Software Industry Announcements and News
DoJ Joins in Launch of Intellectual Property Enforcement Initiative
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 06.22.10 under Government News
As part of the Obama Administration’s launch of the first-ever Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement, Attorney General Eric Holder today emphasized the Department of Justice’s ongoing commitment to protecting U.S. intellectual property as central to America’s economic prosperity and public safety.
“The Department worked closely with Administration officials to develop key aspects of this strategic plan to better protect our nation’s ability to remain at the forefront of technological advancement, business development and job creation,” said Attorney General Holder. “The Department, along with its federal, state and local partners, is confronting this threat with a strong and coordinated response at home and abroad to ensure American entrepreneurs and businesses continue to develop, innovate and create.”
Attorney General Holder joined Vice President Joe Biden, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) Victoria Espinel at the White House earlier today to announce the strategic plan.
“The integrity of health and safety products and trade secrets must be protected. The FBI is committed to pursuing those groups and individuals who steal, manufacture, distribute or otherwise profit from intellectual property theft,” said Gordon M. Snow, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division.
The components of the strategic plan that the Department will assist in implementing include:
* Ensuring efficiency and coordination among enforcement efforts across federal, state and local levels, domestically and overseas, through means such as shared information, streamlined investigatory processes and training efforts;
* Enhancing international enforcement efforts, including combating foreign-based web sites that violate American intellectual property rights by encouraging further cooperation and coordination with our trading partners in overseas markets, including China;
* Securing our supply chain to stop illegal products from coming into the country by providing law enforcement with authorities it needs and by fostering cooperation with the private sector to reduce infringement on the Internet and elsewhere.
The strategic plan is the latest effort in the Department’s ongoing initiative to protect intellectual property. Others include:
Department Task Force on Intellectual Property
Earlier this year, the Attorney General formed a new Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property to focus on strengthening efforts to protect intellectual property rights through close coordination with state and local law enforcement partners as well as international counterparts. As part of its mission, the task force, chaired by the Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler, will also work together with the IPEC and other key partners to implement the Administration-wide strategic plan on intellectual property.
As part of its efforts to enhance coordination with its federal, state and local law enforcement partners, the task force is hosting joint sessions in the coming months. In July, the task force will be holding a joint workshop with Customs and Border Protection. In September, the Department, in partnership with the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), will hold a one-day Intellectual Property Crime Enforcement Outreach Summit in California for state and local law enforcement to learn and understand the impact of intellectual property crime on the local, regional, and national economy. In addition, the Department will emphasize the substantial health and safety risks to Americans from counterfeit goods and products .
The task force includes representatives from the offices of the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, and the Associate Attorney General; the Criminal Division; the Civil Division; the Antitrust Division; the Office of Legal Policy; the Office of Justice Programs; the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the FBI.
Increased Intellectual Property Enforcement Resources
As part of stepped up enforcement efforts, the Department has also devoted more resources to investigate and prosecute intellectual property crimes. In April, the Department announced the appointment of 15 new Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) positions and 20 FBI Special Agents to be dedicated to combating domestic and international intellectual property crimes.
These new AUSAs will be working closely with the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) to aggressively pursue high tech crime, including computer crime and intellectual property offenses. The new positions are located in California, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington. These new positions will be part of the Department’s Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) program.
Just last month, the Department solicited applications for grant funding under the Department’s Intellectual Property Enforcement Program, which is administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and its Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Under this program, OJP/BJA will award up to $4 million in competitive grants to fund state, local and tribal criminal investigations, prosecutions, and prevention and education efforts.
Enhanced Intellectual Property Enforcement Efforts
As part of its enforcement strategy, the Department has been aggressively targeting intellectual property criminals. The Department has successfully prosecuted cases in every area of intellectual property crime including health and safety, trade secret theft and economic espionage, large-scale counterfeiting and online piracy. These prosecutions include one of the largest counterfeiting cases in U.S. history (United States v. Lam http://www.cybercrime.gov/lamGuilty.pdf ). During FY 2010, the FBI opened 150 new investigations, including 21 counterfeit health and safety investigations and 26 investigations involving theft of trade secret cases. Additionally, the FBI also opened 40 new Economic Espionage investigations during the same time period.
Industry and International Engagement
The Department has also taken steps to strengthen its relationships with key stakeholders in the fight against intellectual property crimes around the world by meeting with foreign law enforcement partners as well as leaders in the industry.
In the past several months, the Attorney General has met with foreign law enforcement officials from South America and Spain, industry CEOs and others to discuss the Department’s ongoing efforts and emphasize the need for greater coordination and cooperation in the fight against intellectual property crime.
