[ECP] Edupage, December 01, 2006
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Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association
whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting
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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 01, 2006
Legal Center Files Challenge to Blackboard Patent
Dept. of Education Proposes Expanding IPEDS
New Rules Require Storing E-Mail
Yahoo Says No to Google Request for Information
Manchester Plans Municipal Wi-Fi Network
LEGAL CENTER FILES CHALLENGE TO BLACKBOARD PATENT
A legal center has filed the first formal action against a Blackboard
patent that has caused considerable anxiety in the higher education
community. The patent covers certain aspects of learning management
systems, and Blackboard has filed an infringement lawsuit against rival
Desire2Learn. Many in higher education believe that the patent is too
broad, that it does not account for prior art, and that Blackboard will
use its patent power to stifle innovation. The new complaint, filed by
the Software Freedom Law Center, an open source advocacy group, seeks a
reexamination by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The center said
it has provided sufficient prior art to invalidate the patent.
Officials from Blackboard have repeatedly denied any intention of
pursuing patent litigation against the open source community, but they
have also refused to put such claims into writing. According to
Blackboard, the company welcomes the reexamination, saying its patent
will be shown to be valid and will be stronger after the review.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 1 December 2006 (sub. req'd)
http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/12/2006120101t.htm
Evaluate Blackboard for Distance Learning
An Analysis of WebCT, BSCW, and BlackBoard by Paul Pavlik
http://tinyurl.com/ygxpeo
DEPT. OF EDUCATION PROPOSES EXPANDING IPEDS
The U.S. Education Department has proposed significantly expanding the
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), creating what
it calls Huge IPEDS. In March 2005, the department proposed creating a
unit-record database that would track students much more closely than
current reporting does, allowing more accurate statistics for
graduation and transfer rates among U.S. college students. Many in the
higher education community resisted the unit-record database, saying it
represents an invasion of student privacy, not to mention increasing
the administrative workload. Some of the most vocal opponents of the
unit-record database now see Huge IPEDS as a government tactic to move
forward with the database by proposing another that is even more
unpalatable. One official from a higher education association who asked
not to be identified said, "It seems like a lever for the department to
make an even stronger case why unit records make more sense." Mark
Schneider, commissioner for education statistics at the Department of
Education, declined to answer whether the new proposal is a decoy but
did say that "people want and need more data, and we're going to get it
one way or the other."
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Technology/PRIVACY_INFORMATION.html
NEW RULES REQUIRE STORING E-MAIL
New rules go into effect December 1 requiring organizations that are
parties to federal legal cases to be able to provide "electronically
stored information" as evidence in those matters. Many courts have
begun requiring such evidence, and the new rules clarify that federal
courts will also insist on similar procedures. Some observers noted
that as a result, routine purges of old electronic records, including
those for e-mail, could be seen as tampering with evidence in the event
that a lawsuit has been filed and the records at issue might pertain to
the case. Organizations will need to be cautious, therefore, in how and
when they delete electronic data, possibly resulting in considerable
increases in costs of running computer systems.
Wall Street Journal, 1 December 2006 (sub. req'd)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116499202029638214.html
EMAIL HAS A LENGTHY AFTERLIFE
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Internet/E-MAIL/Email.html
YAHOO SAYS NO TO GOOGLE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
As part of its legal defense in a lawsuit over its book-scanning
project, Google has sought information from other companies about
similar projects. The lawsuit was brought by a group of publishers and
the Authors Guild, alleging that Google violates their copyrights when
it scans protected books. Amazon.com offers shoppers previews of books
they are considering buying, and Yahoo and Microsoft are members of an
alliance that is working to develop a vast online library, not unlike
what Google is building with its Book Search program. Google believes
that information about those efforts will bolster its defense.
Following Amazon.com's refusal last month to provide Google with
requested details, Yahoo has similarly declined to furnish Google with
the information it seeks. In a letter explaining its decision, an
attorney from Yahoo said, "There is simply no need for Google to be
peering into the minds and computers of Yahoo employees."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 29 November 2006
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1700AP_Yahoo_Google.html
Google's Book Search Program - how it really works.
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Internet/search2.html
MANCHESTER PLANS MUNICIPAL WI-FI NETWORK
The city of Manchester in the United Kingdom announced plans to build a
municipal Wi-Fi network that will cover 90 percent of the city and
include as many as 2.2 million people. The wireless network is part of
the city's bid to win a government competition for IT funding. In that
competition, called the Digital Challenge Initiative, one region of the
country will be selected to receive as much as 3 million pounds to fund
IT projects. If Manchester's bid is successful, those funds would be
used in part to pay for the wireless network, though city officials
said the network's development does not depend on winning the contest.
Dave Carter, head of the Digital Development Agency, which is
overseeing the Wi-Fi project, said it will have enormous impacts for
businesses and residents of the city.
BBC, 1 December 2006
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/6199382.stm
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