Analysis of Becoming Native by J. Lockwood Essay

Analysis of Becoming Native by J. Lockwood - Essay Example Lockwood is suggesting that is part of human nature to avoid change and generally fear situations or ideas that are unfamiliar or unknown. This is the first part of living backward where people tend to revert back to what they feel comfortable with rather than embracing new ideas, thoughts, or people. This is part of being held hostage to the past that is based in inherent biology rather than being more flexible and adaptive to changing surroundings. Lockwood compares this attitude to a type of xenophobia in his essay, suggesting that there has always been a â€Å"fear and loathing of foreigners† all throughout history (Lockwood, 140). He compares situations throughout history that reinforce this fear against foreign or alien peoples. He informs the reader that Irish people were treated poorly as well as Chinese immigrants, showing again how difficult it is to overcome this inherent fear of strange peoples and avoid flexible changes in society. Lockwood further reinforces how this type of attitude is even present in government leadership by describing a conflict between himself (as an expert) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Lockwood was attempting to warn the agency that there would be significant problems if the agency continued about its naturalistic activities, such as his concern over different diseases and wasps being introduced into native lands. The department argued with him about the potential for this type of natural situation, not because he is not an expert but rather because their value system was much like living backwards. The department offered, â€Å"†¦it is our contention that one factor that contributes to species pest status is inefficiency of the native biological control agents†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lockwood, 41). What the author is illustrating is that even government figures are unwilling to see beyond what they have already established as the truth, much like a fixed and rigid schema of thinking. Rather than accepting the advice of Lockwood, the agency uses its power and control to force compliance by Lockwood to simply accept their judgment despite his expert opinion and knowledge. The scientists involved in this particular conflict, Lockwood believed, are not taking a more active role as â€Å"cosmopolitan educators† (Lockwood, 141) and therefore the importance of a particular place is not being expressed properly. He seems to believe that the government agencies would have a much better sense of place at the psychological level with this type of support from the scientific community. Lockwood also describes the idea of who came first when describing the value or importance of native peoples. Lockwood believes that there is a juvenile attitude with a â€Å"finders keepers approach to the world† (Lockwood, 142). He believes that people in society tend to always look behind them in an effort to define who they are today and therefore become locked into thinking about previous struggles for land domination such as Eastern European history. In many ways, the author is suggesting that people are becoming too locked into historical records, none of which could ever be undone, and miss opportunities for expanding knowledge, culture and creativity in this process. This coincides with the concepts discussed by Lockwood about an inflexibility in society that is in-bred where people simply want to reject change and the unknown. When it comes to determining whether the right self-classification is indigenous or native, Lockwood suggests instead to think about

Virtual Lab Report Template Essay Example for Free

Virtual Lab Report Template Essay In this virtual lab activity, you will be observing the cell cycle in the tip of an onion root. The root tip is responsible for the downward growth of the root and is one of the regions in the plant where cells are actively dividing and growing. Because of this, the root tip is an excellent system in which to observe the entire cell cycle, including the processes of nuclear division (mitosis) and cell division (cytokinesis). You will be submitting a lab report as the assignment for this lesson. Be sure to read the instructions before completing the virtual lab activity and your lab report. Refer to the lab rubric before you submit your report to your instructor. Record any observations about the cells you observed: Data Analysis: Calculate the percentage of the cell cycle spent in each stage. Number of cells in given stage ? total number of cells counted ? 100 = % of the cell cycle spent in this stage Create a graph that represents the time spent in each stage of the cell cycle. Graph: Conclusion: Be sure to answer the following reflection questions in the conclusion of your lab report: 1 Based on your data, what can you infer about the length of time spent in each stage of mitosis? 2 What stages were the longest and shortest? Give a brief explanation of why these stages may have that time period. 3 What is a distinguishing visible feature of each stage of the cell cycle? 4 What differences can you see when you compare the nucleus of a dividing cell with that of a non-dividing cell? 5 If your observation had not been restricted to the tip of the onion root, how would the results be different?

