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Software copyright act The Software Copyright Act was a Great Step in the Right Direction The software copyright act, which is actually called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act has given software developers a little more power when it comes to protecting their works. If you've bought software in the last few years I'm sure you've noticed some of the changes that have been made in the software buying process. If not, then you really should wake up and take note. Some of the more noteworthy achievements of this act are the following: 1) It is now a crime to go around anti-piracy measures in software. 2) It is no longer legal to make, sale, or give away software or devices that were invented for the purpose of cracking codes enabling the illegal copying of software. 3) Limits the liability that ISPs (as far as copyright infringement violations) when information is transmitted online. The problem isn't the people want to be bad or do something wrong. Most of us by nature want to do the right thing. The problem lies in educating people to the fact that it really is stealing when you bootleg, pirate, illegally download, or otherwise acquire copies of software that you didn't pay for. It's one of those 'white lie' types of crimes for most people and they don't really see how it will hurt anyone for them to copy a game that their brother, cousin, uncle, or friend has. Someone paid for it after all. The problem is that at $50 plus being the average price for computer games and simple software if 10 million people are doing it, the numbers are staggering and they add up quickly. The software copyright act sought to protect businesses from losing money this way. The software copyright act was the worldwide response to a growing problem. This problem was so widespread with illegal downloading of music that lawsuits and massive commercial ad campaigns were initiated in order to curtail illegal downloading activities when it comes to music. It seems to be working to some degree. Fewer people are illegally downloading music; the downside is that these people aren't buying as much music either. The reason is because they are no longer being exposed to the wide variety of music and artists that they were getting freely when downloading music each night at no cost. This equals lower record sales and is becoming a problem of lower movie sales and software sales as well. People aren't trying new games like they could before the software copyright act by going to LAN parties and everyone sharing a copy to play, now everyone has to own a copy before they can play. While this may be great for the companies that make a few (a minimal few at best) extra sales on the games for the sake of a great party but for the most part, it is costing them the extra money that could be made by 10 people finding they liked the game enough to go out and buy it so they could play it whenever (and the next group of 10 they will introduce the game to) Gamers are a funny group and software copyright act or no, they are going to stick with the software and games that serve them best. The software copyright act was created in order to protect the rights of those writing and developing computer software. We want those who fill our lives with fun games, useful tools, and great ways to connect to friends and family to continue providing these great services and to get paid for the ones they've already provided. The software copyright act is one giant step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned.

Proctor and Gamble Great at the Freebie Thing Do you have a favorite manufacturer that you like to tap into for free product samples and coupons? For those in the know, the Proctor and Gamble Corporation is one of the best companies for getting your share of freebies. This popular manufacturer is well known as the creator of many fine household products. For freebie hunters, the Proctor and Gamble Corporation are known as one of the most reliable sources for awesome freebie deals and promotions. Here are some hints and tips at become at an ace at getting freebies from your favorite manufacturer. Get to Know the Proctor and Gamble Corporation for the Best Shot at Great Freebies If you want the best shot at getting the best freebies from Proctor and Gamble, you will find that they are very generous with their free samples and coupon freebies. But you will have to take the time to know the company. Peruse their website and get to know their promotion schedule. The Proctor and Gamble Corporation is a favorite with many freebie hunters because it provides consumers with a wide range of products and they even maintain a special webpage dedicated exclusively to their current promotions and offers. Once you have located this page on their official website, go ahead and bookmark it for future reference. Check with the site periodically to see what offers and promotions are currently on the table. Enable Flash to Get the Most Out of the Proctor and Gamble Page Recently, the Proctor and Gamble Corporation, along with many other streamlined websites, has added a Flash based scrolling design to display their current offers and promotions. In order to view these promotions, you will have to make sure that you have Flash enabled on your web browser. These scrolling offers are shown at the bottom of the page. Check these often and carefully as new offers are added periodically. Read the scrolling items carefully. Some of them will link you to official sweepstakes offers, while others will lead you straight to freebie offers and coupons. Selecting the Proctor and Gamble Offers that Most Interest You In order to get the best deals, visit the promotions page on the official Proctor and Gamble website. From there, you can select all the free offers that most interest you. The Proctor and Gamble webpage usually comes loaded with a healthy selection of free samples, sweepstakes and coupon offers. Another thing you can do to make sure that you always have access to great Proctor and Gamble promotions is to get on their mailing list. Make sure you select the products you are most interested in so that you will get pertinent mailers and coupons. Read the Fine Print on Proctor and Gamble Offers and Promotions When it comes to manufacturer promotions, time is of the essence. Most great deals and offers will not last forever. Make a note of the expiration date of the deals you are interested in. Read the fine print on the promotions. Most will only be available to United States residents. However, international customers do not have to despair. Simply look for the global link on the main page. This will connect you to other pages that offer you pertinent promotions for your country of residence. For the most part, Proctor and Gamble has established itself as a worthy generator of freebies, coupons and sweepstakes offers. Chances are that you will find your freebies in the mail within a few short weeks of making your initial request. Are There Any Risks Associated with Getting Proctor and Gamble Promotions? Some people are wary about handing over their personal contact information to a company. If this is a concern with you, make sure that you read the company's own privacy policy. As a general rule, you should avoid making requests and giving personal information to companies that do not offer you easy access to their privacy policy.

Movie Copyright Law College Students Are Being Targeted For Breaking Movie Copyright Law Many people have taken up the hobby of downloading movies and songs on the Internet and sharing them with their friends and family online. However, this is direct violation of the movie copyright law. Not surprisingly, the biggest violators of the movie copyright law are students. It is not surprising that the movie industry sector is sending out copyright infringements claims to college universities around the country. One reason that college students may be the hardest hit when it comes to violations brought against them for infringing on movie copyright law is that they are not aware of how serious a crime it truly it. Many college students who have suits brought against them are shocked, to say the least. They question why they were not warned about the perils of downloading movies and songs online and passing them along to friends. However, with the rise of claims that are being handed down, no one can claim ignorance for much longer. Word is being spread near and far that if you are engaging in illegal downloading and/or sharing then you can be brought to court. College students are learning the hard way that it is against the law and in violation of the movie copyright law to share or download copyrighted material. Many colleges and universities are now stating in their handbooks that it is against the law and the university rules to illegally download movies, music and other forms of media online using a school computer. In addition to illegal downloading and sharing software, the files take up space on the computer systems and use a considerable amount of bandwidth. While most universities and colleges will not look at the content an individual has -- they can isolate and identify the individuals who are hogging up the bandwidth by using illegal file sharing software. The movie and music industries have stepped in and are demanding restitution for illegally downloaded movies, music and other forms of copyrighted media. They have detection agencies that have the technology to identify and trace copyright infringements straight to their source. Once the computer is located they can notify the university or the college that they are in violation. The university will be told that they have a copyright infringement claim against them. Based on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act once the computer is isolated Internet access is terminated to that computer and court proceedings can begin. Does this sound far fetched? Well, it is not. You should know that in April of 2003 four students were sued by Recording Industry Association of America. These students attended Princeton, Michigan Technical University and Rensselear Polytechnic Institute. One student alone had an estimated liability of $150 billion. When you consider that you can be charged $750 per song that is illegally downloaded, the total can add up fast! The good thing is the lawsuits against the college students were settled for amounts less than $20,000. That is not pocket change for college students – or anyone for that matter! Movies and music are meant to be enjoyed. However, illegally downloading movies and music is not much different than walking into a video store and sticking DVDs and CDs in your pocket. Be careful. You do not want to be caught violating the movie copyright law.