can you patent or copyright a unique software feature? just for example if i was to create a "3d drop menu" that nobody had thought of before? its just an example but the point is can one legally protect a unique feature in software from being "adopted" by the competition?
Nobody respects software patents. The most you can hope for is that you are awarded the patent and someone like Microsoft eventually infringes upon it. Then if you have the $xxx,xxx to sue them, you may get a nice judgment. Sorry, but this is the reality of software patents.
The position in UK/Europe, is that you can't patent computer programs. However, you can patent computer implementative inventions. (The different is a legal question, and a very artifical one at that). There is quite extensive case law on the mater. You can read here if you are really concerned: http://www.epo.org/topics/issues/computer-implemented-inventions.html