Describes the events that led to the establishment of the national policy for informatics in Brazil, which restricts foreign involvement in that nation's computer industry. The governing agencies are described, controversies and debates surrounding the policy are summarized, and the reaction of the American government is discussed. (Author/CLB)

That college and university boards should have a policy on trustee conflict of interest is nearly universally accepted. Yet there is little consensus among institutions on just what the policy should be--and broad national consensus anytime soon is unlikely. Boards thus face a host of questions, many of which this document addresses, regarding…

The first half of the proceedings consists of three papers presented during the program session of a Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee (NAC) meeting. The first, a background paper by Robert L. Oakley, identifies some of the problems that modern information technology has created for the intellectual property system in the United…

Building an attractive patent and technology portfolio for potential licensees requires involvement and diligence by the technology transfer office and the inventors. Steps outlined in this article, such as proper treatment of IP to assure rights are not lost, preventing premature disclosures, assuring proper ownership and inventorship of…

This report presents a comprehensive delineation of the principal issues in the field of international telecommunications and information, as well as an overview of United States policy in this area. The first part discusses international trends in protectionism and the politicization of international forums; it also outlines United States goals,…

Unlike other universities, the University of Arizona is ending a policy of direct commercialization of faculty research, citing new federal rules governing conflict of interest and institutional budget constraints as the reasons. The decision also follows a suit against the university concerning spinoff rights. Critics argue that the university…

Federal government's and scientists'/engineers' viewpoints on governmental efforts to control flow of scientific/technical information are presented, including controls at hand, alternative control mechanisms, voluntary controls, and controls being fostered by the Department of Commerce. (SK)

Academics and government officials must develop a rational method to impose restraints on international technology transfer. Development of any prior review system will be difficult because of possible misinterpretation of well-meaning recommendations. A joint academic-government advisory committee to make recommendations and monitor developments…