New York SBDC Research Network

From Lesley Ellen Harris at copyrightlaws.com When it comes to copyright law, there is much misinformation. Take the test below to determine what you think is a copyright truth or myth (false). Truth or Myth (False)? T F 1. Only registered works are protected by copyright. T F 2. Online content is in the public domain unless it has a copyright notice. T F 3. In at least 164 countries that belong to the Berne [Copyright] Convention, copyright protection is automatic upon creation of the work. T F 4. In all countries, the duration of copyright is seventy years after the death of the author. T F 5. Fair use is intentionally ambiguous. T F 6. You can copy 3 percent of a work without obtaining copyright permission. T F 7. If a work does not have a copyright notice, ©, then you may freely use the work without obtaining permission. T F 8. All U.S. government works are in the public domain. T F 9. Fair use never applies in a for profit situation. T F 10. There is no such thing as an

From The Information Advisor : "our monthly review of the best business research sites we’ve come across. We know how hard it is—well, even impossible—for anyone to keep up with all the new business sites that appear daily, let alone take the time to check each out and determine which are worth remembering. So we’re doing this work for you—and it’s free!"

WASHINGTON – Small business lenders now have access to more in-depth information and resources on U.S. Small Business Administration loan programs through the new Lender Toolkit on the agency’s recently redesigned website. The new site strengthens SBA collaboration with its lending partners, making it easier for them to identify the points of contact, loan programs and financing options that will best expand access to capital for local small businesses to help them grow and create jobs. Elements of the streamlined Lender Toolkit include useful tools like the ability to download and submit loan packages, updates on interest rates and important lending news, all at www.sba.gov/for-lenders . “Lenders are vital partners in our efforts to help entrepreneurs and small business owners grow successful companies and create good paying jobs in their communities,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. “Over the last two years, we’ve worked hard to strengthen these partnerships. This new online t

WASHINGTON – Are you a woman business owner seeking federal contracts? The U.S. Small Business Administration’s March web chat will focus on a new Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) federal contract program aimed at bringing more WOSBs into the federal contracting arena. Federal contracts can provide women entrepreneurs with the oxygen they need to take their business to the next level. Celebrate Women’s History Month and visit http://go.usa.gov/4BV to get information about the new contract program. WHO: Michele Chang, senior Advisor in the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development at the SBA, will host the March web chat on “SBA’s New Federal Contract Program for Women.” WHAT: SBA’s web chat series provides small business owners with an opportunity to discuss relevant business issues online with experts, industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs. Chat participants have direct, real-time access to the web chats via questions they submit online in advance, and du

Desktime is an application that offers a marketplace for office space. If a company or building has a desk available, they can advertise it and those in need of desk space can locate it via this site. Right now it looks they only have listings for Austin and Chicago but it looks like a good idea. I wonder if things like this will take off. It seems like it would appeal on a number of levels: efficiency, non-wasteful approach, crowd-sourcing, network-encouraging opportunity. Like most things, its success will depend on populating the database. If this were tied in with a site like Linkedin, or Twitter you might be able to join forces with a limited network to share resources. I read an article about this on Springwise , a site that tracks innovative business ideas.

Check out the latest stats coming out of the Office of Advocacy's state small business profiles . These profiles show details about each state's small business makeup as well as the entire country. Each state profile will show you stats on; business ownership, demographics, industry breakout of firms and employment, employment turnover and lending.

Consumer-Rankings.com "performed in depth research on the leading web hosting service providers." It "compared their pricing, features, bandwidth and storage space, ease of use, customer support and more to help you determine which hosting provider is right for your personal or small business website. According to our 2010 logs and stats , 59% of our visitors preferred iPage .For a quick overview of the most popular web hosting services click here ."