Is a Vacation Home Right For You?

Many of us dream about owning the vacation home in the Mountains, or on the Lake or Ocean. A place where one can retreat periodically from the hustle-bustle of everyday life. However, for those who do achieve the financial resources to make such a purchase, there are several factors that should be considered first prior to taking the plunge.

Owning a Vacation Home can be a wonderful experience, but it is a huge commitment and responsibility. When one first thinks of owning a Vacation Home, we think of only the positives, such as a quiet remote location where we can get away from it all. A place where we can swim, fish, hike, and ski. Unfortunately for many, they forget about the other realities: location and travel time, upkeep and the associated costs, high property taxes, their children's school and other home activities, guests. All of these put stress on the new Vacation Home owner, and how they prepare ahead of time to address these issues determines how enjoyable their new purchase will be.

The first item to consider when purchasing a Vacation Home is location. Is it near enough from your main home such that you can enjoy it regularly enough? If not, consider another investment. The last thing you want to do is make a huge investment in property that you can not regularly enjoy. Though real estate has always been considered a good investment it is not considered liquid, and expensive vacation homes can take a long time to sell.

Cost of upkeep and property taxes should also be heavily considered. Maintaining a vacation home is not cheap and the local town officials love to hit the vacation homes hard with property tax bills.

One also needs to consider his or her own weekend responsibilities and those of their children. Sports team events, clubs and organizations as well as maintaining the main house will eat into the time available to head to the weekend get-away. And if you have teenagers, they have their own dates and plans. Be prepared, more times than not, for having to forgo the weekend retreat for your children and other responsibilities.

One of the other aspects of owning a Vacation Home is having guests. This is a double edge sword. You want to have guests to share in your retreat. However, the upkeep, food and cooking can become overwhelming. Also, when guests visit, they are on vacation, but you may not necessarily be. It is important to let friends and families understand this, otherwise prepare for unexpected meals outs and other activities.

Owning a Vacation Home can be, and is for most, a wonderful experience. Those who truly enjoy them, usually have to go through an adjustment cycle. First the euphoria phase, followed by a frustration and exhaustion phase, and finally the true enjoyment stage. The enjoyment phase occurs when one has developed a balance between the pros of owning a vacation home and the other responsibilities of their lives.

Just Give Me Eleven Reasons To Buy In Dubai   Just Give Me Eleven Reasons To Buy In Dubai   

Just Give Me Eleven Reasons To Buy In Dubai

Buying overseas property is not always for the fainthearted but we think Dubai is an exception to this. Here are eleven reasons to buy in Dubai:

1. Property prices look cheap by International standards, and rental yields are still high in Dubai.

2. Rental Market: Long-term residents of U.A.E. are considering buying to replace rental payments and to take advantage of the ever increasing market demand for property in Dubai.

3. Future Development: There is a big change in the city's geography underway with huge plans for the future. What is the fringe of Dubai today, the Dubai Marina, will be uptown Dubai of tomorrow. Thus property values will follow this curve upwards, as people relocate to the new "Centre".

4. Good Prices: Comparatively property is cheap compared to other major cities in the World. Dubai villas cost around $1,000 per square metre. London on the other hand are selling apartments in London Docklands area at $5,000 per square metre an amazing difference.

5. Prime Locations: Oversupply is the main fear highlighted by skeptics. But there can only be so many properties in prime locations and the time to buy them is now. Most projects are now fetching three times their original price.

6. Freehold Laws: Legally, there is no law to prevent freehold purchase in Dubai, and a new federal law should shortly frame legal rights into a form acceptable to international banks for mortgages this will push demand and prices up even higher than they are now.

7. Demand for freehold property in Dubai is much higher than most people can comprehend and understand. Certainly an economy growing at 10% plus a year has a dynamic effect of its own that reflects a huge demand for accommodation.

8. Sound Market: Any property market is going to have its ups and downs, and Dubai will be no different. All the same, Dubai has a habit of frustrating those who wait for bargains. In 1998 some thought rental prices would collapse. It did not happen they are still on the up as is Abu Dhabi.

9. Dubai wants you: Dubai is in the process of creating an international property market from scratch. As a result overseas property buyers are being given an exceptionally good deal to encourage them to be the pioneers of this market with very low deposits.

10. Resale Market: As the second-hand market emerges and the legal position of owners becomes absolutely clear, the element of risk will go, and lower risk will mean higher property prices.

11. Economic Growth: Dubai is a city where a lot of people earn high tax-free salaries and are in a position to support higher house prices. This is a city with a 20-year track record of strong economic growth and will continue to attract foreign and regional inward investment for many years to come.

So why not buy in Dubai - it could be the best thing you ever did!

Just Give Me Eleven Reasons To Buy In Dubai   

The Benefits Of Having A Composite Door

There are clear benefits to fitting double glazing in your home and not only the windows but the doors too. The windows offer a level of safety and security that traditional wooden windows cannot match as traditional single pane windows are made from a single sheet of regular glass. The double glazing in windows and doors is tightly sealed with a dead air space in-between. The air pocket this creates is then trapped between the panes and acts as an insulator.

Most double glazing will be laminated or toughened glass which reduces the risk of shattering upon impact. With a double glazed unit often damage to one pane of glass is not always carried through the vacuum between the panes to the second pane, giving a much higher degree of safety. Even a chair thrown at a window or patio door will not break it upon a first or second strike. Intruders can also be deterred when the job of breaking in is delayed from a quick smash of a window to many attempts at entering. It becomes noisy and that will attract some very much unwanted attention.

The locking mechanisms are now also pick proof and especially the new composite doors for front and back doors which are fitted with 5 point locking and deadlocks. These do not just lock at the point of the key entering but also lock twice more at the top and bottom. A ram would have trouble to gain entry easily. The composite rock door also has an internal frame fitted that makes it even more robust.

Composite doors are now are more fashionable to, offering light and character as opposed to the old fashioned solid wood door with only one Yale lock to offer security. These doors have now been made in a variety of colours if you prefer something other than white or brown. This makes your front door more personal to you and not just for functionality. The glass can also be reinforced with plastic, making it very difficult to take the glass out if the lock is holding. This type of security leaves you with self confidence that, when no one is home, your possessions will be safe and secure at all times.

The many glass designs that can be fitted into the panels can be made very personal and bespoke giving your home a unique style. Also internal doors can be matched to your style to follow through a theme of Georgian, Tudor or Gothic to name just a few. These composite doors are also almost maintenance free.

The Continental French Door

These types of double glazed doors add a touch of elegance and continental style to your home. It doesn't matter if you have a country cottage or a town house they are beautiful to look at and great to use. Opening out onto a potted patio or a large lawn garden the French door is inviting you to go out.

Very different in style and functionality to the patio door, the French door can either be opened to the outside or inside. Either one half only or for the full effect of the outside coming into your lounge or kitchen both doors open. One door is usually used more than the other and this is a traffic door holding the locks, and it will have a handle on both sides. This is so that the entire unit doesn't have to be opened when it is cold or just popping outside. The multiple panes of glass offer sunlight and a view of your garden which can be enjoyed any time of year, even in the winter they let in lots of light.

The double glazing will stop all draughts and noise so it doesn't matter where your home is situated they will offer comfort and warmth when required. They look very traditional as they are made from hardwood but can be available in aluminum and UPVC. Whatever your preference they can incorporate a cottage or Georgian style and these doors act as the welcome mat to your living space. As French doors come in panels of very small panes or bars the toughened glass offers a security and peace of mind that if they are fallen against they can withstand a substantial weight.

UPVC doors are maintenance free and will not rust or flake paint, the variety of colours can also enhance your gardens look and can blend in to any design. They will transform your home into something that you have dreamed of just by the change in style of a solid back door to a French door. It doesn't matter what the size of the whole is to be filled that had a pre-existing door or window, they can be made to measure and individually tailored to your home.

Cottage doors offer the perfect combination of traditional elegance and modern design that will add an authentic touch to any house or cottage. French doors are also great to have inside too. They will open up a through room or allow it to be shut up but still retain that longer room feel. They are perfect for opening up another room that is not normally used but keeps the whole downstairs feeling spacious and connected. Light can filter though into areas that would normally be darker.

The Continental French Door

These types of double glazed doors add a touch of elegance and continental style to your home. It doesn't matter if you have a country cottage or a town house they are beautiful to look at and great to use. Opening out onto a potted patio or a large lawn garden the French door is inviting you to go out.

Very different in style and functionality to the patio door, the French door can either be opened to the outside or inside. Either one half only or for the full effect of the outside coming into your lounge or kitchen both doors open. One door is usually used more than the other and this is a traffic door holding the locks, and it will have a handle on both sides. This is so that the entire unit doesn't have to be opened when it is cold or just popping outside. The multiple panes of glass offer sunlight and a view of your garden which can be enjoyed any time of year, even in the winter they let in lots of light.

The double glazing will stop all draughts and noise so it doesn't matter where your home is situated they will offer comfort and warmth when required. They look very traditional as they are made from hardwood but can be available in aluminum and UPVC. Whatever your preference they can incorporate a cottage or Georgian style and these doors act as the welcome mat to your living space. As French doors come in panels of very small panes or bars the toughened glass offers a security and peace of mind that if they are fallen against they can withstand a substantial weight.

UPVC doors are maintenance free and will not rust or flake paint, the variety of colours can also enhance your gardens look and can blend in to any design. They will transform your home into something that you have dreamed of just by the change in style of a solid back door to a French door. It doesn't matter what the size of the whole is to be filled that had a pre-existing door or window, they can be made to measure and individually tailored to your home.

Cottage doors offer the perfect combination of traditional elegance and modern design that will add an authentic touch to any house or cottage. French doors are also great to have inside too. They will open up a through room or allow it to be shut up but still retain that longer room feel. They are perfect for opening up another room that is not normally used but keeps the whole downstairs feeling spacious and connected. Light can filter though into areas that would normally be darker.

The Benefits Of Having A Composite Door

There are clear benefits to fitting double glazing in your home and not only the windows but the doors too. The windows offer a level of safety and security that traditional wooden windows cannot match as traditional single pane windows are made from a single sheet of regular glass. The double glazing in windows and doors is tightly sealed with a dead air space in-between. The air pocket this creates is then trapped between the panes and acts as an insulator.

Most double glazing will be laminated or toughened glass which reduces the risk of shattering upon impact. With a double glazed unit often damage to one pane of glass is not always carried through the vacuum between the panes to the second pane, giving a much higher degree of safety. Even a chair thrown at a window or patio door will not break it upon a first or second strike. Intruders can also be deterred when the job of breaking in is delayed from a quick smash of a window to many attempts at entering. It becomes noisy and that will attract some very much unwanted attention.

The locking mechanisms are now also pick proof and especially the new composite doors for front and back doors which are fitted with 5 point locking and deadlocks. These do not just lock at the point of the key entering but also lock twice more at the top and bottom. A ram would have trouble to gain entry easily. The composite rock door also has an internal frame fitted that makes it even more robust.

Composite doors are now are more fashionable to, offering light and character as opposed to the old fashioned solid wood door with only one Yale lock to offer security. These doors have now been made in a variety of colours if you prefer something other than white or brown. This makes your front door more personal to you and not just for functionality. The glass can also be reinforced with plastic, making it very difficult to take the glass out if the lock is holding. This type of security leaves you with self confidence that, when no one is home, your possessions will be safe and secure at all times.

The many glass designs that can be fitted into the panels can be made very personal and bespoke giving your home a unique style. Also internal doors can be matched to your style to follow through a theme of Georgian, Tudor or Gothic to name just a few. These composite doors are also almost maintenance free.

Backlink Generator: How to Build Links With Images

Learning how to build links is a key step for bringing more traffic to your website. One major aspect of search engine optimization that many marketers ignore is optimizing their images. Images can drive traffic through image search and help you get relevant backlinks. If a government agency or a news site needs a picture of a product and your image shows up in search results, and you allow them to reuse your picture in exchange for a link, this can be a powerful way to build relevant links over time.

Find a good photographer who can take pictures for your website. You may also purchase images from stock photography websites such as iStockPhoto.com and Flickr.com. Include keyword-rich words in your image filename. Limit the number of images per page. Use high quality pictures to give your website visitors a reason to link back to your website and spread the word about your content.

If you have a small business, make sure your image filename includes your main local keywords. Use terms that describe what and where your company is located. This way your pictures will appear more user friendly in Google Image Search. Use common image file types such as PNG, JPG, and GIF. Search engines can't determine the text content of an image. That is why you need to use alt text or tags. Alt text is the text that search engines use to understand images.

Make sure your pictures have a reasonable size. Images that are smaller than 1200×1200 and larger than 100×100 work best. If you want to link to images with text, your anchor text plays a key role in how your picture is ranked for keywords. For example, linking to a picture using a general term such ads "photo" or "image" doesn't give search engines much information on what the picture is about. The content surrounding the picture should match the content.

If you have taken pictures yourself, post your images on Flickr.com and include a link back to your website. Use bold tags or headings above or directly next to the image. If you have some really good pictures, you can use them as wallpapers and screensavers. Submit your work to specialized websites that sell wallpapers. This is a great way to gain exposure for your business and obtain high quality backlinks. Donate an image to Wikipedia and write a short description that includes a link back to your site.

Backlink Tool: What Is Anchor Text and Why Is It Important for Link Building?   Why Should I Care About Directory Guidelines?   

Backlink Building: Effective Link Building With Social Media Marketing

Some experts believe that social media is the link building wave of the future. There are hundreds of social networking sites and tools to take advantage of for their potential SEO value. Social media link building doesn't stop at Facebook and Twitter. For maximum results, you will need to have some influence and a network of users.

Among the various SEO tools and strategies, link building is essential for good website page ranking. If you create content that appeals to social media users and that content becomes popular on high traffic social sites, your website or blog will be linked to from numerous sites around the web. Social networking also gives you the opportunity to find and target industry users for specific link building outreach campaigns.

