The copyright protection of computer programs in Finland is mainly based on the EC directive on the legal protection of computer programs of May 1991. The following text describes some key points of the Finnish rules. Any rights described below are rights entitled solely for someone who is a lawful acquirer of a program (i.e. has bought the program and/or has a license to it).
No reproduction allowed
A computer program may not, as a general rule, be reproduced or copied in any way or form. This means that the general copyright rule that one may produce "copies for own use" is not applicable to computer programs. Further, it is not allowed to produce a computer program from the program's source code or to print a paper version of the computer program or its source code.
Copies required for the use of the program are allowed
If it is necessary for the use of the computer program to reproduce, translate, adapt or arrange the program, such acts do not require authorization from the copyright holder.
Back-up copies are allowed as long as the copy is necessary for the use of the program. Further it is allowed while using the program to observe, study or test the program in order to determine the ideas and principles which underlie any element of the program. Rights of this subsection may not be prevented by contract.
Decompilation allowed under certain circumstances
Reproduction of the code of a program and translation of its form (i.e. decompilation) is allowed where this is indispensable in order to obtain the information necessary to achieve the interoperability of an independently created program with other programs, provided that certain requirements are met. The requirements include that the information necessary in order to achieve interoperability has not previously been available and that the acts are confined to parts of the original program which are necessary in order to achieve interoperability.
Any information which is received through decompilation may only be used to achieve the interoperability of the program. The information may not be used for development, production or marketing of a computer program substantially similar in its expression, or for any other act which infringes the original copyright.
Exhaust of right
The first sale of a copy of a program by the copyright holder or with his consent exhausts the distribution right of that copy.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
