Computer Program - Law Dictionary Search Results
Home Dictionary Name: computer programcomputer program
a sequence of instructions stored in any medium that can be interpreted and executed by a computer called most frequently a program This term is used both for the written program a document and for its corresponding electronic version stored or executed on the computer See instruction as Version 10 of the program had a serious bug that caused the computer to crash frequently...
higher programming language
A computer programming language with an instruction set allowing one instruction to code for several assembly language instructions...
Goods
Goods, Computer programs are the product of an intellectual process, but once implanted in a medium they are widely distributed to computer owners. An analogy can be drawn to a compact-disc recording of an orchestral rendition. The music is produced by the artistry of musicians and in itself is not a 'good', but when transferred to a laser-readable disc it becomes a readily merchant-able commodity. Similarly, when a professor deliv-ers a lecture, it is not a good, but, when transcribed as a book, it becomes a good. That a computer program may be copyrightable as intellectual property does not alter the fact that once in the form of a floppy disc or other medium, the program is tangible, moveable and available in the marketplace. The fact that some programs may be tailored for specific purposes need not alter their status as 'goods' because the Code definition includes 'specially manufactured goods', Advent Systems Ltd. v. Unisys Corpn., 925 F. 2d 670 3dCir 1991. Associated Cement Compa...
core dump
An complete and exact copy of the contents of a computer core9 usually produced as a file when some serious error occurs in the execution of a computer program and used for debugging the program which produced the error...
disassembler
a computer program that takes as input a computer program in machine language and produces an equivalent assembly language file...
Firmware
Firmware, 'software kept in semi-permanent memory. Firmware is used in conjunction with hardware and software. It also shares the characteristics of both. Firmware is usually stored on PROMs (Programmable Read-Only Memory) or EPROMs (Electrical PROMs). Firmware contains software which is so constantly called upon by a computer or phone system that it is 'burned' into a chip, thereby becoming firmware. The computer program is written into the PROM electrically at higher-than-usual voltage, causing the bits to 'retain' the pattern as it is 'burned in'. Firmware is non-volatile. It will not be 'forgotten' when the power is shut off. Handheld calculators contain firmware with the instructions for doing their various mathematical operations. Firmware programs can be altered. An EPROM is typically erased using intense ultraviolet light', Newton's Telecom dictionary. C.C.E. v. Acer India Ltd., (2004) 8 SCC 173 (182)....
infinite loop
a series of instructions in a computer program which when executed cause a cyclic repetition of the same instructions with no other action by the program for as long as the program continues to be executed or the loop is interrupted by some external action...
millennium bug
An error in the coding of certain computer programs which store the year component of the date as two digits assuming that the first two digits are 19 rather than as a complete number of four digits when such programs are used after January 1 2000 the date may be misinterpreted causing serious errors or total failure of the program called also year 2000 bug year 2000 problem and Y2K bug...
object file
A computer program which has been translated into machine language by a compiler and assembler but not yet linked into an executable program sometimes called an obj file because its file name typically has the extension ldquoobjrdquo...
machine language
a set of instructions3 in a binary form that can be executed directly by the CPU of a computer without translation by a computer program...
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