What is a &quot;printed computer program&quot; from a legal perspective?
<p>When asking a computer scientist, I received a clear answer: does not exist. However from a legal perspective, <a href="https://oami.europa.eu/copla/trademark/data/007221674/download/CLW/APL/2011/EN/R0669_2011-5_20121105" rel="nofollow">"printed computer programs" do exist and a can be chosen as a class for CTM registration</a>.</p>

<p>So what is a printed computer program?</p>

<p>Why don't you ask your computer scientist how he would describe what comes out of the printer when he is looking at his computer program and presses "print"?</p>

<p>For the purposes of the law you cite, that is what it means.</p>

<p><strong>Edit to address comments</strong></p>

<p>The computer program stored in an electronic format is covered by a different section of copyright law (also referenced in the case you cite).</p>

<p>When the <em>source</em> code is printed then there is copyright in the printed source code. Alternatively, if a procedure was written by hand with a pencil and paper (i.e. never stored electronically) there is copyright in that; not that such an event is likely. Copyright exists in both the text of the program and the presentation on the paper; there could be circumstances where the presentation is important although I can't think of any. Copyright does not exist in the algorithms used - these may be patentable inventions but they are not protected by copyright, only the "literary work" aspect of a program is copyright.</p>

<p>In the case of the web browser presentation and the 3d-printing of a chair - neither of these are computer programs; they are the output of a computer program. The browser presentation is a "literary work" in its own right and covered by copyright. The chair is not a "literary work" and does not have copyright protection but it may be a registrable design.</p>

<p>In order to be "copyrightable," a work such as a computer program needs to be "fixed in a tangible medium."</p>

<p>One way of doing this is "printing it out." Another way is "saving it to a disk" (or hard drive).</p>

<p>A program that is written and not saved to anything is not copyrightable, because it could be lost, along with all evidence of authorship.</p>

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