Originality Imitation and Copyright Essay Example

Originality Imitation and Copyright Essay Zigkeyeah Collier CMST-223 Kovalcheck December 2, 2010 Originality, Imitation, and Copyright â€Å"He who imitates must have a care that what he writes be similar, not identical†- Petrach, Le familiari, XXIII (14thc) The foundation of the copyright law is built on the principle and idealistic American value of originality. Recognized as a Western ideal and value in the 18th century, originality is culturally constructed and accepted, but not truly defined, as an aspect of a created work that is deemed new or novel and is distinguishable from reproductions, copies, or other derivative works. In law, originality has become an important legal concept with respect to intellectual property, where creativity and invention have manifest as copyrightable works. Therefore, the institution of the copyright law protected originality by deeming a piece of work to be paramount while reducing all derivatives to copies or imitations. However, the extent of protection that the copyright law carries is limited, for the copyright law does not protect ideas, themes, or subject matter, only craftsmanship or form (Alfrey, 2000). As a result, under the law two identical pieces of work are able to claim protection, provided the effort behind each work is discernibly independent of one another. There is no statutory definition of infringement, just as there is no statutory definition of originality. However, copying, even if unintentional, can still surmount to a conviction of infringement. Proof must then â€Å"rely on circumstantial evidence, which requires scrutinizing the manner and sequence in which the artist worked† (Alfrey, 2000). We will write a custom essay sample on Originality Imitation and Copyright specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Originality Imitation and Copyright specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Originality Imitation and Copyright specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In other words, the perpetrator must supply sufficient evidence showing that no intention was made to copy the â€Å"essential quality of a particular work† causing an unfair advantage of effort of work from the predecessor (Alfrey, 2000). Yet the legality aspect of originality does not linger on similarities and differences in artistic merit, but focuses solely on the illicit reproduction and replication of style and form. The legal system differentiates imitation from copying by delineating the two into separate actions. Petrarch an Italian scholar, poet, and â€Å"Father of Humanism† best compares the two forms of action in his piece Le familiari when he writes: â€Å"He who imitates must have a care that what he writes be similar, not identical . . . and that the similarity should not be of the kind that obtains between a portrait and a sitter, where the artist earns the more praise the greater the likeness, but rather of the kind that obtains between a son and his father . . we (too) should take care that when one thing is like, many should be unlike, and that what is like should be hidden so as to be grasped only by the minds silent enquiry, intelligible rather than describable. We should therefore make use of another mans inner quality and tone, but avoid his words. For the one kind of similarity is hidden and the other protrudes; the one creates poets, the other apes. † (Petrach, Le familiari, XXIII) Imitation is distinguishable from copying in that it allows the imitator a certain amount of freedom to move in any artistic direction desired as long as he does not directly quote from the from a specific piece of work without acknowledgement. In contrast, the action of copying is a form of direct reproduction with little to indistinguishable differentiation from the original piece of work. The ancient philosopher, Plato, created a mythical being he called the simulacrum (Plato, 1984). Found within the lowest ring of in the hierarchy of the arts of producing a work, the simulacrum is able to re-image itself, in an attempt to double any figure it chooses. The simulacrum, however, is not able to completely model or replicate itself exactly like the first figure, but only able to portray a â€Å"distant semblance†, so that the doubled figure seemingly looks copied but is different or imitated and thus corrupted (Striphas, 2009). Although the simulacrum does not replicate an exact copy of the first figure, its false portrayal creates a blurring of the boundary lines separating the definitions of what is considered original and by default what is regarded as a derivative, resulting in the questioning of what truly constitutes a work as original and if originality is able to exist. The 2000 Harry Potter trademark and copyright infringement case entitled, Scholastic, Inc. , J. K. Rowling, Time Warner Entertainment Company, L. P. . Nancy Stouffer, best exemplifies the contested problems the figure of the simulacrum can cause when determining originality, yet also show how the concept of simulacra can be used in the legal realm to support the copyright law and intellectual property rights. The Scholastic, Inc. et. al. v. Stouffer case began in August of 1999, when Nancy Stouffer and her lawyers requested that she receive compensation from Scholastic Inc. , the American publisher for the Harry Potter series by J. K . Rowling. She alleged that many of the physical attributes of Harry Potter as well as terminology presented throughout the book, such as the word â€Å"Muggles† were â€Å"willfully borrowed without permission, or copied, from her own books entitled the Legend of Rah and the Muggles which had been published in 1988 or a decade earlier (Stouffer, 2001). Stouffer then argued that she was the only one who held ownership rights to the word â€Å"Muggles† and therefore was the only one who could license it (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). Although it seems reasonable that Stouffer would be the one to file suit, in November of 1999, it was Scholastic, Inc. that filed a case against Nancy Stouffer, in order to get a â€Å"declaratory judgment that they had not infringed and are not infringing any of†¦Nancy Stouffer’s copyrights or trademarks† (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). Strategically, this made Stouffer the defendant and required that she bear the burden of proof, and it was Stouffer that had to present evidence declaring that her works were the original and not the simulacrum and therefore required protection of original ownership under the law. To build her defense, Stouffer