Internet Law Terms and Definitions

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SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT Computer programs are considered "literary works" for the purpose of copyright law. The 1980 amendments to the Copyright Act define a computer program as a "set of statements or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a certain result." Virtual reality The use of specialized computers, software, and other gear to construct computer-generated environments. A user wears a headset that blocks out vision of the physical world and projects these computer-generated environments onto a screen near the eyes. SSL Certificates A URL that begins with “https://” (instead of “http://”) indicates that information is being transmitted over a secure connection and the company has been issued an Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate. Bundling The combining of either network functionalities or end-user services into one integrated package for provision by a supplier to a customer. In the former case, major operators of public networks have often required that competing service providers seeking inter-network connection purchase all the necessary functionalities (e.g., switching and signalling) in one package, rather than providing some of these elements on their own. Analog The transmission of sound and visual information in the form of waves in the frequency spectrum. For example, in an analog telephone transmission the human voice is transmitted as sound waves that can be detected by the ear. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) An independent regulatory agency established by the 1934 Communications Act, the United States' principal legislative framework for the communications industries. Cellular overlay network A cellular telecommunications network that transmits information through the airwaves across a series of geographically defined "cells" via low-power transmitters. Wiretap Act Rule on the degree to which the federal Wiretap Act protects the privacy of e-mail, by deciding whether the act applies to e-mail held in temporary storage. Cyber-cash On the Internet, customers often purchase products or services by giving their credit card information to a supplier, who then submits a debit to the customer's account with a credit card agency. Cyber-cash provides a new alternative, for which no one standard approach is dominant. Telecommunications Act of 1996 A law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Clinton that extensively revises and updates the 1934 Communications Act, heretofore the principal law governing U.S. communications industries.

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	Did You Know?
	1996 Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments (EFOIA) The 1966 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits any person to request access to federal agency records or information. Federal agencies are required to disclose records upon receipt of a written request, except for records that are protected from disclosure by nice exemptions or three exclusions in the Act. Persons are also able to request documents in an electronic format under the 1996 Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments (EFOIA).