Internet Law Terms and Definitions

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Browser software The multimedia software employed by users to access the World Wide Web, the aspect of the Internet that transmits pictures, sound, etc. At present, the most popular "browsers" include Mosaic, Netscape, and Microsoft Explorer. Users can download these "browsers" from computer "servers" that are connected to the Internet. Cable modem A modem supplied by a cable television operator that allows users to access the Internet or other information services over cable television networks, which comprise broadband coaxial cables and are capable of much greater speed than conventional twisted pair copper telephone lines. 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." Antitrust U.S. laws designed to prevent any one company from acquiring such a degree of control over a given market that it substantially prevents competition among alternative suppliers and limits consumer choice. Fiber optic cable A type of wire-line transmission media that converts information into light pulses that travel down hollow glass tubes the diameter of a human hair. Fiber optic cables are used in broadband networks, and are capable of carrying an enormous amount of information in all its forms --sound, graphics, data, and video, or a multimedia combination thereof -- with much greater speed, accuracy, and security than conventional copper wires and coaxial cables. E-mail address law SB1506 California file sharers who trade songs or films without providing an e- mail address will be guilty of a misdemeanor, under the first-in-the-nation measure that could make it easier for law enforcement to track down people who illegally download copyrighted material. Viruses & trojans These sciripts can be used to change or destroy data through email or through files Bit A "binary digit," the smallest unit of measurement having values of 0 or 1. Bits are used to record the size of a data file on a computer, the capacity per second of a network, and so on. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) An independent regulatory agency established by the 1934 Communications Act, the United States' principal legislative framework for the communications industries. 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.

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	Did You Know?
	DNS translates the name into the corresponding IP address The Domain Name System is a system of mapping names to IP addresses. Because domain names are alphabetic, they're easier for humans to remember. The Internet, however, is really based on IP addresses. Every time you use a domain name, DNS translates the name into the corresponding IP address. It is similar to a phonebook for the Internet. See: Domain Name System