presented six key pieces of evidence each having copyright dates of 1988 and older while also showing a title with the lucrative word, â€Å"Muggle† and pictures of her character called, Larry Potter, which had a very strong resemblance to Rowling’s Harry Potter (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). Stouffer’s case seemed solid, except she lacked one important piece of evidence that showed J. K. Rowling â€Å"willfully† copied her work and violated her intellectual property rights (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). This is important because only structural replication, not ideas and themes, are protected under the copyright law and are accepted as infringement in cases of right to intellectual property. Seemingly, Stouffer’s defense case was solid; however, Scholastic’s team of attorneys implemented the idea of simulacra to denounce Stouffer’s evidence as fraudulent and corrupt. The team showed through several feats of incredible engineering that the words â€Å"The Legend of† and â€Å"the Muggles† were printed in ink and through technology that was only available in 1991 or later. They also found that an advertisement found in a magazine that Stouffer had presented as evidence was a reconstructed version of the original ad, which Scholastic’s attorneys presented to the court. The advertisement endorsed a book entitled â€Å"Rah† instead of â€Å"The Legend of Rah and the Muggles† which was on the falsified version Stouffer presented. Lastly, they discredited photocopies and a paragraph from a book mentioning the name of the alleged Larry Potter, by again proving that the inks used in the photos were not produced until sometime after 1991 or 1992 (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2000). The Plaintiffs had not particularly shown that Rowling’s work was original, but had successfully unveiled the simulacrumatic nature of Stouffer’s work deeming it unoriginal as well. This resulted in the court decision that the â€Å"Plaintiffs’ publication, distribution, and exploitation of the Harry Potter books do not violate any of Stouffer’s intellectual property right. Stouffer is permanently enjoined from making false representations to third parties indications that she owns all right in the â€Å"Muggle† and â€Å"Muggles† trademark and copyrights, indicating that plaintiffs have violated her intellectual property rights†. Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2002) Yet, what is most interesting about the case is that Stouffer had some legitimate evidence that in 1992, she had successfully contested for trademark registration for the word â€Å"Muggle†, in 1986, she had copyrighted and illustration of a Muggle character, and i n 1987 she copyrighted a song called â€Å"Muggle-bye† which was placed with the book â€Å"Rah† (â€Å"’Harry Potter’ book lawsuit†, 2000). Unfortunately, the court dismissed this evidence after learning that Stouffer not only failed to register the word with the federal trademark office until February of 2000, but also that Rowling acquired her term â€Å"Muggle† from an English slang word, meaning â€Å"easily-fooled† (Bone, 2000) and Stouffer had acquired her term â€Å"Muggle† from a nickname which she oftentimes called her son (Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer, 2002). Again, the court does not care so much about ideas or themes in context, but the craftsmanship, acquisition, and form of the content. Since both women had crafted the term â€Å"Muggle† from different perspectives, the court decided that the word could have no since of specific origin and therefore void of any sense of originality, so even Scholastic, Inc. could not trademark the word. There are many other instances outside this case where the word Muggle appears (Thomas, 2000). So in the absence of an origin, all the instances where the word â€Å"Muggle† can be found can be deduced as all the same†¦but different (Striphas, 2009). The copyright law cannot be based on absolute uniqueness, but must recognize originality in terms of â€Å"firstness in order† to separate two works that seem identical or â€Å"substantially similar† (Gaines, 1991). In the scholastic case, the origin of the word Muggles were so dissimilar that a judgment in firstness in order could not be rendered. Therefore, simulacra, or the idea of imitation, should have business in the legal realm since it only causes confusion and problems, but from the aforementioned case of Scholastic et. al. v. Stouffer the simulacra does not always have to operate outside or against the law but can be used as an â€Å"instrument to secure exclusive property claims as well† (Striphas, 2009). Originality, if it exists at all, is not an absolute; its identification is subject to a scale of relative values and knowledge, it is conditional to time and place. It must be measured against its imitators. However, the development of the idea of individualism elevates the value of originality and, at the same time, blurs its definition (Alfrey, 2000). Individualism has continually encumbered many generations of artists and creators with the increasingly elusive search and goal of achieving originality. As more ideas and their expressions are generated with each passing year, originality becomes more rare and imitation more present with the use of precedent becoming more insistent and inescapable. Works Cited Alfrey, Penelope. Petrarchs Apes: Originality, Plagiarism and. MIT Communications Forum. MIT, 2000. Web. 02 Dec. 2010. . Bone, J. Magical Authors Go to War on Custody of Muggles. The Time (2000). Lexis-Nexis. 18 Mar. 2000. Gaines, J. â€Å"Contested Culture: The Image, the Voice, and the Law. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1991. â€Å"‘Harry Potter’ book lawsuit: â€Å"Legend of Rah and Muggles† author claims trademark violations†. Burden of Proof. 5 Jul. 2000. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. . Petrarch, Le familiari, XXIII, quoted in Gombrich, E. , â€Å"Norm and Form: Studies in the Art of the Renaissance†. Phaidon Press, 1966. Scholastic, Inc. , J. K. Rowling, and Time Warner Entertainment Company, L. P. v. Nancy Stouffer. 99 Civ. 11480 (AGS), 124 F. Supp. 2d 836 (S. D. N. Y), 2000. Scholastic, Inc. , J. K. Rowling, and Time Warner Entertainment Company, L. P. v. Nancy Stouffer. 99 Civ. 11480 (AGS), 221 F. Supp. 2d 425 (S. D. N. Y), 2002. Striphas, Ted. Harry Potter and the Simulacrum: Contested Copies in an Age of Intellectual Property. Critical Studies in Media Communication 26. 4 (2009): 295-311. Thomas, I. â€Å"CNN is Mugged by the ‘Muggle Affair. ’† Slate. 21 Jul. 2000. Web. 01 Dec. 2010 .

