Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.tech,americast.usa-today.tech From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: tech Thu, Oct 8 1992 Date: Thu, 8 Oct 92 04:25:12 EDT Message-ID: 10-08 0000 DECISIONLINE: Technology USA TODAY Update Oct. 8, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network COUNTERFEIT SOFTWARE SEIZED: Personal computer software giant Microsoft Wednesday announced the largest ever seizure of counterfeit software. Microsoft representatives and U.S. marshals impounded more than 150,000 copies of Version 5 of Microsoft's best-selling MS:DOS operating system, the basic software found in most IBM-compatible PCs. The counterfeit software had a street value of more than $9 million. CONGRESS CONSIDERS SOFTWARE LAW: Microsoft Wednesday seized more than $9 million of counterfeit software, exposing a massive counterfeiting operation stretching from California to New Jersey. The raid comes as Congress considers a bill that would make software piracy a felony. Industry estimates suggest that software piracy robbed the industry of $2.4 billion in revenue in 1990. DEFENSE FIRMS FIND NEW MARKETS: U.S. defense companies are gaining market share in the worldwide arms business. McDonnell Douglas is expecting federal approval to sell 72 F-15s to Saudi Arabia for $8 billion. Kaman Corp. will sell 12 anti-submarine helicopters to Taiwan for $161 million. A jet order is expected from Finland, and Asian countries are going on an arms-buying spree at U.S. factories. AUDIO RECORDING ACT PASSES: The Senate Wednesday passed the Audio Home Recording Act, which could mean a pre-Christmas release of two new hi-tech tune toys: Digital compact cassette and MiniDisc. President Bush is expected to sign the bill, passed by the House two weeks ago. Tandy Corp. will be the first to sell DCCs in the USA. Sony plans to sell two portable MiniDisc models by early December. TANK PLAN IS DITCHED: The Army Wednesday canceled a $58.4 billion plan for a new generation tank and five other battlefield vehicles with a common chassis. Under orders from Congress, the Army instead said it will work to develop only two vehicles, a mobile artillery piece and its ammunition carrier, at a projected cost of about $20 billion. APPLE INTRODUCES FASTER DRIVE: Apple Computer Inc. unveiled its fastest disk compact drive ever Wednesday. The Apple CD 300, with read-only memory, will allow users to gain access to very large files, including high-quality video and animation, about twice as fast as currently possible, the company said. The CD 300 is slated to be available in December for $599. KLA WINS PATENT CASE: KLA Instruments Corp. Wednesday announced a favorable ruling from the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. KLA was entangled in a patent interference dispute with Orbot Systems Ltd. and Orbot Inc. The board awarded KLA all patent claims to the illuminator used in Orbot's inspection systems. Orbot can appeal. SYMANTEC GETS FAVORABLE RULING: The Supreme Court Wednesday upheld an appeals decision that exonerates Symantec Corp. of copyright violations claimed by Brown Bag Software. The court let stand two federal decisions that Symantec's GrandView program does not violate Brown Bag's copyright on the program PC-Outline. Symantec's attorney said the decision made it easier to dispose of "look and feel" complaints. HEWLETT-PACKARD SIGNS DEAL: Management Technologies Inc. said Wednesday it has signed a letter of intent with Hewlett-Packard. Under the agreement, Hewlett will invest "significant resources "including money, hardware, software, people and facilities in Management Technologies for the porting and development of the firm's international banking systems on the Unix platform. ASSOCIATION FAVORS TRADE PACT: The American Electronics Association (AEA) said Wednesday it fully supports the North American Free Trade Agreement. AEA President Richard Iverson said the agreement will improve the ability of U.S. electronics companies to offer goods in Mexico. "We anticipate this agreement ... will result in solid export growth for our companies." he said. FIRM GAINS NAVY DEAL: Diagnostic Retrieval Systems Inc. said Wednesday its Precision Echo unit has won a $4.2 million contract from the U.S. Navy to build 16 Multipurpose Reproducer Sets, which are playback systems for videotaped flight combat missions. The sets play back a wide range of data, including audio and video, collected during a combat flight. ROCKET MOTOR GETS OK: President Bush signed legislation late Tuesday that provides $360 million for continued construction and development of NASA's new solid rocket motor. The NASA project will receive $195 million for development of the new space shuttle booster and $165 million for construction of the Yellow Creek, Miss., plant near Iuka to build the motor. Technology Editor: Ed Kelleher. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM