• Title/Summary/Keyword: Consumer protect

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A Study on the Imporvement of Wireless Internet Service Tariff Scheme. (무선인터넷 데이터 서비스 과금 체계 개선 연구)

  • Min, Gyeong-Ju;Kim, Jeong-Ho;Park, Jin-Yang
    • Journal of the Korea Computer Industry Society
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    • v.5 no.9
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    • pp.1101-1110
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    • 2004
  • In the first quarter of 2004, there were about 1 billion 348 million mobile phone users worldwide with a penetration rate of only 29%. Korea ranks among the highest in the use of mobile communication, having over 36 million mobile phone subscribers with a mobile phone penetration rate of 75% as of May 2004. Since the introduction of wireless Internet service in May 1999, the number of subscribers rose to 34.5 million with 95.3% of the total mobile phone subscribers using wireless Internet services in May 2004, largely due to continued investments by telecommunication service providers, improvement of mobile handsets (color and digital camera phones) and implementation of policies on mobile number portability. In the Korean wireless Internet market, there are many user complaints since the service providers are competing with each other through TV commercial sales and phone discounts rather than improving their call quality, services and billing systems. therefore there is a growing need to improve the billing systems through means such as the implementation of reasonable payment plans according to consumer use, development of a wireless Internet billing system that can predict the number of users and establishment of pricing standards for controlled data (head, tail, etc...) as well as menu information by testing the texts. multimedia, video and other types of content provided by the three major mobile communication companies. The purpose of this study is to promote wireless Internet services and protect user rights by proposing a reasonable way to improve the billing systems for wireless Internet services after conducting a comparative analysis of file size and billing data of each of the service providers through a verification test on a packet billing system for wireless Internet services.

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Design and Implementation of a Protection and Distribution System for Digital Broadcasting Contents (디지털 방송 콘텐츠 보호 유통 시스템 설계 및 구현)

  • Lee Hyejoo;Choi BumSeok;Hong Jinwoo;Seo Jongwon
    • The KIPS Transactions:PartC
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    • v.11C no.6 s.95
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    • pp.731-738
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    • 2004
  • With the increase of digital content usages, the protection for digital content and intellectual property becomes more important. The DRM(digital rights management) technologies are applicable to protect not only any kind of digital contents but also intellectual property. Besides such techniques are required for recorded digital broadcasting contents due to introduction of digital broadcasting techniques and storage devices such as personal video recorder. The conventional protection scheme for broadcasting content is the CAS(conditional access system) by which the access of viewer is controlled on the specific channels or programs. The CAS prohibits the viewer from delivering the digital broadcasting content to other person, so it results in restriction of superdistribution on the digital broadcasting content. In this paper, for broadcast targeting unspecfic many people, we will design the service model of the protection and distribution of digital broadcasting content using encryption and license by employing the concept of DRM. The results of implementation are also shown to verify some functions of each component. An implemented system of this paper has some advantages that the recording of broadcast content is allowed on set-top-box and superdistribution is available by consumer. Hence it provides content providers and consumers with trustworthy environment for content protection and distribution.

Open Markets and FDS(Fraud Detection System) (오픈마켓과 부당거래 방지 시스템)

  • Yoo, Soon-Duck;Kim, Jung-Ihl
    • The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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    • v.11 no.5
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    • pp.113-130
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    • 2011
  • Due to the development of information and communication technology, the global influence on politics, economics, society, and culture has grown. A major example of this impact on the economic sector is the growth of e-commerce, which increases both the speed and efficiency of businesses. In light of these new developments, businesses need to shift away from the misconception that information overwhelms to embrace the enhanced competitiveness that e-commerce provides. However, concern about fraudulent transactions through e-commerce is pertinent because of the loss in both critical revenue and consumer confidence in open markets. Current solutions for fraudulent transactions include real-time monitoring and processing, payment pending, and confirmation through SMS, E-mail, and other wired means. Our research focuses on the management of Fraud Detection Systems (FDS) to safeguard online electronic payment systems. With effective implementation of our research we hope to foster an honorable online trading culture and protect consumers. Future comparative research in domestic and abroad markets would provide further insight into preventing fraudulent transactions.