Criminology Essays Fingerprints Science Crime

Criminology Essays Fingerprints Science Crime Fingerprints Science Crime â€Å"Discuss the importance of fingerprints within forensic science citing appropriate examples† Fingerprints have always been a form of identification. This is probably the reason why fingerprints have supplanted most methods of identifying criminals that deny ever being arrested or even committing the crime. Identifying fingerprints has become a science and it also stands out to many other forensic sciences ( www.onin.com). The science of fingerprints, has helped many goverments around the world, presenting them with correct discovery of criminals (www.onin.com). There are millions of people on this planet and never have 2 fingerprints been found that are alike within humans and automated computer comparisons (www.onin.com). No 2 humans have the same finger, palm or footprint. These parts of the human body have ridges that are constantly broken up by endings or forks, these are called characteristics (www.south-wales.police.uk). Every person has unique distributions of the characteristics that build up in womb and through out life in general, these characteristics stay the same for a time after death too so it makes identifying a body possible (www.south-wales.police.uk). People have often tried to alter their fingerprints with different methods like cutting their fingerprints, burning the skin with acid but that doesn’t work because, superficial skin damage is repaired by the body so the same ridges come back with the new skin that forms (www.south-wales.police.uk). Fingerprints are formed by our skin and our skin is made out of two layers, dermis and epidermis (www.south-wales.police.uk). The epidermis is a thin layer and it is a protective cover of the dermis which is the thicker layer of skin that contains sweat and sebaceous glands (www.south-wales.police.uk). Now a sweat gland, consists of salt, water and urea and the sebaceous gland releases oils on the skin surface (www.south-wales.police.uk). When we come in contact with something, we leave a mark because of the products that are produced by the glands, resulting in a fingerprint mark (www.south-wales.police.uk). When our fingers are dirty or even oily, then our fingerprints can be visible (www.south-wales.police.uk). When going to a crime scene, you often stumble upon fingerprints. Fingerprints, are very valuable evidence when identifying a suspect. If the prints are in sequence, you can very easily identify the hand or finger of origin. Unfortunately, fingerprints collected at a crime scene are rarely in sequence and customarily incomplete as a consequence, it is very difficult to define which hand left the print. So these types of fingerprints are called latent fingerprints (www.south-wales.police.uk). Now latent fingerprints can be left on all surfaces including skin and there are different ways to detect and make them visible like different powders, alternate lights and lasers (www.south-wales.police.uk). There are more types of prints like visible prints, that are also referred to as patent prints and these prints are apparent to the naked eye because they are normally found in blood or something that would make a mold of the print (www.virtualsciencefair.org). When a finger comes in contact with dirt, ink or grease and then the finger touches a smooth surface then there is a visible impression of the ridge (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Another type of prints are called impressed prints or plastic prints, these prints are basically an indentation that is left in a soft surface like wax, paint or clay, they are visible prints that you can look at and photograph (www.virtualsciencefair.org). There are different patterned fingerprints, one of these is called Arches (www.virtualsciencefair.org). 5 % of fingerprint patterns are arches, the ridges of the skin go from side to side without making a backward turn (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Normally, there is no delta in an arch outline but where there a delta, no re-curving ridge must interfere among the core and delta points (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Even with in patterns, there are pattern, there are four kinds of arch patterns: plain arches, radial arches, ulnar arches and tented arches (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Plain arches have an smooth run of ridges from one area to the other of the outline, no â€Å"major up thrusts† and the ridges go into on one part of the impression, and run out the other with a increase or wave in the middle (www.virtualsciencefair.org). The ridges of radial arches incline towards the thumb; they have one delta and no re-curving ridges (www.virtualsciencefair.org). On ulnar arches, the ridges incline towards the small finger, they also have one delta and no re-curving ridges (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Tented arches have an angle, an up thrust, or two of the three basic characteristics of the loop. They don’t flow the same way that plain arches do and above all have â€Å"significant up thrusts† in the ridges near the middle that position themselves on both sides of a spine towards which the bordering ridges meet and come out to form tents (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Another fingerprint pattern are the Loops, they occur in about 60-70 % of the fingerprint patterns encountered (www.virtualsciencefair.org). The ridge enters on either side of the impression, re-curve, and touches or crosses the line that forms from the delta to the core and finishes on or in the course of the side where the ridge or ridges entered (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Each loop outline has one delta and one core and has a ridge count (www.virtualsciencefair.org). â€Å" Radial loops are named after the radius, a bone in the forearm that joins the hand on the same side as the thumb† (www.virtualsciencefair.org). The run of the pattern in radial loops runs in the route of the radius (toward the thumb) (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Radial loops are not very frequent and on most occasions radial loops will be found on the index fingers (www.virtualsciencefair.org). â€Å"Ulnar loops are named after the ulna, a bone in the forearm† (www.virtualsciencefair.org). â€Å"The ulna is on the same side as the little finger and the flow of the pattern in a ulnar loop runs in the direction of the ulna (toward the little finger)† (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Whorls are found in about 25-35 % of fingerprint patterns dealt with (www.virtualsciencefair.org). â€Å"In a whorl, some of the ridges make a turn through at least one circuit† (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Any fingerprint outline that has 2 or more deltas is considered a whorl pattern (www.virtualsciencefair.org). There are four types of whorl patterns, Plain whorls that have of one or more ridges which make a complete circuit with two deltas, and causes an imaginary line drawn and at least one re-curving ridge within the inner outline area is cut or touched (www.virtualsciencefair.org).† â€Å"Central pocket loop whorls have at least one re-curving ridge or an obstruction at right angles to the line of flow, with two deltas, between which when an imaginary line is drawn, no re-curving ridge within the pattern area is cut or touched† (www.virtualsciencefair.org). â€Å"Central pocket loop whorl ridges make one complete circuit which may be spiral, oval, circular or any variant of a circle† (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Double loop whorls are made of two separate and individual loop formations with two different and distinct shoulders for each core, two deltas and one or more ridges which make, a complete circuit (www.virtualsciencefair.org). â€Å"Among the two at least one re-curving ridge within the inner pattern area is cut when an imaginary line is drawn† (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Accidental whorls are made of two dissimilar types of patterns with the exclusion of the plain arch, they have two or more deltas or a pattern which have some of the requirements for two or more different types (www.virtualsciencefair.org). Crime scene fingerprints need to be matched with fingerprints already in a file, if the suspect has never been convicted, then his fingerprints will not have been recorded so they cant compare them (www.south-wales.police.uk). For this reason, when a suspect is charged, they get fingerprinted and if there are 16 points of similarity with the prints at the crime scene it can be presented in court as evidence (www.south-wales.police.uk). Serious issues of fingerprint fraud have started to come to light; many people have been facing jail time because they have told them that their fingerprints have been found at a crime scene. In 2004 Brandon Mayfield was wrongly accused for the terrorist act in Madrid. They told him that his fingerprints were found on a explosives bag that was used to bomb a train in Madrid which resulted in the loss of 191 lives (www.news.bbc.co.uk). This news was shocking since the prime suspect hadn’t left the country in 10 years and that he had never visited Spain (www.news.bbc.co.uk). The suspect was at the time 38 years old and served 8 years in the military army (www.news.bbc.co.uk). He lived in Portland Oregon U.S.A (www.news.bbc.co.uk). He had never been arrested until the day the F.B.I showed up at his house and took him away (www.news.bbc.co.uk). At the end of this, it was proven that the fingerprint did not belong to Mayfield but to an Algerian man said to have been linked to al-Qaeda (www.news.bbc.co.uk). Fingerprints within forensic science is very important even thought there is a very big debate on whether or not it is the right way to go about crime scenes. We have seen the different types of fingerprints, what they are made from, we have gone through a case where fingerprints where not substantial evidence and put an innocent man in prison for a while. So with this I conclude that fingerprints are important the art of fingerprints just needs to be perfect so that the real criminals get what they deserve. References Hodierne, R. (2004) Military lawyers defend civil liberties [on line]. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4066775.stm [Accessed on 15 November 2007] Available from: http://www.south-wales.police.uk/fe/master.asp?n1=8n2=253n3=1028 [Accessed on 13 November 2007] Moore, G. History of fingerprints [on line]. Available from: http://www.onin.com/fp/fphistory.html [Accessed 15 November 2007] Available from: http://www.virtualsciencefair.org/2004/fren4j0/public_html/types_prints.htm [Accessed 12 November 2007] Inderjit Singh, P.K. Chattopadhyay and R.K. Garg.(1995). Forensic Science International Volume 152, Issues 2-3, 10 September 2005, Pages 205-208

