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Techno Page - By Harendra Alwis
Can laws combat software piracy?
Point of view
The government of Sri Lanka is attempting to enact new laws to combat abuse of copyright and intellectual property.

The income of a villager is very low. The income of the average Sri Lankan is below the average income level of their counterparts in the developed world. People in a developing country like Sri Lanka cannot afford to buy the software they need at their original rates. Even books which come as low priced editions for countries like Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Malaysia and Pakistan are sold at a concessionary rate.

Students may not be able to carry on their studies in IT to improve on various applications, which is very essential in the ever-changing computer field. No computer institution teaches all the applications that are used in companies simply because it's not a feasible option. It is the student's responsibility to familiarise himself with various software packages that are being used in industry. With the current price of this software it is possible for him to buy them and install them in his computer and to learn how to make optimal use of them. Usually any student who's doing computer studies will require dozens of software application packages for his studies; for undergraduates the requirement is even more. But if they were sold at sky-high prices, it would just not be possible and this would have a very bad effect on the future generation.

Sri Lanka has quite a recognition for skilled IT professionals, but companies will not be able to sustain this image in future if these unreasonable rules are to be enforced.
Sent in by
Viraj Siriwardene

Note:
Viraj makes his argument well, reflecting the views of many others who feel the same way. The subject of software piracy or more generally issues relating to copyright and intellectual property have been discussed in this column on many occasions.

Another frequent argument made by those who talk against the implementation of copyright and intellectual property laws in countries such as ours is the fact that piracy does not cause any loss of business for the software companies since people here can't afford to buy them in the first place. So if there were no specific production or sales cost related to selling their software in the third world, pirating them would not cause any financial loss or profit deprivation to those companies anyway. But as I have reiterated on many occasions, there is also another side to the story.

Firstly, piracy is essentially another word for stealing, and it is difficult to justify theft of any form or under any circumstances in a civilised and lawful society. People who engage in selling pirated copies make a profit by doing so and thus it may not be possible to argue that; 'piracy is done to help the poor'. So it is clear that unlike 'Robin of Sherwood', the software 'pirates' do not just steal from the rich and give the poor, but they steal from the rich and sell it to the poor.

Secondly, the view that the enforcement of copyright and intellectual property laws will be detrimental for students and industry is put forward. While this argument does carry some weight, it cannot be ignored that there are alternative solutions for this problem too. As in the question of the Windows Operating system, we have an alternate solution in Linux, which is practically free for all. It is true that Linux is not as user-friendly as Windows, but it is true that there are more user-friendly distributions of Linux at far more affordable prices and it is much more efficient and stable as an operating system. The point I am making here is that there are high quality software available for free or at very affordable prices that could be viable alternatives for those that cause copyright issues. In most of the cases, these software are ideal and more suited for students of IT as they give the user a better understanding of the inner workings of computers.

Finally, the enactment of these laws will benefit the local IT industry rather than hinder their progress. Currently, there are no IT companies in Sri Lanka who markets their products locally, mainly due to the threat of piracy.

On the ground level, these laws will provide companies with the safety they require to produce software and market them locally without any fears of piracy threats. This in-turn will create more business and job opportunities for IT professionals within the country while encouraging larger foreign software companies to invest their resources in our IT industry as well. This in turn could help the local IT companies grow in a competitive environment.

Yet, as Viraj points out, once these laws are brought in, it may be necessary that these products be sold at a 'concessionary' price that the average user could afford. If not, it will be practically impossible to implement the law in a society that has been enjoying the benefits of piracy for such a long time.

Have you got anything more to say about software piracy and copyright laws? It is a debate that still has not reached a conclusion. Have your say and be heard, by writing into technopage_lk@yahoo.com

Bluetooth technology
What is Bluetooth?
"Think of a connected world of electronic devices and appliances around you! You click on an icon for a device and you are linked to it, automatically and transparently."

Bluetooth makes wireless communication and networking between devices in a small, localised area of a room or a small office as easy as switching on the light. Bluetooth technology eliminates the need for numerous and inconvenient cable attachments for connecting fixed computers, mobile phones, mobile computers, handheld devices, digital cameras and even a new breed of digital appliances. It will enable users to connect a wide range of computing and telecommunications devices easily and simply, without the need to buy, carry, or connect cables - quite often proprietary to a specific device. It delivers opportunities for rapid ad hoc connections, and the possibility of automatic, unconscious, connections between devices. It creates the possibility of using mobile data in a variety of applications.

In Bluetooth all the connections between devices are instantaneous and invisible and the devices can talk even if they are not in line of sight because Bluetooth utilises a radio-based link. Your laptop could send information to a printer in the next room, or your microwave could send a message to your mobile phone telling you that your meal is ready.

Technical features
Bluetooth technology provides a 10 - metre personal bubble that supports simultaneous transmission of both voice and data for multiple devices. Up to 8 data devices can be connected in a piconet, and up to 10 piconets can exist within the 10 - metre bubble. Each piconet supports up to 3 simultaneous full duplex voice devices (CVSD). The gross data rate is 1Mb/s, but the actual data rates are 432Kbps for full duplex transmission, 721/56Kbps for asymmetric transmission, and 384 Kbps for TMS2000 transmission. A Time-Division Duplex scheme is used for full-duplex transmission.

Bluetooth wireless technology is designed to be as secure as a wire with up to 128-bit public/private key authentication, and streaming cipher up to 64 bit based on A5 security. The encryption strength can be very robust which is good for establishing a secure link, but there may be export problems when shipping from the US. Different hardware with smaller encryption key lengths may be required to meet US export control.

Piconet:
A piconet is a collection of devices connected via Bluetooth technology in an ad hoc fashion. A piconet starts with two connected devices, such as a portable PC and cellular phone, and may grow to eight connected devices. All Bluetooth devices are peer units and have identical implementations. However, when establishing a piconet, one unit will act as a master and the other(s) as slave(s) for the duration of the piconet connection.
- Sources: Compaq Computer Corparation & www.mobileinfo.com

Sent in by
Nilan Kosgahakumbura


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