2008 m. gegužės 13 d., antradienis

Intellectual property. Summary.


Most coutries have an Intellectual property law which deters from illegal copying. Patents and copyrights are the main legal instruments for protecting the intellectual property.

Patens are used to protect the new discoveries or scientific process. It is important to mention all the parts of the process or invention in the patent. Literature, artistic works, computer programs, movies and radio and television broadcasts are protected by copyright and usually for starting to protect it is needed just to mark the work with international copyright symbol. Companies use trademarks to deter others from copying their products.

It is important to respect others work because huge fines and inprisonment is seen as a result of infringing copyright.

2008 m. gegužės 12 d., pirmadienis

Judicial institutions in UK and Lithuania


All countries have there legal system with institutions creating, modifying, abolishing and applying the law. These judicial institutions deals with variuos matters.

In England minor criminal cases as parking violations usually begins in a Magistrates Court. The higher Crown Court deals with serious crimes like murder and deals with criminal matters only. The cases wich deals with civil matters goes to County Court and all appeals of the lower courts go to the Court of Appeal. The High Court hears cases involving large amount of money. And the highest court the House of Lords deals with all matters.

In Lithuania there are courts of general jurisdiction: the Supreme Court of Lithuania is the only court of cassation instance for reviewing effective judgements, decisions, rulings and orders of the courts of general jurisdiction, the Court of Appeals is appeal instance for the cases heard by regional courts as courts of first instance, a district court is first instance for criminal, civil cases and cases of administrative offences, cases assigned to the jurisdiction of mortgage judges, as well as cases relating to the enforcement of decisions and sentences, a regional court is first instance for criminal and civil cases assigned to its jurisdiction by law, and appeal instance for judgements, decisions, rulings and orders of district courts. And others are special – administrative courts: the Supreme Administrative Court is first and final instance for administrative cases, is appeal instance for cases from decisions, rulings and orders of district administrative courts, as well as for cases involving administrative offences from decisions of regional courts, also instance for hearing, in cases specified by law, of petitions on the reopening of completed administrative cases, including cases of administrative offences, Regional administrative courts are courts of special jurisdiction established for hearing complaints (petitions) in respect of administrative acts and acts of commission or omission (failure to perform duties) by entities of public and internal administration.

In conclusion, there some similarities in England and Lithuanian judicial system, like there are hierarchical structure of courts, Courts of Appeal and County Courts deal same matters, witnesses and suspects have the right to conditional bail. The main differences are that in Lithuania there two types of courts (Courts of general jurisdiction and Special – administrative courts) and there are no jury in Lithuania.

2008 m. gegužės 9 d., penktadienis

Self - assessment of ESP learning

WRITING SKILLS - As we often write summaries I learned the rules of writing it. It is much easier to write summaries when I know the assessment of summaries and enough experience. My ESP vocabulary is getting wide, because of writing ESp vocabulary test. I think that I am improving in writing tests and getting better in using that words in writing essays. The dictations is quite hard for me, it is dificult to concentrate and to remember all the long sentences and when I am hurry I made mistakes. I am trying to put all the contributions to the weblog on time. It is not dificult and some times interesting work.
SPEAKING SKILLS - I allways talk in class discussions, I like to let others know my opinion, especially on interesting topics, it is easy to find needful words and phrases. It is the most dificult task to me, I do not understand how exactly to do a presentation, so I have put more work on that. Speaking in pairs is a revealing task, because we can learn more from a partner and give more information to him. I like that task, it is easy to prepare for speaking openly.
LISTENING SKILLS - listening in class is needful for understanding authentic speech. Sometimes it is dificult to understand and perceive the most important information, but the comparison in groups helps a lot.
READING SKILLS - We read a lot in home, but the texts are not dificult, especially when we can find unknown words in a dictionary. Reading in class is quite easy, because later we check our understandings and unknown words. The reading comprehension exercises are not dificult when I have needful information and I know what I need to indicate. The computer tasks are not interesting and needful for me, because it is very hard to concentrate for me.