The IT Law Wiki
The IT Law Wiki

Definition[]

Compile means

[t]o prepare a machine language program from a computer program written in another programming language by making use of the overall logic structure of the program, or generating more than one machine instruction for each symbolic statement, or both, as well as performing the function of an assembler.[1]

Overview[]

Source code versions of computer programs are typically complied or translated into and sold as object code or machine language versions of those programs by the use of a compiler.[2]

References[]

  1. U.S. Copyright Office, Compendium of Copyright Office Practices II, §326 (1984) (full-text).
  2. United States v. Brown, 925 F.2d 1301, 1303 n.4, 17 U.S.P.Q.2d (BNA) 1929 (10th Cir. 1991) (full-text).