북한에서 컴퓨터소프트웨어 저작물의 법적 보호

A Study on the Legal Protection of Computer Software Works in North Korea

As to the copyright area there has been lots of changes in North Korea. In other words, North Korea established the Copyright Act in 2001, and revised in 2006. In addition, in 2003 North Korea became a member state for Berne Convention for the protection of literary and academic works. Therefore, works in North Korea can be also protected in other member states of the Berne Convention by the reciprocal principle. Additionally North Korea has made the Computer Software Protection Act in 2003, protecting computer software as a kind of copyright. It means that North Korea gropes for getting legal protection of works not only in its own country but also in abroad. Herewith North Korea seems to search for ways to solve its economic problems. However, both Copyright Act and Computer Software Protection Act of North Korea seem not only to be stipulated in a general way but also to control authors as well as computer software developers by special organizations, even though private property as copyright is given to authors and software developers. Unfortunately, there has not been yet particularly known about North Korea's legal system in the area of intellectual property so far, though it is expected that inter-exchange of works between South and North Korea would be more active in the future. Hopefully, an in-depth study should be carried out as to North Korea's intellectual property in the future.