gerizmones
New Member
I am designing an user interface for an software program. There are many other programs that provide similar functionality. There are many tables in my user interface and in some cases their contents and/or elements are similar to one or another program.
Particular example:
Table column names in existing program:
Project name
Bids
Avg bid
PMB (refers to private message board)(has additional new message indicator: i.e. "3 unread")
Status
End date (displays the date bidding will be closed)
Actions (drop-down list of actions that can be taken)
Table column names in my design:
Project name
Bids (has additional new bid indicator: i.e. "3 new")
Messages (has additional new message indicator: i.e. "3 new")
Status
Time left (displays time left, i.e. 3 days)
Actions (the same drop-down list, although its style is different)
Notes:
1 the overall design and style of my user interface is different
2 the programming code is unique
3 the drop-down list of actions is not commonly used in other programs in that particular case
4 There are several filtering fields (you select a filter option from the drop-down list and the content of the table is filtered accordingly) above both tables and some of the filtering fields match
5 The content of the table is obvious - other similar programs also show that content, but in different graphical way (not in table, sightly different data, etc.)
Questions:
1 Is my design of the particular table infringing the copyright?
2 In general, how the structure and logics of the user interface (or of the website) is copyrighted in USA? What are the guidelines? Where could i read more about it?
Thanks in advance for answers.
Particular example:
Table column names in existing program:
Project name
Bids
Avg bid
PMB (refers to private message board)(has additional new message indicator: i.e. "3 unread")
Status
End date (displays the date bidding will be closed)
Actions (drop-down list of actions that can be taken)
Table column names in my design:
Project name
Bids (has additional new bid indicator: i.e. "3 new")
Messages (has additional new message indicator: i.e. "3 new")
Status
Time left (displays time left, i.e. 3 days)
Actions (the same drop-down list, although its style is different)
Notes:
1 the overall design and style of my user interface is different
2 the programming code is unique
3 the drop-down list of actions is not commonly used in other programs in that particular case
4 There are several filtering fields (you select a filter option from the drop-down list and the content of the table is filtered accordingly) above both tables and some of the filtering fields match
5 The content of the table is obvious - other similar programs also show that content, but in different graphical way (not in table, sightly different data, etc.)
Questions:
1 Is my design of the particular table infringing the copyright?
2 In general, how the structure and logics of the user interface (or of the website) is copyrighted in USA? What are the guidelines? Where could i read more about it?
Thanks in advance for answers.
