US patent infringement statute extends to the international market for copies of US software

In a patent infringement action involving the internationaldistribution of Microsoft's Windows software, the United StatesCourt of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has interpreted USpatent statute 35 USC section 271(f) as extending infringementliability to foreign computers assembled with copies of softwarereplicated abroad from a US-made master version.     

A useful resource when advising on publishing contracts

The journalist and former Punch editor, Alan Coren, once wrotean article in The Times about his desire to write a best-sellingpublishing contract. This followed a spate of stories in thepress about the large advances then being paid by publishersto ‘trophy’ authors such as Martin Amis. When preparinghis best-selling contract, Mr Coren would have benefited greatlyfrom the precedents in Clark's Publishing Agreements. Originally published in 1980, Clark is now in its seventh edition.It consists mainly of about 25–30 template agreementsfor use in the publishing of books, journals, and related materials,including a substantial section on     

The Catholic contribution to democratization's ‘third wave’: altruism,hegemony or self-interest?

This article examines the contribution of the Roman Catholic Church to democratization's ‘third wave’. Whilst making no substantive claims about the centrality of religion to political transitions, it indicates several ways in which national Catholic hierarchies and the wider Catholic Church contributed to democratization. Of more interest, however, is the question of why the Catholic Church shifted from its traditional position of hostility to democracy. Three primary explanations are offered for the Catholic contribution: theological change, the pursuit of hegemony and the attempt to maintain market share. All three offer useful insights, though this article ultimately suggests that a combination of internal change and contingency is key to understanding this phenomenon.     

The Alaska Permanent Fund: Politics and Trust

Trust funds are a particular way of governing resource flows. Governments use trust funds to bind policy decisions of future actors and remove resource flows from budget competition. The state of Alaska removed a portion of its oil revenues from political competition through the creation of the Alaska Permanent Fund. A unique feature of the Fund is that it pays annual dividends to Alaskan citizens, thus creating a citizen stake in the management of the Fund. Through this framework Alaskans have successfully protected a significant stream of revenue ($21 billion) from political demands.