.