E-culture and communication

3-2-1 Exercice

2005-12-13T02:51:00.000-08:00

3 things I learned in class :
- I discovered how Google makes money
- I learned what were the the different methods used by some Internet Applications to be successful.
- I learned how to embrace new habits by discovering for example the world of podcasting.

2 things I found interesting :
- podcasts
- and blogs

1 question :
Do you think it would be possible in the future to give a free internet access to everybody ? and do you think it would be possible to make it available everywhere, in all countries and all regions, in the streets of a town but also in the countryside (like mobile phones) ?

Monetizing an Internet Model

2005-12-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

E.g. Commercial podcasts that contain an advertising. Cookies. Companies which use the reknown of their website (which may offer free services online) to increase their sales in stores...

Examples discussed in class :
- Slate explainer podcasts.
- Google is a free search engine for millions of people. But it's also a company which sells its skills to many firms.

Ripping

2005-12-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

Ripping is the process of copying the audio or video data from one media form, such as Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) or Compact Disc (CD), to a hard disk. While the original media is typically digital, the extraction of analog media such as VHS video or vinyl records to a digital format can also be referred to as "ripping" by extension. The copied data, called "rips", are usually encoded in a compressed format such as FLAC, MP3, WMA or Ogg Vorbis for audio or MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX or Ogg Theora for video in order to conserve storage space.
For consumers of digital content, there are a number of practical uses for ripping. One is to allow the owners of CDs or DVDs to listen or watch their purchased content in a more flexible way. For example, ripping can allow users to listen to music from a number of different albums without having to change discs and to make customised playlists of the music. Ripping can also be used to allow music to be played on portable digital audio players. Creating a backup of purchased and copyrighted media is legal in some countries, including the United States. In countries like France, anyone is allowed to make a private copy of a copyrighted material for himself and the source copy does not even have to be legal (making copies for other people is however forbidden, and, a fortiori, charging for such copies).
Since the music or video is transferred to a data file, the files can be shared with other computer users over the Internet.
The speed at which a CD or DVD can be ripped is often expressed as a multiplicator: 12X (means 12 times faster than just playing it).

Examples of softwares :
Nero http://www.nero.com
Easy CD DVD Creator http://www.roxio.com

Long Tail Marketing Strategy

2005-12-02T09:04:00.000-08:00

It's when a company knows that it's doing an important part of its profit with peripheral products. And tries to develop these niches.

Example discussed in class :
Amazon.com sells a lot of bestsellers but it makes most of its profit with the addition of all the sales of rare or very particular books (e.g. books about Qi Qong).
http://www.amazon.com

FTP Server

2005-12-02T04:31:00.000-08:00

A server that stores files and makes them available on the Internet via FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

Personal example of a FTP software :
- Cute FTP : http://www.globalscape.com/products/ftp_clients.asp

Alternative Journalism on the web

2005-11-29T01:27:00.000-08:00

Example explained in class :

- rocketboom : http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/

Personal examples :

- These are some daily video blogs, but not journalistic - I don't really know what's the interest of filming one's self saying stupid things in one's room but anyway these people use new technologies so I suppose it has an interest :)

- http://stevegarfield.blogs.com/videoblog/

-http://chriskoehn.blogspot.com/

- http://thevoiz.typepad.com/

- http://www.vidblogs.com/

- This is the independant newspaper of Montpellier : http://www.laccroche.info/

Intellectual property

2005-11-29T00:47:00.000-08:00

What is IP ?

An introduction to intellectual property

Patents, trade-marks, copyright, industrial designs and similar rights are referred to as "intellectual property". These rights are "property" in the sense that they are based on the legal right to exclude others from using the property and in that ownership of the rights can be transferred. The rights are "intellectual" in the sense that they protect intangible subjects, usually arising out of some form of human creativity.

Patents protect inventions, such as machines, devices, methods and compositions of matter. Trade-mark rights protect words, designs, numbers, two-dimensional or three-dimensional forms, sounds or colors (or a combination of two or more of these elements) used to distinguish the products or services of one trader from those of others in the marketplace. Copyright protects literary (including computer programs), artistic, musical and dramatic works. Related rights include trade secrets, industrial designs, integrated circuit topographies, plant breeders' rights, and personality rights such as the right to the image.

