Parents actively monitor kids' Web use, study says

LOS ANGELES >> More parents are setting online rules for their children, including how to respond to personal questions, and limiting the time they let their kids spend surfing the Web, according to a survey released yesterday by the Walt Disney Co.

In its second annual study on the subject, Disney Online surveyed 774 U.S. parents with children aged 4 to 14, and conducted a second survey of about 400 children aged 6 to 14.

The study found that 71 percent of parents set rules on the type of content their children interact with online, while 48 percent set limits on the amount of time their kids spend surfing the Web.

While data from last year's survey were not directly comparable, Disney said this year's survey indicated that parents were taking a more active role in monitoring children's online activities.

Freelancers win fight over Internet copyrights

Washington >> Publishers violated author copyrights by putting freelance articles on the Internet and CD- ROMs without permission, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a decision that may mean millions of dollars in royalties and affect hundreds of thousands of stories.

The 7-2 ruling, the court's first look at federal copyright law in the digital age, is a defeat for the New York Times Co., Reed Elsevier Plc's Lexis/Nexis and other publishers. The writers say the ruling will mean multibillion-dollar liability, although publishers call that estimate inflated.

The court made clear that publishers don't have to delete online articles or destroy CD-ROMs, telling the parties and lower courts instead to develop a system for compensating writers.

Napster fails to get appeals court review

San Francisco >> Napster Inc. failed to persuade the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review a prior decision that the music-sharing Web site's users violate record-label copyrights by trading songs online.

A three-judge panel of the court had already found Napster facilitated those copyright violations and the company had asked the entire court to review the case. The earlier ruling upheld a U.S. district judge's order barring Napster from letting users trade songs owned by the five biggest record labels.

"This decision puts to rest any questions that Napster has raised regarding the earlier decision and affirms the rights of copyright holders on the Internet," Cary Sherman, the Recording Industry Association of America's senior vice president and general counsel, said in a statement.

In other news ...

Yahoo! Inc. is adding video capabilities to its instant messaging service as it tries to avoid being left in the dust by America Online and Microsoft.

Instant messaging is one of the Internet's most popular activities because it lets users chat in real time. Some services enable voice transmissions with the messages, but Yahoo is the first to add a video feature.

Taking Notice

NEW JOBS

>> Kuhi DeMello has been named general manager of Papa John's Hawaii's new Koko Marina Shopping Center location. She joins the company with three years of pizza chain management experience.

>> Albert W. Estabilio has been named island manager for the Hawaii celebration of the Aloha Festivals. The community-service position coordinates festival celebrations on the Big Island. Estabilio, who has been a festival volunteer for two years, is general manager of the Waimea Country Lodge.

PROMOTIONS

>> Art Gladstone has been named vice president of hospital operations at Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi. In addition to the new position, Gladstone will also retain the responsibilities of chief nursing executive at the hospital. He has been at Pali Momi since 1990.

>> Cyndi Wise has been named personnel manager for the medical staffing division of Altres Global Business Services. She has been with Altres since January and was previously employed at Aloha Nursing and Rehabilitation Care.