Computer technology plays an increasingly important role in modern society. Computers, electronic machines with the ability to store and/or process data, are called hardware. The expansion of hardware is staggering: computers are more powerful and computer technology is entering more areas of life, not just in technological environments, but also in more commonplace environments such as appliances, cars, watches, and similar products.

A computer cannot function without instructions. These instructions may be embedded in hardware, such as ROMs, but more often they are created, reproduced, and distributed on media that is separate from the computer hardware. Software for personal computers is distributed on diskettes or CD-ROMs. Computer programs are created in a programming language that can be understood by people trained in that language. That form of appearance of the program, which can be on the computer screen or printed on paper, is generally known as the source code. Another form of appearance is called object code, where the program is transferred to the digital values ​​0 and 1. In this form, the program is incomprehensible to humans, but it is machine-readable, for example from a floppy disk, and thus can actually be used to organize the operations of the computer.

The computer hardware, as well as the program, should generally be supplemented by manuals and other supporting material, prepared by the program’s producer, which provide essential instructions and reference material for more advanced uses of the program. The program plus such reference material and manuals are called computer software.

The investment required for the formation of computer programs is usually very high, and its protection against unauthorized copying and use is of crucial importance. Without such protection, software producers would not be able to recoup their investment, thus the creation and development of this crucial side of information technology would be in jeopardy. In countries that have not yet provided adequate protection, it is often only possible to obtain foreign programs that are not tailored to the specific needs of those countries. It is difficult to secure funding for essential translations and local adaptations. Computer viruses are often much more widespread in countries with inadequate protection, because they are distributed with pirated software that is not subject to the same quality control as licensed products.

It is essential that national legislation ensures sufficient protection of software. Even in cases where local translations or adaptations are not essential, such protection improves access to the most advanced and most suitable software, since producers and distributors are only reluctantly releasing their precious products in countries where a rampant piracy.