Federalism and How it Works

Federalism and How it Works Federalism is the process by which two or more governments share powers over the same geographic area. In the United States, the Constitution grants certain powers to both the U.S. government and the state governments. These powers are granted by the Tenth Amendment, which states, â€Å"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.† Those simple 28 words establish three categories of powers which represent the essence of American federalism: Expressed or â€Å"Enumerated† Powers: Powers granted to the U.S. Congress mainly under Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution.Reserved Powers: Powers not granted to the federal government in the Constitution and thus reserved to the states.Concurrent Powers: Powers shared by the federal government and the states. For example, Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution  grants the U.S. Congress certain exclusive powers such as coining money, regulating interstate trade and commerce, declaring war, raising an army and navy and to establish laws of immigration. Under the 10th Amendment, powers not specifically listed in the Constitution, like requiring drivers licenses and collecting property taxes, are among the many powers reserved to the states. The line between the powers of the U.S. government and those of the states is usually clear. Sometimes, it is not. Whenever a state governments exercise of power might be in conflict with the Constitution, we end up with a battle of â€Å"states rights† which must often be settled by the Supreme Court. When  there is a conflict between a state and a similar federal law, the federal law and powers supersede state laws and powers. Probably the greatest battle over states rights- segregation- took place during the 1960s civil rights struggle. Segregation: The Supreme Battle for State's Rights In 1954, the Supreme Court in its landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision ruled that separate school facilities based on race are inherently unequal and thus in violation of the 14th Amendment which states, in part: No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. However, several predominately Southern states chose to ignore the Supreme Court’s decision and continued the practice of racial segregation in schools and other public facilities. The states based their stance on the 1896 Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. In this historic case, the Supreme Court, with only one dissenting vote, ruled racial segregation was not in violation of the 14th Amendment if the separate facilities were substantially equal. In June of 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace stood in front of the doors of the University of Alabama preventing black students from entering and challenging the federal government to intervene. Later the same day, Wallace gave in to demands by Asst. Attorney Gen. Nicholas Katzenbach and the Alabama National Guard allowing black students Vivian Malone and Jimmy Hood to register. During the rest of 1963, federal courts ordered the integration of black students into public schools throughout the South. In spite of the court orders, and with only 2 percent of Southern black children attending formerly all-white schools, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 authorizing the U.S. Justice Department to initiate school desegregation suits was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. A less momentous, but perhaps more illustrative case of a constitutional battle of states rights went before the Supreme Court in November 1999, when the Attorney General of the United States Reno took on the Attorney General of South Carolina Condon. Reno v. Condon - November 1999 The Founding Fathers can certainly be forgiven for forgetting to mention motor vehicles in the Constitution, but by doing so, they granted the power to require and issue drivers licenses to the states under the Tenth Amendment. That much is clear and not at all disputed, but all powers have limits. State departments of motor vehicles (DMV) typically require applicants for drivers licenses to provide personal information including name, address, telephone number, vehicle description, Social Security number, medical information, and a photograph. After learning that many state DMVs were selling this information to individuals and businesses, the U.S. Congress enacted the Drivers Privacy Protection Act of 1994 (DPPA), establishing a regulatory system restricting the states ability to disclose a drivers personal information without the drivers consent. In conflict with the DPPA, South Carolina laws allowed the States DMV to sell this personal information. South Carolinas Attorney General Condon filed a suit claiming that the DPPA violated the Tenth and Eleventh Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The District Court ruled in favor of South Carolina, declaring the DPPA incompatible with the principles of federalism inherent in the Constitutions division of power between the States and the Federal Government. The District Courts action essentially blocked the U.S. government’s power to enforce the DPPA in South Carolina. This ruling was further upheld by the Fourth District Court of Appeals. United States Attorney General Reno appealed the District Courts decisions to the Supreme Court. On Jan. 12, 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Reno v. Condon, ruled that the DPPA did not violate the Constitution due to the U.S. Congress power to regulate interstate commerce granted to it by Article I, Section 8, clause 3 of the Constitution. According to the Supreme Court, The motor vehicle information which the States have historically sold is used by insurers, manufacturers, direct marketers, and others engaged in interstate commerce to contact drivers with customized solicitations. The information is also used in the stream of interstate commerce by various public and private entities for matters related to interstate motoring. Because drivers personal, identifying information is, in this context, an article of commerce, its sale or release into the interstate stream of business is sufficient to support congressional regulation. So, the Supreme Court upheld the Drivers Privacy Protection Act of 1994, and the States cannot sell our personal drivers license personal information without our permission, which is a good thing. On the other hand, the revenue from those lost sales must be made up in taxes, which is not such a good thing. But, thats how federalism works.

