December 12, 1980: The US’s copyright law was amended to include computer programs.
The Computer Software Copyright Act defines computer programs and clears any doubts as to the scope of the copyright protection with regard to software.
Among the notable changes are as follows:
(1) It defined "computer program" as a "set of statements or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a certain result.”
(2) It amended Section 117 to state that it is not an infringement for the owner of a copy of a computer program to make copies or adaptations needed in utilizing the program or copies for archival purposes.
The protection given by this law was further extended by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to include those who copy a program for maintenance, repair or backup as long as these copies are “destroyed in the event that continued possession of the computer program should cease to be rightful.”