Intellectual property (summary)

All creations are unique, and creators want to protect them from copying. Intellectual property law helps to do it.

Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce. Patents and copyrights are main instruments for protecting it. One more kind of intellectual property is trademark. Trademark is a sign used by an individual or business organizations to identify uniquely the source of its products .The Universal Copyright Convention, the Bern Convention and the Patent Corporation Treaty are international conventions .Conventions was signed in order to enforce intellectual property law. Infringement of IP law is an offence. Forms of punishments for breaking it can be fine, to pay a compensation or imprisonment.

In conclusion, sometimes is very hard to protect such object as CD, films or others from copying, in order to do it , there must be strict rules and harsh punishments.

Self-assessment of ESP learning

WRITING SKILLS

In my opinion , I write summaries enough well.But sometimes it is difficult to explain main ideas in few sentences.ESP vocabulary tests are enough easy,if I learn words carefully,but often there are some unknown words in tests.Dictations are hard to me.Sometimes I don't cash words' meanings and dictation rate is enough quickly.Contributions to weblogs aren't very difficult.I think it is useful for my grammar skills.

SPEAKING SKILLS

Participation in class discussions isn't very easy to me, because I think my English isn't very well.There are lot of minds in my mind,but it is hard to express it in foreign language.I must improve my English knowledges.Presentations are interesting for me,because I know lot of new information.But it takes so much time to do it...Also it is hard to represent it in class, because you speech must be perfect.Speaking in pairs is easy,useful and interesting.

LISTENING SKILLS

Sometimes listening activities in class are really hard , if people are speaking in authentic English.It is complicated to understand words' meanings,and even if we listen it twice or three-times it isn't clear still.Sure there are listening tasks,which are more easy.Therefore listening to podcasts are easier ,because you can listen it
more and more. Besides,I improve my listening skills when I listen English songs or watch films.

READING SKILLS

Well, home reading is more easy,then class reading,because I have more time at home and can use dictionary.Sometimes it is hard to understand text,if there are lot of unknown words,but I try understand mine ideas from context.I know that I must expand my vocabulary,in order to understand texts better,but I think I do it enough well.Reading comprehension questions,depends on what difficult text are.If I understand it clearly ,it isn't hard.Computer tasks are my favorite,because it is very interesting and useful.

Judicial institutions (in U.K. and Lithuania)

Each country has particular system of judicial institutions. The aim of this writing is to find out differences and similarities between English and Lithuanian system of courts.

English system of courts is quite difficult.It is important to say that the highest institution of courts is Hose of Lords, its decisions bind all other courts. The lower instance is Court of appeal ,divided into Criminal and Civil Divisions. Next is the High Court divided into divisions too.There are Chancery Division which hears cases of trust property , Family Division deals with family matters ,and Queen’s Bench Division hears cases of public law,also it is appellate institution for lower courts‘ decisions. Also there are the Crown Court (deals with criminal matters) and Count Court (deals with civil matters) .And the lowest is Magistrate Court,which is concerned with criminal and some civil cases.

The main similarities to Lithuanian system of courts are:there are hierarchical structure of courts in both countries.Secondly,Courts of Appeal and High Court have same functions,and take high place in courts‘ hierarchy.Thirdly,trials are public- people can watch it,but they can‘t do influence on trial,if they aren‘t wtiness.At last,there are division into civil and public in Lithuanian courts too.

The main diferences are:there aren‘t jury in Lithuania ;secondly.there isn‘t Conctitutional Court in England;thirdly ,English courts are specelized in civil or criminal cases only,In Lithuania one court ,for instance, Distric Court deals with criminal and civil matters too.

In conclusion,English judicial system are much older then Lithuanian are.The system and traditions are old and well-established in United Kingdom.It will take some time to reach similar results in Lithuania and to fill gaps in judicial system.

,,Other recent shooting at schools“ (summary)

This text is about shootings at schools in U.S.A. during four years (from 1997 till 2001).

The text tells us about fourteen cruel events of shootings committed by adolescents from six to nineteen years old. Some victims of crimes was just injured, but some of them was shot dead. Two delinquent killed themselves too ,one of them was shot dead by the police, others were jailed and some sentences were suspended till eighteen. Causes of shooting was various : mental illness, possible access to the gun, wish of revenge.

Juveniles’ psychology is unstable and it is easy to violate it. Sometimes they do not understand what they do exactly , and are unable to realize consequences of such uncontrolled behaviour.

Prisons in Lithuania and United Kingdom

There are differences and similarities between prisons in U.K. and Lithuania .There are 160 prisons in U.K. and there was about 85000 prisoners last year. In Lithuania there is just one prison, and 17 correctional institutions where are about 11 000 prisoners.
Prisoners are divided into A,B,C,D categories in U.K. :

• Category A: prisoners whose escape would be highly dangerous
• Category B: prisoners who don’t need extreme security but for whom escape must be difficult.
• Category C: prisoners not trusted in open conditions but without the ability to escape.
• Category D: prisoners trusted to serve their sentences in open conditions

In Lithuania there are 3 prisoners' groups inside the jail: simple, light and disciplinary group. Living conditions are much better in U.K. Inmates live in cells where are toilets ,they are allowed TV's ,computers ,record-players. All prisoners have sport facilities,also there are multi-faith centres ,where prisoners of different religions can profess one's faith. There are 11 proprietary prisons in U.K. It means ,that prison reside in private firm ,for instance ''CCA". There was ideas to try establish such prison in Lithuania too, but government refused it for the meantime, because it would be very complicated.

The biggest problem in Lithuania is that there are too much inmates in prisons .Prison Departament got 183 million litas last year .But this amount of money is to little for all prisons, prison officers and inmates to keep. Also, there are lack of prison officers in Lithuania. They earn just about 1000 litas per month, and officers in U.K. earn about 33,500 pounds a year, it is about 13 000 litas per month .But they call themselves ''forgotten service" too ,because prices are very high in U.K. and their job is very hard and dangerous.

Education is available for all prisoners in U.K. and in Lithuania too. There are much more various educational programs in U.K. Inmates can learn from ABC to college's studies ,use computers, learn foreign languages. Prisoners can get secondary education in Lithuania too. Also there are project ,which provide chance to study at university too .For instance ,there are three prisoners in Lukiškės prison ,who study at Vilnius Pedagogical University.

To sum up, I would like to say that our government should learn from other countries penitentiary systems (from United Kingdom too) and try search new , innovative ways how to solve problems in prisons.

Public and civil law

All juridical system are divided in civil and public law.Civil law regulates disputes among citizens, and public law deals with the relationship between the citizens and the state ,or between states.

There are some differences between civil and criminal procedures: civil actions are started by individuals, one party of criminal action is the state. In a criminal cases the defendant are prosecuted and if he is found guilty, he can be sentenced to life imprisonment or must pay a fine. The guilt cannot be proven if there is any doubt. Punishments of civil wrongs could be - a fine or to pay damages for plaintiff. The guilt are proven , when court decides what evidences is most probable.

The losers of civil and criminal cases ,who avoid liability are punished.

Summary of ,,Criminal law"

A crime is illegal act,which can be punished by the state.A different acts are considered crime in
different countries.
The most important elements of a crime are Actus Reus(the criminal act itself) and Mens Rea (person's state of mind when he commited the act).The main points ,which the court must find out are:was the crime commited malice aforethought ,was the act a substantial couse of result.A defendant has right to defence -to try prove that the crime was commited under duress ,or of self-defences,or that defendant is insane.A convicted person can expect migitation of sentence.
Criminal law quickly develops in order to coincide present-day society's demands.