| |
CYBERCHATTER
The
Law in These Parts
 The
it Act will provide a comfort zone to those who want to get off the paper
trail. But the last mile? Hang on a second-or a year.
Just imagine.
Only weeks ago, I pushed through paperwork for a company-leased flat through
the office Intranet. When I tried this stunt last year, the only thing
that came back were rude messages from accounts asking about the "OK"
stamp and signature from the boss. Many people I know have travelled this
year on holidays all over Asia by junking their overpriced travel consultant,
cruising to sites like asiatravel.com and booking their vacation from
airport pick-up to Sayonara.
But they
are still reluctant to pay for it on the Net. And "admin" still
squeezed a paper-signature out of my boss, just so the guys in accounts
wouldn't give them a hard time. It's because of the technology and law
that doesn't travel as well on the Net as information. So, that biro-scrawled
signature on the Non-Disclosure Agreement that you would have extracted
is a far more effective way to protect your Intellectual Property Rights
than an exchange of ideas on e-mail. A breach wouldn't get you too far
in an Indian court of law-yet.
The good
news is that the Net-like any fast-track enabling technology-is a self-fulfilling
prophecy. And that, among other things, is why the Information Technology
Act notification by Minister for Information Technology Pramod Mahajan
is so important.
The act is
not just about triggering e-governance. To get bureaucrats to move will
require more and more computers-currently a miserable penetration of 3.6
pcs per 1,000 in India compared to 362 per 1,000 in the US, according
to a report by Arthur Anderson. It will require a change in attitude.
But a legal standing for e-exchanges-ideas, contracts, bids, even paying
for vacations-is the bedrock. It will provide confidence that there is
recourse to law if somebody rips you off.
The more
difficult thing is verification. Is password protection adequate? Or do
we recognise an electronic signature, with the stroke of a digital pen
on the computer screen, the electronic version of putting pen to paper.
President Bill Clinton has just pushed a bill through for accepting electronic
signatures in transactions and contracts. A Korean company last week unveiled
an experimental, electronic thumbprint that will leave an impression on
authorisations across the ether.
So, the law
will at most take you into a comfort zone. It's the technology that will
take you places. But at least-and at last—it's there.
Surfing Art: What's Up? |
|
Saffronart.com:
A colourful home page, 1,400 paintings (of varying styles and
credibility), hundreds of artist profiles, a walk-in virtual gallery
and the prospect of cybergabbing with artists and enthusiasts makes
this an engaging option. You can also send art cards, try some colour
therapy and even win monthly lucky draws.
|
| Indiancanvas.
com : Smart graphics enliven an informative paper on art history
down the ages and a comprehensive listing of folk and tribal art.
The online mall is also expansive (made easier by tie-ups with some
major galleries including Vadehra in Delhi and Apparao in Madras),
with both veterans and upstarts. What irks is why the essays don't
have a byline or a bibliography, and why the quality of available
works rarely rise above the mediocre. |
| Artlogin.com:
If you just want to buy nudes (or landscapes or still lives) the site
has distinct subdivisions cutting through the melange of confusing
imagery of over a thousand works on sale. There's an exhaustive treatment
of the Indian art but the pick has to be the tips on art conservation
.… with a special reference to silverfish combat. But remember
this before you get too excited-most of the sections are still under
construction. |
Rarework.com:
It made a splashy launch in Mumbai this year, flaunting Ganesh
Pyne's musty Mahabharata prints as its usp-Rs 7,500 for a stack
of 12 drawings. Others in its Bengal-brimming repertoire are the
regular names in bazaar art: Suhas Roy, Manoj Mitra, Arindam Chatterjee,
Amitabh Banerjee and the like. But you're in luck if you're a
stickler for art-inspired souvenirs like T-shirts, coffee mugs
and greeting cards-these can be ordered through a few clicks.
-Anshul Avijit
|
Top
|
|
CII’s
conference on Friday on corporate governance is called Independent Directors:
Why, How and Who. Why Not, How Not and Who Not, would have been better,
says INDIA TODAY Associate Editor, V Shankar Aiyar