Protecting Embedded software IP
- 1. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OPTIONS FOR EMBEDDED SOFTWARE VINITA A PALANIVELOO PHD COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
- 2. EMBEDDED SOFTWARE COMPONENTS RTOS - LINUX • Boot Loader • Kernel • Driver • Application Module BAREMETAL • Bootloader • Driver
- 3. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Patent Copyright Trade Secret
- 4. PATENT • Published information to increase technological knowledge available to public • Twenty years monopoly for time and effort to create • Software – protect features of program • Novel Ideas • Systems • Methods • Algorithms • Functions • UI - Menu arrangements • Infringement - Penalty
- 5. COPYRIGHT • Form of expressing ideas • Source code • Unique UI components • Exclusive rights to create derivative • Automatic upon creation of original work • Unlikely to create identical code without copying • No protection to ideas, programs and concepts
- 6. TRADE SECRET • Formula, Process, Tool or Mechanism – Not known or Discoverable by others • Competitive advantage • Features of Software (e.g,) Algorithm to detect image in Luminosity • Not extended to elements reproducible by reverse engineering • Cannot be subject to infringement • Prove that trade secret is not known to the market
- 7. BOOTLOADER – IP? • Bootloader is the image for bringing up kernel • Vendor- proprietary image • Can be customized • Unless there is a patent / copyright, the customization is not IP as it is knowledge not a trade secret
- 8. KERNEL – IP? • Board Support Package • File System • Configuration options to build kernel • Unless there is a patent / copyright, the configuration of kernel is not IP as it is knowledge not a trade secret
- 9. DEVICE DRIVER – IP ? Processor P1 Processor P2 Device D1 Device D3 Processor P1 Device D2 DR1 - Driver – C programming CROSS/ NATIVE COMPILER (Vendor) DR1 Cannot be reused for D2 Unless the specifications for D1 & D2 are identical DR1 Cannot be reused for P2 The Address Maps vary with vendor CROSS/ NATIVE COMPILER (Vendor) Only novel algorithms in driver can be IP, Driver code itself is knowledge not a patent / copyright or trade secret
- 10. APPLICATION SOFTWARE – IP? • Be Agile & Market fast • Document everything to protect by copyright • Track access permissions and code checkout and access status • Encrypt IP of Novel algorithms and functions • Consult IP expert • User Interface – Layout , design • Label source with metadata & watermarks
- 11. POPULAR MYTHS • Code reviews make my code vulnerable to copying • Central repository expose my code to unauthorized copying • Requirements and bug tracking tool expose my IP • Version control tools are not safe
- 12. METHODS OF PROTECTING SOURCE CODE • NDA with ownership and copyright well defined – legal implications • Metadata / Watermarks • Encryption • Copyright headline • Code obfuscation • Code splitting / APIs • Protect novel algorithms / Functions with patent/ copyright • Track code checkout and commits • Build trust in the team