The main difference between social media link building and traditional link building is the focus. In traditional link building, you are focusing on anchor texts in your backlinks from specific websites. When you are using social networking, you are focusing on the person behind the website you want to get links from.

Millions of companies use social networking sites to connect with their target customers. People don't go to these sites to buy products or services. They go to Facebook, Twitter and other sites to relax, find out what their friends are up to, and read interesting content. If you want to boost your website rankings through social media, you need to provide valuable content that is worth sharing.

First of all, you need to build an audience and start making friends. Use industry demographic data from authoritative sources such as QuantCast and ComScore. Write good blog posts and promote them. Mix in a few personal related posts now and then. Encourage your followers to share your content. Post your articles on appropriate social media sites and within relevant categories.

Build your own brand around your niche as early as possible. The best way to do that is to promote your content to webmasters and business owners who have already established themselves as industry experts. The content you write should be original and offer real value to your target audience.

Social networking sites give you new and original ways to find prospective customers and build links, but they don't cut any corners. Like any other part of search engine optimization, getting quality backlinks through social media requires time. If you want to succeed, make your updates count and produce new content regularly.

Backlink Tool: What Is Anchor Text and Why Is It Important for Link Building?   Why Should I Care About Directory Guidelines?   

Techniques to Get Backlinks for Your Website

The techniques used to get backlinks to a website are easy enough for any marketer to achieve. Backlinks are the essential elements of any SEO campaign and can take a website from near obscurity to getting significant traffic and climbing the search engine results pages (SERPS). However, not all backlinks are created equal and to benefit your website, care must be taken to obtain only the best and most valued backlinks.

When backlinks are created intelligently, they will increase the position of the website in the SERPS and will stand a greater chance of appearing on the first page of Google, Bing and Yahoo. This is the desired result because surfers searching with the keywords you are optimizing your website for will be presented with your website if it is at the top of the SERPS. It has been estimated that 80% of all web searches access websites listed on the first page of the search engine results.

By far the best techniques to get backlinks is creating relevant, quality articles and posting them to high quality article directories. Writing quality articles that are not overly promotional and provides information readers will want to read is a good way to obtain good ratings from the search engines. The articles will contain a link at the bottom that will lead to the writer's website and if the article is valuable, readers will want to get more information and will click the link to visit the website. Once there they will get the additional information they seek and will be encouraged to purchase your product or service.

Yet another technique used to get backlinks is by creating a guess blog post on a reputable, high rated blog in your niche. Search engines reward linking to relevant websites, and blogs especially, if the quality is valuable and relevant to the site that is being linked to. Blog owners are constantly looking for fresh content to post and if you should provide that you will receive a powerful backlink in the process. The blog's readers will want to follow your link back to your site. Simply backlinking to a blog will create a no-follow link that will not increase your SE ranking, but contributing a guess post will great more link juice for your site.

Web 2.0 sites such as Squidoo and Hubpages have high page ranking. Creating a site on these properties and providing relevant, valuable content for the keywords you are targeting will provide your website with a good amount of link juice for your business. This is much the same as posting to article directories but you will be allowed to be much more promotional and will be able to add images, affiliate links, surveys and other promotional features not allowed on article directories. You can even provide links directly to products you sell or to other sites that sell such as eBay and Amazon.

Building your own quality site with relevant information about your product or service will gain good ratings in the search engines. The search engines reward sites that are user friendly and make navigation easy for readers. Once your site is recognized as valuable and of good quality other related sites will request backlinks to their sites. This will further increase your rankings in the SERPS and will result in your getting even more backlinks.

Providing quality, relevant content that is targeted to your niche will get backlinks to your website. The important criteria are quality and not quantity.

Backlink Tool: What Is Anchor Text and Why Is It Important for Link Building?   Why Should I Care About Directory Guidelines?   

Backlink Strategy: Successful Offline Backlinking Tips

Successful link building can be started online or offline. Contrary to popular belief, offline link building can also be done. Making promotional T-shirts with your website link, giving promotional items and leaflets or even sharing to your friends are some of the ways to build links offline. Some influential factors here are creativity and resourcefulness which can really affect your results.

Another way of building quality links to your website is submitting a few articles to local publications. This would create a new group of viewers as newspaper and magazine readers are really diverse. Most of the readers of print publications also have generally longer attention span than online readers and tend to spend more on the products that they want. Another advantage of having your articles published in magazines and newspapers is that you will get added exposure giving you a better credibility as an expert in your field.

Providing pamphlet, brochures and leaflets with quality information are also useful in promoting websites. Furthermore, local business owners can increase the amount of traffic to their respective websites through good use of these materials. Most readers are more interested to the useful content that you are providing so try not to make your brochures overly promotional. Your goal is to provide them valuable information to encourage them to visit your website and possibly share your posts online.

