Compendium of U.S. Copyright Practices, 3rd Edition

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721.3 What Is Source Code?

721.3 What Is Source Code?


Source code is a set of statements and instructions written by a human being using a particular programming language, such as C, C++, FORTRAN, COBOL, PERL, Java, Basic, PASCAL, LISP, LOGO, or other programming languages. These statements or instructions are comprehensible to a person who is familiar with the relevant programming language, but in most cases a computer or other electronic device cannot execute these statements or instructions unless they have been converted into object code. This conversion is performed by a separate program within the computer, which is known as an interpreter, assembler, or compiler. See Apple Computer, Inc. v. Franklin Computer Corp., 714 F.2d 1240, 1243 (3d Cir. 1983); Williams Electronics, Inc. v. Artic International, Inc., 685 F.2d 870, 876 n.7 (3d Cir. 1982) (quoting the CONTU REPORT at 21 n. 9, 28).

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