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WASHINGTON - Screaming sports coaches and cutthroat tycoons have it wrong: Nice guys do finish first, a new study suggests.

The Harvard University study involved 100 Boston-area college students playing the same game over and over — a punishment-heavy version of the classic one-on-one brinksmanship game of prisoner’s dilemma. The research appears in Thursday’s edition of the journal Nature.

Common game theory has held that punishment makes two equals cooperate. But when people compete in repeated games, punishment fails to deliver, said study author Martin Nowak. He is director of the evolutionary dynamics lab at Harvard where the study was conducted.

“On the individual level, we find that those who use punishments are the losers,” Nowak said his experiments found.

Those who escalate the conflict very often wound up doomed.

“It’s a very positive message,” said study co-author David Rand, a Harvard biology graduate student researcher. “In general, the thing that is most, sort of, rational and best for your own self-interest is to be nice.”

The study looked at games between equals. Punishment does seem to have a place in games when one player is dominant and needs to enforce submission, Nowak said.

In Nowak’s experiment, the students played more than 8,000 games of prisoner’s dilemma, using dimes to reward and punish. The normal game of prisoner’s dilemma gives two players two options: cooperate or defect. If both cooperate, each ends up winning a dime. If both defect, each gets nothing. If one cooperates and the other defects, the cooperative player loses 20 cents and the defector wins 30 cents.

Nowak then added a “costly punishment” component. A player could choose to punish someone who didn’t cooperate. That penalized the non-cooperative person 40 cents, but the other player had to pay a dime to mete out the punishment.

When Nowak compared how much money people earned or lost in the long run, there was a noticeable correlation between punishment and overall money. The players who punished their opponents the least, or not at all, made the most money.

Those who punished the most made the least money.

When faced with a nasty opponent, turning the other cheek and continuing to cooperate — or at least not handing out punishment — paid off more in the long run, the study found.

The paper makes sense and is interesting in its look at repeated interaction, said University of Central Florida economics professor Elisabet Rutstrom, who works on game theory but was not part of the Harvard study.

Nowak said he next wants to study chief executives to see if the findings play out in the real world.

There’s nothing more frustrating than searching for a page, finding what looks like a promising result, and then clicking though only to discover that the page is gone. Unfortunately it happens all the time. Servers get jammed, pages are removed, some servers move and some servers are simply no longer maintained. But what happens you want to find a page that’s vanished?

The answer depends partly on why the page isn’t showing up.

Dealing With the Slashdot Effect

Some sites, particularly smaller independent publishers and bloggers, can’t handle the traffic influx from having a link show up on Slashdot or Digg. The sites simply stop responding as their servers become overwhelmed. However, you might still be able to see a cached version of the content using Coral Cache.

Coral Cache

The Coral Cache logo

Coral Cache is a free service that uses distributed computing to lessen the so-called “Slashdot effect.” Coral Cache was developed to provide a distributed mirror of the original page that can handle the high traffic volume.

You don’t need any special software — just append .nyud.net to the end of a regular URL and you’ll hit the page through Coral Cache rather than directly connecting.

It won’t be quite as fast as you may be used to (compare wired.com directly with the Coral Cache version), but it could help you get to content that’s currently being choked due to an exceedingly large number of direct connections.

Finding Content That’s Been Removed

If a web page has been deleted or removed by its publisher, you can often still find it using one of the web’s longer-term caching services.

Google Cache

As search engines crawl the web, they cache fresh versions of pages as they go. To access a page in Google’s cache, just search for the original page. If it’s still in Google’s cache, you’ll see a little link leading to the page as it looked the last time Google indexed it.

In some cases, this will lead you straight to the content you want. However, sometimes the method doesn’t work. The page owner may have replaced the original page with new content, and if Google’s indexing spiders have been back to the page since that change, you won’t see the old content.

In such cases, you may be out of luck, but there is one other method you can try.

The Wayback Machine

The Internet Archive is a nonprofit organization founded with the goal of building an Internet library that could offer permanent access to web pages for researchers, historians and scholars.

The Internet Archive’s ambitious goal of indexing every page of content that ever been on the public web is not a reality, but the system certainly tries really hard. It just might have the page you seek.