Comparing Arthur Laurents West Side Story and Shakespeares Romeo and

Although the discrepancies between Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story are too frequent to categorize in such limited space, it is impossible for anyone familiar with both texts to not notice the obvious similarities between the two works ("Theme").   From the opening scenes in both, up through the rumble in West Side Story/death of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, the plays mirror each other (Poelstra).   It isn't until the last part of West Side Story, where Tony (our modern-day Romeo) dies and Maria (Tony's Juliet) doesn't (unlike the two star-crossed lovers of Shakespeare's work, both of whom perish), that the major difference between the two works becomes apparent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Granted, instead of tension between feuding families (Montaguesand Capulets), West Side Story offers prejudice between races, as illustrated between street gangs (Jets and Sharks).   Some of the characters in West Side Story are carbon copies of those in Romeo and Juliet: Maria (Juliet), Tony (Romeo), Bernardo (Tybalt), Lt. Schrank (Prince),   and Anita (Nurse).   Others appear to be a composite of characters, namely Riff, a combination of Benvolio and Mercutio, and Doc, who appears to fulfill the role of Friar Laurence (possessed somewhat of a peacekeeping nature: "You couldn't play basketball?", he asks, when informed of their upcoming "war council" [Laurents 57]) yet, at the same time, it is implied (in the film version, not the play) that he is a pharmacist, and there was, after all, an apothecary in Romeo and Juliet . The tomboyish Anybodys, a Jet wannabe, would best fit into the role of Balthasar (although Doc's cha racter fits into this role marginally, as well), since it was she who aided Tony in escaping after the rumble (which resulted in the d... ... a story four centuries old to be retold in a fairly modern-day setting (after all, street gangs are more prominent now that ever before), a retelling that has garnered its own wide audience appeal over the past four  decades ("Theme"), showing that certain tales can stand the test of time more than once, provided the content/context effectively reflects the world within which it occurs.   Works Cited   Laurents, Arthur. West Side Story. (A musical, based on a conception  of Jerome Robbins; music by Leonard Bernstein; lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.) NY: Random House, 1966. Poelstra, James. "Romeo and Juliet vs. West Side Story." (17 July 97). Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. The Complete Works of William  Shakespeare, Volume I. Ed. W. G. Clark and W. Aldis Wright. NY:  Ã‚  Nelson Doubleday, Inc., 247-277.  Ã‚   "Modernizing Age-Old Theme." (17 July 97).

Negotiating a Starting Salary Essay -- Business and Management Studies

Negotiating a Starting Salary With internet access available to nearly everyone, job seekers are armed with more information than ever before. Information can be obtained for job openings, job descriptions, and even salaries. Sometimes when filling out an application, a box will ask for a salary desired. Some advertisements ask to send your resume with salary requirements. These are sometimes tough questions to answer. How much does that job normally pay? Is the job applicant worth the top pay? This paper will explore the various factors involved when attempting to negotiate a starting salary. Topics such as helpful internet sources will be introduced, along with salary ranges, and helpful interview techniques will be discussed to better position one self to obtain the salary desired. Some basic concepts should be understood before attempting to negotiate a starting salary. First of all realize that a job in New York City will most likely pay more than the same job in rural Ohio. Geographic locations and cost-of-living play a major role when determining salaries. For example, comparisons were made for an entry level job as a bank teller in Elyria, Ohio and New York, New York. The results were interesting. The median expected salary for a typical Teller in Elyria, Ohio is $20,913; with the 25th percentile being $19,642 and the 75th percentile at $22,645. The median expected salary for the same job in New York City is $24,274; with the 25th percentile being $22,799 and the 75th percentile at $26,284 (www.Hotjobs.com). Supply and demand also play a part. If job candidates are plentiful then negotiating power is limited. However, some fields are in high demand and college graduates in those fields will find they have their choice of employers. For instance, according to The American Almanac Of Jobs And Salaries, the occupations with the largest job decline are sewing machine operators. This data covers the time period from 1996 to 2006 and they are in decline by 26 percent (xxviii). Conversely, according to Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook, the fastest growing jobs are computer related. From 1998-2008 computer engineers, computer support specialists, computer systems analysts, and database administrators are expected to grow by 108, 102, 94, and 77 percent respectively (18). A third concept to remember is that ev... ... appeal to their power and position in the company. Say something like, â€Å"If you have the power†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Most managers will enjoy the positive comment and if they can get it done for you they will (www.collegegrad.com). These negotiating techniques highlight just some of ways a job applicant can better position themselves for a better starting salary. Salary wizards on the internet will give you a pay range. Various articles at career related web sites can give you some valuable insights. And of course your local library will always have books on hand to guide you through your job and salary search as you prepare yourself for the challenges of the working world of the 21st century. Works Cited Farr, Micheal J. and LaVern L. Ludden, Ed.D. Enhanced Occupational Outlook Handbook 2000-2001 ed. Caroline Levchuck. â€Å"How to Determine Your Salary Range†. 10-30-2004. Lussier, Don Job Search Secrets. Lincolnwood: NTC/Contemporary,1998 Wright, John W. The American Almanac of Jobs And Salaries 2000-2001 ed. â€Å"The Unacceptable Offer Negotiation Technique†. 10-31-2004. . â€Å" 10 Tricks for Negotiating a Higher Starting Salary†. June 20,2004. Employment Digest. 10-24-2004.

