European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Pag�12 the stars and stripes a upsets . By the new York times Tokyo the United states is protesting what it views As a Japa Nese plan to weaken copyright Protection for computer programs and help japanese companies catch up in software an Industry that americans have dominated. The . Government As Well As american computer companies say a proposal under review by an advisory committee to Japan a government would make it easier for companies to copy programs. Quot we need to take a close look at any Steps that would weaken our ability to compete a Michael k. Kirk the assistant commissioner for external affairs at the . Patent and trademark office said at a news conference in Tokyo late last week. Kirk who headed an american delegation that came to Japan to press the american concerns said the japanese proposal would be _ a contrary to International norms and a set a dangerous he also said the United states and other interested parties had not been Given a Chance to make their views known to the japanese review committee. The concerns focus on an advisory committee formed in july by the japanese Agency for cultural affairs to review Laws regarding software copyrights. If the Agency accepts the committees findings which it usually does a Bill embracing those findings would be written and introduced in the diet. One Issue the committee is considering is whether to make it Legal for companies to a reverse engi5 no cry software to find out How it works. Japanese officials say that the committee which is expected to finish its report Early next year is merely reviewing the software copyright Issue in Light of Legal developments in the United states and Europe that make reverse engineering More acceptable. The committee has not reached any conclusion they say. One offi rial said Japan would offer to hear the views of the United states the particular Type of reverse engineering at Issue is known As recompilation. When software is written in a computer programming language like Fortran it undergoes a process known As Compi lation which turns it into the ones and zeros a computer can understand. But those ones and zeroes arc extremely difficult for humans to decipher. Recompilation reverses the process turning the program Back into a language that is easier to understand thus letting people learn How a program works. Proponents of recompilation say it allows for faster Progress in that one program can build upon another. Learning the ideas behind a programs functioning is legitimate they say because copyrights protect not ideas but the expression of ideas. Recompilation also makes it easier to develop a program that can work together with another program. But american officials say recompilation involves copying software which is illegal. There Are Legal ways they say to find out How a program work. Computer War tuesday november 36,1903 Intel other makers Battle it out to set Industry a Standard by John Enders the associated press Las vegas a the Battle of chips in Las vegas last week is about computers not poker. The companies challenging Intel position As the Standard setter for powering a personal comp inter took their most aggressive marketing stance to Date at the computer Industry a biggest annual Trade show. Prototypes of the first personal computers to be run by Power pc a Chip developed by Apple computer inc., Motorola inc. And International business machines corp. Were on display at the Codex exposition. Apple and ism plan to begin Selling models next year. Meanwhile digital equipment corp. Wass showing off pcs based on its Alpha Chip and a Chip by Mips technology inc. Is running a a servers designed for pc networks. It could take years for a Winner to become apparent. Intel chief executive officer Andrew Grove said the company is used to Competition. A there has not been a Day in Intel a life certainly not in the microprocessor area where we Haven to had major forces trying to take a chunk out of our existence a Grove said. A the Alpha and the Power pc crowd wont do but in a handful of times that Power pc has gathered a lot of attention this year Wall Street has knocked Down the value of Intel a Stock. It fell wednesday As one analyst issued a buy recommendation for ism citing that company a embrace of Power pc. And it was tripped last monday when Apple chief executive Michael Spindler declared at Codex that his company is turnaround was staked. Ort Power pc a Michael Spindler. Ceo and president of Apple computer demonstrates a Microsoft windows solitaire game during his speech at the recent Codex conference in Las vegas. Success. Signs touting Power pc Are everywhere at Codex. Intel a exhibit meanwhile is designed to resemble a walk through pentium Chip the state of the Art microprocessor that has just started showing up on desktop computers a the others Are going to be Niche players. I think its a two Chip race Quot said Tom Beaver vice president and director of Power pc programs for Motorola. Intel microprocessors Are the a a brains of 80 percent of the More than 100 million pcs in the world today because of that base rivals must now Only make chips that Are cheaper and As powerful but compatible with existing software. A a we could blow it a Grove said. A but if we done to blow it somebody has to show some compelling reason for computer owners to abandon their momentum their experience their products their Intel a pentium has been criticized for running too hot using too much Energy and costing too much. X the Power pc is cooler smaller and less expensive. Its makers say they can achieve greater economies of scale Joe cause More chips can be Cut from 8-Inch Silicon a we re not doing it just to Start a Price War. Its going to end up that Way a Beaver said. A he believes Power pc chips will be used in every Szafier portable computers handheld communicators and products yet to be invented. For the moment dominant Intel believes it is delivering what customers want not must making promises. Quot this is hot a curiosity a Grove said of pentium. A this is a mass produced High tech consumer technology. It is not about showing samples showing demos. Its about delivering in the no place for stolen hardware to hide by Joe Fasbinder United press International if you be been the victim of a Home robbery you be probably lost a computer. If someone Shady has offered you something for sate its most probably a computer. In fact the stolen computer registry contends that the pc How tops the list of most often stolen equipment. But before you think that so Many computers Are stolen that you wont get caught if you buy one you should know a Little More about the stolen computer registry. The stolen computer registry was put together by the National computer Exchange a group founded in new York in 1967 to sell and buy used computer equipment. A suspicious computer equipment would show up for Sale and i found that Law enforcement agencies weren to lot of help in determining if it was stolen a said registry executive director Bob Elise be. Nobody want to be stuck with stolen computer hardware so Zisek went to work on finding a Way to make sure that computers coming onto the trading floor in new York were of legitimate origin. A we got some funding from insurance companies a he said but the bulk of the Cash for running and maintaining the suspicious computer equipment would show up for Sale and 1 found that Law enforcement agencies weren t a lot of help in determining if it was stolen Boz Loseke. Steen computer registry registry since 1990 has come from the National computer Exchange it works like this insurance companies who receive reports of stolen computers Call the registry to report serial numbers As do Law enforcement agencies arid even individuals. A the information goes into a database and Law enforcement agencies who come into Contact with suspicious equipment dial in with a Modem and compare numbers to find out if they have hot computers on their hands. Consumer can to do that. A we have to know who is checking said Iseke. A we validate everyone be cause we want to make sure you re a Good Guy bad Guys he pointed put might otherwise dial into the stolen computer registry just to find out if the hardware they had filched was in the database yet. Not Only does the registry act As a Buffer to Stop stolen computers from going on Sale it also makes stolen gear a lot less attractive to thieves. Iseke. Noted that thefts of Laptop or notebook computers quadrupled Between 1992 and 1993. Something Worth As much As several thousand dollars can be had sometimes just by breaking the window on a car. There is never a charge for listing serial number on the stolen computer Reg Stry. Law enforcement age do can checking for free to peruse its contents but buyers and seller have to pay a fee to take part. When stolen equipment is located the registry supplies information and assists in the recovery and return of property to its rightful owners Zischke was vague on How Likely any particular stolen computer is to wind up i the registry database. A i Don t know just Bow Many computer Are in there he said. To say the registry amp big and getting t
