A justified system of intellectual property rights

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on December 14, 2007)Vita.Thesis (Ph. D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2007.I argue that weak type-protection is the form our legal intellectual property rights should take. Other intellectual property regimes - specifically, strong type-protection (like that of our current American patent system) and no intellectual property protection - are both unjustified. I argue for weak type-protection (and against the other two regimes) from the perspective of many different ethical theories; these theories span the gamut from those which philosophers tend to find plausible to those which are usually used in the literature in the context of the justification of intellectual property rights. Weak type-protection allows a claim over a class of objects; according to this view, one can come to own an original specific token, as well as have a claim on some uses of copies of that original token - that is, owners have some protection over copies of their ideas (unlike under a regime of no intellectual property). Importantly, unlike strong typeprotection, weak type-protection requires that all owned tokens be causally related to an original owned token; this allows for independent invention amongst two or more individuals (something that strong type-protection denies). Since weak type-protection is justified on both consequentialist and deontological theories, and since, again, the theories I address are both independently plausible and relevant in the context of the justification of intellectual property rights, there is a strong presumption that, on any plausible theory, weak type-protection is the form our legal intellectual property rights should take.Includes bibliographical reference

Web-Based Student Processes at Community Colleges: Removing Barriers to Access

Colleges and universities are making extensive use of the Internet for collecting admission and financial aid applications. Benefits from online application services are enjoyed by both the educational institution and the prospec¬tive student who applies online. It is vital that web sites offering these services be made accessible so that students with disabilities are afforded the same benefits of online applications as their non-disabled peers. Cornell University’s Employment and Disability Institute was funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to conduct a project with the following three objectives: 1) survey student services professionals at community colleges to examine the extent of use of the internet for providing services and the awareness of internet accessibility issues, 2) evaluate a sample of community college websites for accessibility and usability by students with and without disabilities, and 3) develop a toolkit for improving access to internet-based services at community colleges

ILR Impact Brief - Community College Websites and Barriers to Access

[Excerpt] Community colleges, on average, serve 335 students with disabilities, although that number climbs to 5,000 at the largest college surveyed for this project. Nearly all community colleges that participated in the survey rely on the web for a variety of student services, but only half have instituted requirements regarding web accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Actual evaluations of accessibility and ease of use revealed that none of the websites analyzed complied with all federal standards on accessibility, and many web pages encompassed usability obstacles (e.g., unfamiliar terminology, unintuitive navigation schemes, and hard-to-read design elements) that affected disabled and non-disabled individuals alike

Post-treatment of Distillery Wastewater after UASB using Aerobic Techniques

The treatment of high-strength wastewater from a distillery using grape-based feedstock was conducted throughsequencing the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor and the aerobically-activated sludge reactors. Theperformance of the UASB system was evaluated at the end of a period of 33 days in terms of the final chemicaloxygen demand (COD) removal. Final COD removal efficiency of up to 88.7% was achieved. The effect of varyingthe volumetric loading rates on COD removal was evaluated for the two experimental runs. For run I (undiluted),the volumetric loading rates ranged from 4.06 to 18.90 kg COD/m3.day and the maximum COD removal achievedby the reactor was 57.1%. For experimental run II (diluted), the loading rates ranged between 3.60 to 8.20 kgCOD/m3.day, with the reactor achieving 88.7% COD removal. Post-treatment of the effluent using the aerobicallyactivatedsludge reactor further improved the overall COD removal in run II to 96.5% and also reduced thephosphorous in the effluent to a final value of approximately 20 mg/L. These experimental results indicate thatsequential treatment of the distillery wastewater using UASB followed by aerobically-activated sludge treatment isan efficient system that makes the final effluent compliant with the requirements of environmental legislation

A regeneration monitoring protocol for the restoration of coniferous plantations to hardwood forests in southern Ontario

This report describes the development and implementation of a monitoring protocol for assessing hardwood regeneration in thinned coniferous plantations. Restoration of coniferous plantations to native mixed hardwood forest through repeated thinnings, with the intention of creating conditions for natural regeneration of hardwood tree species, is a common practice in southern Ontario. However, formal monitoring of this process has typically not occurred. The Credit Valley Conservation Authority sponsored the development of this regeneration monitoring protocol to assist them with management of coniferous plantations on their properties. The protocol was developed primarily through literature review, and includes regeneration standards, a survey methodology, and a data analysis system. Three overlapping regeneration standards inform this plot-based monitoring protocol to capture different stages of the restoration process. The survey methodology was designed for ease of implementation and efficiency. This monitoring protocol was tested at a forest in the Credit River Watershed with several distinct coniferous plantation stands. Initial results suggest that the survey methodology is suitable for assessing stocking of hardwood regeneration for a range of tree sizes, and that, as expected, stocking was on average higher in stands that had been thinned more than once. Because survey results indicate restoration progress, they can be used to inform future management decisions such as to continue with additional thinning treatment(s) and/or consider supplementary tree planting. Further implementation of the protocol at different sites is recommended

Aboriginal children and the dishonour of the Crown : human rights, \u27best interests\u27 and customary adoption