Wireless networks technology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wireless networks technology - Assignment Example Nowadays we can see the huge number of applications of the wireless networking in almost every walk of life and business. There are numerous applications of wireless networking. Through the wireless networking technology the office or home based working becomes easier. We have obtained new facilities regarding the domestic life and place of working in a business, for instance, now it has become easier to have the facility of the data and information sharing, printers, files, and Internet access among entire structure of the computers network. For instance someone has a printer at home and he wants to print a file through the laptop. In this scenario there is no need to link the laptop with the printer. Simply, he has to give the command of print and wirelessly linked printer will print the document (Swan). The fundamental advantage of the wireless technology is the elimination and mobility of unsightly cables. Here we have another main advantage in maintaining the network structure. We need to put less effort to establish and configure the Wireless networks. A more significant aspect of this Wireless networks technology is less costly establishment of network structure.In case of LAN the main disadvantage of the Wireless networks technology is about the limited coverage of the Wireless networks architecture in a working structure. Another main disadvantage of this technology is about the less feasible potential for the wireless radio technology interference in case of bad weather. S

Planning and Controlling Purchases and Materials Usage Essay

Planning and Controlling Purchases and Materials Usage - Essay Example Budgeting is an important tool adopted by the company for planning and controlling purchases and materials usage. Sales forecast is the basis for planning and budgeting after carefully considering various factors such as capacity available and product mix. Since inventory involves significant investment, keeping it at an optimum level is very important for controlling cost. Material requirement planning is carried out in line with the production schedule for the year. Importance of study Home appliances market is very competitive. The company’s products face stiff competition from the products imported from China and Japan. The company is under tremendous pressure to ensure quality of its products and make improvements to maintain its market share. The company focuses on ‘planning and controlling purchases and materials usage’ with a view to bring down the cost of production to make its products more competitive in the market. The main objective of inventory plann ing is to keep the investment low for reducing the interest cost. The inventory can be classified into three categories. 1. Raw materials 2. Components purchased for assembly 3. Finished products Purchase and production departments along with stores are responsible for planning and controlling of inventory of raw materials and components and the production department is responsible for planning and controlling of material usage. There are varieties of household appliances manufactured and marketed by the company. Since most of the appliances are electrically operated, quality of materials purchased is very important, keeping in view the safety of the customers. Timely supply of raw materials and components avoid disruptions in production schedule usually. Order size is decided based on factors such as price, usage and lead time required for supply of materials. The materials should be purchased without compromising quality of materials at the cheapest cost in line with the purchase policy of the organization. This requires product knowledge and negotiating skills on the part of purchase manager. Planning and control of purchases is closely relating to storing of raw materials and component part before issue to various production or assembly units of the organization. Inventory planning is therefore is an important aspect in planning and control of purchases in the organization. According to Michalski (2008) â€Å"The basic financial inventory management aim is holding the inventory to a minimally acceptable level in relation to its costs. Holding inventory means using capital to finance inventory and links with inventory storage, insurance, transport, obsolescence, wasting and spoilage costs.† Planning and control of usage of materials in production department depends upon the regular supply of materials by the stores department, efficiency in production by the workers and keeping generation of scrap at minimum level. At the same time, requirements as p er the production schedule and changes thereof for a week need to be informed in advance to the stores for closely monitoring the stock levels of various raw materials and components for making necessary requisition to purchase department for initiating purchase process. Though reorder levels are fixed for various materials, uncertainties in lead time and sudden demand for appliances should be informed to the purchase and

Strategic Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Management - Coursework Example This report demonstrates the impacts of incorporation of advanced technologies on the business performance. The research aimed in this paper would help in understanding the need for incorporating technological and process based innovations in the business activities of a company. Such researches can be used by the managerial team of a concern in making their business act more efficiently and effectively in the competitive market. The research project involves the case study of Royal Mail to reflect on the strategic initiatives taken by a business company while incorporating technologies as the key driver. Royal Mail is a government listed company that caters to the delivery of large mail orders to huge number of customers spread along a large geographical basis. This company in order to strategise its activities incorporated data entry technological process in its business activities. The data entry operators of Royal Mail work on gathering and listing a large number of customer data which are duly addressed by the company through electronic mails. Royal Mail makes optimal use of the data entry network to market large number of products through the online paradigm. Further, the data sets are closely analysed by the business company to enhance the profitability parameter through pulling out the less performing objects. Thus through the incorporation and effective utilisation of the data entry technological processes Royal Mail successfully competes in the business environment.

