Basics: Introduction Copyright law is a branch of |
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Basics: Protected Works Usually the subject matter of copyright is described as "literary and artistic works" - original creations in the fields of literature and arts. Such works may be expressed in words, symbols, pictures, music, three-dimensional objects, or combinations thereof. Practically all national copyright laws provide for the protection of the following types of works: Literary works: novels, poems dramatic works and any other writings, whether published or unpublished; in most countries also computer programs and "oral works" Musical works Artistic works: whether two-dimensional or three-dimensional; irrespective of their content and destination Maps and technical drawings Photographic works: irrespective of the subject matter and the purpose for which made Audiovisual works: irrespective of their purpose, genre, length, method employed or technical process used Some copyright laws also provide for the protection of choreographic works, derivative works (translations, adaptions), collections (compilations) of works and mere data (data bases); collections where they, by reason of the selection and arrangement of the contents, constitute intellectual creations. Furthermore in some countries also "works of applied art" (furniture, wallpaper etc.) and computer programs (either as literary works or independently) constitute copyrightable matter. Under certain national legislations the notion "copyright" has a wider meaning than "author's rights" and, in addition to literary and artistic works, also extends to the producers of sound recordings, the broadcasters of broadcasts and the creators of distinctive typographical arrangements of publications. |
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Extract of AOL Time Warner’s Content Production and Distribution Holdings The following selection does not claim to present an exhaustive listing, but rather picks some of the company's most important assets. Due to the rapid developments in the world of media giants the list is also subject to changes. Cable TV Systems and Channels/Networks Cable TV channels/networks (some part-owned): HBO, HBO Plus, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Comedy, HBO Zone, Cinemax, MoreMAX, ActionMAX, ThrillerMAX, HBO en Espa-ol, Comedy Central, Court TV, HBO Ole, HBO Asia, HBO Central Europe, Movies, TV, Video Production, and Movie Theaters Warner Bros. film studio Warner Bros. Television production studios Warner Bros. Home Video Turner worldwide Home Video Turner Pictures Castle Rock Entertainment movie production company New Line Cinema movie production company Warner Bros. film library Turner Film Library Hanna Barbera Cartoons Owns many movie houses, with over 1,000 screens, around the world Book Publishing Time Life Inc. Book-of-the-Month Club Warner Books Little, Brown and Company Oxmoor House Leisure Arts Sunset Books Magazines Time, People, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Life, Money, Parenting, In Style, Entertainment Weekly, Cooking Light, Baby Talk, First Moments, Coastal Living, Health, Progressive Farmer, Southern Accents, Southern Living, Sports Illustrated, For Kids, Sunset, Teen People, Time for Kids, Weight Watchers, Mutual Funds, Your Company, Asiaweek, President, Wallpaper. Hippocrates Recorded Music Warner Music Group The Atlantic Group Elektra Entertainment Group Rhino Entertainment Sire Records Group Warner Bros. Records Warner Music International WEA Inc. WEA Corp. WEA Manufacturing Ivy Hill Corp. Warner Special Products Alternative Distribution Alliance Giant Merchandising Deals with record labels include: Maverick records Tommy Boy Sub Pop Qwest 143 Records Internet and New Media About 130 Websites including: CNN.com, AllPolitics.com, CNNSI.com, Time Digital, People, Southern Living, Sports Illustrated Turner New Media Online Services including: Compuserve, Netscape, Netcenter Pro Sports Teams and Promotions Atlanta Braves major league baseball team Atlanta Hawks NBA basketball team World Championship Wrestling Goodwill Games Other Six Flags entertainment/excursion parks Warner Bros. Movie World theme park Over 150 Warner Bros. stores, plus Turner Retail Group 25 % stake in Atari 14 % stake in Hasbro Business Connections with Other Media Companies Joint ventures, equity interests or major arrangements with |
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Cryptography's Terms and background "All nature is merely a cipher and a secret writing." Blaise de Vigenère In the (dis-)information age getting information but at the same time excluding others from it is part of a power-game (keeping the other uneducated). The reason for it eventually has found an argument called security. Compared to the frequency of its presence in articles, the news and political speeches security seems to be one of the most popular words of the 90's. It must be a long time ago when that word was only used for and by the military and the police. Today one can find it as part of every political issue. Even development assistance and nutrition programs consider it part of its work. The so-called but also real need for information security is widespread and concerning everybody, whether someone uses information technology or not. In any case information about individuals is moving globally; mostly sensitive information like about bank records, insurance and medical data, credit card transactions, and much much more. Any kind of personal or business communication, including telephone conversations, fax messages, and of course e-mail is concerned. Not to forget further financial transactions and business information. Almost every aspect of modern life is affected. We want to communicate with everybody - but do not want anybody to know. Whereas the market already depends on the electronic flow of information and the digital tools get faster and more sophisticated all the time, the rise of privacy and security concerns have to be stated as well. With the increase of digital communication its vulnerability is increasing just as fast. And there exist two (or three) elements competing and giving the term digital security a rather drastic bitter taste: this is on the one hand the growing possibility for criminals to use modern technology not only to hide their source and work secretly but also to manipulate financial and other transfers. On the other hand there are the governments of many states telling the population that they need access to any kind of data to keep control against those criminals. And finally there are those people, living between enlightening security gaps and at the same time harming other private people's actions with their work: computer hackers. While the potential of global information is regarded as endless, it is those elements that reduce it. There is no definite solution, but at least some tools have been developed to improve the situation: cryptography, the freedom to encode those data that one does not want to be known by everybody, and give a possibility to decode them to those who shall know the data. During the last 80 years cryptography has changed from a mere political into a private, economic but still political tool: at the same time it was necessary to improve the tools, eventually based on mathematics. Hence generally cryptography is regarded as something very complicated. And in many ways this is true as the modern ways of enciphering are all about mathematics. "Crypto is not mathematics, but crypto can be highly mathematical, crypto can use mathematics, but good crypto can be done without a great reliance on complex mathematics." (W.T. Shaw) For an introduction into cryptography and the mathematical tasks see: |
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