Central to the relationship between Canada and Aboriginal children is transgression: the systematic removal of these children from their families in order to eliminate Aboriginality from them, and from their society. Fundamental legal and moral issues are implicated: the sovereignty of the Crown, legality versus legitimacy, the nature of customary law, the legacy of colonialism, and the human rights of children and of minority groups. A constitutional enactment at Confederation created the ‘legal’ power to remove decision making authority from Aboriginal people, and then to actually remove their children by law. This power was first used to place the children in residential schools as part of the colonial project to eliminate Aboriginal culture. It extended into the child protection arena, which has different purposes but arguably the same effect. This use of constitutional authority is examined and found to be contrary to the principles of Canadian constitutionalism. Alternative legal approaches are examined: a ‘principle of continuity’ of customary laws, international recognition of the rights of Indigenous peoples, and positive obligations of the Canadian state, the ‘honour of the Crown’. Custom adoption is a widespread tradition among Aboriginal peoples; it is demonstrated to be the means whereby Aboriginal societies address the safety of their children. Given that this practice has been recognized as an existing Aboriginal right, I explore the thesis that full recognition of a right to engage the customary practice may provide a route to address this fundamental violation. The research undertaken leads to the conclusion that custom adoption includes a decision making process; it is actually the exercise of a customary law jurisdiction. I argue that the authority of this jurisdiction should be explicitly recognized within a pluralist Canada. Related issues are discussed: the ‘best interests of the child’, respective sovereignties, reconciliation, individual and collective goals, and interface between jurisdictions. The failure by Canadian society to comprehend the linkage between the removal of Aboriginal children and the human rights of those children as members of Aboriginal society has done enormous damage. A concrete act of reconciliation is required, by law and by honour

Milk Hauling Cost Analysis Version 2.0 User'S Manual for the Ibm-Pc

R.B. 94-0

Evaluation of primary and secondary treatment of distillery wastewaters

Thesis (MScEng (Process Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.The thesis reports the investigation of various distillery processes and wastewater streams. The aim was to evaluate the processes and thereafter design interventions for improved wastewater treatment at the respective distilleries. An integrated environmental approach was adopted based on the principle that prevention of pollution is the preferred option and end-of-pipe treatment the least favoured option. As such, feed material to the processes was studied to determine whether some of the components that are not required in the distillation process could in fact be removed prior to entering the system. The results indicate that organic constituents such as phenol and tartaric acid could be removed using physico-chemical and biological treatment methods. The treatment of effluent was studied using an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) set-up to determine the reduction in Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in the wastewater. Thereafter the UASB treated effluent was exposed to aeration for further treatment. Summary of conclusions • Pretreatment of wine feed material with calcium hydroxide is effective in removal of 98% tartaric acid, 30% COD and a total phenol content of 57%. • Bio-augmentation results showed that the soil inoculum was the most effective treatment method with reductions of 61% COD at a temperature of 30°C, tartaric acid removal of 98% at the same temperature and 25% reduction in total phenol at 26°C. • UASB was effective with soil inoculum and removed approximately 90% of COD although operational problems were experienced and hindered the operation of the plant. • Aeration of UASB effluent further reduced the COD by a further 60% with a total COD reduction of 96% after both UASB and aeration treatment. • Effective reduction of total phosphorus by 70% and the total phenol content by 80% was achieved by UASB treatment followed by aeration

Aboriginal children and the dishonour of the Crown : human rights, 'best interests' and customary adoption

Central to the relationship between Canada and Aboriginal children is transgression: the systematic removal of these children from their families in order to eliminate Aboriginality from them, and from their society. Fundamental legal and moral issues are implicated: the sovereignty of the Crown, legality versus legitimacy, the nature of customary law, the legacy of colonialism, and the human rights of children and of minority groups. A constitutional enactment at Confederation created the ‘legal’ power to remove decision making authority from Aboriginal people, and then to actually remove their children by law. This power was first used to place the children in residential schools as part of the colonial project to eliminate Aboriginal culture. It extended into the child protection arena, which has different purposes but arguably the same effect. This use of constitutional authority is examined and found to be contrary to the principles of Canadian constitutionalism. Alternative legal approaches are examined: a ‘principle of continuity’ of customary laws, international recognition of the rights of Indigenous peoples, and positive obligations of the Canadian state, the ‘honour of the Crown’. Custom adoption is a widespread tradition among Aboriginal peoples; it is demonstrated to be the means whereby Aboriginal societies address the safety of their children. Given that this practice has been recognized as an existing Aboriginal right, I explore the thesis that full recognition of a right to engage the customary practice may provide a route to address this fundamental violation. The research undertaken leads to the conclusion that custom adoption includes a decision making process; it is actually the exercise of a customary law jurisdiction. I argue that the authority of this jurisdiction should be explicitly recognized within a pluralist Canada. Related issues are discussed: the ‘best interests of the child’, respective sovereignties, reconciliation, individual and collective goals, and interface between jurisdictions. The failure by Canadian society to comprehend the linkage between the removal of Aboriginal children and the human rights of those children as members of Aboriginal society has done enormous damage. A concrete act of reconciliation is required, by law and by honour.Law, Faculty ofGraduat