The Valuation of Software and Database

Abstract

The software, generally understood as a sequence of computer instructions for performing functions on devices such as hardware, falls within the category of intangible assets, and due to its pervasiveness in people's daily life, it represents an essential tool for any user. As a result, some complex legal issues, as well as sophisticated economic evaluation approaches come out, to estimate the damage caused by counterfeiting, in an evolutionary scenario characterized by sharp technological discontinuities. The database indicates a set of data, homogeneous in content and format; these data are stored in a computer and interrogated via a computer-implemented system by using the provided access keys. The estimation follows the general evaluation criteria of the other intangible assets---the income, cost, or market approach---to be adapted to the specific characteristics of the software or database.