The Wayback Machine is the Internet Archive’s search engine that takes a URL and then looks for pages published at that URL over time. Using the Wayback Machine, you can often find pages that have been removed or deleted from the live web years ago.

In some cases, the pages may appear a bit mangled and won’t necessarily have all the original formatting — images, stylesheets and scripts may not be referenced properly anymore — but you can at least get at the actual text content.

As of March 2008, the Internet Archive boasts 85 billion web pages. It also recently started archiving other content like movies, audio files and live music, though its indexes for multimedia content are not as extensive as the web page offerings.

Prevent Pages From Disappearing In the First Place

Many of today’s popular web-based bookmark services offer page caching as a feature. Ma.gnolia, for instance, takes a snapshot of a page when you bookmark it and caches the contents. This is helpful for ensuring that your favorite bookmarked pages don’t disappear on you. If they do, just head to ma.gnolia and click through to the cached version.

The season of spring as a harbinger of joy is a metaphor common to most civilizations. In India, too, March is a beautiful month when the wintry sun begins to turn warm and the days get longer, not to mention the flowers blooming in full splendour.
It is in this month that the festival of Holi is celebrated. Historically speaking Holi is probably a pagan festival that finds root in celebrations similar to that of Valentine’s Day.

Both find their source in fertility rituals and symbolize unbridled joy. All over the east, the manner of celebrating this festival has been to smear each other’s face with rice powder, where rice powder is symbolic of fertility. Today, however, the northern part of India has incorporated many other influences turning Holi into a colourful and even sophisticated festival, as it was played by the royalty of Rajasthan.

A legend associated with the God of love, Kama, is told at this time. It is said that he was burnt to ashes because he had the temerity to fling his arrows on none other than the austere Siva who was doing penance. Goddess Parvati, however, brought him back to life for he was acting at her behest. This festival celebrates love.

Another legend says that once a mighty king called Hiranyakashyapu ruled on earth. He was so arrogant that he became a difficult ruler and even the Gods balked at his arrogance. Meanwhile Hiranyakashyapu decided to coronate himself a God Almighty Himself.

He had a son called Prahlad who was hurt to see his father behaving thus. He insisted that his father, however powerful and majestic, could not replace God. But Hiranyakashyapu’s powers were growing by the minute and he was in no mood to believe his son, after all he was a little boy not even ten year of age.

Many mighty dialogues and fierce attempts took place to convince Prahlad that his father was indeed mightier than God Himself. One day Prahlad was made to sit on the lap of Hiranyakashyapu’s sister. The sister had got a boon from fire God that she would never succumb to flames. So the aunt and nephew were made to sit on a seat of glowing fire. The aunt named Holika succumbed inspite of the boon and the nephew came out unhurt. To celebrate this episode through which God conveyed the fact that he protected those who trusted him, Holi is celebrated.

In a place called Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, the festival Holi is celebrated with great gaiety. Here it is said that baby Krishna, while he was still in the cradle, killed a demoness who had come to feed him. Her destruction and the first the first evidence given by the child of his divine powers are celebrated as Holi. Even today it is a festival worth celebrating in these temples.

Generally people of different communities meet and throw colour powder on each other amidst complete abandonment.

On March 21 the Parsis celebrate Jamshed Navroz, their new year. It is also known as Pateti, the Day of Repentance, when they recite a prayer of Repentance. This festivalis said to have begun in Persia under the rule of King Jamshed and so it is called Jamshed Navroz.

Spring is a particular type of season that is experienced in the temperate climatic zones. Spring is an intermediate seasonal phase in between winter and summer. Spring signifies the emergence of new life. Spring months are the blossoming months that bring meaningful growth and rejuvenation in its wake. Spring enriches natural beauty and it seems as if nature is dressed in a beautiful green gown.Springtime

This season arrives during different parts of the year in the North and South of the world. Places, which are situated in the north experience the spring season from March to May while in the southern part of the world, September to November is the springtime. Vernal Equinox indicates the arrival of spring season while the Summer Solstice announces its departure.
 
Important Features of Spring

Extreme weather conditions characterize the spring season. This is due to the fact that during this season the warm winds coming from the lower regions are accompanied by the cold air which originates from the Polar Regions. During the spring season, days are longer and the weather is severe. The seas and rivers are full because the snow begins to melt. Rainfall is also heavy often leading to serious flood situations. Floods are most common in the hilly areas. In addition to all this, tornado, hailstorms and heavy downpour are also common features during the spring season. In fact, end of spring is the time when hurricane arrives almost without any warning.