Effect of Fat Content and Storage Temperature on the Growth and Survival Kinetics of Pathogenic Microorganisms in Milk and Ready to Eat (RTE) Quail Eggs (우유와 즉석섭취 메추리알에서 병원성 미생물의 생육에 미치는 지방과 저장온도의 영향)

  • Ko, Young-Mi;Hong, Soo-Hyeon;Park, Guen-Cheol;Na, Yu-Jin;Moon, Jin-San;Yoon, Ki-Sun
    • Korean journal of food and cookery science
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    • v.30 no.5
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    • pp.603-612
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    • 2014
  • According to the microbiological standard, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes should not be detected in milk and egg products in Korea. Refrigerated food such as milk must be kept under $10^{\circ}C$ at retail markets. However, temperature abuse of refrigerated foods at such markets is often observed. We compared the growth and survival kinetics of S. aureus and C. perfringens at 10 and $15^{\circ}C$, and the growth kinetics of L. monocytogenes at 4 and $10^{\circ}C$ in whole and skim milk and ready-to-eat (RTE) quail eggs to evaluate their growth possibilities at retail markets. Regardless of storage temperature, the level of S. aureus reached the maximum level ($10^8-10^9CFU/ml$) in whole milk, non-fat milk and RTE quail eggs within the expiration date. Even low contamination levels of S. aureus (10 CFU/mL) grew rapidly in milk and quail eggs to reach the maximum level within the shelf life. Survival of C. perfringens in whole milk was greater than that in non-fat milk, indicating that the fat content in milk influences the survival of C. perfringens. For L. monocytogenes, the population in milk increased by 0.5-1 log CFU/mL at $4^{\circ}C$, while the populations reached the maximum level at $10^{\circ}C$ within the expiration date, regardless of initial contamination levels. In quail eggs, L. monocytogenes grew to the maximum level within the expiration date (60 days) at both temperatures. S. aureus and L. monocytogenes must be controlled to be negative, and proper temperature management should be emphasized at retail markets to protect the consumer. Since C. perfringens did not grow in milk and RTE quail eggs, there is no risk due to the growth of C. perfringens in these products at retail markets.

Review of Domestic and Foreign Technology Trends for the Development of Exploring Alternative Candidate Algorithms (대체후보물질 탐색 알고리즘 개발을 위한 국내·외 기술동향 조사 연구)

  • Jiwon Choi;Jongseo Park;Myungwon Seo;Young-Min Lee;Sunmi Kim
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.49 no.1
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    • pp.11-21
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    • 2023
  • Background: The need to develop alternative chemicals is increasing worldwide due to the strengthening of global chemical regulations and consumer safety awareness in the marketplace. Objectives: We aimed to review domestic and foreign technology trends for exploring alternative candidate algorithms that can be used to develop safer alternatives to strengthen global market competitiveness and protect public health in the future. Methods: We searched the current status of research trends, companies related to the development of alternative chemicals in domestic and foreign countries. For this, we referred to research papers and websites by companies and institutes related to such alternatives. Results: Among the domestic and foreign research trends, more studies in South Korea were focused on predicting molecular-based physicochemical properties and toxicity than were reporting on research exploring alternative candidates. Three web-based databases and six tools were being developed. More studies in other countries predicted information to consider in alternative development than reported on research exploring alternative candidates, and four web-based databases and three tools were being developed. Among the companies related to the development of alternative chemicals, 286 alternatives classified as 'EVALUATED ALTERNATIVE' in MARKETPLACE accounted for the most significant proportion in Europe on a continent basis, and the largest number in the United States (US) on a national basis. In South Korea, only significant companies were registered. Conclusions: In this study, it was found to be necessary to provide public technology support platforms to explore alternative candidates considering various aspects in order to support alternative development. In conclusion, exploring alternative candidate algorithms could contribute to the response to the global trends in the chemical industry and to supporting companies and researchers developing safer alternatives in the future.