Low Wage Jobs and Barbara Ehrenreichs Nickel and Dimed Essay -- Pover

McDonalds, Wal-Mart, and cleaning services: all of these have one thing in common-they are all minimum wage jobs. Their pay is low and work load high, and because of this living as a low wageworker is never easy. One must handle many hardships in order to make a few meager dollars, with which most cannot sufficiently live. 'The 'living wage' in the United States is between $9-10.18; sounds great to a college student, but in the real world this kind of money just isn't going to cut it,' (Ramisch). Minimum wage standards for American workers rest at $5.15 per hour, and in such slighted fields, very few make much more than that, perhaps $6-7, but even that is a rarity. The material life of a low-income employee includes bare necessities and next to zero luxuries. These workers often live paycheck to paycheck and never have a moment to fully enjoy life because they are constantly working, supporting themselves, and/or their families. Barbara Ehrenreich tries capturing this unackn owledged side of low wageworkers in her book, Nickel and Dimed, when she goes undercover as a fellow employee. Her real life accounts are noted as accurate and shocking as she brings the severity of poverty to the forefront for many Americans (Ehrenreich 3). She portrays the lives of millions in one simple novel, and it is through this piece of literature that so many relate and feel less estranged in the overall scheme of things. This relation is especially true for three young women, Brandyll Powers, Whitney James, and Charity Pouge all of whom are forced to live on their scanty incomes in today's society. These interviewees discuss their daily struggles of living on minimum wage and how they are active representations of Ehrenreich?s novel. .. ...idden truths and in essence, portrays a minimum wage worker quite well. But for those that must live this life style on a daily basis, simply writing about their injustices will never be sufficient. Government action is the next needed step to help modify minimum wage, and the answer is clear: raise the accepted standard. However, with all the other issues in this country, when will the government finally realize it is time to take action? Works Cited Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed. New York: Henry Holt, 2001. James, Whitney. Telephone Interview. 16 March 2006. Pouge, Charity. Personal Interview. 14 March 2006. Powers, Brandyll. Personal Interview. 14 March 2006. Ramisch, Claudia. ?Living on Minimum Wage.? ENGL 1302H Class Presentation, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Owensboro, KY. 13 March 2006.

