Gerardo Con Díaz is assistant professor of science and technology studies at the University of California, Davis, and the editor in chief of the IEEE Annals of the History of Computing.
Matching the economy and elegance of a sublime early (patent worthy) computer program, Con Diaz's brilliant and accessible study of software intellectual property is unrivaled in IT legal history. -Jeffrey R. Yost, author of Making IT Work: A History of the Computer Services Industry Who says antitrust doesn't matter? In this spirited, authoritative, and well-crafted history, Con Diaz shows how lawmakers, lawyers, programmers, and entrepreneurs invented the legal principles that protect today's digital giants. -Richard R. John, author of Network Nation: Inventing American Telecommunications Con Diaz crucially reminds us that law is not external to the business and technological development of U.S. computing. He weaves patents, copyrights, and trade secrets into a lively history that speaks directly to contemporary intellectual property debates. -Kara W. Swanson, Northeastern University A brilliant, original history of the struggle to achieve copyright and patent protection for computer software, lucidly written, deeply knowledgeable, and compellingly attentive to the interplay of law, business, and innovation. -Daniel J. Kevles, Professor of History Emeritus, Yale University