Database and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Database and Terrorism - Essay Example On the other hand, there are information, especially those related to terrorism as well as in national security itself that are permitted to be shared with the public. This is what this paper will explore. The right to know or access information from the government, including those that concern national security, is guaranteed by the US Constitution. Judicial jurisprudence in this regard has consistently upheld that the right to acquire information is an essential component of the First Amendment. In this regard, there are indeed information that the public has the right to know and must know. For instance, in the event of terrorism, the public must know how to respond and, hence, must acquire information in regard to the nature of attacks and ways how to mitigate it. According to Wessely and Krasnov (2005), authorities should seek partnership with the public, provide measure facts for them to make independent choices rather than providing information that is believed what they should hear. (p. 218) Another area wherein access to information is vital concerns the scientific community. There is a growing belief among policymakers that suppressing the transfer of knowledge and technology is vital to the security of the United States. Such belief is not unfounded. Between 1998 and 2000, the US faced three national security crises involving the potential loss of scientific and technical information when China stole advanced military technology from the Department of Energy’s premier national security laboratories. (Esano and Uhir 2003, p. 107) Restricting access to scientific data and technology, on the other hand, could prove detrimental to the growth of the research and development in the United States because such restrictions could diminish the amount of scientific and technical data available in public domain and obstruct scientific inquiry. What must be done is a close collaboration between the security agencies and the scientific

Business Law and conflict with trade secrets Research Paper

Business Law and conflict with trade secrets - Research Paper Example How does business law conflict with trade secrets, and to what extent does this conflict pose problems? This paper will conduct an overview of how the business law acknowledges trade secrets and how it attempts to protect them. Along with case law examples, a stance will be ascertained as to the conflicting elements between business law and trade secrets, and how these conflicts, if any, cause problems for companies that try to protect their trade secrets. How the law defines trade secret, protects it, and what action can be taken will be assessed on a deeper level, as well as a brief comparison to its application to patents and trademarks to determine just how these conflicts have arisen, and why. Companies spend vast amounts of money on perfecting and researching new methods, processes and products in order to make them ‘stand out’ from their competitors. For example, Company Z discovers, after research and careful planning, a new safety system for its family vehicles – a system which cost the company millions in research and is now able to set this company apart from its competitors in this area. Indeed, this company should be entitled to the benefits reaped by the research and effort, both financially, and on a reputational level. It should be protected from Company Y, which decides that it wants to reap the benefits also of Company Z’s research, but without having exerted the time and money. Not only is this unfair on many ethical levels, it also has the potential to create rifts in the market, for Company Z has put a large amount of funds into discovering something that Company Y steps in and takes for free. The law attempts to prevent such occ urrences, and recognizes the inevitable demise of companies such as Z in such situations. However, there is much potential for problems to arise, especially when the elusive trade secret is defined by the actions of the company which possesses it rather than its actual content per se. This element