Copyright

[Chilibird]

This seems kind of obvious, but various relatives have brought this up...

Is the copyright that XCode puts onto each source file sufficient copyright to protect my app from copying, or is there something else that needs to be done to protect myself/my work?

Thanks!
-CB

[nattylux]

From a legal perspective, just writing the code makes it yours. Putting the copyright notice on it just labels it as such.

In reality, however, your app WILL get stolen. Very soon after you release, be prepared to see your app distributed for free on various torrent sites. The pirates know that what they're doing is illegal, so copyright notices don't stop them.

Furthermore, if your app idea is interesting/successful, it will be copied and you'll see clones in the store.

As for your actual code, however, unless you've developed amazing technology, I doubt that too many hackers are enterprising enough to decompile it and use it. And if they are, a copyright notice wouldn't stop them.

[aiki]

you should talk to an attorney about this -- preferably one that does IP (intellectual property) rights. From my understanding (which is limited since I'm not a lawyer, so don't take any of this as advice), not having a registered copyright (at least USA style) with the copyright office limits the damages you can seek to actual damages. If you have a registered copyright you can also seek punitive damages. I'm not sure if court fees get covered either way. The second thing is that having a registered copyright makes it easier (but not automatic) to prove you are the owner. Lastly, it may also help in international issues where the other country is part of the Berne (not sure about spelling) convention or has a separate treaty with the US. But you still may need to copyright overseas (one more reason to talk to an attorney that knows this stuff). Just because in the US you get an automatic copyright does not guarantee protection of it, and may not cover other countries. For a long time in the 1800's it was perfectly legal to reproduce foreign books in the US without consent since we had no agreements for copyright protection with Europe.

And nattylux is right about the pirates. It won't stop them. But it never hurts to register so long as you can pay the fee and fill out the paperwork. I've spent over 10 years in design and various creative fields... registered copyrights are a very good thing despite the RIAA.

[johnqh]

The copyright protects your own code...nobody will see your code anyway, right?

However, nothing prevents someone from copying your interface and write an app to do exactly what you do. If you want protection, look into patents (big$ for lawyers).

Anyone knowing a little bit of Apple history would know. Google for "Apple vs Microsoft copyright lawsuit" and you will get enough of it.