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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2004 Moves Afoot to Criminalize File Sharing Latest Patent Suit Hits Intel and Dell Contract Awarded for New ERIC Database Inexpensive Computer Debuts in India MOVES AFOOT TO CRIMINALIZE FILE SHARING Congress is working on several fronts to address the issue of copyright violations over the Internet. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) last week introduced a bill that would give the Justice Department authority to bring civil lawsuits against those guilty of trading copyrighted files on P2P networks. According to Hatch, the Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation (Pirate) Act of 2004 would provide law enforcement with tools to fight companies that attract users with free music, movies, and pornography, making piracy and pornography the "cornerstones" of a business model. The Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America applauded the Pirate Act. Meanwhile, a draft bill was circulated among members of Congress that would criminalize file trading. According to the draft, those found guilty of sharing large numbers of copyrighted works or single copies of prerelease content could face fines and prison time. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tx.) reportedly has agreed to introduce the bill if he can find co-sponsors, though his office declined to comment. Wired News, 26 March 2004 http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,62830,00.html LATEST PATENT SUIT HITS INTEL AND DELL MicroUnity Systems Engineering has filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Intel and Dell for multimedia technologies in computer chips, as well as for hyperthreading. John Moussouris, founder of MicroUnity, said Intel has added multimedia-processing technology to its Pentium 3 and Pentium 4 processors--and that Dell has added such technology to its computer systems--in violation of his company's 10-year-old patents. MicroUnity also contends that Intel's Pentium 4 chip uses hyperthreading technology, which allows the processor to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, in violation of existing patents. The lawsuit is being handled by the same legal team that successfully sued Intel on behalf of Intergraph. In that case, Intel has so far paid Intergraph $150 million. MicroUnity's lawsuit does not specify damages. New York Times, 27 March 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/27/business/27patent.html CONTRACT AWARDED FOR NEW ERIC DATABASE The Department of Education has awarded a $34.6 million contract to build a new database system for ERIC, the world's largest education database. ERIC dates back to 1966 and provides access to educational content for educators, researchers, and the general public. The new system, to be built by Computer Sciences Corporation of Rockville, Md., will be designed to provide fast, direct, online access to ERIC's more than one million bibliographic records. Users will be able to search on a single Web site for journal articles, abstracts of documents, and, where possible, the full text of articles. The site will also include links to commercial sites where users can purchase full texts. Information Today, 29 March 2004 http://www.infotoday.com/newsbreaks/wnd040329.shtml INEXPENSIVE COMPUTER DEBUTS IN INDIA An inexpensive handheld computer, designed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India, debuted last week. Conceived in 2001 as a way to make Internet technology accessible to millions of poor Indians, the Simputer had to overcome a three-year delay due to lack of interest from computer manufacturers. Funding for development of the Simputer ultimately came from the government-owned Bharat Electronics, which will produce the machines. The computer, which will be called the Amida Simputer, will cost about $240 and will go on sale in April. It uses a Linux-based operating system, employs a stylus, and offers users Internet access. Developers hope that the Simputer will bridge a broad technology gap in a country where fewer than 10 people in every 1,000 have computers, primarily because of cost. BBC, 29 March 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3578309.stm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ 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/ ***************************************************** 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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