Fearing that copyright law will allow individual European Union (EU) states to provide their own interpretations of copyright law applications and bring about piracy of digital material, the EU is considering a proposed law that would give digital media greater copyright protections. (France, Italy and Spain have a tradition of strong copyright protection, while the U.K., the Netherlands and Nordic countries are known for more lax protections.) (Wall Street Journal, 25 May 00)

A recent study, GenWired, by Context-Based Research Group, points out that: 1) young children lack the typing skills to make using computers enjoyable, 2) keyboards just for children are not yet mainstream, 3) computers are asocial by design and 4) unlike video games have only one area of control. Also seen as a barrier is the lack of reliable information on the Internet, with children lacking the ability to discern. The study is being expanded into a one-year project that will cover other areas, including the digital divide. (Baltimore Sun, 28 May 00)

Many parents are happy that the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) has gone into effect, but some also wish the law would apply to children under the age of 18, not just those under the age of 13. COPPA was signed into law in October 1998 and was supported by America Online, the Direct Marketing Association and other groups and companies. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 18 May 00)

National ISPs such as AOL generally lack the Internet points of presence to reach rural regions, and rural users who do use the national ISPs often have to pay toll charges to call access numbers. Service providers are reluctant to move into sparsely populated and therefore unprofitable regions. However, rural areas may benefit from the efforts of some broadband providers that are now working to offer DSL through line-sharing deals with local phone companies and reseller agreements with ISPs. Emerging wireless technologies might also help. (New York Times, 18 May 00)

OpNet, a two year old program derived from "opportunity network," provides a five-week Web design course as well as job counseling and placement for underprivileged and low-income candidates. OpNet hopes to end the stereotype that minorities and individuals with low-income backgrounds are unable to compete in a high-tech environment. The organization intends to become self-sufficient by licensing its curriculum and its teaching model and move into other high-tech areas in the country via partnerships and expansion. (USA Today, 22 May 00)

Cable companies may benefit from a new initiative to promote the Internet to minority households in the U.S. and to provide the computer equipment, Internet connections and training needed to get them online. A new study by Telecommunications Reports International states that only 2.3 million homes use broadband Internet service. Cable companies will be involved in the project's first phase, which includes a television ad campaign. The project is seen as a way to help close the gap between the computer haves and the have-nots. Reports show the gap is not only wide, but continues to grow. (E-Commerce Times, May 00)

A report released Wednesday by the National Research Council says that the federal government should devote more money to research on developing large-scale information systems such as the campus-wide administrative computing systems that many universities are implementing. These "socio-technical systems" have had inadequate attention. Recommended research requires university researchers to work across different disciplines, which typically does not occur because research is usually rewarded within a discipline. Universities can help by introducing new tenure and review practices to encourage interdisciplinary research, says David Messerschmitt of the University of California at Berkeley. (Chronicle of Higher Education Online, May 00)