Vol. 416 No. 4
72 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will outline the protection, if any, which is incorporated in the Copyright Act, 1963, for the protection of computer programmes; and whether there is an EC Directive on the matter.
The Copyright Act of 1963 makes no specific reference to computer programmes. However, in so far as such programmes can be construed as literary compilations they would enjoy the protection afforded in the Act to literary works.
A Council Directive — 91/250/EEC — on the Legal Protection of Computer Programmes was adopted on 14 May 1991. A provision of the Directive is that it should be implemented by member states by 1 January 1993, and arrangements for this are in hand.