Activity Based Costing in Small UK Manufacturing Companies

Activity Based Costing in Small UK Manufacturing Companies

William McKinley Essay -- essays research papers

William McKinley 25th President of the United States. William McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio, a town of about 300 people. He was the 7th child born to William and Nancy Alison McKinley His family moved to Poland, Ohio when he was nine years old so that the children could go to a private school called the Poland Academy. In school William liked to read, debate, and he was the president of the school’s first debate club. When he was 16 he went to Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, for a while before he got sick and had to return home .he did not go back to Meadville, because the family had no money. Instead, he worked as a postal clerk for awhile. When the Civil War started on April 12, 1861, he taught at Kerr School near Poland, Ohio. He and a cousin, Will Osbourne enlisted as privates in the 23rd regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was under the command of Rutherford B. Hayes, the future U.S. president, Because of this acts of bravery, he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. By the time the war was over he had attained the rank of brevet major. William went back to Poland, Ohio where he studied law with Judge Charles Glidden. In 1866 he went to law school in Albany, New York, but he did not graduate. In 1867 he was admitted to the bar in Warren, Ohio. He moved to Canton, Ohio where two of his sisters were schoolteachers and he got a job working for Judge George Belden. Belden was so busy with cases that he offered one to McKinley. McKinley won the case and so impressed the judge that he was paid $25.00 for the case and was given a job. Later, McKinley opened his own law office and got into the politics of the Republican Party. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Stark County in 1869. While also doing business at a local bank where he met Ida Saxton, she was the daughter of his boss, and was also the Belle of Canton. They got married in January, 1871 and their first daughter, Katherine, was born on Christmas day. Their second child, Ida, was born in 1873 and died at the age of 4 Â ½ months. That same year, Mrs. McKinley’s mother also died. Two years later, their first daughter, Katie, died of typhoid fever. Mrs. McKinley got sick with depression, phlebitis, and epilepsy, which left her needing constant care. Mr. McKinley was always concerned about her and he was known for his devotion to her. McK... ...he president was waiting for medical aid, he said to his secretary, my wife, be careful, Corte you, how you tell her-oh, be careful. He also told the aide not to let the crowd hurt the assassin. McKinley was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery. . The president was operated on but they could not find the bullet, so they closed him up and sent him to the home in hope that the president would recover. He started to improve for a couple of days but then he took a turn for the worse and died on September 14th from infection. Doctors had decided not to use Edison’s X-ray machine to find the bullet because they were not sure of what effects it might have had on the president. The president’s body first went to the Buffalo City Hall to be seen by the public for a couple of days, then to Washington D.C. for two days and finally to Canton, Ohio on September 18th where he was buried at Westlawn Cemetery. He was the third president to be assassinated: the others w ere Lincoln and Garfield. The assassin was tried, found guilty, and was electrocuted in Buffalo shortly after the shooting. McKinley’s wife, Ida, returned to Canton where a sister cared for her until her death in 1907.

