Sending Out an S.O.S.: Public Safety Communications Interoperability as a Collective Action Problem

Symposium: The Crisis in Public Safety Communications. Held at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, December 8, 2006. Lack of public safety communications interoperability is the result of what economist Mancur Olson called a collective action problem. In this case, the collective action problem that first responders face is caused by the federal policy of allocating and assigning public safety spectrum in a way that segregates first responders to their own bands and ultimately Balkanizes their radio systems. This Article shows that market forces can be employed to solve collective action problems, and it surveys several successful commercial interoperable communications networks in the U.S. and Europe that are shared by first responders and private customers

Sending Out an S.O.S.: Public Safety Communications Interoperability as a Collective Action Problem

Symposium: The Crisis in Public Safety Communications. Held at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, December 8, 2006. Lack of public safety communications interoperability is the result of what economist Mancur Olson called a collective action problem. In this case, the collective action problem that first responders face is caused by the federal policy of allocating and assigning public safety spectrum in a way that segregates first responders to their own bands and ultimately Balkanizes their radio systems. This Article shows that market forces can be employed to solve collective action problems, and it surveys several successful commercial interoperable communications networks in the U.S. and Europe that are shared by first responders and private customers

An Orphan Works Affirmative Defense to Copyright Infringement Actions

Laurence Peter once said that [o]riginality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it. Yet that clever quip is itself unoriginal. Although there may be nothing new under the sun--the arrangement of different bits of existing cultural matter in new and interesting combinations is the source of much originality. Yet today much of our cultural raw material is outside the reach of creators because of the orphan works problem. This problem renders untouchable a large swath of existing artistic, literary, and other works because if a work\u27s copyright owner cannot be found to secure their permission to use the work, then no one will ultimately use the work lest they risk liability for copyright infringement. Several solutions to this problem have been suggested, but most proposals are cumbersome or incompatible with political and legal reality. However, there might be a simple solution to the orphan works problem that respects the rights of copyright owners while freeing up works for which the rightsholders cannot be found. If a would-be user of a copyrighted work completes a reasonable search in good faith and fails to find the rightsholder, the user should be able to use the work. If she is later sued, she should be able to defend in court by showing that she diligently did her best to find the copyright owner. Copyright law does not provide for such an affirmative defense right now. Part I of this Article defines the orphan works problem and provides examples of how it interferes with the use of creative works. Part II describes the causes and costs of the orphan works problem. Part III outlines and critiques four of the leading proposed solutions to the orphan works problem. Part IV proposes a new and practical solution to the orphan works problem

An Orphan Works Affirmative Defense to Copyright Infringement Actions

Laurence Peter once said that [o]riginality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it. Yet that clever quip is itself unoriginal. Although there may be nothing new under the sun--the arrangement of different bits of existing cultural matter in new and interesting combinations is the source of much originality. Yet today much of our cultural raw material is outside the reach of creators because of the orphan works problem. This problem renders untouchable a large swath of existing artistic, literary, and other works because if a work\u27s copyright owner cannot be found to secure their permission to use the work, then no one will ultimately use the work lest they risk liability for copyright infringement. Several solutions to this problem have been suggested, but most proposals are cumbersome or incompatible with political and legal reality. However, there might be a simple solution to the orphan works problem that respects the rights of copyright owners while freeing up works for which the rightsholders cannot be found. If a would-be user of a copyrighted work completes a reasonable search in good faith and fails to find the rightsholder, the user should be able to use the work. If she is later sued, she should be able to defend in court by showing that she diligently did her best to find the copyright owner. Copyright law does not provide for such an affirmative defense right now. Part I of this Article defines the orphan works problem and provides examples of how it interferes with the use of creative works. Part II describes the causes and costs of the orphan works problem. Part III outlines and critiques four of the leading proposed solutions to the orphan works problem. Part IV proposes a new and practical solution to the orphan works problem

Bitcoin Financial Regulation: Securities, Derivatives, Prediction Markets, and Gambling

The next major wave of Bitcoin regulation will likely be aimed at financial instruments, including securities and derivatives, as well as prediction markets and even gambling. While there are many easily regulated intermediaries when it comes to traditional securities and derivatives, emerging bitcoin denominated instruments rely much less on traditional intermediaries such as banks and securities exchanges. Additionally, the block chain technology that Bitcoin introduced for the first time makes completely decentralized markets and exchanges possible, thus eliminating the need for intermediaries in complex financial transactions. In this Article we survey the type of financial instruments and transactions that will most likely be of interest to regulators, including traditional securities and derivatives, new bitcoin-denominated instruments, and completely decentralized markets and exchanges. We find that Bitcoin derivatives would likely not be subject to the full scope of regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act to the extent that such derivatives involve physical delivery (as opposed to cash settlement) or are non-fungible and not independently traded. We also find that some laws, including those aimed at online gambling, do not contemplate a payment method like Bitcoin, thus placing many transactions in a legal gray area. Following the approach to virtual currencies taken by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, we argue that other financial regulators should consider exempting or excluding certain financial transactions denominated in Bitcoin from the full scope of their regulations, much like private securities offerings and forward contracts are treated. We also suggest that to the extent that regulation and enforcement becomes more costly than its benefits, policymakers should consider and pursue strategies consistent with that new reality, such as efforts to encourage resilience and adaptation by existing institutions

Bitcoin Financial Regulation: Securities, Derivatives, Prediction Markets, and Gambling