What’s Your Sign, Baby?
Aries [March 21 to April 19; meaning - ram; brightest star - Alpha Arietis; element - fire; ruling planet - Mars]
Under the tropical zodiac, Aries is associated with the vernal equinox. Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac and associated with fresh vigor and new beginnings. Individuals born under this sign are thought to be confident, aggressive, energetic, active, adventurous, enthusiastic, fair and passionate.Taurus [April 20 to May 21; meaning - bull; brightest star - Aldebaron; element - earth; ruling planet - Venus]
Taurus is the second sign of the Zodiac and is associated with material pleasure. Individuals born under this sign are thought to be calm, patient, reliable, loyal, affectionate, sensuous, ambitious, and determined.

Gemini [May 22 to June 21; meaning - twins; brightest star - Pollux; element - air; ruling planet - Mercury]
Gemini is the third sign of the Zodiac and associated with youth and versatility. Individuals born under this sign are thought to have a sociable, fun-loving, versatile, lively, communicative, liberal, mentally active and friendly character.

This Time, Last Year(s)… March 21 (First Day of Spring) History
1556 Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake.
1697 Czar Peter the Great begins tour through West Europe.
1804 French civil Code of Napoleon is adopted.
1851 Yosemite Valley is discovered in California.
1859 First Zoological Society incorporates in Philadelphia.
1935 Persia officially changed its name to Iran.
1962 A bear becomes the first creature to be ejected at supersonic speeds.
1963 Alcatraz, maximum security prison on the island in San Francisco Bay, closes after 29 years.
1979 Egyptian Parliament unanimously approve peace treaty with Israel.
1980 On the television show Dallas, J.R. Ewing is shot.
1984 Part of Central Park is named Strawberry Fields honoring John Lennon.
1985 Arthur Ashe is named to International Tennis Hall of Fame.
1990 Namibia becomes independent of South Africa, and Sam Nujoma becomes president.
1994 Wayne Gretzky ties Gordie Howe’s NHL record of 801 goals.

First Day of Spring (March 21) Birthdays
1685 Johann Sebastian Bach, composer
1816 Charlotte Bronte, novelist and poet
1869 Florenz Ziegfield, American impresario
1958 Gary Oldman, actor
1962 Rosie O’Donell, actress, comedian and talk show host
1963 Matthew Broderick, American actor
1978 Kevin Federline, husband to Britney Spears
What’s Your Sign, Baby?
Aries [March 21 to April 19; meaning - ram; brightest star - Alpha Arietis; element - fire; ruling planet - Mars]
Under the tropical zodiac, Aries is associated with the vernal equinox. Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac and associated with fresh vigor and new beginnings. Individuals born under this sign are thought to be confident, aggressive, energetic, active, adventurous, enthusiastic, fair and passionate.

Taurus [April 20 to May 21; meaning - bull; brightest star - Aldebaron; element - earth; ruling planet - Venus]
Taurus is the second sign of the Zodiac and is associated with material pleasure. Individuals born under this sign are thought to be calm, patient, reliable, loyal, affectionate, sensuous, ambitious, and determined.

Gemini [May 22 to June 21; meaning - twins; brightest star - Pollux; element - air; ruling planet - Mercury]
Gemini is the third sign of the Zodiac and associated with youth and versatility. Individuals born under this sign are thought to have a sociable, fun-loving, versatile, lively, communicative, liberal, mentally active and friendly character.

This Time, Last Year(s)… March 21 (First Day of Spring) History
1556 Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer is burned at the stake.
1697 Czar Peter the Great begins tour through West Europe.
1804 French civil Code of Napoleon is adopted.
1851 Yosemite Valley is discovered in California.
1859 First Zoological Society incorporates in Philadelphia.
1935 Persia officially changed its name to Iran.
1962 A bear becomes the first creature to be ejected at supersonic speeds.
1963 Alcatraz, maximum security prison on the island in San Francisco Bay, closes after 29 years.
1979 Egyptian Parliament unanimously approve peace treaty with Israel.
1980 On the television show Dallas, J.R. Ewing is shot.
1984 Part of Central Park is named Strawberry Fields honoring John Lennon.
1985 Arthur Ashe is named to International Tennis Hall of Fame.
1990 Namibia becomes independent of South Africa, and Sam Nujoma becomes president.
1994 Wayne Gretzky ties Gordie Howe’s NHL record of 801 goals.