Another effective way of building links offline is providing coupons and vouchers to your possible customers. This will get new old and new customers interested in the products that you are selling. You can distribute these coupons to local establishments like hotels, restaurants, malls, hotels and supermarkets. If you have your own store, you can offer coupons to your customers to encourage them to check your website and spread the word about your business. Adding a few discounts to your products would definitely give them an urge to do so.

Words are truly a powerful tool in spreading your business. Start with sharing your expertise in your personal network. This kind of information sharing is really fast and efficient. A very effective way disseminating useful information is holding a seminar through the help of local officials. This would help you create connections with the people in your area and even establish yourself as an expert in your field. You can also send out a press release or setup promotional posters to increase your audience. This strategy would definitely generate a steady flow of traffic, back links and share to your website especially if you have successfully encouraged people through your seminar.

Offline marketing is not only effective advertising through newspapers or magazines. There are unlimited possibilities of building relevant links and promoting your website even without the use of internet. You can always leave business cards in known establishments to acquire more contacts. You can even give away car stickers personalized with your website address and logo. Just be innovative in developing these strategies to create a steady flow of customers. Use these simple offline link building strategies wisely as would definitely be a good foundation in building your status in the online world.

Backlink Tool: What Is Anchor Text and Why Is It Important for Link Building?   Why Should I Care About Directory Guidelines?   

Often Invasive Species Don't Appear to Be a Problem At First - Then All of a Sudden, Wham!

Not long ago, I had the opportunity of attending a University lecture, and the talk was given by one of the top research scientists in invasive species. He noted something that was very interesting; often invasive species might be noticed in an area for quite a while before they became a real problem. That is to say they were in an unfamiliar place, and were growing in numbers, but weren't really hurting anything, or unbalancing the local ecosystem much. They were there, sure, but no real problems at first.

However, much like bacteria colonies operate; once the colony reaches quorum they begin to get quite aggressive - the same occurs with invasive species; pushing out the existing local native species in the ecosystem. Perhaps the biggest question is why? Well, I do have some educated guesses and theories on this I'd like to submit them to you if I might.

It seems when the colonists came to the New World, they were not much problem for the local native Indians except maybe eating the corn seeds to survive that the Indians had saved to plant the next season. Other than that, it turns out both groups became friends, working together, helping one another survive. Perhaps you recall the feasts they had at Plymouth Rock area, later this tradition turned into what we know is Thanksgiving.

However, as the colonists grew in numbers, and more people came over, eventually the new settlers took over. Now then, consider bad bacteria in the body, it often just hangs out, growing its numbers, but not bothering to attack the system, or the good bacteria. However, all of a sudden it seems as if they activate and go after the host. One might ask; why they do this if they are living fairly comfortably inside of that nice new ecosystem?

Now then, also consider Locust, they don't seem to swarm until there are too many of them eating up the vegetation, and then one day they all get really aggressive and go on a rampage. In that case eat up everything in sight, for miles in fact on their journey.

It seems that from small to large, from bacteria to insects to mammals invasive species have similar characteristics when they find themselves in a new domain, new area, or thrust into a new ecosystem. It seems to me that we could study charts and immigration patterns of humans around the planet, or bacteria in the body, and come up with nice mathematical modeling which would help us study the spread of invasive species; for us to get a better understanding. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Can Terrestrial Life Have Extraterrestrial Origin?

Crick (1973) advanced the idea that life was originally seeded on Earth from space - the idea of Panspermia. The British astronomer Fred Hoyle and Srilankan Chandra Wickramsinghe have further raised the possibility of Panspermia (1981).

The whole idea of Panspermia is the outcome of inability to satisfactorily explain origin of life on Earth despite accumulation of vast amount of data since Alexander Oparin (1924) first published his paper on this subject. He speculated that early Earth had reducing atmosphere. He considered it essential for Origin of life on Earth.

Even demonstration of origin of amino acids under physico-chemical influences by Miller - Urey (1953) has not resolved the question of spontaneous origin of life on Earth. In fact much work has been done after Miller - Urey to bridge the gap between inanimate and animate but still spontaneous transformation of inanimate into animate remains a matter of faith and belief. Till date, it is not possible to even conjecture spontaneous origin of a single polypeptide chain, what to talk about spontaneous origin of the simplest biological cell.

The gap between inanimate and animate remains as wide as ever.

Demonstration of amino acids, purine and pyrimidine bases in meteorites bombarded on earth, specifically Murchison meteorite; and presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in space does not tell us anything about origin of life, whether on Earth or elsewhere. These findings only indicate feasibility of spontaneous origin of these chemicals under physico-chemical influences and nothing more.

All the work done so far demonstrates only one or more aspect of 'life like activity' but does not explain origin of life itself. Known properties of RNA are far from constituting life. Even recent analytical study by Bokov and Steinberg (2009) indicating feasibility of step-by-step evolution of ribosome at structural level beginning from a small core leaves much to be desired to constitute life.

