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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1993)
Some developing nations accept computer piracy Eastern countries often may tolerate . software copying By Doug Kouma Staff Reporter Computer software piracy, the copying of programs from one com puter to another, is more than just a ( legal issue, one University of Ne braska-Lincoln business professor said. Ronald Hampton, who has been researching the topic, said that while Western civilization typically re garded computer piracy as a crime, the act was seen as an ethical issue in many Eastern cultures. “Perceptions of whether this is right or wrong depends on the culture and belief system that is invoked in a particular society,” Hampton said. In many developing nations, such as China and India, computer piracy is widespread and accepted by the populations, Hampton said. “As a culture, they arc disadvan taged because of the prices that arc charged in this society,” Hampton said. Madhavan Parthasarathy, a gradu ate student researching the topic with Hampton, said some cultures re spected sharing technology. These differences in attitudes have spurred an ethical debate in Western culture regarding the costs manufac turers place on software, Hampton said. “Often, the time taken to develop a software program is no more than the time it takes to write a typical text book,” Hampton said. Computer software, however, is priced much higher, he said. A word processing program can cost as much as $400, while the actual cost to the manufacturer is usually.only a smal? fraction of that cost. -A 44 software and those who pirate simply because the software is available. Manufacturers are not hurt by the second group, he said, because those people would never have actually purchased the software. Hampton said manufacturers actu ally could use software piracy to their advantage, but fifst, they must ac knowledge how widespread piracy is. Hampton said manufacturers must Often, the time taken to develop a software program is no more than the time it takes to write a typical textbook. —Hampton business professor -—- •• — Parihasaralhy said many people also were questioning the morality of copyrighting “intellectual property.” Computer software is nothing more than somcone’s“idca transformed into a series of magnetic pulses,” he said. This intangible aspect of computer software makes it difficult for people to see it as an actual possession, he said. Parihasaralhy said students could, in a sense, be considered a “develop ing culture.” While they often lack the resources to buy these software programs, their need for them is often great. Computer pirates fall into two major groups, Hampton said: those who must obtain a certain piece of W V “accept the fact that it does exist, and, given that, look at what they can do to improve the purchase of a product.” Some manufacturers have already introduced programs to benefit stu dents, Hampton said. The manufac turer of SPSSX, one of the most com mon statistics programs used at UNL, has offered, for a small cost, to up grade students’ copies even if they were pirated, he said. Byofferingsucha program .Hamp ton said, the manufacturer still can benefit. As more copies of software pro grams arc circulated, Hampton said, manufacturers benefit from increased sales of accessories such as upgrades and program manuals. Unions granted increase in student fee allocation Health center’s fee request same as prior year’s By Doug Kouma Staff Reporter The Committee for Fees Allo cation unanimously votetf Monday night to allocate $1,641,114 in stu dent fees to the Nebraska Unions, a 2.1 percent increase over last year’s r allocation. The committee recommended that the full amount re quested by the unions be allo cated in light of rising energy an^l utility costs. CFA members also discussed the possibility of reinstating a ser vice charge for all non-student fee using accounts participating in Stu dent Activities Financial Services. Currently, all studentgroups par ticipating in SAFS arc assessed 10 cents for each disbursement made from their accounts. The commit tee, however, voted against rein stating the fees on the basis that money generated would be mini mal. Kunle Ojikutu, director of the University Health Center, said the center was requesting no increase over last year’s allocation. Pro jected income would increase 2.66 percent over last year, he said, offsetting an increase in expendi tures. ( - -— 1 .m Much of the health center’s ex penditure increase could be attrib uted to added services, such as the newly added diabetic clinic and a new computer systeip. Ojikutu said the health center faced special difficulties in bud geting because inflation in the medical field is at approximately 15 percent, compared to 2 or 3 percent for the general economy. He said many of the projected increases in expenditures, such as maintenance and utility costs, were out of the control of health center officials. Other expenses, such as malpractice insurance and training for employees, were also on the rise, he said. -44 / think the students are finding out that we’re a bargain. — Ojikutu University Health Center director -ft - “In health care, you arc required to have continuing education in order to maintain your license,” Ojikutu said. He said the health center also expected an increase in the number of students using the center’s vari ous programs. “I think the students arc finding )ut that we’re a bargain,” he said. ***••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ♦ • • • • A gi ft that will make your Valentine I • Jeel good long after they re opened it. I Gift certificate.' • m • • Imagine the look on your Valentine’s face when they slip • • into a new pair of Birkenstocks.® With a contoured fit and * • shock absorbing sole, they’re enough to make anyone smile. • Blikeiuiocki • The original < <unfurl •'bur. • Footloose & Fancy "\ l • 1219 "P" Street J J • open Thursday until 8:30 P.M. ) ?: • • ••••••* . .v. . ..