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Structure, sequence and organization
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<p>Structure, sequence and organization (SSO) is a term used in the United States to define a basis for comparing one software work to another in order to determine if copying has occurred that infringes on copyright, even when the second work is not a literal copy of the first. The term was introduced in the case of <i><a href="/facts/Whelan_v._Jaslow/pQekGvMA">Whelan v. Jaslow</a></i> in 1986. The method of comparing the SSO of two software products has since evolved in attempts to avoid the extremes of over-protection and under-protection, both of which are considered to discourage innovation. More recently, the concept has been used in <i><a href="/facts/Oracle_America,_Inc._v._Google,_Inc./oyuJdpfW">Oracle America, Inc. v. Google, Inc.</a></i> </p>