Theory of extraterrestrial origin of terrestrial life, i.e. Theory of Panspermia may provide some relief from the question of explaining origin of life on Earth but it lands us into the question of explaining origin of life in extra-terrestrial space. So, we aren't in any better position with our original question.

Theory of extraterrestrial origin of life leads to further questions. If life was seeded from space, than how could it be found 5 Km below the surface of Earth in the form of extremophiles bacteria or 9000 meters below sea level on the ocean floor of Galapagos rift in the form of Poganophora. Barophillic Marine microbes have been found at more than 10 Km depth in Marianas Trench. Therefore, distribution of life on Earth is inconsistent with extraterrestrial origin of life.

Theory of Panspermia also raises the question of adaptation or survival of alien life under the conditions seen on Earth. All the available evidence indicates that alien life if any, must have originated under quite different environmental conditions than seen on Earth. So, how could alien life survive on Earth and evolve to the present state? Gradual adaptation over an immense period of time in line with Darwinism is more easily said than can be done.

Hence, Theory of Panspermia or Extraterrestrial Origin of life is nothing but scientific fiction created with the sole purpose, to divert attention from the question of origin of life.

How To Skip Intermediaries In the Publishing Process

"Code is Law," Lawrence Lessig stated. What do we need lawyers for, then, in the digital age? "Let's kill all the lawyers," Shakespeare would suggest. Why don't we and why internet does - that is the question that will be attempted at answering. The reader will be asked to reach the verdict in the court that will be created in his mind while Shakespeare and Lessig will be waiting on him to end with the lawyer's head.

What's Inside His Head?

The idea of copyright was well justified at the beginning. So was the print. Actually, it was revolutionary. However, petabytes of data that run through cables of today's internet machine changed the rules. Lawyers changed them, too. By the renewed law of copyright as of 1980s, they forbid anything to fall into public domain per se. But the public domain clothed in virtual coat of the internet era does not need to be dressed by corporate giants any longer. They can keep all rights reserved to themselves, as long as authors who choose to leave something to the public - can actually do it. Confirming that software has the effect of the law, Creative Commons organization released its first set of copyright licenses in 2002. The licenses allow authors to pick from a set of conditions to apply to their work. So, whose law is now more focused on community? And how is it that community became so important.

Internet Killed the Copyright Star

By taking one look at the social network or trying a single search at Google.com, you are pretty sure that the future of research is collaborative. A forlorn smart head locked in a dark cellar with chemicals vaporizing from the holes in the wall will not get very far any longer. Much the less does he need a lawyer to protect him. The idea is to - share. This solely can gain respect for the scientist, since data loaded world won't allow for duplications. The scientist which makes his work openly accessible encourages community to re-use his results in any way, but the credits will be acknowledged to him and not to some lone law-protected ranger, if the results prove meaningful. We need the results to prove meaningful today, more than ever. Data scientists of the future must realize that to give free access to their research benefits both them and the world. This, and that data will build their career and not the law firm.

In Through the Public Domain

A lawyer would look much like Alice if he was found in the Public Domain. What would his size be? What would a "rights reserved" head do in the world of "no rights reserved"? Which door to lock, where to put his seal, where to deny access, where to build a barrier? The world fights nowadays for this sort of Wonderland for the lawyer. We would like to see him lost in his papers and hurrying to his queen worried that his head may be chopped off. Why do we then still fear for our heads? The open access model is disruptive, but also slow. The public domain day is awaited "every new year since the first copyrights expired, back around 1724" as mentioned on Gutenberg ( http://www.gutenbergnews.org/20101127/public-domain-day-2011/ ). What will make it into the new list, what will make it into the next year's list? Following the dramatic growth of open access, the public domain can only grow fat itself. The bigger the public domain, the lesser the number of lawyers. Perhaps, some day, a world will be empty of lawyers - just like Shakespeare imagined it.

What Is Patent Infringement?

The objective of filing a patent is generally to assert control of one's creation or procedure so that you can manage its usage. But, surprisingly often, other people fail to give courtesy to the product creator and unlawfully use their branded components to aid their own objectives.

The arguments on the subject of patent violation can take years, and grow to be difficult and very expensive matters. In the end, it is up to the discernment of the jury to ascertain whether a patent appears to have been infringed on, in accordance with the data and demands of the rightful holder. In such cases, the guidance of qualified patent attorney is very important to your claim.

What exactly is infringement? The unauthorized making, using, offering to sell, selling, or importing of patented inventions indicates patent infringement. The quality of an infringement claim is based on the words of the remarks of the patent - if what the defendant is creating would not fit inside the terms of the demands of the patent then an infringement allegation is invalid.

