Current Issues in Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Current Issues in Intellectual Property - Essay Example Most of the legal principles to encourage and establish the intellectual property rights have evolved over decades. The intellectual property laws were strongly established in the 19th century due to the different evolutions in the global business environment. Today the intellectual property laws and rights have become a commonplace concept in almost all countries accrues the globe. Intellectual properties are not only applicable to artistic creations but are also used to protect inventions and discoveries which have commercial value. Intellectual properties are protected by the law due to the usefulness of these properties in enabling the general people and society to earn financial and economic benefits and recognition from their discoveries, creations or inventions. It can be ascertained that striking a right balance between the interests of the public and those of the innovators is likely create an environment which will support the flourishing of creativity and innovation. Intellectual property laws can be used to protect a wide range of products and services. It includes all types of innovations and some discoveries made by individuals, teams or organizations. The intellectual property rights can be gained under copyrights, patents, trademarks, confidentiality or trade secrets. Patents can be obtained for a wide range of products including any method, substance, process or device which is inventive, new, authentic and useful to the society, technology or any other domain. Patents can be enforced legally and can be used to commercially protect and exploit inventions and creations. Some innovations like mathematical models, schemes, artistic creations, plans and processes which are completely dependent on mental processes are not eligible for getting patent rights. The copyrights are commonly used under the intellectual property laws to protect mental creations like literary works, music compositions and other forms of artistic,

The Structure and Business of Blackstone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The Structure and Business of Blackstone - Essay Example It's a veritable feast for the discerning investor's eyes: 37% compound annual revenue growth, 65% operating margins, $3 million in profit per employee, returns on invested capital in the triple digits. And a cherry on top: the Blackstone Group is arguably the uber-buyout firm. Led by billionaire cofounders Steven Schwarzman and Peter Peterson, Blackstone has gone from relative obscurity to global renown in the span of roughly two decades, parlaying a penchant for deal making and a yen for competition into a war chest that now brims with billions of dollars in investment capital. Blackstone Capital has extensive expertise in structuring transactions under Regulation D, SCOR, Rule 144A, Reg. A, Reg. S, and other public or private direct offerings, as well as commercial lending, mezzanine financing, commercial paper, and subordinated debt transactions. Their structures provide an exit strategy for investors with short or long-term holding periods. Basically what Blackstone does is delivers to its client’s necessary capital, for less cost, more efficiently, and strategically structured. It operates from a style, which avails itself of the richness of a variety of investment philosophies and techniques that will ultimately provide superior returns while exposing a particular partnership to lesser risk. It is here, that Blackstone prides itself in creating the innovative financial solutions for its clients. Their primary objective is to maximize value for their clients. Blackstone’s business is organized into four segments: 1) corporate private equity, which focuses on management of the Company’s private equity funds; 2) real estate, which is responsible for management of Blackstone’s various real estate investment funds; 3) â€Å"marketable alternative asset management,† which involves management of Blackstone’s various hedge funds, mezzanine funds, and other â€Å"alternative† in vestment vehicles; and 4) The financial advisory group, which comprises the Company’s advisory services business that provides, for example, merger and acquisition analysis and services to other companies. These various funds are generally structured as limited partnerships that are capitalised by limited-partner investors (such as institutional investors and pension funds) and managed by Blackstone, which, through subsidiary holding partnerships, serves as general partner. Blackstone therefore does not own directly either the various portfolio companies in which it’s corporate private equity funds invest or the real estate assets owned by its real estate funds. Rather, Blackstone derives revenue from two principal sources: It earns a â€Å"management fee† equal to 1.5% of the value of the assets under management; It earns a â€Å"performance fee† or â€Å"carried interest† equal to 20% of the profits generated on the capital it invests for limited partners. Blackstone is subject, however, to having its performance fees â€Å"clawed back.† That is, the Company is obligated to return performance fees to investors if investments perform poorly. In contrast to those who invest in Blackstone’s various funds, investors in Blackstone itself acquire a stake in Blackstone’s investment management business, hoping that strong performance by the various investment funds will generate performance fees for the Company. 4.2 Southern Cross Healthcare Southern Cross He

