Computerized Auto Safety Systems Projected to Eliminate Auto Fatalities

Every day there are an average of 90 auto-related fatalities nationally.  This statistic has troubled vehicle owners, auto-makers, and insurance companies to the extent that engineers from auto-companies have built computerized auto safety systems to minimized auto accidents. 

The first of these auto safety systems is a feature that stops a vehicle automatically before it can hit an obstacle.  Sensors in the car scan the car's path to detect if there are any obstacles in front of the vehicle.  If the sensors determine that a driver is in line to hit an obstacle and the driver is not decelerating, the auto safety feature brings the vehicle to a stop.

The second of these auto safety systems works to minimize the impact of highway collisions.  When this auto safety feature senses that a vehicle is in line to hit another vehicle and the driver is traveling at a highway speed, then the auto safety feature takes over, and gradually reduces the vehicles speed to 10 mph.  While a wreck will occur, the risk of fatality is greatly reduced.

The third auto safety system reduces wreaks by keeping a vehicle in its lane.  When this auto safety feature senses that a vehicle is swerving out of its lane, then the auto safety feature takes over and moves the vehicle back to its correct place on the road.

While some high end cars carry various advanced safety features, the goal for automakers is to equip these features in all future cars being produced.  Insurance companies predict that widespread use of vehicles with advanced safety features would reduce auto fatalities by 1/3.


Kelli J. Lee

How to Copyright a Computer Game

After spending a considerable amount of time creating any type of original intellectual property, such as a computer game, it is a good idea to legally secure the copyright to your hard work.  While simply creating an original computer game makes you a copyright holder this is not enough to prevent copyright infringement.  In order to get legal protection, you must register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office so that a public legal record of your computer game will exist.  The cost for filing a basic claim online is $35 and will allow you to register all copyrightable parts of your computer game.   

Methods such as the Poor Man's Copyright, the practice of mailing a copy of one's work to oneself in the hope of securing a copyright, are insufficient in the eyes of the law.
 
In order to register the copyright for your computer game in the United States, please use the following steps:

1) Go to http://www.copyright.gov
2) Click on eCO Login (The Electronic Copyright Office).  You will need to pick a user name and password, answer a few other basic questions about yourself, and follow any other instructions on the screens.
3) Pick Motion Picture / Audio Visual Work when you are asked what type of claim you would like to file
4) Supply basic information about your computer game such as the title, the year created, the author, etc
5) On the Author Created section of the application there is an Other text space.  In the text space type "audiovisual material and computer program"
6) Complete the application and pay the fee using your credit or debit card.
7) Send the first 25 and last 25 pages of your source code to the U.S. Copyright Office by mail or by uploading them online in a pdf document
8)  Within 3 months of publishing your computer game, send the U.S. Copyright Office the final published version on a DVD along with a separate description of your work.  I recommend submitting this package by mail and having the postal service track your package so that you will have proof that your package was received by the U.S. Copyright Office.  The current address can be found at http://www.copyright.gov

Final Notes:

While a copyright is a powerful tool, the copyright does not protect the idea, only how a body of works expresses the idea.  If you are interested in protecting your ideas, names or logos, you may want to research more about patents and trademarks.


Please check http://www.copyright.gov for updates and instructions. 

Good Luck

Kelli J. Lee