Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Illinois

First, realize that big software companies have big investments in their software and tend to use intellectual property laws to defend their positions.

Second, review the patents issued to the software companies with which you seek to compete to see what patent claims you will need to avoid.

Third, watch out for brand names of the software applications so that you do not infringe any trademarks.

The copyright and software piracy laws are, to software developers, less of an issue if no copying of code is involved, and if you are making original code, there is less likely to be software piracy issues. So, keep your code original and your involvement with the copyright laws should mostly be to protect YOUR work.

Finally, you should consult with a patent attorney versed in computer software protection when you near your final product, so the attorney can give you a clearance opinion and review for any problems. That way you have someone qualified and ready to defend you if trouble arises.

If you need help in finding a suitable local attorney, call and I can assist you in finding one.