First Day of Spring (March 21) Birthdays
1685 Johann Sebastian Bach, composer
1816 Charlotte Bronte, novelist and poet
1869 Florenz Ziegfield, American impresario
1958 Gary Oldman, actor
1962 Rosie O’Donell, actress, comedian and talk show host
1963 Matthew Broderick, American actor
1978 Kevin Federline, husband to Britney Spears

And What About Global Warming?
According to the National Wildlife Federation, climate warming can instigate the early migration of animals, confusing the ecosystem and making food supply scarce. As species move, they may have to deal with different prey, predators and competitors as well as habitats that are less than ideal. It could take centuries for some plants to adapt to global warming.Animals Commonly Associated With Spring…
Gray whale, bald eagle, frog, hummingbird, robin, deer, fox, sea otter, bear, whooping crane, loon, manatee

Insects Commonly Associated With Spring…
Honeybee, monarch butterfly, ladybug, earthworm

Plants/flowers Commonly Associated With Spring…
Azaleas, lilacs, tulips, dahlias, lilies, daffodils, hyacinths, primrose, maple

Songs About Spring…

In Led Zeppelin’s “Rain Song,” the first verse pays homage to the season of spring.
Van Morrison’s “Celtic Spring” references spring throughout its chorus.
Legendary jazz vocalist Billie Holiday chants about love in the song “Some Other Spring.”
Frank Sinatra is suddenly young and free in his song “Suddenly It’s Spring.”
Nina Simone has spring fever in “It Might as Well be Spring.”
Tom Waits remembers everything that spring brings in “You Can Never Hold Back Spring.”
Lead vocalist of Swedish band Flunk sings about his kiss in “Spring to Kingdom Come.”
Folk songstress Dar Williams starts over on “Spring Street,” where she’s welcome any time.

Top U.S. Spring Break Getaways…
Beaches
Miami, Key West, South Padre Island, Myrtle Beach, Maui

Mountains/Skiing
Jackson Hole, Aspen, Lake Tahoe, Vail

Spring Break Family Trips
Washington DC, New York, Orlando, San Diego

To Everything Turn, Turn, Turn…
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the seasons are caused by the Earth being tilted on its axis by an average of 23.5 degrees (Earth’s tilt on its axis actually varies from near 22 degrees to 24.5 degrees).As the Earth revolves around the Sun, the Sun is directly over the equator. The Sun’s energy is in balance between the northern and southern hemispheres. During the spring equinox near March 21st, the Sun is once again directly over the equator.

A common misconception is that the Earth is farther from the sun in winter than in summer. Actually, the Earth is closest to the sun in December, which is winter in the Northern hemisphere.

Spring is the Air!
In the United States and the rest of the northern hemisphere, the first day of the spring season is the day of the year when the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving northward (on March 20th or 21st). This day is known as the vernal equinox.

The vernal equinox marks the beginning of the astrological year when the sun enters the sign of Aries. Also known as Ostara, the pagan goddess of spring and fertility, the vernal equinox signifies new life emerging this time of year.

Spring Forward…
Beginning in 2007, most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

According to studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Daylight Saving Time saves energy. Results show that Daylight Saving Time trims the entire country’s electricity usage by a small but significant amount (about one percent a day) because less electricity is used.

Why Wear a Watch?
One of the best ways to determine spring is by watching and tracking migratory animals, such as fish, bats, birds and butterflies that have an innate biological clock necessary for survival by means of eating, waking/sleeping, blooming, migrating, mating and more.

The inexact science of putting together the NCAA tournament bracket turned out to be pretty exact this time around.

No big beefs with the top seeds—North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas and UCLA.

No snubbed bubble teams with shout-it-to-the-mountaintop complaints—even if Arizona State and Virginia Tech do have somewhat compelling arguments.

And no defending champion, either. But not even that was a surprise.

Florida, completely rebuilt after winning two titles in a row, was written off well before Selection Sunday after losing its last four games, including the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament.