Each of these rights is quite different from the others. For example, the inventor of a new interlocking paving stone may be able to obtain a patent on the method of making the stone and the aspects of the structure of the stone which permit it to interlock. An industrial design registration may also be obtained covering decorative features in the shape of the stone. The name under which the stone is sold may be protected by a trade-mark registration. Finally, information which may be presented in booklets or videos describing how to install the stones may be protected by copyright.

Websites are another example of how different intellectual property rights might exist and cross each other. Starting with the domain name registration for the website, one or many trade-marks may be used (words, designs, slogans) in association with wares or services which themselves might be covered by copyright, patent or industrial design protection. There may also be copyright protection in the text, database or artistic work appearing on the website or even in a song or music played while consulting the website. Each of these forms of intellectual property gives a right to different but possibly related protection.

COCA-COLA is an example of a trade-mark for a soft drink. The formulation of the drink itself is a trade secret and not covered by a patent. As such, there is protection only so long as the formulation remains secret. The shape of the bottle was once protected as an industrial design. Patents may have been obtained in respect of bottling equipment. While alternative products are available under other trade-marks, such as PEPSI, competing products generally become established only after expenditure of considerable time and effort in marketing. In this example, the trade-mark rights may be the most valuable intellectual property right.
Trade-mark protection can be maintained indefinitely. Patent, copyright and industrial design protection are limited in time.

Patent agents and trade-mark agents are professionals who are registered to practice before the Patent Office and the Trade-marks Office. Respectively, Patent agents and trade-mark agents may not be lawyers although many are. Registered patent agents typically have expertise in one or more scientific disciplines and are experienced in analyzing inventions and in writing patent specifications and claims. Registered trade-mark agents and lawyers practising in the intellectual property field typically have expertise and are experienced in legal aspects of use of trade-marks and trade names, registration of trade-marks and maintenance and protection thereof.

The Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) maintains lists of competent professionals who are trained and experienced in intellectual property law. Efforts made in advance of meeting with such a professional to understand the nature and scope of intellectual property rights can be useful in understanding the advice given and in making sound business decisions about such rights.

© 2004 Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, Ottawa, ON 613.234.0516
http://www.ipic.ca/english/general/what.cfm

Personal examples :

- Coca Cola, the recipe, the design of the bottle, the visual identity (including the colors red and white) ... are all protected. http://www.coca-cola.com/flashIndex1.html

- Walt Disney http://disney.go.com/home/today/index.html

2005-11-29T00:41:00.000-08:00

Old media organizations using podcasts

2005-11-29T00:32:00.000-08:00

- Fox News, BBC World...
- RTL, Europe 1...
- Arte Radio : http://www.arteradio.com/w.arteradio.com

Podcasts that help you learn English

2005-11-29T00:31:00.000-08:00

- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
- TOEIC ( Test of English for International Communication)

Creating a community of value

2005-11-29T00:29:00.000-08:00

Personal example :
- World of Warcraft Community Site : http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/

Cannibalizing one's own market

2005-11-29T00:27:00.000-08:00

Examples discussed in class :
- "The New York Times" offers you an online newspaper which is totally free : http://www.nytimes.com/
- "Le Monde"
http://www.lemonde.fr/

Outsourcing to the customer

2005-11-29T00:25:00.000-08:00

Examples discussed in class :
- "SNCF" http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
- "E-bay" http://www.ebay.fr/
- "Fnac" http://www.fnac.com

Personal examples :
- "Auchan" offers an online supermarket where there is no need of any cashier http://www.auchandirect.fr/
- The web site of the "Caisse d'Epargne" allows you to have a look to your bank accounts, to move some money from one account to another...There is no need to go to the bank anymore.. http://www.caisse-epargne.fr

True generosity as an organizational or business model on the web

2005-11-29T00:19:00.000-08:00

Examples discussed in class :
- "Google" http://www.google.fr/
- "Mozilla Firefox" http://www.mozilla-europe.org/fr/

Personal examples :
- "Laboratoire d'Analyse et de Technologie du Langage" offers a bilingual dictionary with speech output. http://www.latl.unige.ch/
- "L'Indic" is a student city guide offering information about accommodation in town, health, transport, jobs, cinema, sport, restaurants... http://www.lindic.fr/