Atrial Fibrillation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Atrial Fibrillation - Essay Example AF may occur in men or women and is generally seen in the elderly population in the age group of 60 -70 years or above. As Kowey and Naccarelli points out â€Å"from an epidemiological standpoint AF is predominantly a disease of elderly individuals with cardiovascular diseases† (Kowey and Naccarelli, p.1). AF generally is not seen in the young population. The human heart consists of four chambers – the upper two chambers are known as atria while the two lower ones are known as ventricles. De-oxygenated blood containing high amounts of carbon dioxide enters the right atrium via the superior vena cava and inferior vena cava and flows into the right ventricle. The right atrium contracts to pump the rest of the blood into the right ventricle which in turn contracts to pump the blood into the lungs where the blood loses its carbon dioxide and gets fresh oxygen supply. This oxygenated blood then enters the left atrium which contracts to pump the blood into left ventricle. The left ventricle contracts to send the blood to the rest of the body. These contractions of the heart muscles occur due to an inbuilt electric supply system present in the human heart that sends out electrical signals during each heart beat. Each electrical signal starts its journey from the sino-atrial (SA) node present in the right atrium of the heart. From her e as it moves down it causes both the atria to contract thus pumping blood to the ventricles. The electrical signal then moves down to the atrio-ventricular node and via the bundle of His enter both the ventricles causing them to contract and pump blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. In atrial fibrillation this electrical signal arises from the nearby pulmonary veins and other parts of the right atrium instead of the SA node. These electrical signals produced are extremely irregular and generally very rapid and can range up to 350 signals per

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Research Paper - Essay Example I was interested in knowing the progress China is making that could see it become a super power nation and the reasons that were behind its progress. It was due to this reason that I carried out the internet research to get more detailed information on China’s economy and its rise that could see it become one of the super power nations. I carried out some research on the internet using Google as my search engine. I also followed the United States news about the implication of the coming power shifts and how they could have impacts on the U.S policy. During my extensive reading through the various articles and web pages, I found some names and phone numbers and so I contacted those leads in order to gather more information on the topic. The National Intelligence Council argues that by 2030 the global balance of power will shift significantly. China will likely become the largest economy in the world. In terms of military spending, Gross Domestic Product, population size and tec hnological investment, Asia will surpass Europe and North America. The United States is expected to become first among equals rather than a superpower nation due to the coming diffusion of powers. ... The initiation of this economic reform has made china become one of the world’s fastest growing economies. The rise of China economies has surprised many people and its progress seems even more praiseworthy. The article by Professor James states that the rise of modern China to become the second largest economy in the world has become possible due to the success of the Chinese communist revolution during the mid-20th century. The invading Japanese imperial army was defeated by the People’s Liberation Army. They also defeated the US imperialist-back comprador led Kuomintang â€Å"Nationalist† army. The reunification of China as an independent sovereign state was made possible as a result. The extraterritorial privileges of the Western imperialist were abolished by the Communist government. This resulted in territorial freedoms of the regional warlords and the gangsters driving away women and drug traffickers as well those who were providing services to Euro-Americ an Empire. Economic reform on a large scale in a country as large as china was seen to be impossible. However, China has been incrementally transformed into a market economy from a control. This has been made possible due to Deng and his reform coalition. Due to the continued rise of economic aspects of China it is soon becoming a superpower nation. Due to various measures taken by the government of China, its economy has greatly risen. Colin Carter explains that today China produces 18% of the world cereal grains, fifty percent of the world’s vegetables and twenty nine percent of the world’s meat. This has made China one of the world’s largest agricultural economy and it has been ranked as the largest producer of wheat, cotton, rice, tea and

