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Respecting intellectual property

publish date: 2026/05/28 07:21:46.942695 UTC

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Software engineers must respect copyrights, patents, and licenses. Misusing code or assets can lead to legal and ethical violations.

Which action respects intellectual property?

Using open‑source code according to its license terms

Copying proprietary code from a previous employer

Reusing licensed software without paying for it

Sharing a client's source code with another company

Using open‑source code according to its license terms

Ethical engineers follow license requirements and avoid unauthorized use of proprietary or copyrighted materials.

Software Engineering Ethics — Sommerville