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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2005 I2Hub Shuts Down IFPI Ratchets Up Lawsuits U.S. to Keep Control of ICANN MIT Debuts $100 Laptop OSDL Opens Patent Library Program Will Shed Light on Downloads Microsoft to Offer High-End Computing Software I2HUB SHUTS DOWN I2Hub, the P2P service that ran on Internet2's very high-speed network, has ceased operation amid growing concerns over the liability of such services for copyright infringements by their users. I2Hub was launched in early 2004 on the academic and research network that connects more than 200 locations. Although the service made forays into legal activities, it was largely used by students at connected campuses to trade music and movies at speeds substantially higher than possible with commercial Internet services. A number of i2Hub users had been targeted by the entertainment industry for copyright infringement, however, and the service itself was cited by the Recording Industry Association of America in September as a possible target of legal action. The closure of i2Hub follows that of Grokster last week and an announcement by eDonkey, the most popular P2P service, that it would change its business model to a paid download service. CNET, 14 November 2005 http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5952060.html IFPI RATCHETS UP LAWSUITS The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has filed lawsuits against 2,100 individuals in a number of countries for allegedly sharing copyrighted material over the Internet. The new round of lawsuits, which targets users in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Argentina, Singapore, and Hong Kong, brings the IFPI's total to more than 3,800. In the United States, nearly 16,000 individuals have been sued for illegal file trading, resulting in more than 3,500 settlements so far. The sharp upswing in the number of lawsuits from the IFPI comes after strong victories for copyright holders in the United States, Australia, and South Korea against operators of P2P services, which in those countries can be held liable for copyright infringement by their users. IFPI Chief John Kennedy said the new suits represent "a significant escalation of our enforcement actions" and noted that through such lawsuits, thousands of individuals "have learnt to their cost the legal and financial risks involved in file-sharing copyrighted music." BBC, 15 November 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4438324.stm U.S. TO KEEP CONTROL OF ICANN Delegates at an international meeting in Tunisia have agreed to allow oversight of the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS) to remain with the United States. Leading up to the World Summit on the Information Society, a number of nations had put forth proposals that would have required the United States to cede DNS control to an international body. Instead, agreement was reached to leave DNS management with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and create an international forum to address concerns, though the forum will not have binding authority. The Internet Governance Forum is to begin meeting next year and will address issues both within the purview of ICANN, such as the addition of domains in languages other than English, and outside ICANN's authority, such as spam and cybercrime. San Jose Mercury News, 16 November 2005 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/13180104.htm MIT DEBUTS $100 LAPTOP At the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia, Nicholas Negroponte, director of MIT's Media Lab, will show an early version of a $100 laptop that he announced in January. Negroponte has said that such a device would bring the fruits of technology to millions of schoolchildren in developing nations, spanning the digital divide and spurring economic development. According to those involved with the project, a number of countries have expressed interest, including Brazil, China, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, and South Africa, though development remains before orders can be placed. In addition, the governor of Massachusetts has called on his state to provide the new laptops to every middle and high school student. Critics of the program argue that people in developing nations often need more basic supplies, such as food and clean water, and some also note that the educational value of laptops for every student has not been proven. The devices use the Linux operating system and flash memory; they do not include cameras or DVD-ROM drives, as originally planned. They run on C batteries that can be recharged using a hand crank attached to the device. Chronicle of Higher Education, 16 November 2005 http://chronicle.com/free/2005/11/2005111602t.htm OSDL OPENS PATENT LIBRARY The Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) has unveiled its public patent library (PatentCommons.org), which offers a free searchable database of patents donated to the open source community. The library is a catalogue of patents whose owners have agreed not to exert any control over the technologies as long as they are used to improve the open source community. The OSDL does not hold any of the patents but simply offers the site as a clearinghouse for information about patents, where they came from, what they do, and under what conditions they can be used. Officials from the OSDL said they expect more patents to be added to the database soon but that they wanted to launch the service now, ahead of patent pledges they expect later. The site should free open source developers from much of the uncertainty they have when using patented technologies in their development efforts. Internet News, 15 November 2005 http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3564201 PROGRAM WILL SHED LIGHT ON DOWNLOADS A new initiative is designed to give computer users the information they need to avoid downloading software that includes ad programs or other pieces of code that they do not want. The Trusted Download Program, created by America Online, Yahoo, CNET Networks, Verizon, and Computer Associates, will offer a certification program for companies that offer downloads. Rather than determining what should or should not be allowed in a download, however, the certifications simply require vendors to disclose exactly what the products do and what other components, such as adware or spyware, are included. Users are then given the opportunity before downloading any software to see that information. Before the software can be downloaded, users must explicitly agree to the indicated components of the download. Consent is then required again before the software can be installed. Clear instructions for uninstalling the software must also be provided. CNET, 15 November 2005 http://news.com.com/2100-1029_3-5954668.html MICROSOFT TO OFFER HIGH-END COMPUTING SOFTWARE Microsoft has announced plans to begin offering tools that will pool the resources of desktop computers running Microsoft software into high-performance computing systems. The market for high-performance computing has been dominated by Linux and UNIX systems, and market analysts at International Data Corporation noted that demand for such systems has grown faster than the rest of the server market in recent years. A Microsoft official said their target is not the "highest-end systems but...divisional and departmental computing systems." Microsoft will also provide support for 10 supercomputing installations around the world, including facilities at Cornell University, the University of Utah, University of Stuttgart, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. To be successful, Microsoft will have to compete with existing tools for moderately sized high-performance environments, such as a program called Linux Rocks. Linux Rocks is already in use at more than 500 academic and technical sites and is available for free. New York Times, 15 November 2005 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/15/technology/15super.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or access the Edupage archive, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 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] ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE RESOURCES The EDUCAUSE Resource Center is a repository for information concerning use and management of IT in higher education. 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