Writing for Embedded Systems Programming, David Beal and Michael Barr examine the legal implications of Embedded Linux. Considering the case of mixing open source and proprietary components, the authors outline some 'rules to code by' when mixing licensing variants . . .

“The rising popularity of Linux, combined with perceived cost savings, has spurred many embedded developers to consider a real-time Linux variant as an alternative to a traditional RTOS. Here's the straight dope on the legal implications for the proprietary parts of your firmware.”

“One of the more confusing aspects of the open source phenomenon has been the proliferation of different source code licensing schemes.[1] There are so many different licensing terms, in fact, that if you are considering using multiple pieces of software developed by others in your products, you'll probably want to have an intellectual property lawyer read the license agreement for each such component and advise you how best to proceed . . . “

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