So, let March Madness begin, and call the Tar Heels (32-2) favorites if you must. Led by Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina earned the overall top seed in the tournament and won’t have to leave its home state on the road to the Final Four in San Antonio. Carolina’s first two games are scheduled for Raleigh, its next two would be in Charlotte.

“It’s an advantage if you play well,” said Carolina coach Roy Williams, trying to lead the Tar Heels to their second title in four years. “Just because the crowd’s cheering for you, I’ve never had a crowd win a game. I know it sounds wacko.”

Only four teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference made it, something of a surprise considering it was the top-ranked conference in the all-important RPI.

But what does the RPI really mean these days?

Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg is certainly no fan. His ACC team got snubbed despite being ranked No. 53 on the list.

“We need to get rid of the RPI totally from people’s train of thought,” he said. “Because one second, the head of the committee says the RPI is inconsequential, and the next second, he says they can use the RPI to eliminate a team.”

That might have been the case with Arizona State, which was 83 on that list despite quality victories over third-seeded Stanford and Xavier and two over rival Arizona, which made it off the bubble for its 24th straight NCAA appearance.

But Sun Devils coach Herb Sendek refused to let the snub get the best of him.

“By playing the role of the victim, you let a great opportunity slide by to learn from the experience,” Sendek said.

Arizona State’s spot might have been taken by Georgia, which won four games at the SEC tournament—including two in one day after a tornado ripped past the Georgia Dome—to complete an inspiring run into the tournament with a 17-16 record.

“We found out we had more than we thought we did,” said coach Dennis Felton, who likely saved his job with this remarkable string. “We kind of persevered.”

Georgia, a 14th seed, opens against third-seeded Xavier in the West region.

The final bubble spots went to Villanova, a 12th seed in the Midwest, and St. Joseph’s, an 11th seed in the East that beat Xavier twice.

Baylor got in as an 11th seed in the West, an impressive rebound for a program that nearly disintegrated after the murder of Patrick Dennehy by a teammate in 2003.

Kentucky made it as a No. 11 seed in the South despite growing pains under Billy Gillespie, who’s in his first year at the school.

Kansas State was an 11th-seeded bubble team, and how could the committee resist bringing freshman-of-the-year candidate Michael Beasley into the tournament—then pairing him against another sensational freshman, O.J. Mayo of Southern California? They’ll play Thursday in a first-round Midwest region game.

The top-seeded teams offered no surprises or outrage, the way, say, Washington did three years ago when the Huskies were No. 1 in the West.

UCLA has been a top team all season and won the Pac-10 tournament to get the nod in the West. Kansas beat Texas in the Big 12 final Sunday, in a game almost everyone agreed would be for top seeding in the Midwest. Memphis is from the less-prestigious Conference USA and lost to Tennessee in the regular season, but the Tigers (33-1) won their conference and the Vols (29-4) helped smooth things out by losing in the SEC semifinals.

Maybe Memphis could quibble with a possible game against second-seeded Texas in the South regional final—in Houston. But the Tigers weren’t backing down from Final Four expectations after losing in the regional finals the last two years.

“We created those expectations before the year even started, and that’s what we’re living up to,” guard Chris Douglas-Roberts said. “We’re not taking that back at all. That’s what we want.”

The tournament begins Tuesday when Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Coppin State, the first team to make the tournament with 20 losses, plays Mount St. Mary’s in an opening-round game. The winner gets North Carolina.

With eight teams, the Big East placed the most schools in the tournament. The Pac-10, Big 12 and SEC followed with six each, while the ACC and Big Ten had four apiece.

Selection committee chairman Tom O’Connor called the RPI “a control point” when it comes to picking teams.

“It’s a data point and it’s a starting point, but it’s not an end-all,” he said. “We don’t look at conferences at all.”

Yet later, he cited Arizona State’s bad numbers in the same RPI as a reason for snubbing the Sun Devils, saying they would have been the worst RPI rating of any team to ever make the field.

“While Arizona State is very good, the committee didn’t feel it was one of the best 34 at-large teams in the country,” O’Connor said. “Also, they were 2-4 against the top teams in their conference.”

For the second straight year, only six of those 34 at-large bids went to teams from smaller conferences. That included St. Joe’s, which earned one of the final spots in the bracket, but didn’t include Illinois State. But how to argue against snubbing a team that lost by 30 points its last time out, in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference against Drake?