Six Sigma Class Intro and Ppt

INTRODUCTION TO SIX SIGMA CONTENT FLOW†¦ ? Understanding Six Sigma ? Definition ? World at Six Sigma examples ? Six Sigma Scale ? Why Six Sigma ? Six Sigma Methodologies & Tools ? Define ? Measure ? Analyze ? Improve ? Control WHAT’S IN A NAME? Sigma is the Greek letter representing the standard deviation of a population of data. ? Sigma is a measure of standard deviation (the data spread) ? ? ? SIX SIGMA IS †¦ ? A statistical concept that measures a process in terms of defects – at the six sigma level, there 3. 4 defects per million opportunities ?A defect is anything that results in customer dissatisfaction Six Sigma is a methodology and a symbol of quality ? HOW OFTEN ARE WE DELIVERING ON TIME? ? If the target time is 30 Mins, the graphs below show two curves with average at 25 Mins 30 mins 30 mins s s 0 10 x 30 2 sigma 20 40 50 0 10 20 x 30 4 sigma 40 50 ? ? How many standard deviations can you â€Å"fit† within customer expectations? Managing by th e average doesn’t tell the whole story. The average and the variation together show what’s happening. MANAGING UP THE SIGMA SCALE Sigma 1 2 3 4 5 6 % Good % Bad 30. 9% 69. % 93. 3% DPMO 691,462 308,538 66,807 69. 1% 30. 9% 6. 7% 99. 38% 99. 977% 0. 62% 0. 023% 6,210 233 3. 4 99. 9997% 0. 00034% EXAMPLES OF THE SIGMA SCALE In a world at 3 sigma. . . ? In a world at 6 sigma. . . ? There are 964 U. S. flight cancellations per day. The police make 7 false arrests every 4 minutes. 1 U. S. flight is cancelled every 3 weeks. There are fewer than 4 false arrests per month. ? ? ? In one hour, 47,283 international long distance calls are accidentally disconnected. ? It would take more than 2 years to see the same number of dropped international calls.WHY SIX SIGMA? †¢ At GE, Six Sigma added more than $ 2 billion to the bottom line in 1999 alone †¢ Motorola saved more than $ 15 billion in the first 10 years of its Six Sigma effort AlliedSignal reports saving $ 1,5 billi on through Six Sigma. †¢ †¢ Six Sigma is about practices that help you eliminate defects and always deliver products and services that meet customer specifications How are these savings realized? cost of scrap? cost of rework? cost of excessive cycle times and delays? Benefits of added capacity and man-hoursDMAIC – THE IMPROVEMENT METHODOLOGY Define Objective: DEFINE the opportunity Measure Analyze Improve Control Objective: Objective: Objective: MEASURE current ANALYZE the root IMPROVE the performance causes of problems process to eliminate root causes Key Measure Tools: †¢ Critical to Quality Requirements (CTQs) †¢ Sample Plan †¢ Capability Analysis †¢ Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) Key Analyze Tools: †¢ Histograms, Boxplots, MultiVari Charts, etc. †¢ Hypothesis Tests †¢ Regression Analysis Objective: CONTROL the process to sustain the gains.Key Define Tools: †¢ Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) †¢ Voice of the Stak eholder (VOS) †¢ Project Charter †¢ As-Is Process Map(s) †¢ Primary Metric (Y) Key Improve Key Control Tools: Tools: †¢ Solution Selection †¢ Control Charts Matrix †¢ Contingency †¢ To-Be Process and/or Action Map(s) Plan(s) DEFINE – DMAIC PROJECT WHAT IS THE PROJECT? $ Project Charter Cost of Poor Quality Stakeholders Voice of the Stakeholde r Six Sigma What is the problem? The â€Å"problem† is the Output ? What is the cost of this problem ? Who are the stake holders / decision makers ?Align resources and expectations ? DEFINE – CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS WHAT ARE THE CTQS? WHAT MOTIVATES CUSTOMER? SECONDARY RESEARCH Market Data THE Voice of the Customer Key Customer Issue Critical to Quality Listening Posts Industry Intel Industry Benchmarking Customer Service Customer Correspondence PRIMARY RESEARCH Survey s OTM Observations Focus Groups MEASURE – BASELINES AND CAPABILITY WHAT IS OUR CURRENT LEVEL Sample some data / not a ll data Current Process actuals measured against the Customer expectation OF PERFORMANCE?Descriptive Statistics Variable: 2003 Output Anderson-Darling Normality Test A-Squared: P-Value: Mean StDev Variance Skewness Kurtosis N Minimum 1st Quartile Median 3rd Quartile Maximum 0. 211 0. 854 23. 1692 10. 2152 104. 349 0. 238483 0. 240771 100 0. 2156 16. 4134 23. 1475 29. 6100 55. 2907 ? ? ? What is the chance that we will succeed at this level every time? 0 10 20 30 40 50 95% Confidence Interval for Mu 95% Confidence Interval for Mu 21. 1423 19. 5 20. 5 21. 5 22. 5 23. 5 24. 5 25. 5 26. 5 25. 1961 95% Confidence Interval for Sigma 8. 690 11. 8667 95% Confidence Interval for Median 95% Confidence Interval for Median 19. 7313 26. 0572 ANALYZE – VALIDATED ROOT CAUSES WHAT ARE THE KEY ROOT CAUSES? Experimental Design Data Stratification Regression Analysis Process Simulatio n Six Sigma y = f (x1, x2, x3 . . . xn) Critical Xs IMPROVE – POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES IDENTIFIED? ? WE Address the causes, not the symptoms. Generate Evaluate Clarify Decision y = f (x1, x2, x3 . . . xn) Critical Xs Divergent | Convergent IMPROVE – SOLUTION SELECTIONHOW DO WE CHOOSE THE BEST SOLUTION? Solution Selection Matrix Qualit y Solution Sigma Time CBA Other Score Time Cost Six Sigma Solution Right Wrong Implementation Good Bad O Nice Idea Nice Try X Solution Implementatio n Plan CONTROL – SUSTAINABLE BENEFITS HOW DO WE †HOLD THE GAINS† OF OUR NEW PROCESS? ? ? Some variation is normal and OK How High and Low can an â€Å"X† go yet not materially impact the â€Å"Y† Pre-plan approach for control exceptions Direct Process Customer: CCR: Date: Measuring and Monitoring Loan Service Manager ? Process Owner: Process Description:Process Control System (Business Process Framework) Flowchart Customer Sales Processing Branch Manager Key Measure ments P1 – activity duration, min. Specs &/or Targets Measures (Too ls) Responsibility Contingency Where & (Who) (Quick Fix) Frequency 35 Remarks UCL=33. 48 Review appliation for completeness P2 – # of incomplete loan applications Individual Value Apply for loan 1. 1 Application & Review 25 Complete meeting information Mean=24. 35 No Application Complete? 1. 2 Processing 1. 3 Credit review 15 0 10 20 30 LCL=15. 21 1. 5 Disclosure 1. 4 Review Observation Number

