The "No Electronic Theft Act" introduced by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) would establish penalties of up to $250K and three years in jail for a first offense of distributing unauthorized copyrighted works on the Internet. The statute of limitations for criminal copyright infringement would be extended from three years to five, and "financial gain" under copyright law would include receipt of pirated software or other copyrighted works. [TechWire, 13Oct97. EduP.] (One strike and you're out. And this is in a world where nearly all information is protected by copyright -- including academic position announcements.)

The BMI music licensing agency says it has developed a "Musicbot" Web robot to identify sites that use music and to count the number of people who visit them. [AP, 15Oct97. EduP.]

Instead of trying to protect your shareware, offer a hassle-free sample version and a more elaborate commercial version. The sample, with its occasional pop-up reminder screen, is the best kind of advertising you could have. It's always in front of the user just when he's most interested in your service. Eudora does it this way, and they've been very successful. [, alt.comp.shareware.programmer, 16Oct97.]

The GAO has estimated that there may be 250K attempts per year to break into US military computers. DARPA and the US Air Force are working on 'immune systems" for computers to help them reject foreign code. That means giving them an ability to distinguish between self and other. [Georges I. Seffers, Defense News, 22Sep97. Heinz Nydegger , de.comp.security, 14Oct97.]

Steve Holden recommends Guy Kawasaki's entertaining "Technology -- The Software Horizon -- Who cares about sex?" in Forbes for 20Oct97, p. 296. It includes URLs "dedicated to weapons and weirdness." The Forbes Four Hundred edition of 20Oct97 also has an article on how to remain anonymous and keep your finances private. [NewtNews , 14Oct97. Bill Park.]

For the e-paranoid, a new app called X-RAY VISION lets you check websites for downloadable elements -- Java, JavaScript, ActiveX controls, plug-ins, push and pull technologies, cookies, and automated data forwards from other websites -- before your browser triggers them. $29, from 01Dec97. . [Network News, 12Oct97.]

Incidentally, four Thai nationals have been arrested in Hong Kong for using dice loaded with a microchip. The chip let them know which numbers had come up [under a cup] before punters laid their bets. [AP, 19Sep97. Bill Park.]