***************************************************** Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. *****************************************************
TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2004 Capella Signs Licensing Deal for Audio and Video Streaming NEC Admits to Fraud in E-Rate Program GAO Finds Widespread Data Mining Buffalo Spammer Gets Jail Time CAPELLA SIGNS LICENSING DEAL FOR AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING Distance-education provider Capella University has signed a deal with Acacia Research Corporation, a company that claims it holds patents that apply to all audio- and video-streaming technology. Acacia initially sent letters to adult Web sites, alleging they were infringing on Acacia's patents. Later, the company began sending similar letters to providers of distance-education services and other mainstream companies. In the letters, Acacia requested that institutions supposedly using its patents pay the company two percent of gross revenues from those uses. A group of adult Web sites is challenging Acacia's claims in court, though some in the adult industry have opted to sign licensing agreements. Many in the higher education community reject Acacia's patent claims but concede that in cases like this, it is often less expensive simply to sign licensing deals than fight the charges in court. Still, some observers, including Sally M. Johnstone of the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications, were discouraged by the deal with Capella, saying it sets a bad precedent. Capella, Johnstone said, "basically validated Acacia's claim." Chronicle of Higher Education, 27 May 2004 http://chronicle.com/free/2004/05/2004052704n.htm NEC ADMITS TO FRAUD IN E-RATE PROGRAM The ongoing investigation into the troubled E-Rate program has resulted in a $20.7 million settlement with NEC Business Network Solutions, a subsidiary of computer maker NEC. Begun in 1996, the E-Rate program is a federal program, funded by a tax on phone bills, to provide funds predominantly to low-income and rural school districts for technology infrastructure. Allegations of fraud and mismanagement of the program surfaced several years ago. In the case of the NEC subsidiary, the company has admitted to selling the San Francisco Unified School District and several other districts much more equipment than they needed and to charging the E-Rate program significantly more than the equipment cost. Other companies involved in the E-Rate program have been charged with bribing school officials to forgo competitive bidding on technology projects. New York Times, 28 May 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/28/technology/28net.html GAO FINDS WIDESPREAD DATA MINING A report from the General Accounting Office (GAO) indicates that a broad range of federal agencies are involved in data-mining programs, designed primarily to improve the performance or services of that agency. Programs that use data mining to fight terrorism accounted for the smallest number of the 199 programs identified by the GAO at 52 different federal agencies. Of the nearly 200 programs listed, 122 use personally identifiable information, according to the GAO. Fifty-four of the programs use data supplied by private companies, including credit card companies, and in 77 of the programs, federal agencies share information with one another. The Defense Department sponsors the largest number of data-mining programs. Coinciding with the GAO's report, the Center for Democracy and Technology and the Heritage Foundation released their recommendations for how data-mining programs can be used effectively without sacrificing the privacy of individuals. The groups' report urges the federal government to "anonymize" data to remove personally identifiable information; to build secure systems that prevent unauthorized access to information; and to include tools that record instances of unauthorized access or misuse of information. Wired News, 27 May 2004 http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,63623,00.html BUFFALO SPAMMER GETS JAIL TIME A judge in New York this week sentenced Howard Carmack, the so-called Buffalo Spammer, to the maximum three-and-a-half to seven years in prison under the state's new identity theft statute. Carmack was charged with setting up hundreds of e-mail accounts under false or stolen identities and sending 850 million spam e-mails through those accounts. Internet service provider EarthLink previously won a $16.4 million civil judgment against Carmack, though the company has yet to collect any money from Carmack. At his sentencing, Carmack said his prosecution was politically motivated and that he didn't see any victims of his actions. In response, Judge Michael D'Amico said, "I'm having a heck of a time figuring out why you think everybody is unfair to you," telling Carmack he caused a lot of harm to many people. Wall Street Journal, 27 May 2004 (sub. req'd) http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB108568739201123150,00.html ***************************************************** 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. For information on EDUCAUSE publications see http://www.educause.edu/pub/ ***************************************************** CONFERENCES For information on all EDUCAUSE learning and networking opportunities, see http://www.educause.edu/conference/ ***************************************************** COPYRIGHT Edupage copyright (c) 2004, EDUCAUSE