Regulatory Reform Proposals for the Korean Deep Sea Fishing Industry (원양어업(遠洋漁業)에 대한 정부규제(政府規制)의 개선방안(改善方案))

  • Kim, Jong-seok
    • KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.93-110
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    • 1990
  • The basic purpose behind the Korean government's policy toward the Korean deep sea fishing industry is to limit growth of the industry. Therefore, the regulations on the industry are generally restrictive and interventionist. The policy is intended to maintain high domestic fish prices in order to protect the domestic coastal fishing industry. Some regulations have also been introduced to maintain "industrial order." Each fishing vessel must obtain a government permit for operation. The permit specifies the kind of fish it can catch, the area of sea in which it can operate, and the port at which it can unload its catches. The number of permits government issues each year is based on the estimates of the demand increase calculated by government officials, and the government traditionally has been fairly conservative in its estimation, reflecting its concern for fish price stabilization, which actually implies a gradual increase of the prices. There is also a restriction on importing vessels from abroad. This regulation is intended to protect the domestic shipbuilding industry. However, this regulation has resulted in an unusually high average age of Korean fishing vessels, causing fishing costs to rise. These regulations and the inflexible response of the regulators to changing circumstances have resulted in many problems: i) high domestic fish prices, which are, to some extent deliberately, inflated to three or four times the level of international prices, resulting in huge consumer welfare losses; ii) over-exploitation of coastal fish resources; iii) provision of a hospitable environment for inefficient firms to survive, which is especially evident from the fact that, despite the high fish prices in Korea, most of the firms in the industry do not enjoy high profitability. It also must be pointed out that the actual beneficiaries of the high fish prices are the large operators, who are protected from competition and provide most of the fish for domestic consumption, rather than the low-income fishing households and small coastal operators whom the policy was originally designed to help. This study proposes a set of regulatory reforms and policy changes which could Promote competition and equity within the industry and allow firms to reduce costs and increase productivity. Such changes can make the industry more efficient and internationally competitive. Major proposals are, among others: minimization of bureaucratic discretion in issuing fishing permits and maintaining transparency in the governments' decision-making processes; reduction of the government permit specifications and simplification of the operational categories within the industry; and removal of the restrictions on importing foreign fishing vessels.

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The Trend of Cigarette Design and Tobacco Flavor System Development

  • Wu, Jimmy Z.
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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    • v.24 no.1
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    • pp.67-73
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    • 2002
  • In light of addressing consumer health concern, coping with anti-tobacco movement, and promoting new product, tobacco industry is actively pursuing to make a new generation of cigarettes with low tar and nicotine deliveries, and less harmful substances. Low tar and low nicotine cigarettes increases their market shares dramatically world wide, especially in KT&G, multinational tobacco companies, EU countries, even in China regulated by CNTC to set up yearly target to lower tar and nicotine deliveries. On the other hand, to design a new cigarette with reduced harmful substances begins to gain speed. The "modified Hoffmann list" publishes thirty plus substances in tobacco leaf and main smoke stream, which is the prime suspect causing health problems. Various ways and means are developed to reduce such components including new tobacco breeds, new curing method, tobacco leaf treatment before processing, selected filtration system, innovated casing system to reduce free radicals, as well as some non conventional cigarette products. In TSRC held this year, the main topic is related to reduce tobacco specific nitrosamines in tobacco leaf. The new generation of cigarette is in the horizon. It still needs a lot help to produce commercial products with satisfied taste and aroma characters. The flavor industry is not regulated by many governments demanding which ingredients might or might not be for tobacco use. However, most of the cigarette companies self impose a list of ingredients to guide flavor suppliers to design flavors. Unfortunately, the number of ingredients in those lists is getting shorter every year. It is understandable that the health is not the only reason. Some cigarette companies are playing safe to protect the company from potential lawsuit, while others are just copying from their competitors. Moreover, it is obvious that it needs more assistance from casings and flavors to design new generation of cigarettes with missing certain flavor components in tobacco leaf and main smoke stream. These flavor components are either non-existed or at lower level at new form of cured tobacco leaf or filtered in the main smoke stream along with reduced harmful substances. The use of carbon filters and other selected filtration system poses another tough task for flavor system design. Specific flavor components are missing from the smoke analysis data, which brings a notion of "carbon taste" and "dryness" of mouth feel. It is ever more demanded by cigarette industry to flavor suppliers to produce flavors as body enhancer, tobacco notes, salivating agents, harshness reducer, and various of aromatic notes provided they are safe to use. Another trend is that water based flavor or flavor with reduced ethanol as solvent is gaining popularity. It is preferred by some cigarette companies that the flavor is compounded with all natural ingredients or all ingredients should he GMO free. The new generation of cigarettes demands many ways of new thinking process. It is also vital for tobacco industry. It reflects the real needs for the consumers that the cigarette product should be safe to use as well as bearing the taste and aroma characters smokers always enjoyed. An effective tobacco flavor system is definitely a part of the equation. The global trend of tobacco industry is like trends of any other industries lead by consumer needs, benefited with new technology availability, affected by the global economy, and subjected for various rules and regulations. Anti-tobacco organizations and media exceptionally scrutinize cigarette, as a legal commercial product. Cigarette is probably the most studied commercial product for its composition, structure, deliveries, effects, as well as its new developmental trend. Therefore, any new trend of cigarette development would be within these boundaries. This paper is trying to point out what it would be like for tobacco industry in the next few yews and what concerns the tobacco industry. It focuses mostly on the efforts to produce safer cigarettes. It is such a vital task for the tobacco industry and its affiliate industries such as cigarette papers, filters, flavors, and other materials. The facts and knowledge presented in this paper might be well known for the public. Some of the comments and predictions are very much personal opinion for a further discussion.

