to_the_sun

I have some very general questions about intellectual property rights. I "own" any code i write, do I not? How is that ownership defined? If some one comes along with a program that is exactly like mine and tries to sell it, or claim it as their own, have they violated my rights? Do I have to prove that I came up with the program first (is it simply a matter of having written it first)? What if their program is slightly different, but obviously inspired by mine, or uses some elements that are exactly the same, but adds others? What is the purpose of a patent? Is it simply a good way to prove you came up with something first, just something that would hold up well in court? Or does a patent define the moment when my ownership begins?

Ownership of the code I've written -- General Questions