IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 7 April
07-04-2009
by Sylvia Leatham
Web is haven for student plagiarism | Record labels tempt iTunes users
The Irish Independent reports that an increasing number of college students are using the internet to plagiarise course work, according to a leading academic. Dublin City University president Ferdinand von Prondzynski said the web had transformed plagiarism into an industry, making material available to confused students at the click of a mouse. Writing on his blog, he said that in the past plagiarism "required a fair amount of effort if it was to pass muster -- it was necessary for the miscreant to seek out a library, or a bookshop, or the help of somebody more expert". Nowadays all that had changed, thanks to students who were plundering the rich resources of online journals in the hope of better grades.
The paper also says that Biogen Idec is among a number of pharmaceutical firms to receive warning letters from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about sponsored links on internet search engines for drugs which fail to provide required safety information. The letter to Biogen involves its multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri, which it co-develops with Elan. In letters posted on the FDA website, Biogen and fellow pharma firm Sanofi were ordered to rectify the problems cited regarding promotional material and to submit a written response by 9 April stating whether they intend to comply. "We are working with FDA closely to resolve this situation," said a Biogen spokeswoman.
The same paper says that Barry O'Callaghan, chairman of textbook publisher Education Media and Publishing Group (EMPG), is to take up the position of chief executive of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He will assume the position later this month following the retirement of Anthony Lucki, chief executive. EMPG bought Houghton Mifflin three years ago and Harcourt the following year.
The Irish Examiner reports that children at a Kilkenny school have been chosen to join an elite support programme by software company Microsoft, as reported by ENN on Monday.
The Irish Times notes that Computer Associates (CA) has confirmed that its Irish operations have moved to smaller serviced offices "as part of an ongoing review of CA's office real-estate worldwide". The US software firm did not say if there had been any job losses as part of the move but said it "remains fully committed to the Irish market".
The Wall Street Journal reports that record companies are trying to reimagine their most profitable product -- the album -- to woo music fans on Apple's iTunes Store. On Tuesday, Sony's Epic Records plans to release a USD17 iTunes 'pass' for the band The Fray. The pass delivers songs, video footage and photos, but spaces out the offering over several weeks in the hope of holding consumers' attention and justifying the premium price. Earlier this year, British group Depeche Mode launched its own iTunes pass to help promote the release of its 12th studio album. Apple plans several more subscription-style passes in the coming weeks.
The paper also says that the Associated Press is launching an initiative to better control its newspaper members' material online. Under the programme, AP will work with internet portals and other partners to track -- and pursue legal action against -- publishers who use members' content without a licence. AP has more than 1,400 US newspaper members.
The Financial Times reports that Nintendo's Wii games console is showing its first signs of weakness, with Japanese sales last month falling below those of Sony's PlayStation 3. According to data from games research group Enterbrain, Sony sold 146,948 PS3s in the five weeks to 29 March, compared with 99,335 Wii sales. If the trend continues and spreads to Europe or the US, it would mark a reversal of fortune for the two Japanese companies.
The paper also notes that France Telecom has said it would pay EUR530 million to take full managerial control of ECMS, Egypt's leading mobile operator, and might buy out minority shareholders, after winning a lengthy legal battle with Orascom Telecom. France Telecom has been in dispute with Orascom since 2001 over control of ECMS, with both companies trying to claim control. An international arbitration panel has ordered Orascom to sell to the French company its 28.75 percent stake in Mobinil, which in turn owns 51 percent of ECMS. France Telecom is also considering a possible voluntary offer for minority stakes in ECMS, according to sources.
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