Grey Market

A  grey market  or  gray market  also known as parallel market  is the trade of a commodity through distribution channels which, while legal, are unofficial, unauthorized, or unintended by the original manufacturer. Unlike  black market  goods, grey-market goods are legal. However, they are sold outside normal distribution channels by companies which may have no relationship with the producer of the goods. Frequently this form of  parallel import  occurs when the price of an item is significantly higher in one country than another. This situation commonly occurs with electronic equipment such as  cameras. Entrepreneurs  buy the product where it is available cheaply, often at retail but sometimes at wholesale, and import it legally to the target market. They then sell it at a price high enough to provide a profit but under the normal market price. International efforts to promote  free trade, including reduced  tariffs  and harmonized national standards, facilitate this form of arbitrage  whenever manufacturers attempt to preserve highly disparate pricing. Because of the nature of grey markets, it is difficult or impossible to track the precise numbers of grey-market sales. Grey-market goods are often new, but some grey market goods are  used goods. A market in used goods is sometimes nicknamed a Green Market. The parties most concerned with the grey market are usually the authorized agents or importers, or the retailers of the item in the target market. Often this is the national subsidiary of the manufacturer, or a related company. In response to the resultant damage to their profits and reputation, manufacturers and their official distribution chain will often seek to restrict the grey market. Such responses can breach  competition law, particularly in the European Union. Manufacturers or their licensees often seek to enforce  trademark  or other  intellectual-property  rights against the grey market. Such rights may be exercised against the import, sale and/or advertisement of grey imports. In 2002,  Levi Strauss, after a 4-year legal fight, prevented UK supermarket Tesco  from selling grey market jeans. However, such rights can be limited. Examples of such limitations include the  first-sale doctrine  in the United States and the doctrine of the  exhaustion of rights  in the European Union. Manufactures power towards the Grey Market When grey-market products are advertised on  Google,  eBay  or other legitimate web sites, it is possible to petition for removal of any advertisements that violate trademark or copyright laws. This can be done directly, without the involvement of legal professionals. eBay , for example, will remove listings of such products even in countries where their purchase and use is not against the law. * Manufacturers may refuse to supply distributors and retailers (and with commercial products, customers) that trade in grey-market goods. * They may also more broadly limit supplies in markets where prices are low. Manufacturers may refuse to honour the warranty of an item purchased from grey-market sources, on the grounds that the higher price on the non-grey market reflects a higher level of service even though the manufacturer does of course control their own prices to distributors. * Alternatively, they may provide the warranty service only from the manufacturer's subsidiary in the intended country of import, not the diverted third country where the grey goods are ultimately sold by the distributor or retailer. This response to the grey market is especially evident in electronics goods. Identifying the Grey Market Product * Manufacturers may give the same item different model numbers in different countries, even though the functions of the item are identical, so that they can identify grey imports. * Manufacturers can also use batch codes to enable similar tracing of grey imports. Parallel market importers often de-code the product in order to avoid the identification of the supplier. In the United States, courts have decided that decoding which blemishes the product is a material alteration, rendering the product infringed. Parallel market importers have worked around this limitation by developing new removal techniques. * The development of  DVD region codes, and equivalent  regional-lockout  techniques in other media, are examples of technological features designed to limit the flow of goods between national markets, effectively fighting the grey market that would otherwise develop. This enables movie studios and other content creators to charge more for the same product in one market than in another or alternatively withhold the product from some markets for a particular time. ————————————————- Five reasons for not buying a grey market product ————————————————- ————————————————- The grey market holds a lot of attraction for a number of people looking for tech products. In many cases, it provides people with products that have not been officially released in their countries (consider the iPad) and in others, allows them to buy a product at a much lower rate – a grey market iPhone 3GS for instance comes for around Rs 28,000 as compared to its prim and proper counterpart, which costs in the vicinity of Rs 35,000. However, making a purchase from the grey market comes with its own set of pitfalls, some of which can be significant. Here’s a look at five of the biggest ones. 1. No assurance of authenticity:   No matter how well you know the dealer from whom you have bought the product, you have virtually any way of knowing that what you have got is a genuine, first-hand article. There is a chance that you might end up with a second-hand product that has been repackaged. 2. Absence of warranty and support:  Products purchased from the grey market are not covered by official warranty and support. So the Lord help you if something goes wrong with it – you will have to head right back to the grey market to get it repaired, without any assurance whatsoever that things will be fine. 3. No updates:  In the case of many grey market products, software updates are simply not possible. You therefore run the risk of not getting the latest improvements the company might have made to a product. Many people using pirated versions of Windows have been unable to install the special packages Microsoft released for the software. 4. Limited functionality:  A number of products will work only with limited functionality if you purchase them from â€Å"unofficial† sources. For example, those who have purchased their PS3 from the grey market might have trouble playing games online. 