TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1984
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THE SECOND AREA OF CONCERN RELATED TO DATA PROTECTION.
MR JACOBS POINTED OUT THAT THE DATA PROTECTION ACT 1984 PASSED BY THE UK PARLIAMENT PROTECTED ONLY PERSONAL DATA AND HAD NO RELEVANCE TO THE PROTECTION OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMES.
+NEVERTHELESS, IT PROVIDES A STARTING POINT,+ HE SAID.
+THE THIRD AREA, AND PERHAPS THE MOST DRAMATIC, IS COMPUTER CRIME AND THE UNAUTHORISED ACCESSING OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS. A SMALL GROUP IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CHAMBERS HAS BEEN FORMED TO CONSIDER THIS SUBJECT AND IS CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THE LAWS OF SEVERAL STATES IN THE USA AND AT A FEDERAL BILL PROPOSING LEGISLATION NATIONWIDE, + HE SAID.
SPEAKING ON THE ECONOMIC CONTEXT OF THESE ISSUES, MR JACOBS SAID BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT NATURE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, THE ABILITY OF ITS PRODUCER TO ENJOY ITS FULL MARKET VALUE DEPENDED ALMOST ENTIRELY ON THE LEGAL PROTECTION CONFERRED ON IT.
+ IF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS LEFT WITHOUT LEGAL PROTECTION AND IDEAS FALL INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN WITHOUT ADEQUATE REWARD FOR THE INVENTOR OR DEVELOPER, THEN WHERE IS HIS INCENTIVE?+ HE ASKED.
+A SOCIETY WHICH FAILS TO ENSURE THAT AN INVENTOR OR DEVELOPER RECEIVES HIS JUST REWARD MIGHT WELL FIND ITSELF DEPRIVED OF THE PRODUCTS OF FERTILE MINDS. IT IS THE LEGAL PROTECTION THAT CAN BE AFFORDED WHICH IS SO OFTEN THE STIMULUS TO INVENTION AND THE CONSEQUENT TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE OF SOCIETY, + MR JACOBS SAID.
NEED SEEN FOR HIGHER LANGUAGE STANDARDS
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THERE WOULD BE GREATER DEMANDS FOR HIGHER STANDARDS IN THE USE OF CHINESE FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE GOVERNMENT, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR MAYER NG, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF THE THIRD BASIC TRAINING COURSE FOR CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS, MR NG SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE USE OF CHINESE WOULD BE ON THE INCREASE AND THE WORK OF CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS WOULD BE MORE DIVERSIFIED.
+THE CHINESE LANGUAGE DIVISION WILL HAVE SUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PLANS TO INTENSIFY TRAINING IN ORDER TO MEET THE GROWING DEMANDS FOR HIGH-STANDARD TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES.+ HE ADDED.
/THE COMMISSIONER