Copyright Issues
The Internet has proved to be and proficient medium in spreading out information and due to this, it poses challenges to the typical values of copyright law. Most significantly, the internet provides the public with flawless duplicates of various things which includes pictures, animation, text, videos, and other material for which the copyright law has provided certain rights to the owners. However, this does not stop the intruders from interfering in the privacy of being it organizations, companies, people, etc.
Trademark Related Issues
It is now very common to access people, businesses, companies, and organizations through different internet sources like email or World Wide Web through a specific name ‘domain’. This is happening due to the amorphous nature of the internet especially the Web; users can often search for organizations by locating the names of the domain which ultimately leads to the name of the organization.
Patent Law
Unlike trademark and copyright issues that have arisen due to the internet’s popularity, patent law is not subjected to this issue. Internet shows a lot of interest in generating patents that deal with raising the standards of technology so that it can be used for the internet. However this medium is normally taken into stride by the patent law and it can be dealt with easily. (Vaver, 2006)
Privacy and Information Rights on the Internet
There are several ways by which an individual reveals information to the internet. This is not direct, it is not easy to trace a person’s identity however it is not difficult too. For instance, if a person reveals information to a particular company and exposes some information to another company’s pattern is formed between the two and hence they can be put together and can be used to reveal complete information about a particular individual. A few sources through which privacy can be invaded are mentioned below:
Signing Up for Internet Service
If an individual pays for the internet himself, he has to sign up with a specific ISP. ISP is a medium that connects computer systems to the internet. There is a large number of ISP’s around the globe that offers various activities. Every computer has an IP address as well which connects it to the internet. The IP address itself does not reveal any personal information however if a link is formed between the ISP and IP address, it can prove to be a source of invasion in one’s privacy.
Browsers
It may not seem that browsing may be harmful to your privacy, it is in some ways. When an individual connects to the internet and browses he provides information to the operators of the Web site. The browser is a source to provide the IP address and information related to the sites a person has visited. The major source of this is Internet Explorer, which boasts 90 percent of users.
Pros and Cons of Retailing on the Internet
Pros of Retailing on the Internet
Minimal Investment: This channel does not demand the retailer to invest in showrooms, stores, or other commercialized properties. They can easily perform these functions through the internet; this saves their investments to quite an extent. In metropolitan cities, the cost of real estate is very high however it is much cheaper to maintain virtual stores rather than physical ones.
User Friendly: Customers can very conveniently purchase their desired products from the source they are obtaining the information from. Hence there is no gap between their desire and ability to purchase.
Global Reach: This option enables a large number of retailers and consumers to converge at one common point. The consumers have a large variety to choose from and are also provided with the option of several substitutes.
Cons of Retailing on the Internet
Security Issues: This issue has a very persistent and significant value when it comes to consumer priorities. Most customers do not opt for online shopping since they do not want their personal information to be disclosed.
Customer Retention: Customer retention increases the company’s profit by 25% on every 5% of consumers. However, it is often observed that most people shop online out of curiosity and this, in turn, reduces the chances of repeat purchase less. (Barry, 2001)
Pros and Cons of On-Line Financial Services
Pros of Online Financial Services
The basic advantage of online financial services is that it is very convenient for the consumers. Rather than driving up to the bank and checking their account balances, they can simply log on to the site and get the necessary information. Once the consumer has checked on his transactions and withdrawals, whether they have been made or not, he can easily keep track of the fee that is charged to the accounts especially the foreign ATMs.
Some banks also provide opportunities to their users to schedule the payment of their bills in one attempt. Once the entire process has been authorized, the entire procedure does not take long enough to complete.
Cons of Online Financial Services
No matter how beneficial and convenient online financial service may be, it has a few disadvantages. For people who are concerned about the fact that their identities might get revealed, they must obtain safety and guarantee measures before initiating an account. Often it is observed that the customers opting for online bill payments often face the problem of incompetency from the processor’s side; which means that they do not have the necessary equipment to process the bill online. Due to this, it takes a very long time for the payment to be credited to the customer’s account.
Pros and Cons of On-Line Travel Services
Pros of Online Travel Services
Online travel services have proved to be beneficial for both travelers as well as the companies dealing with online bookings. The travelers find it very convenient to get their seats booked online rather than going through the hassle of going to the office and waiting in the queue. This way they can pay their money through a safe medium without having the fear of getting robbed. Similarly, online travel agencies show a record of gaining more revenues through online bookings. Online travel services make it possible for travelers to book for point to point and accommodation flights.
Cons of Online Travel Services
Some people are afraid to get their seats booked online since they do not trust the travel agencies and prefer the support and backing of travel agents. Some people also prefer to make their bookings in person and on their own rather than opting for online booking or travel agents. One of the biggest drawbacks of online booking is that they use multiple currencies and often quote in dollars. This is a far cry from when Australians convert it into their currency. Another problem is that travelers get confused due to similar names of cities, hotels, and car rentals and often end up in the wrong places. (Sharma, 2004)
References
Barry. Berman. (2001) Retail Management: A strategic Approach. Prentice Hall.
D.Vaver. (2006) Intellectual Property Rights. Taylor and Francis.
K. K. Sharma. (2004) World Tourism Today. Sarup and Sons.