Alta Vista threatens to claim Patent Rights on "Search Algorithms"
David Wetherell, CEO of CMGI (holding company for Altavista) has claimed that the patents held by the company
cover the "Searching of Database over the Internet and Intranets" and the company intends enforcing the
right. This could effect the Internet industry adversely as the technology is vital to its survival as a
information tool.
The creator of the Internet's first search engine, Archie(R), however has stated that
"Archie" the precursor to the existing search system existed long before the Web was even created and Alta Vista
has no claim on a Patent for this technology.
Detailed Story
If Justice is Not to be Delayed..
One of the bane of the Indian Judicial system is the delays
that are common. While the ostensible reason for delay in most cases is
to provide more time for justice to be brought forth through collection
of evidences, in practice the delays often work at killing the available
evidences....Now the fast growth in Cyber Crimes will introduce
further strain on the system ...We therefore need a totally different system to be configured to meet
the needs of the Cyber litigants.
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Cyber Army in the Making
It has been reported that starting this academic year, the Military Intelligence Training School and Depot (MITSD) is drawing up plans to introduce a course that will train army officers on hacking.
This should not only help the army to defend the Indian Cyber space but also to launch counter attacks if necessary as a hot pursuit of invaders or otherwise.
Read the Detailed Story in Indian Express
Related Article in Deccan Chronicle
Web tax consensus reached
The world's industrialised economies have reached a landmark agreement that defines for the first time how they should tax business conducted through internet servers and websites.
Read the Detailed Story in FT.com
Beginning of the End of Trade Mark Domination over Domain Names
The domain name conflict is getting interesting. As I had been
discussing in a seminar in Mumbai(bank Technology Seminar 2000) last year around this time, Maruti Suzuki
has laid its claim to the name "Maruti" by claiming the rights for the
domain name www.marutionline.com now held by another
company, Maruti Software Pvt ltd in Delhi...
Kudos to the Delhi High Court for ruling against the WIPO. Let's hope
that the Court will not bend down to any pressures from the more affluent
Suzuki as against the less endowed Maruti Software Pvt Ltd. The whole of
India respecting Lord Maruti and the whole of the world respecting the supremacy
of Cyber Rights over the Trade Mark rights (regarding the domain name) will be behind Maruti Software
in this land mark case.
Read the Detailed Story
Technology Induced Errors in Electronic Transactions
When Cyber Contracts are being entered into, there will be need to
define "Attribution of the document", "Time of Execution", and "Place
of Execution"...The Act is however silent as to who would
be responsible in case of any delay or loss of message due to any technical
problems in between.
In the light of this situation in India, it is interesting to observe that the recent "Uniform Electronic
Transactions Act" passed in California has taken care to cdefine the legal
liabilities in respect of technology induced errors in the transmission
of messages.
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Karnataka to become a "Zero Piracy State"
Karnataka Home Minister Mr Mallikarjun Kharge has assured MNC
software suppliers that the state would be a "Zero Piracy State" by next
year and a "Multi Pronged Strategy" is being drafted for the purpose.
While appreciating the need for stopping "Software Piracy", the attention
of the Government should however be drawn to long term strategies to make
Piracy un economical to both the "Pirate" and the "Consumer".
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Trade Mark Vs Domain Name- Consequences of Potter Ruling
It was reported recently that U.N. World Intellectual Property
Organization ruled that Time Warner, as the possessor of the Harry Potter
marketing rights, is the true owner of 107 Internet domain names that had
previously been registered by other parties for online use.
What are the Conswquences of this ruling? Is it good? or ???
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Fair Use of Copyright- An Analysis
A huge debate is raging across the world on the
meaning of “Fair use” of Copyright in the context of “Education”.
Chennai High Court is now in a position to contribute to this debate and
make a mark in the history of evolution Copyright Laws in the global scenario
when it takes up for debate the Oracle Corporation Vs Radiant Software
case in the beginning of the New Year. Whether it will stand as a “Land
Mark” judgement or not depends on how the legal fraternity in Chennai will
be able to put across their viewpoints in the Court and their ability to
draw the attention of the learned judges to substantive points of law involved
in the case.
Read the Detailed Story
