Foreign Software Research Articles

1998 update: International legal protection for software

This report summarizes the legal protection available for computer software in most significant markets around the world as of January 1998. It also identifies changes in the availability of legal protection since the January 1997 version of this report. The methods of protection covered are copyright, trademark, patent and contract. The accompanying chart summarizes whether software is currently within the subject matter protected under the copyright or patent law of each country listed. Since the extent of copyright protection for a software work also depends on mutual membership in an international convention or a bilateral agreement, the chart identifies convention memberships. Certain bilateral agreements between the US and other countries are identified as well. Thus, for both US and foreign software, the current availability of subject matter protection in a particular country can be determined from the chart. Local counsel should be consulted, however, before distributing software in a particular market to confirm and update this information and to advise on the practicality of enforcement, evidentiary considerations and other protection mechanisms. Not all national laws or convention memberships provide retroactive protection for previously published or unpublished software, so the effective date of the law and the membership can be critical in determining whether a particular work is protected. Such issues of timing are beyond the scope of this report. This report also updates the status of recent legal developments related to encryption software and the liability of online service providers.

Library Software in Pakistan

The use of computers in libraries in Pakistan is expected to increase as the government realizes the possibilities of new information technology. Outlines the basic elements of the computerization of library operations and discusses the problems of using and developing library software in Pakistan. Libraries have automated individually without exchanging experience; most libraries cannot afford library automation, and librarians are not trained in library automation. Although foreign software is not suitable for Pakistan's libraries, some foreign software is being used, including: dBase III+ and IV; Foxpro; INMAGIC; Mini-micro CDS/ISIS; MINISIS; and Sci-Mate. Attempts have been made to develop library applications software in Pakistan. The most successful has been the Library Automation and Management Program (LAMP), developed by the Netherlands Library Development Project-Pakistan using CDS/ISIS. Recommends that a National Centre for Library Software Development be established and a MARC format for Pakistan should be developed. Library software should be developed to deal with materials in local languages.

Cutting-sdge technologies computer software: strategic industry

US- owned firms account for more than 60% of worldwide computer software sales, and US capability in software tachnology is widely viewed as well ahead of that in other countries. However, the US lead cannot be expected to last. Nor are policies yet in place intended to protect exisitng advantages. Japanese firms have demonstrated their capabilities in hardware. Japanese firms have demonstrated their capabilities in hardware. Japanses exxecutives know they must develop better software in order (1) to use their own computer systems to best advantge, and (2) to sell more hardware in export markets. The next several devades will see a gradual slippage in the US position, particularly as foreign software suppliers move away from custom programming an realted services, their present focuse. A narrowing gap between US and foreign industries could prefigure a competitive challenge in software, development not unlike earlier challenges in microelectronics. Better software,. in addition, will have impacts elsewher...

Training authors to develop educational software through the adaption of foreign software

Until recently, educational software in the F.R.G. was not sufficient, nor of adequate quality to meet the needs of German schools. To overcome this problem, in 1988 an international collaboration was set up between the Institut für die Pädagogik der Naturwissenschaften and the Educational Computing Unit at King's College London to provide training for German authoring teams to evaluate and produce educational software. This collaboration, which has been supported by several of the Lände, the British Council, and the publishers CoMet-Verlag, has resulted in the training of 25 people working in 6 groups, and the production of 10 educational software packages in the first phase and a similar number of software groups and packages with new teams in the second phase. The primary objective is the qualification of educational software authors, the secondary objective is the development of courseware for German-speaking schools. This paper discusses some of the issues and problems identified in the collaboration, and compares the successes of this method of training and software production with methods recommended by other international organisations.

Indian science: Foreign software giants pounce

Indian science: Foreign software giants pounce

Ideological “guerrillas” and the quest for technological autonomy: Brazil's domestic computer industry

Brazil's domestic computer industry, developed during the past decade, has excluded multinational giants such as IBM from Brazil's growing micro- and minicomputer markets. Changes in computer technology and in markets, as well as in domestic economic and political conditions, helped facilitate Brazil's progress toward technological independence. But primary support for the project came from technocratic and military elites who were determined for ideological reasons to reduce Brazil's computer dependency and to challenge the dominance of multinationals. Ideologically motivated technocrats used their positions in state bureaucracies to convince policy makers of the industry's viability and to set up institutions that would defend the autonomy model and turn a sectoral policy into a national policy. Brazil still depends on foreign software and microelectronics; however, bargaining theory correctly asserts that even dependency in sophisticated technological sectors can be partially overcome. Bargaining theories must not overlook the importance of cognitive and institutional processes, which can make the difference between taking action to reduce dependency or doing nothing.