Research Project Topics

1. My first idea falls under the category e-Commerce. The topic is online gambling, and whether or not it should be illegal. Congress just passed a law regarding online gambling. It has been illegal for some time due to the Interstate Commerce Law, but companies have been able to get around this by having foreign-based websites. Now, the US Government is going after the US credit card companies as a way to stop the abuse of online gambling. The issue here is: how to curb illegal activity online, especially if it lies outside of US jurisdiction.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188048,00.html

2. My second idea can be considered a legal issue. It is the issue of illegal file sharing, and how to protect the movie and music industries. One option to consider is the prospect of a subscription service for music and movies. Users could get unlimited movies and music to listen to for a certain fee per month, or a limited number of both for a smaller fee per month. Songs and movies would be able to be played on the computer through the internet, but would not be saved onto the computer unless the user was to purchase the song or movie. Yahoo! Music Unlimited is a similar service for music--you can purchase the song to burn to a cd for $.79, or just listen for free.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/15/riaa_filesharing_stats/

3. My last topic falls unde the software and communication technology category, and is the issue of operating system wars. There are arguments both for and against the consolidation of operating systems. The arguments for include the ease of compatibility that Macs and PCs currently face in areas of email, pictures, music, etc. This would also make it easier for portable devices to all run on the same software. The arguments against are centered around the importance of competition in an issue like this. If there were only one operating system, competition would be eliminated, and thus companies would have no incentive for innovation. Competition breeds innovation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/13/technology/13apple.html?ex=1271044800&en=0e0e0817aa6517f8&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland