Final answer:
Courts analyze copyright infringement in computer programs by examining the number of significant program steps that are substantially similar, focusing on the structure, sequence, and organization rather than just coding language.
Step-by-step explanation:
When analyzing a copyright infringement claim involving computer programs, courts primarily examine the substantial similarity in the expression of the ideas, rather than the ideas themselves. Specifically, for computer programs, this tends to focus on:
- the structure, sequence, and organization of the code
- the total concept and feel of the programs
- the user interface, graphics, and audio
So, choosing from the given options, the answer would be: a. the number of significant program steps that are substantially similar. This means that the court looks beyond the mere number of steps or their appearance in a certain programming or machine language. It delves into how these steps are implemented and expressed in the accused program in comparison to the original.
It's important to remember that copyright law seeks to protect the expression of ideas rather than ideas themselves, which is why the comparison isn't against ordinary or machine language — this would delve into the realm of ideas or mere functions, which aren't protectable.