Identifying Infringement Your patent identifies the specific points and methods pertaining to your products. The document is your primary reference when claiming infringement. In case your documents can show how the other individual is dishonestly using your innovation or process whilst not having your written or spoken consent, you could be eligible to launch a suit.

Infringement Claim Procedures In case you submit a lawsuit claiming patent infringement, your circumstance will be diligently reviewed in the court for judgment. You could check with the court to have an injunction to halt the patent infringement and could also request damages incurred because of the patent infringement. Your patent attorney will aid you to accumulate your patent certification and grounds of your patent infringement.

Filing a patent suit isn't always easy. Such legal cases sometimes involve a lot of evidence and technical explanations, and some might continue for a long time. For knowledgeable counsel within your patent infringement lawsuit, you'll want to look for the assistance of a patent lawyer.

Buying a House in Scotland

Buying a house in Scotland is slightly different from buying a house in other parts of the UK. It's not particularly complicated, and buying north of the border can often be quicker, but for those relocating from England and Wales there are a number of points you need to bear in mind.

Agreement in principle

Before you begin house-hunting in Scotland you need to have an agreement in principle for your mortgage. An agreement in principle takes the form of confirmation from your lender that, subject to various conditions, they are prepared to give you a mortgage up to a certain amount. This amount will be based on your income in much the same way as it is in the rest of the UK. Without an agreement in principle in place, any offers you make on properties are unlikely to be taken very seriously.

Sealed bids

In England and Wales, houses are normally advertised at a given price and the vendor accepts that he may well have to settle for a price that is lower than the original asking price. Under the Scottish system, the vendor sets a price and invites offers in excess of this via a sealed bids system. Although this type of secret bidding is sometimes seen in the rest of the UK, it is normally only in cases where the property is particularly expensive or desirable.

Commitment

When you buy a house in Scotland, if your offer is accepted, you are immediately under an obligation to buy that property. This is why an agreement in principle is required before you go house-hunting. By contrast, in England and Wales, you can pull out of buying the property without penalty up until the time when contracts are exchanged.

The Scottish vendor is also committed to the deal as soon as he accepts the buyer's offer. Hence the risk of gazumping (where the vendor later accepts a higher offer from someone else) is removed.

Solicitors

Because of the earlier commitment to buy, solicitors play a much greater role in the buying and selling of homes in Scotland. In many cases the solicitor will act as the selling agent for a property rather than an estate agent.

The actual house-hunting process in Scotland is much the same as anywhere else. But don't forget, when you are looking at properties, that the advertised price is the minimum you will have to pay, and is not a starting point for bargaining downwards.

As a buyer, you will need to appoint a solicitor before, or as soon as, you see a property you want to make an offer on. Once you are ready to make an offer, your solicitor will contact the selling agent and ask them to "note interest".

Finalising the mortgage

After this, you will need to finalise your mortgage application by going back to your lender and providing details of the specific property you are planning to buy. Once this is done, the lender's valuation and your own survey can be carried out.

Arranging a survey

Although your own survey is not compulsory, it is strongly recommended that you have one done before making an offer. Because you are legally committed to buy the property once you make your offer, it is important to know as much as you can about its condition. The results of the survey will help you as well when it comes to deciding how much to offer.

Of course, at this stage, there is no guarantee that your offer will be accepted, and so it is not uncommon to end up having to pay for surveys on more than one property. This is, unfortunately, one of the disadvantages of the Scottish system. In England and Wales, where you can make your offer and then pull out before contracts are exchanged, buyers normally only have to pay for one survey.

Making an offer

After the seller's solicitor has received notification of interest from two or more buyers, he will announce a closing date by which all of the offers must be received. Because a sealed bids system is used, no-one knows what anyone else has bid. Also, each buyer can only bid once, so it is important to think very carefully about what size offer to make and get it right first time.

Your solicitor will make the offer on your behalf and will also advise a "date of entry". This is the date when you will be given the keys to your new home, and is the equivalent of the completion date used in England and Wales.

Once the closing date for offers comes, the vendor will accept the highest bid and from this point on both parties are committed. There are no deposits involved unless you are buying a new property, but if either the buyer or the seller pulls out from here on, they are liable for any losses the other party may have incurred.

Concluding the missives

After the offer is accepted, the buyer's solicitor will "conclude the missives". This is similar to exchanging contracts under the English system. Once all the details of the sale have been agreed via this procedure, you as the buyer are responsible for the structure of the building and need to make sure you have adequate buildings insurance in place.

Settlement

All the funds to buy the property, together with all the fees, need to be ready for forwarding to your solicitor about two weeks before the date of entry. These monies will be transferred to your solicitor the day before your date of entry, and you will then need to sign the title deed to the property.

Finally, the vendor's solicitor will hand over the keys and the "disposition document" which legally transfers ownership of the property to you.

