Software engineering and the law

For good or otherwise, the legal system has discovered the world of computers and its practitioners. Anyone opening a daily newspaper knows that litigation involving computers and software has exploded in recent years. On balance, the net effect of this attention might be positive because it gives practitioners an economic incentive to improve the way we work. Indeed, lawyers might well be the ones who provide the incentives for realistic contractual commitments, worst-case software engineering development practices, and a total organizational commitment to quality. Something similar happened to the US automobile industry, benefiting both car makers and the public.