Music Research Paper Topics and Ideas

Music Research Paper Topics and Ideas As different cultures have their own music preferences, it is important to realize how certain traditions have influenced the art from various perspectives. Besides, one should realize that music, as an art, has evolved during history and attained peculiar features. Therefore, writing about music encompasses the ability to understand its core principles, realize its social and cultural concepts, and do in-depth research. Even though music research may be challenging, it could be done in an interesting way. For instance, you can focus on specific topics that are of your highest concern. As there are various aspects of this particular art field, you can choose, for example, the history of music development, a person, or a genre as the main subject of your research paper. Thus, it is crucial to take into account all social, historical, and cultural peculiarities of a specific topic. When it comes to sources, you should define the references according to the type of research you do. For instance, if your research paper is about a famous musician, relevant references should be his or her works, notes, and information about specific working and living conditions. Topics Ideas for Music Research Papers 1. Country as the Most Popular Music Genre in the United States When writing music research on this topic, concentrate on the modern state of what music genres are popular in the US. Take into account general tendencies and statistics. Then, provide strong evidence and reasoning for the current popularity of country music in America. Doing research on such topic provides information about general music preferences in the country. 2. Music and Its Effects on the Brain This topic involves research in the fields of music and biology. For instance, you can discuss the fact that listening to music is the activity that uses all parts of our brain. You can find relevant information in medical journals and articles. However, you should put the focus of the research on music since the purpose of such paper is the musics influence on a person. Apart from being interesting to study, such a topic may provide valuable data about the relationship between music and the human body. 3. The History of Reggae Music in Africa The research paper on this topic demands an overview of the genre and its development on the African continent. You should present how reggae was spread, and how it penetrated the African culture. In the paper, provide the years and the key personalities relevant to the topic. These kinds of topics can give the readers an understanding of the particular genre and its influence on the traditions and cultures in certain countries. 4. The Origins of Black Music and Its Influence on the Pop Culture in America Similarly to the previous one, this topic emphasizes the specific genre, its history, and its impact on society. When writing the research paper, you have to refer to the specific evidence and facts about genre development. Moreover, it is important to connect this information to the social realities in America. Thus, by researching this subject, you investigate crucial musical aspects, such as American history and culture. 5. European Musical Style History After World War II Researching similar topics, you should remember that there are not one but two major limits, particularly the genre you chose and the specific timeframe. You should present information about the impact of historical events on music development. Find the data about musicians who were creating their artworks during the after-war period and evaluate their influence on the European music of that time. Then, it will be possible to analyze the development of musical styles. 6. Musicology as Means of Studying Music As there is a specific field that researches music, you might as well consider writing the research paper about it. Taking into account that this discipline is very broad, you might also consider studying its components, such as music theory, ethnomusicology, or performance practice. However, if you decide to research musicology as a whole, you can provide information about general departments of musicology, its sub-disciplines, and methodology. 7. Why Is Music Frequently Used in Commercials? The topic suggests providing evidence on why music enhances commercials. In the research paper, you can describe how it affects the viewers, what are the main advantages of using it, and how advertisements adapt music to one’s preferences. You can also refer to specific examples of commercials. 8. Applying Music to Teaching and Learning The paper on this topic will appeal to younger generations and teachers. For example, you can emphasize that a three-minute music break during the studying process will improve students mood, and they will become more eager to study. As for teachers, they can evaluate the effectiveness of such an approach and determine the best ways of using music for education. These ideas might help to introduce new ways of beneficial music application. 9. The Origins of Music Theory The topic combines the research of the discipline and its history. In the research paper, you can mention the key concepts of the theory. Then, it is important to refer to its historical aspect. For instance, you can focus on the development of music theory during the antiquity in Mesopotamia or China. 10. Music Therapy in the American Indian Culture The focus of the research paper would be on the cultural beliefs of the Natives and the physiological effect of their music. To present the subject comprehensively, you have to research music from the perspective of a certain culture. As an example, you can refer to the scholarly articles that provide data about music therapy with the means of the instruments, such as the Native American flute. 11. Michael Jackson or the â€Å"Moonwalking† Man While writing a research paper on the topic, remember to provide distinctive features of the person. You can highlight the singer’s features of character or behavior. For instance, it would be superb to mention that Michael Jackson popularized special dance movements, such as the moonwalk and the robot. 12. Beethoven’s Life and Works The topic is very similar to the previous one. Define the musicians biography and the music he composed. An interesting idea would be to divide Beethovens career into periods and write about each of them respectfully. 13. Opera Music and Its Popularity in Europe In the research paper, you have to determine which aspects of opera music cause an impact on European society. Provide credible evidence that opera is popular in the modern world. Next, highlight the peculiar features that attract the audience. For example, you may emphasize that opera combines performing arts, dance, and music; thus, these aspects are particularly valuable for the European population. 14. The Romantic Period in Music While writing a research paper on the specific music era, focus on the central features of the period. The main peculiarities of each era include innovative approaches to music, prominent composers, singers, and the dominant types of musical works. For example, you can underline that the Romantic period is characterized by works of Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Schubert. 15. How Is Music Presented in the Film Titanic The topics main idea is to evaluate the role of music in the film. You can highlight the most captivating moment in the movie. Then, you can connect the atmosphere of the scene to the music that is played. For example, My Heart Will Go On emphasizes the deep feelings and emotions of the characters. With an ideal correlation between the music and the visuals, the song highlights the importance of the scene and creates a positive image in the viewers mind. 16. Shakespeares Music in His Plays The topic is special because it highlights the works of the prolific English poet with a focus on music. The research paper on this topic should contain the general presentation of the plays peculiarities, as well as the role of music in them. For example, you can approach the musicians, scene locations, and the ways in which the music was performed. 17. Comparative Research of the Imperial Chinese and Japanese Music While writing the paper on this topic, provide the peculiarities in both countries musical styles and compare them. Once again, such topics require sufficient study of culture and understanding of the Japanese and Chinese societies. In the paper, you can provide information about the Chinese cultural influence on Japan. You may also consider comparing the countries musical instruments and types of music performances. 18. Most Common Musical Instruments in Ancient Rome In this research, your aim is to find sources that provide evidence about the ancient Roman culture and arts. After that, you can define the general tendencies during that period and investigate what instruments were commonly used. For instance, you may want to identify specific instruments, provide their description, and the reasons for their popularity. 19. Womens Impact on Jazz Music The topic implies that you research not only the certain music genre but also the personalities who influenced it. Some ideas for writing the paper about women and jazz include mentioning the history of the genre, various female singers, and their contribution to music. For example, you may provide information about famous female jazz instrumentalists, such as Dolly Jones or Vi Redd. 20. Music on the Radio: How It Has Changed Peoples Tastes To present the topic comprehensively, you have to research the history of FM music. Define the importance of the radio for people and draw statistics of the most popular songs. Having done that, you will be able to analyze the data and make your own conclusions. For instance, you may highlight the fact that nowadays many people listen to the radio music in cars and pubs. Thus, their tastes are determined by the external influence of the radio. Conclusion In conclusion, music research paper topics could be connected with history, culture, and the musicians of various regions. If you write such kind of paper, you have to find information about genres, musicians, composers, and instruments that are related to the research area. The topics and ideas presented in this guide could be used for your music research paper.