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Copyright 2004 David Miles. You are welcome to reproduce this article on your website, so long as it is published "as is" (unedited) and with the author's bio paragraph (resource box) and copyright information included. In addition, all links to external websites must be left in place.

Is a Vacation Home Right For You?

Many of us dream about owning the vacation home in the Mountains, or on the Lake or Ocean. A place where one can retreat periodically from the hustle-bustle of everyday life. However, for those who do achieve the financial resources to make such a purchase, there are several factors that should be considered first prior to taking the plunge.

Owning a Vacation Home can be a wonderful experience, but it is a huge commitment and responsibility. When one first thinks of owning a Vacation Home, we think of only the positives, such as a quiet remote location where we can get away from it all. A place where we can swim, fish, hike, and ski. Unfortunately for many, they forget about the other realities: location and travel time, upkeep and the associated costs, high property taxes, their children's school and other home activities, guests. All of these put stress on the new Vacation Home owner, and how they prepare ahead of time to address these issues determines how enjoyable their new purchase will be.

The first item to consider when purchasing a Vacation Home is location. Is it near enough from your main home such that you can enjoy it regularly enough? If not, consider another investment. The last thing you want to do is make a huge investment in property that you can not regularly enjoy. Though real estate has always been considered a good investment it is not considered liquid, and expensive vacation homes can take a long time to sell.

Cost of upkeep and property taxes should also be heavily considered. Maintaining a vacation home is not cheap and the local town officials love to hit the vacation homes hard with property tax bills.

One also needs to consider his or her own weekend responsibilities and those of their children. Sports team events, clubs and organizations as well as maintaining the main house will eat into the time available to head to the weekend get-away. And if you have teenagers, they have their own dates and plans. Be prepared, more times than not, for having to forgo the weekend retreat for your children and other responsibilities.

One of the other aspects of owning a Vacation Home is having guests. This is a double edge sword. You want to have guests to share in your retreat. However, the upkeep, food and cooking can become overwhelming. Also, when guests visit, they are on vacation, but you may not necessarily be. It is important to let friends and families understand this, otherwise prepare for unexpected meals outs and other activities.

Owning a Vacation Home can be, and is for most, a wonderful experience. Those who truly enjoy them, usually have to go through an adjustment cycle. First the euphoria phase, followed by a frustration and exhaustion phase, and finally the true enjoyment stage. The enjoyment phase occurs when one has developed a balance between the pros of owning a vacation home and the other responsibilities of their lives.

Just Give Me Eleven Reasons To Buy In Dubai

Buying overseas property is not always for the fainthearted but we think Dubai is an exception to this. Here are eleven reasons to buy in Dubai:

1. Property prices look cheap by International standards, and rental yields are still high in Dubai.

2. Rental Market: Long-term residents of U.A.E. are considering buying to replace rental payments and to take advantage of the ever increasing market demand for property in Dubai.

3. Future Development: There is a big change in the city's geography underway with huge plans for the future. What is the fringe of Dubai today, the Dubai Marina, will be uptown Dubai of tomorrow. Thus property values will follow this curve upwards, as people relocate to the new "Centre".

4. Good Prices: Comparatively property is cheap compared to other major cities in the World. Dubai villas cost around $1,000 per square metre. London on the other hand are selling apartments in London Docklands area at $5,000 per square metre an amazing difference.

5. Prime Locations: Oversupply is the main fear highlighted by skeptics. But there can only be so many properties in prime locations and the time to buy them is now. Most projects are now fetching three times their original price.

6. Freehold Laws: Legally, there is no law to prevent freehold purchase in Dubai, and a new federal law should shortly frame legal rights into a form acceptable to international banks for mortgages this will push demand and prices up even higher than they are now.

7. Demand for freehold property in Dubai is much higher than most people can comprehend and understand. Certainly an economy growing at 10% plus a year has a dynamic effect of its own that reflects a huge demand for accommodation.

8. Sound Market: Any property market is going to have its ups and downs, and Dubai will be no different. All the same, Dubai has a habit of frustrating those who wait for bargains. In 1998 some thought rental prices would collapse. It did not happen they are still on the up as is Abu Dhabi.

9. Dubai wants you: Dubai is in the process of creating an international property market from scratch. As a result overseas property buyers are being given an exceptionally good deal to encourage them to be the pioneers of this market with very low deposits.

10. Resale Market: As the second-hand market emerges and the legal position of owners becomes absolutely clear, the element of risk will go, and lower risk will mean higher property prices.

11. Economic Growth: Dubai is a city where a lot of people earn high tax-free salaries and are in a position to support higher house prices. This is a city with a 20-year track record of strong economic growth and will continue to attract foreign and regional inward investment for many years to come.

So why not buy in Dubai - it could be the best thing you ever did!