Based on what I know of Norwegian law and the ongoing normalization to EEC law, hence also EU, the point of copyright on anything is so that no one else but you can make money on whatever you 'invent', being a new computer or an algorithm, unless you explicedly say it is OK. Some countries, which have copyright, differs whether you activly have to claim copyright or not, but that's besides the point.
The practise of backing up anything is so that you as customer are allowed to make sure your investmenst are not lost. Hence, you are allowed to make back-ups (within limits to how many and if you are able to controll the media) as long as no one profits from this (except from the supplier of back-up media :). The situation in the US is a bit more complicated than this as far as I know. -Frode
