How-To Software Articles

Glossary of Open Source Legal Terms

Posted: Thu, 2018-12-06 10:21 - Michael Barr

A brief glossary of licensing terminology to help engineering teams understand legal terms related to open source software.

Embedded Linux and Copyright Law

Posted: Wed, 2018-12-05 09:52 - Michael Barr

The rising popularity of Linux has spurred many embedded developers to consider it as an RTOS alternative. Here are just some of the legal implications for the proprietary parts of firmware with which developers should be familiar.

The State of Software Design for Safety and Security

Posted: Thu, 2018-11-29 11:47 - Michael Barr

In this technology brief, we present key findings from Barr Group's 2018 Embedded Systems Safety and Security Survey that is relevant to lawyers engaging in litigation over the design of electronics and software.

Best Practices in Software Source Code Discovery

Posted: Mon, 2018-11-26 18:20 - Michael Barr

Software has become ubiquitous. From microwave ovens to electronic throttle controls, it is now embedded into the fabric of our lives through billions of new products each year. Whether for infringement of intellectual property rights or product liability, when products controlled by software are the subject of litigation, it is imperative to analyze the embedded software, also known as firmware, properly and thoroughly.

Firmware Update v18.11

Posted: Wed, 2018-11-14 09:14 - Michael Barr

How to Get Started with C++ in Embedded Systems
Budget Now for 2019 Firmware Skills Training
How to Prioritize RTOS Tasks (and Why it Matters)
Industry News That's Not Boring

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Firmware Update v18.10

Posted: Fri, 2018-10-05 09:57 - Michael Barr

MISRA C for Security's Sake!
Final Days to Register for Fall Firmware Skills Training
Why Are State Machines So Useful in Embedded Software?
Embedded Linux Training in a Box <-- NEW PRODUCT!
Industry News That's Not Boring

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Firmware Update v18.09

Posted: Tue, 2018-09-11 09:43 - Michael Barr

Download Barr Group's UPDATED Embedded C Coding Standard
Create Jump Tables via Function Pointer Arrays in C/C++
Further Develop Your Embedded Programming Skills this Fall
Master Embedded Linux Customization and Driver Development
Industry News That's Not Boring

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Lethal Software Defects: Patriot Missile Failure

Posted: Fri, 2018-09-07 10:02 - Michael Barr

During the Gulf War, twenty-eight U.S. soldiers were killed and almost one hundred others were wounded when a nearby Patriot missile defense system failed to properly track a Scud missile launched from Iraq. The cause of the failure was later found to be a programming error in the computer embedded in the Patriot’s weapons control system.

Reducing Litigation Costs: Software Copyright Infringement Detection Tools

Posted: Tue, 2018-08-28 19:30 - Michael Barr

In a previously supported case of alleged software copyright infringement, the plaintiff brought suit against the defendant for allegedly continuing to use the plaintiff’s copyrighted software source code in the defendant’s products after termination of a license agreement between the parties. Fortunately, automated tools helped experts to quickly and inexpensively detect copying of software source code.

Dead Code, the Law, and Unintended Consequences

Posted: Tue, 2018-08-28 08:56 - Michael Barr

Dead code has been frequently encountered when conducting source code reviews for litigation. The presence of dead code can have unintended legal consequences and several scenarios have been observed in which dead code heightened the probability of a loss in court.

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