Manage Tasks, Projects, Schedules, and Reminders with TaskMerlin 3.0
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 06.20.10 under ASP Member Companies, System Utilities
Interfathom has released TaskMerlin v. 3.0, an intuitive and easy-to-use Windows application that makes it simple to organize notes, tasks, and schedules, and share them with colleagues. Unlike other task managers that lock you into a fixed format, TaskMerlin offers complete flexibility for naming, structuring, and viewing your tasks. TaskMerlin’s flexibility makes it ideal for project and management teams’ collaboration, as well as for workers who follow David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) workflow methodology.
The major new feature of v. 3.0 is TaskMerlin’s Calendar. Create a new appointment with a single click or keystroke. Quickly add reminders to any task or appointment. To reschedule an appointment, you can drag and drop it, or use your mouse to change its size on the Calendar. TaskMerlin’s new Calendar is fully integrated with Microsoft Outlook, and provides scheduling, appointment, and reminder functionality with fewer keystrokes and less work.
With TaskMerlin, it is easy to store, organize, manage, and retrieve information. This information can be as simple as notes and appointments, or as complex as multi-person, multi-year projects. You can track due dates, the person assigned to each task, its priority, and the time spent working on it. It’s easy to retrieve and display tasks based on these attributes, or on any text found in the task descriptions.
You can become productive with TaskMerlin in minutes. Create project folders, and drag and drop tasks into them. Modify status information and content in place, with no need to navigate menus or open additional windows. You can even edit multiple tasks at once. There are many pre-defined task types and status descriptions to choose from, or simply create your own.
Use the built-in editor to create task information, or copy and paste text and images. Add hyperlinks to related tasks and to web pages. All of your information is fully searchable, and you can sort and filter the information that appears on your screen. Choose from more than 40 columns of information that are built into TaskMerlin. When creating a new task, its name is the only required field. It’s simple to fill in additional information when it is convenient.
In the Professional Edition, all users can log into TaskMerlin, and update the fields that they have been authorized to change. Each user has their own password, email settings, popup reminders, filter definitions, and display options.
Whether you’re a manager who needs to track deadlines and deliverables with your project team, a GTD enthusiast who wants task management software that conforms to the GTD structure, or an Outlook user who requires a Calendar that is more powerful and more convenient than the one provided by Microsoft, TaskMerlin has the tools that you need.
TaskMerlin v. 3.0 runs under Windows 7/Server 2003 and 2008/Vista/XP/2000/Me/98. The Personal Edition, for use on a single PC, costs $49(US). The Professional Edition, with multi-user simultaneous database access, costs $99 for a single-user license. Multi-user discounts are available. To learn more about TaskMerlin, or to download the trial version, visit http://www.taskmerlin.com/. Interfathom, New York, NY. Email: admin@taskmerlin.com
Software Developers’ Trade Organization Modernizes Its Name
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 06.18.10 under ASP Member Companies
After 23 years of serving the software development industry as the Association of Shareware Professionals, the ASP has changed its name to the Association of Software Professionals. The new name reflects ASP’s influence in converting nearly all of the software publishing industry to the try-before-you-buy model, as well as ASP’s commitment to continue to guide independent software publishers in innovative new software development and marketing strategies.
“ASP began in 1987 as the trade organization for software developers”said ASP’s current president Mike Dulin of SharewareJunkies.com. “Back then, the ASP was a small band of independent underdogs who defied the traditional software distribution channel, and created the try-before-you-buy model. Today, the entire software industry has adopted the shareware system, and there’s no need for our organization to keep a name that is tied to the past.”
The ASP has evolved into an international organization of 1,000 software developers who are pioneering cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), smartPhone development, and desktop/laptop development on all of tomorrow’s popular computing platforms.
ASP’s newsgroups are constantly buzzing with discussions about new ways to market software. In past years, ASP members were at the leading edge of using press releases to publicize their software, using search engine advertising to increase sales, and using the Internet to market their applications.
“Today, ASP’s developers work together to optimize their programs’ registration incentives, protect their intellectual property, and optimize innovative software sales methodologies,” said Adriana Iordan, ASP’s PR Chairperson. “We use our newsgroups, newsletters, and blog to work together for the good of the industry, and to strengthen our members’ businesses.”
“With fewer and fewer developers calling their applications ‘shareware’, software buyers have become confused about the meaning of the term,” explains Rich Holler, ASP’s Executive Director. “And since nearly all software developers today, from the smallest micro independent software vendor (mISV) to the largest software publisher, offer trial versions of their programs, the term ‘shareware’ has become less useful.”
