This article briefly explains the content and characteristics of moral rights, and assesses the most important aspects of legislation in this area. The basic problems of the digital environment with respect to moral rights are discussed, and some suggestions are made for the international harmonization of rules controlling these rights. (Contains…

Explores benefits and dangers of electronic learning and the globalization of higher education, focusing on the strategic response of Australian institutions to international cartels in partnership arrangements that cross national boundaries and involve for-profit media or information technology companies in curriculum development and delivery.…

The growth of distance education and the widespread use of multimedia course materials has led to interest in packaging and selling online courses. While few such courses are available, and fewer still have been successful, debate over issues of academic freedom and intellectual property is heightening. Some faculty say the greatest concern is…

Considers issues involved in Web based courses in higher education. Highlights include the institution's mission and strategies; administrative support; obstacles to adopting a Web curriculum; intellectual property issues; instructor compensation; criteria for selecting Web courses; preparation and delivery of course materials; student assessment;…

AEShareNet is a collaborative system to streamline the licensing of intellectual property so that Australian training materials are developed, shared and adapted efficiently. AEShareNet went live in February 2002: its history is reviewed here to illustrate the many strands in the provision of an online system in the context of the national…

These days, most newly hired faculty are appointed on a part-or full-time nontenure- track basis. The AAUP has reported that between 1975 and 2003, full-time tenure-track positions increased by only about 16 percent, while full-time non-tenure-track positions grew by 178 percent, and part-time appointment rose by 189 percent. Yet tenure…

In many developing countries, the value of knowledge is in its capacity to save and enhance human lives. The absence, loss or restriction of such knowledge impacts at the lowest levels of disadvantage and poverty, in death and disease. Essential components of an effective health service are medicines and skilled human resources. This paper…

This study examined whether divergent thinking test scores obtained from engineering students during college predicted creative work activities fifteen years later. Results showed that a subscore of the "Owens Creativity Test", which assesses divergent thinking about mechanical objects, correlated significantly with self-ratings of…

Given the current forms of economic production and corporate markets, the liberating and democratic potential of digital information is counteracted by the concentration of media ownership, as well as by policy, legislation, and the development of proprietary forms of technology. The notion of "intellectual property" produces artificial scarcity…

On April 25, 1953, three papers were published in "Nature," the prestigious scientific journal, which exposed the "fundamentally beautiful" structure of DNA to the public, and sounded the starting gun of the DNA Revolution. The authors of these papers revealed the now-famous double-helix structure of DNA, thereby unlocking the…

This publication seeks to help community leaders launch KickStart Initiatives to bring their communities onto the information superhighway. Part 1 outlines potential benefits of connectivity to individuals, to educational institutions, to businesses, and to communities. Factors influencing success in the connectivity endeavor include visionary…

This study examined university technology transfer in Maryland in terms of three issues: (1) the economic impact of university technology transfer; (2) a comparison of the technology transfer effort of University of Maryland System (UMS) institutions with other regional and "best practice" institutions; and (3) the technology transfer…

Introduction: In 1999-2000, a Norwegian youth cracked a DVD-access code and published a decryption program on the Internet. He was sued by the US DVD Copy Control Association (DVD-CCA) and the Norwegian Motion Picture Association (MAP), allies of the US Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), arrested by Norwegian police and charged with…

The 35 papers included in these proceedings report on innovative approaches to teaching used by faculty members at Ontario's technical colleges and universities. Included in this collection are papers on optimum instructional methods using microcomputers, teaching French conversational classes through drama, competencies for the educational…

Satellite news gathering (SNG) has been widely adopted in broadcast journalism in recent years, and appears likely to grow in importance as local television news operations increase their reliance on it. However, because the technology for SNG is so new, information transmitted through SNG systems is not adequately protected under current laws.…