New Excel development

[ledgreg]

I am in the process of developing an Excel based application which I plan on selling to businesses. Does anyone know if I need to register with microsoft since I am developing my application in Excel? All my customers will need to have Excel to use my application. I would really prefer a web address at microsoft that I could print out stating what the requirements are.

Secondly, does anyone know if there are simple ways to protect my Excel application from being copied by one of my customers and given to one of their friends?

Lastly, would I just need a copyright for this application or would I need a patent as well?

Thanks for your help and take care!

[Harald Staff]

No, you don't have to pay Microsoft anything.
No, there's no easy way to protect your work.
Copyright is complicated, but rules are pretty much the same all over the
world. I doubt that an Excel app would qualify for a patent, but please try.

HTH. Best wishes Harald

"ledgreg" <[email protected]> skrev i
melding news:[email protected]...
>
> I am in the process of developing an Excel based application which I
> plan on selling to businesses. Does anyone know if I need to register
> with microsoft since I am developing my application in Excel? All my
> customers will need to have Excel to use my application. I would
> really prefer a web address at microsoft that I could print out stating
> what the requirements are.
>
> Secondly, does anyone know if there are simple ways to protect my Excel
> application from being copied by one of my customers and given to one of
> their friends?
>
> Lastly, would I just need a copyright for this application or would I
> need a patent as well?
>
> Thanks for your help and take care!
>
>
> --
> ledgreg
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ledgreg's Profile:
http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=31973
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=516981
>

[Nick Hodge]

Adding to Harald's reply, to better protect your code, you could develop it
in .NET using VSTO (Visual Studio Tools for Office). This runs as managed
code under the .NET framework with all the inherent security that brings

--
HTH
Nick Hodge
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Southampton, England
www.nickhodge.co.uk
[email protected]HIS


"ledgreg" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
>
> I am in the process of developing an Excel based application which I
> plan on selling to businesses. Does anyone know if I need to register
> with microsoft since I am developing my application in Excel? All my
> customers will need to have Excel to use my application. I would
> really prefer a web address at microsoft that I could print out stating
> what the requirements are.
>
> Secondly, does anyone know if there are simple ways to protect my Excel
> application from being copied by one of my customers and given to one of
> their friends?
>
> Lastly, would I just need a copyright for this application or would I
> need a patent as well?
>
> Thanks for your help and take care!
>
>
> --
> ledgreg
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ledgreg's Profile:
> http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=31973
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=516981
>