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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2003 Congressmen Try to Stiffen Penalties for File Traders Exporting the DMCA Netscape's Last Days at Hand AND PeopleSoft Finalizes J.D. Edwards Acquisition Oracle Still Says It Will Stand by PeopleSoft Customers Group at Syracuse Trying to Save Research Tool CONGRESSMEN TRY TO STIFFEN PENALTIES FOR FILE TRADERS Congressmen John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) and Howard Berman (D-Calif.) have introduced the "Author, Consumer, and Computer Owner Protection and Security Act of 2003" (ACCOPS Act), which would make a single unauthorized upload of a copyrighted work a federal felony. In addition, the ACCOPS Act would require that file-sharing Web sites request certain information of their consumers and would allot $15 million to the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute copyright violations. Conyers argued that the ACCOPS Act would address the absence of existing laws that adequately protect copyright holders. While the bill has garnered some support, Philip Corwin of Sharman Networks, the parent company of the Kazaa file-sharing service, sees the bill as "totally way over the top," and said the "idea of sending a kid who's downloaded a couple of songs to jail is just ridiculous." IDG, 17 July 2003 http://www.idg.net/ic_1326732_9677_1-5042.html EXPORTING THE DMCA The United States is pursuing a trade agreement with Chile, similar to one it signed in May with Singapore, that would extend many of the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Under the terms of the trade deal, Chile must apply civil and sometimes criminal penalties to those who circumvent technological measures designed to prevent unauthorized reproduction of digital content. Chile would also be responsible for prosecuting those who distribute hardware or software that has no apparent purpose other than to circumvent technological protections. President Bush supports the trade deal and is asking Congress to approve it. CNET, 15 July 2003 http://news.com.com/2100-1025_3-1026116.html NETSCAPE'S LAST DAYS AT HAND America Online (AOL) has announced that it has begun to phase out Netscape, which it bought in 1998 but which has been losing market share ever since. Netscape was one of the first browsers in the mid-1990s and enjoyed a strong following for many years. In part due to pressure from Microsoft, which now controls 96 percent of the browser market with Internet Explorer, Netscape's popularity has steadily dwindled. When AOL took over Netscape, it migrated the core code to a new project called Mozilla, which will continue development, now with the help of many engineers from the Netscape division. AOL said it will preserve the Netscape brand and support existing versions, though it will not offer any new releases. BBC, 17 July 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3074031.stm AND ***************************************************** PEOPLESOFT FINALIZES J.D. EDWARDS ACQUISITION PeopleSoft Inc. announced that it has acquired software maker J.D. Edwards, a move planned before Oracle Corporation's hostile takeover bid of PeopleSoft. Better-than-projected earnings for the second quarter positioned PeopleSoft for the acquisition, which is slated to be finalized in August. PeopleSoft sees its strong performance as an indication that customers support its effort to stay independent of Oracle. By guaranteeing its products and offering incentives--including generous rebates--to its customers, PeopleSoft increased licensing revenue and added 100 new large corporate customers. The acquisition of J.D. Edwards makes PeopleSoft the second-largest enterprise applications software company in the world, behind SAP and ahead of Oracle, which bumps down to number three. A spokesman for Oracle said that "Oracle remains committed to acquiring PeopleSoft--even with the addition of J.D. Edwards." New York Times, 18 July 2003 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/18/business/18CND-PEOPLE.html ORACLE STILL SAYS IT WILL STAND BY PEOPLESOFT CUSTOMERS In the first of a series of electronic "town hall" meetings, Oracle Executive Vice President Chuck Phillips answered a series of questions about the company's intentions if it successfully acquires PeopleSoft. Phillips pledged that if the acquisition takes place, Oracle will support and continue to sell all PeopleSoft products, including platforms 7, 8, and 9, for 10 years. The manner of selling those products, however, would change, he said, because Oracle sees the priority as support and maintenance of existing customers rather than seeking out new ones. Phillips also said Oracle would support J.D. Edwards products if that company is acquired by PeopleSoft. Internet News, 17 July 2003 http://siliconvalley.internet.com/news/article.php/2236811 GROUP AT SYRACUSE TRYING TO SAVE RESEARCH TOOL Researchers at Syracuse University are working to preserve the popular research tool AskERIC after the Department of Education decided to stop funding for the tool. AskERIC is a Web site that provides online access to educational resources and to experts who can help users sift through the range of available resources. Syracuse already operates the AskERIC site, which is run by the Clearinghouse on Information and Technology of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). ERIC now comprises 16 clearinghouses, though the Department of Education is working to combine them into a single database. Officials at the Department of Education said the new structure will make a service such as AskERIC unnecessary. Many long-time users and operators of AskERIC disagree, however, and are working to secure funding from Syracuse and other sources to maintain AskERIC in its current form. Chronicle of Higher Education, 17 July 2003 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/daily/2003/07/2003071701t.htm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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