Software Interoperability and Competition Law

Abstract

Interoperability is of prominent role in the software industry, since the value of a software product largely depends on the extent to which it can be used together with systems that consumers already have. Interoperability in the computer industry is a big deal and the lack of interoperability even more so. Recently interoperability has materialized as a crucial policy and legal consideration in cases concerning competition laws in the software sector. In this article, author analyses the role of competition law in enforcing software interoperability from the intellectual property perspective focusing on the abuse of dominant position.