The next major wave of Bitcoin regulation will likely be aimed at financial instruments, including securities and derivatives, as well as prediction markets and even gambling. While there are many easily regulated intermediaries when it comes to traditional securities and derivatives, emerging bitcoin-denominated instruments rely much less on traditional intermediaries such as banks and securities exchanges. Additionally, the block chain technology that Bitcoin introduced for the first time makes completely decentralized markets and exchanges possible, thus eliminating the need for intermediaries in complex financial transactions. In this Article we survey the type of financial instruments and transactions that will most likely be of interest to regulators, including traditional securities and derivatives, new bitcoin-denominated instruments, and completely decentralized markets and exchanges. We find that Bitcoin derivatives would likely not be subject to the full scope of regulation under the Commodity Exchange Act to the extent that such derivatives involve physical delivery (as opposed to cash settlement) or are non-fungible and not independently traded. We also find that some laws, including those aimed at online gambling, do not contemplate a payment method like Bitcoin, thus placing many transactions in a legal gray area. Following the approach to virtual currencies taken by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, we argue that other financial regulators should consider exempting or excluding certain financial transactions denominated in Bitcoin from the full scope of their regulations, much like private securities offerings and forward contracts are treated. We also suggest that to the extent that regulation and enforcement becomes more costly than its benefits, policymakers should consider and pursue strategies consistent with that new reality, such as efforts to encourage resilience and adaptation by existing institutions

2-(4-Chloro­phen­yl)-6-meth­oxy­chroman-4-one

In the title mol­ecule, C16H13Cl O3, the two aromatic rings form a dihedral angle of 65.3 (1)°. In the crystal structure, weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into centrosymmetric dimers, which are further packed into columns propagating in [100] by weak C—H⋯π inter­actions

O Desmatamento na Amazônia Legal Brasileira: Case Região do Cone Sul de Rondônia

Brazil has the largest tropical forest on the planet, and due to intense deforestation, the amount of forests has decreased significantly over the years, giving rise to various forms of use, such as livestock, agriculture and urban centers, accelerating the dynamics of land cover change, especially in the Brazilian legal Amazon. Thus, this study evaluated changes in land use and land cover, as well as the advance of deforestation in the Southern Cone region, Rondônia state, with a view to discussing its possible causes and the effectiveness of environmental laws, which focus on contain deforestation. Deforestation data from the Amazon Deforestation Monitoring Program (PRODES) between 2000 and 2017, orbital images of the TM and OLI sensor, and agricultural data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) were used. The results showed that in the period evaluated, even with strict enforcement of environmental laws, deforestation increased by approximately 20%. It is noteworthy that the increase in deforestation rates has been constant over the years. However, after the creation of Decree 6,514 / 2008 together with the agreement on the soy moratorium and other programs, there was a reduction in annual deforestation rates, evidencing a possible effectiveness of these measures to curb the progress of deforestation.O Brasil possui a maior floresta tropical do planeta, e em virtude do intenso desmatamento, a quantidade de florestas tem diminuído significativamente ao longo dos anos, dando lugar a diversas formas de uso, como a pecuária, agricultura e centros urbanos, acelerando a dinâmica de mudança na cobertura da terra, principalmente na Amazônia legal brasileira. Desta maneira, este estudo avaliou as mudanças no uso e cobertura da terra, bem como, o avanço do desmatamento na região Cone Sul, estado de Rondônia, com vistas a discutir suas possíveis causas e a efetividade das leis ambientais, cujo foco, consiste em conter o desmatamento. Foram utilizados dados de desmatamento do Programa de Monitoramento do Desflorestamento na Amazônia (PRODES) entre os anos 2000 e 2017, imagens orbitais do sensor TM e OLI, e os dados agropecuários do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Os resultados mostraram que no período avaliado, mesmo aplicando com rigor as leis ambientais, o desmatamento apresentou um aumento de aproximadamente 20%. Destaca-se que o aumento nas taxas de desmatamento foi constante ao longo dos anos. Entretanto, após a criação do Decreto 6.514/2008 em conjunto com o acordo da moratória da soja e outros programas, observou-se uma redução nos índices de desmatamento anual, evidenciando uma possível efetividade destas medidas em prol da contenção do avanço do desmatamento

Patterns, trends and sex differences in HIV/AIDS reported mortality in Latin American countries: 1996-2007

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>International cohort studies have shown that antiretroviral treatment (ART) has improved survival of HIV-infected individuals. National population based studies of HIV mortality exist in industrialized settings but few have been presented from developing countries. Our objective was to investigate on a population basis, the regional situation regarding HIV mortality and trends in Latin America (LA) in the context of adoption of public ART policies and gender differences.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cause of death data from vital statistics registries from 1996 to 2007 with "good" or "average" quality of mortality data were examined. Standardized mortality rates and Poisson regression models by country were developed and differences among countries assessed to identify patterns of HIV mortality over time occurring in Latin America.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Standardized HIV mortality following the adoption of public ART policies was highest in Panama and El Salvador and lowest in Chile. During the study period, three overall patterns were identified in HIV mortality trends- following the adoption of the free ART public policies; a remarkable decrement, a remarkable increment and a slight increment. HIV mortality was consistently higher in males compared to females. Mean age of death attributable to HIV increased in the majority of countries over the study period.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Vital statistics registries provide valuable information on HIV mortality in LA. While the introduction of national policies for free ART provision has coincided with declines in population-level HIV mortality and increasing age of death in some countries, in others HIV mortality has increased. Barriers to effective ART implementation and uptake in the context of free ART public provision policies should be further investigated.</p