Concerning the Constitution Court's constitutional decision and the direction of supplemental legislation concerning Article 33 paragraph 8 of the Medical Service Act - With a focus on legitimacy of a system that prohibits multiple opening of medical instituion, in the content of 2014Hun-Ba212, August 29, 2019, 2014Hun-Ga15, 2015Hun-Ma561, 2016Hun-Ba21(amalgamation), Constitutional Court of Korea - ('의료법 제33조 제8항 관련 헌법재판소의 합헌결정'에 대한 평가 및 보완 입법 방향에 대하여 -헌법재판소 2019. 8. 29. 2014헌바212, 2014헌가15, 2015헌마561, 2016헌바21(병합) 결정의 내용 중 의료기관 복수 개설금지 제도의 당위성 및 필요성을 중심으로-)

  • KIM, JOON RAE
    • The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.143-174
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    • 2019
  • Our Constitution obliges the state to protect the health of the people, and the Medical Law, which embodied Constitution, sets out in detail the matters related to open the medical institution, and one of them is to prohibit the operation of multiple medical institutions. By the way, virtually multiple medical institutions could be opened and operated because the Supreme Court had interpreted that several medical institutions could be opened if medical activities were not performed directly at the additional medical institution which was opened under the another doctor's license. However, some health care providers opened the several medical institutions with another doctor's license for the purpose of the maximization of profit, and did illegal medical cares like the unfair luring of patients, over-treatment, and commission treatment. Also, realistic problems such as the infringed health rights have arisen. Accordingly, lawmakers had come to amend the Medical Law to readjust the system of opening for medical institution so that medical personnel could not open or operate more than one medical institution for any reason. For this reason, the Constitutional Court recently declared a constitutional decision through a long period of in-depth deliberation because the constitutional petition and the adjudication on the constitutionality of statutes had been filed on whether Article 33 paragraph 8 of the revised medical law is unconstitutional. The Constitutional Court acknowledged the "justice of purpose" in view of the importance of public medical institutions, of the prevention from seduction of for-profit patients and from over-treatment, and of the fact that health care should not be the object of commercial transactions. Given the risk that medical personnel might be subject to outside capital, the concern that the holder of the medical institution's opening certificate and the actual operator may be separated, the principle that the human body and life should not be just a means, and the current system's inability to identify over-treatment, it also acknowledged the 'minimum infringement'. Furthermore, The Constitutional Court judged it is constitutional in compliance with the principle of restricting fundamental rights, such as 'balance of legal interests'. In this regard, legislative complements are needed in order to effectively prevent the for-profit management and the over-treatment the Constitutional Court is concerned about. In this regard, consumer groups actively support the need for legislation, and health care providers groups also agree on the need for legislation. Therefore, the legislators should respect the recent Constitutional Court's decision and in the near future complete the complementary legislation to reflect the people's interests.