Meanwhile, mid-major George Mason, the team that showed what March Madness is really all about with its incredible run to the Final Four two years ago, is back as a 12th seed after winning the Colonial Athletic Association crown.

Last year’s national runner-up, Ohio State, was also left on the bubble, meaning both of the previous season’s finalists will miss the tournament for the first time since the bracket was expanded in 1985.

O’Connor said the selection committee had eight contingency plans based on the possibilities from Sunday’s five conference title games, but the committee had done lots of advance work to make the last-second decisions less difficult.

“We said from the beginning, when you look at what happens in the NCAA tournament, all the publicity, all the hype, the economics … the real thing is playing the games with the kids on the court,” he said.

No argument there. And not much with the bracket his committee produced, either.

Coworkers are the people who can make a so-so job spectacular. The great ones offer up a helping hand, a sympathetic ear, and a strong opinion on last night’s “American Idol.” But there are some folks wandering the same halls who could harm your career rather than help it — just by getting in the way every day.

Below are three types of coworkers you should try to sidestep during the workday.

The Chronic Complainer

You’ll hear the Chronic Complainer (C.C.) before you actually see her. She’s the one making a mountain out of a molehill, throwing a major fit over a minor infraction, or stirring the pot in general. You’ll also catch her complaining about — gasp! — being asked to do her job. If you’ve had to work with her on even the most pleasant project, you probably found yourself counting the days until it was complete, as she pointed out every problem with the project and shortcoming of the company.

Employees like this help create a toxic work environment and make those of us who like our jobs feel silly for it. Even if your job is far from perfect, you should always look on the bright side of things (while looking for another job).

The best way to handle C.C. is total avoidance. If that’s not possible, do not indulge her grousing. That will only fuel the fire. Remain as silent or neutral as possible and see your supervisor about working independently or alongside others in the future.

The Shoulder Rubber

You would think that sexual harassment awareness training would have rendered the Shoulder Rubber (S.R.) extinct, but he’s apparently a hardy creature who thinks he’s being supportive.

S.R. will find you if you’re down and out, or if you’re at the top of your game. If you’re looking particularly dejected, watch out. S.R. will try to comfort you with an unsolicited and uncomfortable back rub.

Despite vigilance on the part of human resources departments to deter this behavior in the workplace, S.R. may not know he’s violating your personal space. If it’s merely annoying, try to avoid sitting anywhere near him during meetings. Don’t brush by him in the hallway. Do not linger at his favorite water cooler. If S.R. catches you off guard and goes in for a massage, you can say something like, “Please stop. I have dry skin (or another condition) and that’s just making it worse.”

Remember, if you feel uncomfortable, harassed, or threatened, see your supervisor and your representative in the human resources department. That should put an end to S.R.’s career as an amateur masseur.

The Chatterbox

Between attending meetings, returning emails, responding to phone messages, and instant-messaging with key associates, the amount of time professionals have to actually generate work is shrinking. To really knuckle down, some folks have to come in early or stay late.

So, the last thing you need is the Chatterbox eating up your time with endless chit chat. Whether it’s at your office door, the spare chair in your cube, or at the shared printer, the Chatterbox will engage you in inane, meandering conversations that serve no purpose other than to avoid work.

Stop letting this coworker suck up your precious time. If you can’t totally avoid the offender, say, “I’m sorry I have to keep our talks brief, but it just takes me a bit more time to get through my work and I really want to do a good job.” The Chatterbox will get the message.

Japan has decided to beat France and the United Kingdom (both who have similar proposals) to become the first country to ban file sharers from the internet.

Oddly the agreement to do so has not come from the Japanese Government, but from Japan’s four internet service provider organizations after pressure (not surprisingly) from the record and movie industries. According to Torrent Freak, the agreement would see copyright holders tracking down file-sharers on the Internet using “special detection software” and then notifying ISPs of alleged infringers. File sharers will initially receive a warning for a first offense, then be disconnected for subsequent offenses, eventually be disconnected from the internet permanently (it wasn’t clear whether the agreement is a three strikes proposal).

The process will formally commence in April and will primarily target users of Winny, the most popular file sharing network in Japan.