Review on a post on Legal from My E-Commerce Blog

Copyright infridgement! Does this word sound familiar to you? The majority of our people here, (can't deny) loves musics and movies to name a few and buying the original copy of it ain't cheap. It cost around RM 50-RM80 in average for a single original piece of DVD. Instead of forking out money to purchase, it can be downloaded from several sources in the internet.

The unlawful downloading of copyrighted material and sharing of recorded music over the Internet in the form of MP3 files is more prominent now than since before the advent of the Internet or the invention of MP3 files. The truth is out there, promotional screener DVDs distributed by movie studios (often for consideration for awards) are a common source of unauthorized copying when movies are still in theatrical release. It is so cliche.

Not to mention, the evolving of technology has create a massive impact towards society. Have u been hearing of fraud commited through the website 15 to 20 years ago? It all increasingly happen since the beginning of the 21st century and it's getting worst.

Issues about legal rights also arises. Take Starbucks for example. In 1990, Starbucks has entered into the Chinese market but encountered a major problem there- an imitator by the name of Shanghai Xing Ba Ke coffee shops (loosely translated as Shanghai Starbucks). Due to the legal lawsuit filed by Starbucks, a Chinese court ordered the imitator to pay Starbucks RMB 500,000 (approximately RM 250,000) for copying Starbucks name and logo.

Now, it is our responsibilities to curb this silent crime and countries such as The Solviet Union, the USA, China and also Eastern Europe has collaborated to fight this activity.

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Credit Card Debts: Causes and Prevention

In Malaysia, the current credit card debt stood at RM24.4 billion on March 2009 itself which was relatively low compared with other regions while countries such as England is facing a credit card debt going into trillions of pounds.(Source:Mmail.com)

The question is what are the major causes of credit card debts? How can we prevent it from falling upon us? The answer to it will be explained next.

Top 5 causes of debt

1) Less income/Same expenses

For instants, the main breadwinner of the household loses his job but monthly expenses are not on par with the reduction in income. This obviously leads to a rise in debt. The family is forced to use their credit cards for groceries, utilities.

2) Poor money management

Not having a monthly spending plan and not keeping track of monthly bills makes you unaware of where your money is going. You might be spending hundreds of dollars every month towards items that are useless and yet you do not realize it.

3) Under-employment

If you are underemployed meaning you are not getting enough working hours at your job, you should also cut down on your lifestyle to match your current income. Live within your means.

4) Hoping to win the lottery

Most people hope to win the lottery but the chances of that happening are 0%. Do not spend tomorrow's saved money today just because you expect a promotion in your job or are expecting an inheritance from a deceased grandfather. We all know things can go wrong more easily than going right.

5) Huge medical expenses

The cost of obtaining cures and medicine is increasing every year. Almost all doctors accept credit cards here in Malaysia. While you need treatment now, you do not have the cash. So what do you do? You use your credit card because you do not have enough savings in the bank.(#point 2)


Credit cards are not evil and in many cases having a credit card is very necessary. Some people just need solid credit card debt management advice in order to keep everything under control. Hence, here are the guidelines.


1) Stop accruing more debt

The more you continue to spend, the longer it will take for you to pay it off. Reduce your spending. If you have high interest credit cards, transfer the balance to ones with a lower APR. That way your debt won’t increase while as you’re paying it off.

2) Increase your income

If your current salary isn’t enough to cover the payments on your debt, get a second job. Even a few hours a week can make a huge difference. Look for flexible freelance work that will fit around the rest of your life.

3) Change your spending philosophy

Are you only buying the things you really need? Those impulse purchases may feel good at the moment, but in the long run, they will only get you further into debt. If you’re going to get out of debt, you will need to change your whole attitude to spending.

4) Make a budget and stick to it

It easy to overspend when you don’t have a budget. Calculate how much you have to spend and stick to that limit. Write down all of your expenses so you know where your money is going.


Video: How to create a Do-able budget



5) Set up an emergency fund

When you’re in debt, it’s hard to think about putting something aside for a rainy day. Every day feels like a downpour. But it’s crucial to have even a small emergency fund. Just make sure you don’t tap into it unless it’s truly an emergency.


Video: How to get out from Under Your Credit Card Debt


(Sources:
www.3debtconsolidation.com
www.ezinearticles.com
www.linkroll.com
www.bankrate.com
www.youtube.com)

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Phishing: Examples and Its Prevention Method

What is Phishing?

Phishing or brand spoofing is the illegal act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft.

Most people associate phishing with e-mail messages that mimic banks, credit card companies or other business like Amazon and eBay but some scammer also seek out victims through SMS,chat rooms, message boards and fake job search sites. Phishing is one of an example of social engineering techniques used to fool users.

Below are the examples of phishing

via E-mail



via Online Banking



via Ebay Subcription



and also via Government Link



Phone Phishing



In addition, vishing (voice phishing) which is often facilitated by Voice over IP (VoIP) also uses fake caller-ID data to give the appearance that calls come from a trusted organization. According to Phrenzie.com, phone phishing has been on the rise due to difficulties in tracing and monitoring by legal authorities.

How to prevent Phishing Scams?

1) Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information. You should only communicate information such as credit card numbers or account information via a secure website or the telephone.

2) Don't use the links in an email, instant message, or chat to get to any web page if you suspect the message might not be authentic or you don't know the sender or user's handle instead, call the company on the telephone, or log onto the website directly by typing in the Web adress in your browser.

3) Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches applied.

4) Consider installing a Web browser tool bar to help protect you from known fraudulent websites. These toolbars match where you are going with lists of known phisher Web sites and will alert you.
(EarthLink ScamBlocker is part of a browser toolbar that is free to all Internet users - download at http://www.earthlink.net/earthlinktoolbar)

5) Use a strong or different password for each of your accounts & change them frequently.

6) Always report "phishing" or “spoofed” e-mails to the following group:
forward the email to reportphishing@antiphishing.org. This can helped to reduce phishing troubles.


"Phishing Facts"

-> 13,776 phishing attacks linked to 5,259 Web sites took place in August of 2005.
-> They targeted 84 different businesses, but three businesses received 80 percent of the attacks.
-> 85 percent of the attacks targeted banks and other financial institutions.
-> Phishers succeed in getting personal information from up to five percent of their intended victims.
-> 57 million U.S. Internet users have received at least one phishing e-mail, and as many as 1.7 million have given personal information to the attacker

(Source: HowStuffWorks,2006)

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History and Evolution of E-Commerce

The origin of commerce by exchanging goods occurred before recorded history, barter system, as you all know are one of the traditional ways where goods are traded in everyday life. Now, entering into the electronic era, the way individuals and organizations do business and undertake commercial transactions have been changed. This indicates the movement towards electronic commerce. This means there is no paper work and physical interaction is limited, if at all.

E-commerce has grown; it's estimated that 72 million users shopped online on "CyberMonday," on November 26, 2007.


Amazon and eBay are the main pioneers when it comes to selling online. The history of e-commerce owes a great debt to Amazon and eBay. These companies revolutionized the face of the Internet, as well as the way we buy things. Today, the history of ecommerce moves forward. There are a number of payment options and abilities, from PayPal to e-Checks to credit cards as well.

Amazon provided one of the first full-scale e-commerce business models.


Now, lets have a deeper insight on the evolution of e-commerce.

As far back as the 1960s, businesses were using primitive computer networks to conduct electronic transactions. Using something called Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), it helps to extend interbusiness transactions such as order forms, invoices from financial institution to other types of business and also provides transactions and information exchange from suppliers to end customers. This type of exchange became increasingly important as credit cards became a part of the commerce landscape.

Eventually, EDI was replaced by ASC X12 due to limitation to special networks where EDI are costly and complex to administer for small businesses. ASC X12 is a universal protocol developed by the American National Standards Institute in 1979, designed for sharing business documents and information electronically.

Prior to that, in the late 1960s, ARPAnet was being developed by the military for communications purposes. Back then, ARPAnet was the source of the “dial up” mode of accessing a computer system.

The greatest networking evolution came in 1982, when ARPAnet switched over to Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), the same packet-switched technology that powers the modern Internet. Instead of sending signals individually along one route, TCP/IP uses packets, sending information along different routes.

During the 1990s, the internet was open for commercial use; it was also the period that users started to participate in World Wide Web (WWW). Due to rapid expansion of the WWW network, e-commerce software; and the peer business competitions, large number of dot-coms and Internet start-ups appeared.

One of the first examples of e-commerce is Compuserve, providing tools such as e-mail, message boards, chat rooms and an added service call Electronic Mall, where users could purchase items directly from 110 online merchants.

Here is a chart of e-commerce growth from 1999-2006(in billions)


And here's a video about the evolution of e-commerce




(Sources:
www.wikipedia.org
www.howstuffworks.com
www.bestshoppingcartsreview.com
www.youtube.com)

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Bits and Pieces of Chow Nam Wei

Greetings everyone, i'm Mr Chow signing in for the E-Commerce online blogging project. First and foremost, let me pen down a few details of myself. For those who doesn't know me well, I was born in the year of the hare and grew up in a city of food paradise, currently being educated in UTAR, pursuing a bachelor degree course and technically was in his senior year. What do i usually do during my free time? Frankly, I mostly enjoy chilling out with my friends (that is the time where we recollect our fond memories and fooling with each others past), indulging myself in each and every food outlet at uptown and downtown of the city, as well as surfing the internet which most of us do everyday and everynight without even bothering what happens outside. Besides, backpacking is also one of my perfect escapes from the stress and dooms of studying. The chances of visiting different places, meeting different people and learning each others culture were indeed an eye opener for me.

Fast forward back to myself, i'm truly an internet worm, spending most of my free precious time browsing the net, google every word that comes to my mind and visiting websites that interest me 'food, news, entertainment, fashion, musics' (you name it). The reason? Simple, for my own self knowledge and exposure of cause. Speaking of the internet, I do realised it was one of the greatest source of information to be shared by millions of net surfers like you and me. It is unbelievable where all you have to do is to click and wonders will be performed automatically. Aahhh~~Life were made easy.

Believe me, i'm an avid surfer of youtube (http://www.youtube.com/) and E! (http://www.eonline.com/) like the rest of 1 billion internet user, a member of facebook (http://www.facebook.com/), and a regular subscriber of times magazine online (http://www.time.com/) as well as malaysian insider (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/). Funny that I can be infront of my lappie for hours youtubing for movies, music clips and watching the latest entertainment news through E!. Furthermore, I do read current national as well as international bulletins from our local online newspaper which has more info compared to the traditional one.

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