Recent Trends in Compensation for Mental Anguish of Airline Passengers (항공여객의 정신적 손해배상에 관한 최근 동향 - 미국 연방법원 판례를 중심으로 -)

  • Lee, Chang-Jae
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.35 no.1
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    • pp.33-62
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    • 2020
  • The current air transportation industry is facing a lot of changes not only in the quantitative growth of the market, but also in the legal aspects. For many years, the Warsaw Convention has contributed to the uniform discipline of civil carriers' legal liabilities arising from international aviation accident and has fulfilled the duties of legal guardians for the development of the air transport industry. In the process, however, the consumer interests of the air transport industry did not have much protection compared to other industries. In response, the Montreal Convention has effected for protecting the interests of aviation consumers, and there are numerous legal changes around the world to protect aviation consumers like passengers. The mental damages of airline passengers arising from the accident can also be understood as part of the protection of air consumers. Considering that the US Federal Court has dealt with the recognition of mental damages for air passengers since the early 1990s. However, Korean judicial precedent still excludes mental anguishes from the scope of damage compensation. From this point of view, it is considered academically meaningful to analyze the latest case of the US federal court. Recently, the United States Court of Appeal for the Sixth Circuit in Doe v Etihad Airways applied a different interpretation against the traditional opinion: passengers could not recover for mental distress unless that mental distress resulted from a bodily injury sustained in an airplane accident. The background of the court's conclusions can be explained in many ways, among other things, unlike the Warsaw Convention the new international rule, Montreal Convention is recognizing the importance of ensuring protection of the interests of consumers in international carriage by air and the need for equitable compensation based on the principle of restitution.

A Study of Domain Name Disputes Resolution with the Korea-U.S. FTA Agreement (한미자유무역협정(FTA)에 따른 도메인이름 분쟁해결의 개선방안에 관한 연구)

  • Park, Yu-Sun
    • Journal of Arbitration Studies
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.167-187
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    • 2007
  • As Korea has reached a free trade agreement with the United States of America, it is required to provide an appropriate procedure to ".kr" domain name disputes based on the principles established in the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy(UDRP). Currently, Internet address Dispute Resolution Committee(IDRC) established under Article 16 of the Act on Internet Address Resources provides the dispute resolution proceedings to resolve ".kr" domain name disputes. While the IDRC's proceeding is similar to the UDRP administrative proceeding in procedural aspects, the Domain Name Dispute Mediation Policy that is established by the IDRC and that applies to disputes involving ".kr" domain names is very different from the UDRP for generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) in substantial aspects. Under the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement(KORUS FTA), it is expected that either the Domain Name Dispute Mediation Policy to be amended to adopt the UDRP or the IDRC to examine the Domain Name Dispute Mediation Policy in order to harmonize it with the principles established in the UDRP. It is a common practice of cybersquatters to warehouse a number of domain names without any active use of these domain names after their registration. The Domain Name Dispute Mediation Policy provides that the complainant may request to transfer or delete the registration of the disputed domain name if the registrant registered, holds or uses the disputed domain name in bad faith. This provision lifts the complainant's burden of proof to show the respondent's bad faith because the complainant is only required to prove one of the three bad faiths which are registration in bad faith, holding in bad faith, or use in bad faith. The aforementioned resolution procedure is different from the UDRP regime which requires the complainant, in compliance with paragraph 4(b) of the UDRP, to prove that the disputed domain name has been registered in bad faith and is being used in bad faith. Therefore, the complainant carries heavy burden of proof under the UDRP. The IDRC should deny the complaint if the respondent has legitimate rights or interests in the domain names. Under the UDRP, the complainant must show that the respondent has no rights or legitimate interests in the disputed domain name. The UDRP sets out three illustrative circumstances, any one of which if proved by the respondent, shall be evidence of the respondent's rights to or legitimate interests in the domain name. As the Domain Name Dispute Mediation Policy provides only a general provision regarding the respondent's legitimate rights or interests, the respondent can be placed in a very week foundation to be protected under the Policy. It is therefore recommended for the IDRC to adopt the three UDRP circumstances to guide how the respondent can demonstrate his/her legitimate rights or interests in the disputed domain name. In accordance with the KORUS FTA, the Korean Government is required to provide online publication to a reliable and accurate database of contact information concerning domain name registrants. Cybersquatters often provide inaccurate contact information or willfully conceal their identity to avoid objection by trademark owners. It may cause unnecessary and unwarranted delay of the administrative proceedings. The respondent may loss the opportunity to assert his/her rights or legitimate interests in the domain name due to inability to submit the response effectively and timely. The respondent could breach a registration agreement with a registrar which requires the registrant to submit and update accurate contact information. The respondent who is reluctant to disclose his/her contact information on the Internet citing for privacy rights and protection. This is however debatable as the respondent may use the proxy registration service provided by the registrar to protect the respondent's privacy.

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