Shareware is a marketing method. ASP’s members develop and market software. And the ASP will be called the Association of Software Professionals as it moves into the future.
ASP’s spam-free private discussion groups save members countless hours and minimize frustration by delivering information on the most difficult business, technical, and marketing issues. Visit the ASP’s website – asp-software.org – to learn more about how the ASP can help your software business grow.
If you’re a software buyer, please visit the ASP’s download site – downloads.asp-software.org – to find some of the finest software available today.
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About ASP
ASP is the world’s main trade organization for independent software developers and vendors, focused on providing know-how through various events and resources. Software professionals have access to helpful business information, and archives providing useful assistance to newcomers. ASP also functions as a liaison between software authors, microISVs, beginners and leaders, distributors and marketers facilitating contacts and sharing experience.
ifraudalert.org to Rescue Stolen Data
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 06.17.10 under Government News, Security & Privacy, Web Sites
New Internet Fraud Alert to Help Rescue Stolen Account Credentials
Microsoft technology powers early reporting system to help protect consumers and businesses from fraud.
WASHINGTON — June 17, 2010 — Microsoft Corp. has joined forces with the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), with the support of Accuity, the American Bankers Association, Anti-Phishing Working Group, Citizens Bank, eBay Inc., Federal Trade Commission, National Consumers League and PayPal, to release a new program that will help mitigate potential losses due to online fraud and account compromise. Launched today, Internet Fraud Alert will offer a trusted and effective mechanism for participating researchers to report stolen account credentials discovered online — such as username and password login information for online services or compromised credit card numbers — to the appropriate institution responsible for that account. Through a centralized alerting system powered by Microsoft technology developed specifically for this program, Internet Fraud Alert will quickly inform companies about compromised credentials, allowing them to take the appropriate action to help protect their customers.
The program was unveiled today and will go into effect immediately. The first of its kind, Internet Fraud Alert represents an important step forward in fighting online fraud. It will serve the much-needed purpose of enabling security researchers and investigators to more securely and systematically share information with service providers, retailers, financial institutions and government entities about incidents where compromised account credentials have been discovered. To date, when the security community uncovers compromised credentials stemming from phishing attacks, for example, there has been no simple mechanism to warn the service provider or bank about the exposed credentials.
Phishing and malicious code attacks pose a serious threat to consumer identity and account credentials. In 2009, the Anti-Phishing Working Group received more than 410,000 unique phishing e-mail reports, and recent data from the group show that the number of brands being exploited by phishers is at an all-time high.
Internet Fraud Alert will bring together a wide assortment of stakeholders, including retailers, financial institutions, service providers, technology companies, academic researchers, consumer advocates and government agencies, in the shared interest of reducing online fraud and protecting consumers. As the technology creator and sponsor, Microsoft is donating the tool to the NCFTA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating public-private partnerships between industry, law enforcement and academia on cybersecurity issues. Accuity, a leading provider of global payment routing data, has donated a solution to assist NCFTA with the vetting of trusted institutions for participation in the program to help ensure the integrity of the alerting process.
More information about Internet Fraud Alert can be found at http://ifraudalert.org. Consumers interested in learning more about staying safe online and limiting the risk of identity theft can visit http://www.microsoft.com/protect, http://www.onguardonline.gov and http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com.
About NCFTA
The National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance was established to unite the technology industry, law enforcement, academia and private- and public-sector organizations to bring into focus the most significant online threats and identify the most effective and efficient early options for detecting and combating cybercrimes. A focal point of this project is the primary partnership established between the FBI, the NW3C, Carnegie Mellon University and West Virginia University.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Note to editors: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx.
Supporting Industry Quotes
“Those who traffic in stolen identities often use online tools to collect, share and profit from compromised account credentials, but those of us working to combat identity theft have a few tools of our own. By combining new technology and critical partnerships, Internet Fraud Alert helps alert institutions to stolen credentials so they can take action to combat fraud. The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit is proud to be working with the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance and everyone joining with us today to announce this valuable new tool in the fight against cybercrime.”
—Nancy Anderson
Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel
Microsoft Corp.
“The NCFTA is honored to manage this one-of–a-kind program as it is vital to the interests of our partners and consistent with our mission. This program will enable the expeditious identification of current and emerging threats, which is key to the mitigation of compromised data.”
—Ron Plesco
President and CEO
NCFTA
“Modern commerce depends on a trustworthy online marketplace, but, unfortunately, there will always be people trying to defraud consumers and erode trust in that system. Accuity has spent over a century earning the trust of financial institutions around the world. As a contributor to the Internet Fraud Alert program, we value the opportunity to extend that trust and be part of taking this significant step forward in helping to protect and ensure the integrity of the online marketplace.”
—Hugh Jones
President and CEO
Accuity
“Internet Fraud Alert will provide a vital link between those who find suspected compromised customer data in the course of their investigations or business and the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance, who then can protect that customer from potential harm. ABA welcomes the opportunity to play a role in strengthening this link between law enforcement and business, particularly for community banks.”
—Doug Johnson
Vice President of Risk Management Policy
American Bankers Association (ABA)
“The APWG is pleased to see this innovation in repatriating compromised consumer data and credentials, a scheme useful for informing customer protection and industrial security response efforts. One of the challenges of e-crime response is the routine mobilization of e-crime event data that must be exchanged to protect consumers. Microsoft and NCFTA have done an enormous service to the e-crime response community by establishing this system to better enable industrial institutions to work together to protect consumers.”
—Peter Cassidy
Secretary General
Anti-Phishing Working Group
“Citizens Bank is excited about the opportunity to partner with Microsoft, law enforcement, the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance, and others to help build an innovative framework to rapidly address cyberthreats by combining knowledge and resources to enhance consumer trust when conducting business online.”
—Lin Abbott
Vice President, Chief Information Security Officer
Citizens Bank
“Internet Fraud Alert is a promising and innovative approach to help financial and online institutions discover hijacked accounts and close them or inform the affected consumers. We hope that someday there won’t be a need for a secure database of stolen account credentials. In the meantime, computer users who want to protect themselves can learn how at OnGuardOnline.gov.”
—Chuck Harwood
Deputy Director
Federal Trade Commission
“At a time when scams and the criminals who run them are becoming ever more sophisticated and networked, it is imperative that the forces arrayed against them keep pace to provide consumers with the maximum protection possible. We applaud today’s announcement as a positive step in this direction. By enabling easier coordination between enforcement agencies, service providers, retailers and financial institutions, the Internet Fraud Alert system will add an additional layer of fraud protection for consumers.”
—John Breyault
Vice President
National Consumers League
New software allows up to 50 mouse cursors to collaborate on one desktop
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 06.15.10 under ASP Member Companies, Desktop, Education
Bartels Media GmbH has released MultiMouse, a multi-user Windows application that lets up to 50 users use the mouse and keyboard on their PCs to control the desktop of a central computer. MultiMouse lets users work together on the common desktop of the central PC for training, brainstorming, collaboration, or document building.
Each user moves their mouse cursor out of their desktop to make it automatically appear on the common computer. Each mouse cursor has a customizable name tag, making it easy to know who is pointing to what on the shared computer screen.
Educators and trainers can use MultiMouse to work together with groups of students. MultiMouse turns a static classroom into an interactive learning environment, where each student can participate and contribute with classmates on a common SmartBoard. The teacher can use MultiMouse’s control panel to invite or block individual students.
Project teams can hold meetings that encourage two-way information flow.
Brainstorming increases the flow of fresh ideas, and problems that take weeks to solve in isolation can be solved interactively by the group in hours.
MultiMouse uses the wireless or Ethernet network connection to transmit each user’s mouse position and text input, with no additional hardware required. MultiMouse’s network communications are configured automatically. There’s no need for a network administrator to assign IP addresses or port numbers.
MultiMouse works on any combination of laptops, netbooks, desktops, or tablet PCs running any mix of Microsoft 32 or 64-Bit Windows 2003/XP/Vista/7.
Prices start at $139(US) for a 5-remote-user license, with 25- and 50-user versions available. Teachers are invited to request educational discounts. You can download a trial version of MultiMouse from http://www.multimouse.com/ .
For more information, contact Bartels Media GmbH, Im Treff 20, 54296 Trier, Germany Phone: +49 (651) 999 19-50 Email: info@multimouse.com
Internet: http://www.multimouse.com/.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Now Available
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 06.04.10 under Desktop Publishing, Graphic Apps
Major Release Advances Image Quality, Performance and Workflow Flexibility for Photographers
SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 3 software for Windows® and Macintosh, the essential digital photography workflow solution that allows photographers to quickly organize, enhance and showcase their images from one application. First released as a public beta in October 2009, the final version of Lightroom 3 introduces a completely redesigned performance architecture that better handles growing image libraries and provides an unrivaled raw processing engine with noise reduction and sharpening tools to achieve the highest image quality. The 64-bit capable Lightroom 3 includes new features that optimize workflows and allow images to be shared in creative ways, including support for DSLR video files and tethered shooting on select cameras.
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