Summary and criticism of book chapter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Summary and criticism of book chapter - Essay Example Defeat in the war led to the break-up of the Monarchy, and this was unforeseen even until the summer of 1918 (Sked, 1989 ). The Habsurg army persevered till the very end. Had they been victorious, their Monarchy would not only have survived, but would also have expanded. In The Dual Monarchy chapter of the Decline and Fall of the Habsburg Empire, analyzes the position of Hungary within the Empire, the nationalist and economic growth problems, the rise of fresh political and social forces, cultural pessimism, and the foreign policy issues prior to 1914. These analyses are conducted in the light of the commonly known weaknesses that afflicted the Dual Monarchy, and it is meant to deduce what condition the Habsburg Empire was in before its collapse. The Habsburg Monarchy stretched from the territories that were under the rule of the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg (1278–1780). This branch of rulers was succeeded by House of Habsburg-Lorraine (from 1780), between 1 526 and 1867/1918. Vienna was the official capital until it was temporarily replaced from 1583 to 1611, with Prague. The Habsburg ruled over the Austrian Empire from 1804 to 1867 the Habsburgs and the they moved onto ruling Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918 ruled the Austrian Empire and from 1867 to 1918 Austria-Hungary. ... The Hungarians were agitated significantly owing to the suppression they felt was being exerted on their call for a revolution. This suppression was backed by the Russians. However, the entire Hungarian agitation with Austria had been festering for many years, and the reasons for this were manifold. Towards the end of the 1850’s, a lot of Hungarian practiced a change of attitude, inclined to recognize the Habsburg dominion and scavenge the idea of a revolt. Their validation for this rest in the fact that while Hungary had right to full independence and self-government, the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 foreign affairs were the similar for Austria and Hungary, When the Austrians were beaten at Koniggratz, it became crucial for them to counterfeit reconciliatory ties with Hungary in order to accomplish their lost esteem and power. The new foreign minister wanted to substantiate the previously stalled round of discussions with the previously delayed round of consultations with the H ungarians. In order seek Hungary’s hold up for the Monarchy, Emperor Franz Joseph compiled a deal with Hungarian powers yielding them the popular coronation as King, a separate parliament at Budapest, and the powers to set up laws for the lands that were to be governed by the Hungarian Crown. Initiating from1867, the allocation of common spending was set at 70% for Austria and 30% for the Hungarians. It was decided that this allocation would be revisited every 10 years, and by the year 1907, the Hungarian allocation was raised to 36.4% common expenditure was allocated 70% to Austria and 30% to Hungary. This split had to be discussed every 10 years, and, by 1907, the Hungarian allocation had