5. No receipt:  A grey market purchase being not strictly legal, you are unlikely to get a proper receipt for your product, which effectively prevents you from showing it in your accounts, when you head to the taxman to show your revenues and expenses. The Darker Shades of the Grey Market The grey market has long been an issue for manufacturers and their retailers, but the problem has grown exponentially because of the Internet. The simple definition of the grey market is â€Å"the sale of products by unauthorized dealers, frequently at discounted prices. † Grey market worries go way beyond the scuba industry. It is a global issue for manufacturers as large as Sony, Hewlett-Packard and Xerox, and a major worry for retailers as sophisticated as Best Buy. It is also a problem within numerous industries, some of which you wouldn't guess. For example, broadcasting has its grey market resellers of Dish Network and DIRECTV. And consider the wine business — for marketing purposes wine is sold for much less money in parts of Europe. Because of the price disparity it is possible to buy wine from an authorized distributor, say in France, and resell it in the United States, often for less than the wholesale price of a U. S. authorized distributor. No, the scuba equipment industry is not uniquely paranoid. You are not alone in your concernsGrey market goods are not necessarily illegal, so some ask, â€Å"What is the harm, especially when consumers can benefit from lower prices? † The answer is that the grey market undermines normal distribution channels. It does this in a number of ways. The most obvious is that products that are diverted to unauthorized resellers usually end up competing with a manufacturer's legitimate dealers with substantially lower prices. This devalues the products, reduces everyone's profits, and alienates the manufacturers' dealers. It also puts the manufacturers' network of dealers, and thus the manufacturers' future distribution, at risk. Pricing is a big issue. The argument that lower prices benefit consumers is grossly incorrect. In a service business the grey market winds up hurting everyone, including the consumer. As price cutting gets out of hand and retailers have to compete with price their margins suffer. Consider that, as a general rule, a 10 percent reduction in a retailer's gross profit requires the retailer to sell to 50 percent more customers to earn the same profit dollars. In a specialty business like scuba that increase is near impossible to achieve. The grey market puts the business of the legitimate dealers in jeopardy. That pressure goes up the line to the manufacturers who are forced to watch their dealer base dwindle, and/or make concessions to dealers to help them compete. Then manufacturer margins suffer. In diving, many companies work on slim net margins, so when the gross margins suffer†¦. Let's put the price and margin factors aside for a moment. Another large issue is that since manufacturers have no control over unauthorized dealers, products and brands can be devalued not just from (the consumer's perception that results from the) low pricing, but because of negative issues surrounding consumer protection, product integrity, service and warranties, and recall notifications. In short, when a manufacturer loses control of its distribution, negative consumer experiences can damage the goodwill and reputation of a brand. And finally, a manufacturer's product pricing structure includes its costs for marketing, promotion, product research and development, product liability and regulatory compliance. Although unauthorized resellers benefit from selling the products, they do not contribute to these expenses. It's a very important consideration that for consumers, the scuba business is as much about service as it is about equipment. The service component becomes such a tangible part of every product's retail price. The profit represents no less than your consumers' access to this sport. And anyone who thinks that price is the pressing issue for our customers doesn't understand the importance of service in the consumer's perception of a product's value. In other words, in this business consumers expect retailers to supply them all of the other (including the social) aspects of the sport. Of course, there's a limit to that loyalty when it's tested by low grey market prices. In short, anyone who thinks that the grey market's lower prices are good for consumers is wrong. It's a Tactical Issue Unauthorized dealers acquire products in a number of ways. In scuba, as in the wine example above, much of the product comes from overseas, where favorable exchange rates or pricing structures make America an attractive market. Unauthorized dealers also work to acquire product from sources within the authorized dealer network. I would like to emphasize again that people in the diving business tend to see their industry as paranoid, too provincial, too protective of retailers. But you are not. In fact, in all industries afflicted by the grey market, concerned manufacturers use a number of tactics to fight those sales. In the electronics industry, for example, Sony and many others won't honor the warranty on products bought through the grey market. The U. S. division of Nikon goes further. They will only service products that are purchased through an authorized retailer. It declines grey-market repairs even if a customer is willing to pay for them. Another lever that manufacturers use is the threat of prosecution of trademark laws to restrict advertisements for the products. So when grey market products are advertised on Web sites it is possible to petition for removal of advertisements that violate trademark or copyright laws. Our business, Net Enforcers, has been helping companies combat grey-market distribution of their wares. We understand the darker sides of the grey market because we work in a number of industries for some very large companies like Samsung and Sony as well as for many of the manufacturers in the scuba industry. The companies hire us as a private police force to monitor Web sites for illegal use of product photography, copyrighted product descriptions, trademark logos and branding material. We also look for false or fraudulent statements of warranty or statements to the effect that the manufacturer supports the product they sell. We're the plumbers, finding leaks in the distribution pipes through sophisticated methods of investigation. When we find sites that we suspect are illegitimate, we issue takedown notices, a method of copyright enforcement that compels Internet service providers to pull suspected copyright infringements. The purpose of this piece is to explain the problem that the grey market has become in many industries and why you are right to be concerned about it, and to encourage your industry to continue working to keep it in check. This s especially critical because the dive business is so safety- and service-oriented, and its retailers create diving's customers. It's why maintaining the integrity of brands, products and pricing requires an especially strong commitment to stay within the proper distribution channels. PRESENCE OF GREY MARKET: Grey Market is present in many industries. Some of them are: * Automobiles * Cell phones * Computer games * Pharmaceuticals * Pianos * Photographic equipm ent * Broadcasting * With securities * IPO * Electronics * Textbooks