Deck the Halls

Deck the Halls Deck the Halls Deck the Halls By Maeve Maddox Many of the traditional Christmas songs in English contain words or references that have changed in meaning or fallen out of common use. The familiar Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly (words from 1881), has several words that may stump native and non-native speakers alike. Deck in the title is a verb meaning adorn. It entered the language in about 1570; from Middle Dutch dekken to cover. Don we now our gay apparel The verb don, meaning put on, is a 14th century contraction of do on. Ex. Do on your shoes. The word doff, take off is a contraction of do off. Doff your hat in the house. Gay entered the language in the 12th century with the meaning full of joy or mirth. According the the Online Etymology Dictionary, The word gay in the 1890s had an overall tinge of promiscuity a gay house was a brothel. The suggestion of immorality in the word can be traced back to 1637. The Dictionary of American Slang reports that gay (adj.) was used by homosexuals, among themselves, in this sense since at least 1920. Gay as a noun meaning a (usually male) homosexual is attested from 1971. Troll the ancient Yuletide carols troll (v) to sing in a full, rolling voice; c. 1575. The word derives for a hunting term meaning to look for game in a wandering fashion. Yuletide is used now as a synonym for the Christmas season in general. In a more narrow sense it can refer to the 12 days of Christmas, usually counted from Christmas on December 25 to the arrival of the Three Kings on January 6 (Epiphany). Before the arrival of Christianity, Germanic pagans, including the ancestors of English Christians, celebrated the Winter Solstice as Yule. The Yule log represented the renewal of the sun. The suffix tide in Yuletide is from O.E. tid,point or portion of time, due time, The tide that ebbs and flows is from the same word. When the word carol entered English about 1300, it referred to a dance. The meaning of carol as Christmas hymn dates from 1502. Could be there was singing along with the dancing and the dancing part dropped out. You can read some curious facts about four traditional carols here. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. Further"Latter," not "Ladder"Is "Number" Singular or Plural?

Business research project proposal--Irish Guinness Beer Proposal

Business project --Irish Guinness Beer - Research Proposal Example h popularity that studying it more closely would make sense as part of discovering other important factors that have contributed to business success of a firm. Guinness is definitely one of the companies with a strong market reputation and was meant to survive before and until today. Guinness remarkably from the start was able to clearly follow the path of consistency. It was remarkable that it started everything with a good marketing strategy and a management system that were passed on from generation to generation. Guinness started with Arthur Guinness and now his bloodline is responsible for continuing the company to be known worldwide. Effective marketing strategies may vary from one company to another. There are many factors that need to be considered in identifying which among the marketing strategies best suited the concerned company. Factors such as people, procedure, and budget played its respective roles in developing an appropriate marketing tool to be utilized. It is of interest now on how certain brands of Guinness can gain certain market share in the future considering a tough competition at present. It is of interest whether there is still a great chance for the new entrants which are willing to take the plunge into competition. Considering that a certain brands and products need to ensure production with quality and a sound management on sales, it is of interest on how can then the new entrants as well as existing company ensure their survival in a very challenging competition. It is also of great concern that to start penetrating the market, the new entrants need to ensure modern high quality of products. It is then the objective of this paper to answer the main research question. The above are all research questions this study is aiming to answer. In doing so, the proponent will take much effort in understanding the four marketing mix such as products, price, promotion and place to understand the process of survival that every entrant and key

Community studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Community studies - Essay Example Hence, the need for housing effectively creates an urban sprawl since the urban areas start spreading out and overrunning the underdeveloped areas and the rural communities. There is a realization that the pattern characterized by the urban sprawl is not sustainable for the future needs of the nation. In effect, the current patterns in development are moving towards ensuring that the consequences of urban sprawl do not affect the populace. One such current pattern of development is urban growth boundaries. In this case, the urban growth boundary is an official line separating the urban areas from its surrounding open greenbelt lands (â€Å"Urban Sprawl†, personal communication, n.d.). These lands include the parks, farms, and the watersheds. In effect, such a boundary is beneficial to the natural environment and maintains the flora and fauna without interfering with it. In addition, protection of farmlands ensures that the residents generally benefit by sustaining production. Another current development pattern meant to reduce the effects of the urban sprawl is new urbanism. This concept’s core principals are enhancing walkability, de-emphasizing the car, and creating some sort of a mix of services within a neighborhood (â€Å"New Urbanism†, personal communication, n.d.). In this case, bringing services to a walking distance within a residential area ensures that every individual resident benefits from the independence of movement. In addition, a reduction in the number and length of automobile trips minimizes traffic congestion, road maintenance expenses, and most importantly less pollution. Thus, the residents will benefit from the clean environment while there is channeling of public funds, saved from road maintenance, to other important areas of development. In addition, creating a mix of buildings enhances and facilitates evolution of the