Standardized Assessments Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Standardized Assessments - Research Paper Example Standardized testing is a chief provision of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Standardized tests are often referred to as high stakes testing because the tests are utilized to gauge the proficiency of students against other students, teachers abilities are evaluated based on the outcomes of standardized tests, and schools are judged based on student’s scores from the tests. High stakes assessments are mandated by the NCLB and students complete these tests at different grade levels. High stakes testing is used to place students in selective course sections, rating schools against other schools, and influences merit pay for teachers. NCLB advocates believe that standardized testing is required to prepare students for the global economy, diminish inequalities in the school testing environment, and permit the execution of objective assessments. Introduction Standardized testing is a chief provision of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Standardized tests are often referred to as high stakes testing because the tests are utilized to gauge the proficiency of students against other students, teachers abilities are evaluated based on the outcomes of standardized tests, and schools are judged based on student’s scores from the tests. High stakes assessments are mandated by the NCLB and students complete these tests at different grade levels. Standardize tests lead to appraisal of educators, appraisal of pedagogies, curricula, and schools (Crump 54). Unfortunately the NCLB is worsening, not resolving, the difficulties that induce numerous students to be left behind. (Guisbond and Neill 12) High stakes testing is used to place students in selective course sections, rating schools against other schools, and influences merit pay for teachers. The merit pay aspect of testing has enticed instructors to form their content delivery based on the high stakes to prepare their students to surpass other students. The consequences of this mode of i nstruction are not beneficial to the students but it is advantageous for the teacher whose students do well on the test. If a student is less than proficient on the test then it reflects on the teachers instructional abilities. NCLB advocates believe that standardized testing is required to prepare students for the global economy, diminish inequalities in the school testing environment, and permit the execution of objective assessments. History of No Child Left Behind The NCLB is a component of educational modifications that emphasizes basic skills, prescribed assessments, and high-stakes testing (Crump 55). NCLB legislation requires that schools be held responsible for student development. High-stakes examinations and mandated testing has become the principal instrument for assessing student progression. The goal of the NCLB is to verify that students have a equitable chance to receive a high caliber education and attain proficiency on state academic achievement metrics and state a cademic testing (Crump 53). The NCLB legislation beginnings occurred when the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was created. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, that created Title I, was President Lyndon B. Johnson's efforts with the War on Poverty and Great Society programs and the goal was aimed to improve educational prospects for disadvantaged students (Crump 55). Federal financial support for education curricula decreased during President Ronald Reagan's presidency in the 1980s. The importance in education switched to tougher academic metrics, additional course obligations, an expanded school day, and modifications in the preparedness of teachers (Crump 56). Title I was modified in 1988 and necessitated states to confirm the academic accomplishment of disadvantaged students by standardized test scores (Crump 56). Elementary and Secondary Education Act funds were then allocated to schools and districts of disadvantaged students based on the student’

Regionalization planning, preparation, and response approach Research Paper

Regionalization planning, preparation, and response approach - Research Paper Example are known to have a history of coordinated aid agreements and function mutually, some regions are characterized with different partners coming together in the context of federal homeland security arrangements in order to initiate effective planning. This paper examines the issues of regional planning, preparation and responses approaches in the context of their economic, social and legal impacts. In addition, the paper will incorporate the role of the Saint Leo University core value of Community as it relates to local response to terrorism; such as, mutual aid agreements, regionalization approaches, multi-jurisdictional training or exercises, cross-discipline training or exercises, interoperable communications, etc. Body Regionalization or regional coordination relates to using government resources in harmonizing ways in order to achieve objectives that are mutually agreed amongst different stake holders in the given region. Regionalization also helps in overcoming the disjointed cha racteristics of federal systems and grants as provided to states and other local bodies. Coordination is successful through vertical processes amongst local, state and federal government as also through horizontal processes in different regions. Resources can be efficiently aligned to achieve security in communities, but this often requires considerable planning within the given judicial jurisdictions. The neighboring jurisdiction can be impacted by urgent situations in many possible ways, such as through implementing mutual aid agreements and the acceptance of evacuated citizens. After the September 2001 terror attacks, the US has strengthened efforts and initiatives towards improving the programs established to safeguard the safety, health and welfare of people and community during... The extent of regionalization after the beginning of the Cold War led to the creation of enhanced opportunities for nation states as well as state sponsored entities to adopt asymmetrical strategies of attacking stronger opponents such as the US. Although value systems of terror organizations and terrorists pertain to overcoming the stronger enemy or to force it to abandon its initiatives in regional conflicts, the main objective of terrorists is to use operational methods to achieve a combination of such objectives. Nevertheless, terrorism is designed in evoking responses from the government of the targeted nation or society in efforts to force it to alter its external policies. Federal initiatives in the US have mostly focused on regionally integrated approaches to provide the needed services to citizens. This aspect is very important in the area of national security because there is an urgent need to address the threat of terror attacks in order to effectively manage the usage of federal security funding. It has become apparent that regional strategies in this regard have helped in ensuring that such funding is spent in coordinated and complementary ways in targeting the evident security gaps. Regionalization plans have targeted emergency readiness while other areas are characterized with a number of broad aspects that are encouraged by the federal government, mostly through the designing of regional strategies and allocation of funding to states.