-:---y 3 • •••••••••• With good behavior, you'll be out in just 5 months. With a 4 year college degree, you can begin your career in law as a paralegal in just 5 months. • Approved by the American Bar Association • Free lifetime national placement assistance • Financial aid available for eligible students • Includes a 100 hour internship Call today for a free video "Your Career In Law" F800-848-0550 DENVER PARALEGAL INSTITUTE -1401 19th Street Denver, CO 80202 □ Please provide information on the paralegal profession. □ Please send free video "Your Career In Law” Name ___ _ Address___ City • j State __ Zip_Denver paralegal institute Phone Anfl *401 19th Street Graduation Date __ 1-800448-0660 The committee did agree to give the university system about S2.4 mil lion over the next two years to cover operations, maintenance and utilities costs for 14 new buildings that re cently have been built and are ready to open. “There are several new buildings coming on line that we have already appropriated money to construct,’ Moore said. “So we felt we needed to appropriate money to open them.” Even with these increases, the committee’s funding recommenda tion for the university system going into the hearing is about S12 million less than Gov. Ben Nelson’s recom mendation. Spanier said, “I understand the slate’s financial circumstances and I’m sympathetic to them, but I intend to let people know the damage that cuts like that could do to the univer sity.” The uni versity’s hearing before the Appropriations Committee is sched uled for March 9. a number of possibilities. “Obviously, at this early date, we cannot list specific cuts that would be required,” Masscngalc said. “But the categories that m ust be considered arc fairly easy to identify.” These categories included: • elimination of whole programs; • reductions or eliminations of outreach services; • additional closed class sections; • continued deferral of serious building repair and maintenance prob lems; • cuts in student services; • continued deterioration of re search equipment and erosion of per sonnel support, including graduate and technical assistantships; • continued reductions in faculty support services such as telephones, copy equipment and on-site services to rural areas; • delays in compliance with fed eral regulations, including the Ameri cans with Disabilities Act. Cut Continued from Page 1 by the budget proposal." Peterson said GLC members hoped to voice students’ concerns to the Appropriations Comm iuee next week. Masscngalc said the Appropria tions Committee needed to indicate to the full Legislature — and to Ne braska citizens — the magnitude of the problem the state faces in dealing with its S68 million revenue gap. It is that gap Sen. Scott Moore of Seward, chairman of the budget-writ ing Appropriations Committee, said hiscommittcc was attempting to close without relying on tax increases. The budget request submitted by university officials does not include a list of specific items that would be cut in the face of reduced funding, as most other state agencies submitted, Moore said. However, Massengale’s statement, released after the com m i ttcc approved the budgetcutrecommendation, listed jeclions based on rumors that just two or three drinks would push the .08 limit. But, he said, the rumors are un founded. “It’s just not scientifically possible to reach that level with two or three 1 - ounce doses of alcoholic drinks,” Conboy said. “I weigh 170 pounds, and (in a controlled experiment) it look nine drinks for me to reach .08.”' Conboy agreed with Lacey that the .08 limit would help reduce alcohol related fatalities. “It’s next to impossible to convict someone who’s tested at under .10,” he said. “Lowering the limit would give law enforcement officers a chance to convict those people who pose a threat to themselves and oth ers.” Richard Hughes, president of the Nebraska Licensed Beverage Asso ciation, said LB80’s supporters were using “scare tactics toslowlybutsurcly pul the liquor industry out of busi ness.” “They’re beating a dead horse,” Hughes said. “Somehow, they think if we keep lowering the (blood-alcohol content level) drunk drivers will dis appear from the road. But the people we have to get off the road are the alcoholics, and we’re not getting it done by picking on the social drink ers. “We do not have prohibition in this country.” goes out to dinner with his wife or girlfriend, has a bottle of wine, gets pulled over driving home and loses his license. Thai’s terrible.” Mary Barrett of Omaha agreed. ‘‘People whodrivc at .08 have noth ing to do with drunk driving,” she said. “It’s a small, hard-core group— probably less than 1 percent of society — that chooses to drink and drive. This law would force police to con centrate on the characteristics of this hard-core group rather than society in general.” -44 It’s next to impossible to con vice someone who's tested at under. 10. -Matt Conboy Omaha city prosecutor -ft - Marty Conboy, an Omaha city pros ecutor, said he had heard rumors and accusations that lowering the legal level of intoxication would unfairly target social drinkers, who have three or four drinks in a night. He said he already had heard ob Legislature Continued from Page 1 It’s especially important for drunk driving cases in which someone is injured or killed,'' he said. “It’s very di fficul t to tell the loved ones of some one who was killed in an accident that we can ’t prosecutc the defendant, even though he was tested at JO.” Norman McPherson, regional su pervisor for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said five slates — California, Maine, Or egon, Utah and Vermont - had .08 limits, and those states had seen "sig nificant reductions" inalcohol-rclatcd fatalities. David Tittcrington of Lincoln told the committee how his father was paralyzed from the neck down last July when the car he was driving was struck at the intersection of 10th and Van Dorn streets by a minor driving under the influence of alcohol. The minor was tested at .092, be low the current legal limit. He still has not been charged in the incident, Tittcrington said. Several small business owners 1 spoke in opposition to the proposal, arguing that lowering the legal limit would hurt their business. Dan Arcuri, a business owner from Omaha, said LB80 would not slop drunk driving. “But it will hurt the casual drinker,” he said. ‘‘You might have a guy who