Computer software should not be protected by copyright laws designed for music, literature and other creative works, according to a lawsuit filed in a US court in San Francisco.

 The New York Times reports (14 Dec.) that  an intellectual property consultant is hoping to convince the court that software makers can protect their products adequately through patents, which provide more comprehensive protection, but are difficult to obtain and expire in a shorter period of time.

The NYT says the case seeks to clarify which laws the $US100 billion US software industry uses to protect its products Currently software makers like Microsoft use both copyright and patent laws to protect their creations, as well as “clickwrap” agreements that stipulate terms of use. It’s estimated that US businesses lost $US6.5 billion last year to piracy.