First Journal Entry

In our on-demand world we are becoming comfortable and familiar with the online banking of our money, and the online purchase of products and related services. With a few clicks people, small businesses and large organizations easily check their bank accounts, move funds, and pay bills. A few clicks more and they purchase anything, anywhere, anytime.

Online companies employ solutions to disclose how they handle people's information. However, little direct, on-demand control is provided to the actual owners of the information.

That’s not good enough in a world where people want to share their entire personal health records with a personal physician but only share precise parts of it with an impersonal insurance company. Fear factors are still keeping people from becoming comfortable with posting their personal health information into online accounts.

Nor is it good enough in a world of international product supply chains providing dangerous toys and potential ‘mad cow’ meat products to unsuspecting consumers. Unscrupulous supply chain participants will always try to hide in the ‘fog’ of their supply chains. The manufacturers of safe products want to differentiate themselves from the manufacturers of unsafe products. But, again, fear factors keep the good manufacturers from posting information online that may put them at a competitive disadvantage to downstream competitors.

William James, the American Philosopher, said that "[t]he instinct of ownership is fundamental in man's nature." This blog is dedicated to exploring data ownership vis-a-vis the emerging Semantic Web. The exploration will balance the how (the technological aspects) with the why (the socio-politico-legal aspects) with the who (the players).

It should be an interesting journey.

CalfAID Director Testifies To International Trade Commission

U.S. beef exports rely on both trace back and trace forward

Washington, D.C., November 15, 2007 — Dr. Kris Ringwall testified today before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) regarding the critical economic relationships between U.S. beef exports and the source of those exports, the U.S. cow calf producer. The U.S. Senate has requested the ITC to investigate the effects of animal health, sanitary, and food safety measures on global beef trade and the impact of these and other restrictions on U.S. beef exports.

Dr. Ringwall, a livestock specialist, is Director of the Dickinson Research Extension Center for North Dakota State University. In that capacity he manages the CalfAID™ program, a process verified program developed through the USDA which provides third-party verification for age and source of beef cattle for members of the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association (NDBCIA). He also serves as Executive Secretary of the NDBCIA.

Dr. Ringwall acknowledged the contribution of Steve Holcombe, CEO of Pardalis, Inc. to a critical proposition made during his testimony - that information is now being produced as a new product along agricultural supply chains.

“There is much uncertainty surrounding calf marketing,” Ringwall said. “The national and international discussion about age and source verification has heightened that uncertainty.”

“The challenge is to effectuate regulations that are inclusive of small producers,” Ringwall said, quoting Holcombe. “and that recognize that there now are two distinct products being produced along agricultural supply chains today: (1) the traditional livestock product (the calf), and (2) an informational product that describes the pedigree of the traditional product.”

“Today's producer markets a calf but also markets the information about that calf, a process that is still struggling in the pens and alleyways of the cattle business,” said Ringwall. “The free marketplace determines calf value, but the value of the information associated with the calf has not been determined. But one point is becoming very clear; the actual information contains the keys to unlock the various doors needed to enter the more complex market place, not only domestically but internationally.”

“By placing value on the calf and the accompanying data, we must also go one step further and accept the fact that there are two additional principles at work – trace back and trace forward,” Ringwall said. “The discussion of marketing is strongly related to trace forward, the process of presenting to the market, the world, a product and data package capable of providing future assurance of the authenticity of the product offered and accompanying data package.”

The CalfAID™ program was developed by the NDBCIA, North Dakota State University and Dickinson State University, and approved through the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in 2006.

“Our producers have become keenly aware that trace back, primarily a function of health, sanitary, and food safety, is also critical and understand the need to maintain effective health regulations, even if such regulations present themselves as trade barriers,” Ringwall said.

“Trace forward is a sequential step that, when combined with trace back, creates a synergism between what was, what is and what will be, relative to authenticated producer products involved in domestic and export markets,” Ringwall said. “Animal identification and disease management are closely linked and work together.”

“The beef industry needs a modern, effective system of individual accountability, a system respectful of local concerns, realistic in response to pathogenic challenges, but responsive to industry needs and consumer desires for both animals and people,” Ringwall said. “And given guidance, our producers are up to any challenge.”

The ITC will report the findings of its investigations to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Finance by June 6, 2008.

In an earlier news release made October 26, 2007, U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) announced the invitation extended to Dr. Ringwall by the International Trade Commission. “The invitation for Dr. Ringwall to testify is recognition of the expertise he has gained as one of the lead investigators in a joint project between North Dakota State University and Dickinson State University aimed at ensuring the safety of the nation’s food supply using cutting-edge technology,” the announcement stated. “Senator Dorgan has secured $6.6 million in federal funding to support the research project, and has included another $1.8 million in the pending Fiscal Year 2008 Agriculture Appropriations bill to continue the work.”

About the United States International Trade Commission

The United States International Trade Commission is an independent, quasi-judicial Federal agency with broad investigative responsibilities on matters of trade. The Commission serves as a Federal resource where trade data and other trade policy-related information are gathered and analyzed. The information and analysis are provided to the President, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and Congress to facilitate the development of sound and informed U.S. trade policy. The Commission makes most of its information and analysis available to the public to promote understanding of international trade issues. For more information, see http://www.usitc.gov/.

About the CalfAID™ Process Verified Program

For more information, see http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/2005/102705/02beefta.htm.

About the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association

For more information, see http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/dickinso/chaps/ndbcia.htm.

About the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center

For more information, see http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/dickinso/.

About the Agro-security Resource Center at Dickinson State University

For more information, see http://www2.dsu.nodak.edu/users/agrosec/index.htm.

About Pardalis, Inc.

Pardalis' mission is to introduce the sharing of confidential, trustworthy and traceable data along complex and poorly coordinated supply chains with innovative Common Point Authoring™ methods for protecting the ownership rights of information producers. For more information, see the white paper, Banking on Granular Information Ownership, retrievable from http://www.pardalis.com.

Pardalis CEO Presents to Beijing Food Traceability Symposium

How granular information ownership adds trace-forward to traceback

Beijing, China, October 18, 2007 — Steve Holcombe, CEO of Pardalis, Inc., presented today to the International Symposium on Certification and Traceability for Food Safety and Quality held in the Central Garden Hotel, Beijing, China. Mr. Holcombe submitted his paper Banking on Granular Information Ownership.

“There are two products being produced by farmers around the world today,” said Holcombe. “One is the traditional agricultural product itself whether that be a livestock product or a crop. The other is an information product that, if shared, can inform downstream consumers about the safety and quality of the agricultural product.”.

“Pardalis is introducing granular information ownership in the form of affordable internet services that empower even the smallest agricultural producers with the ability to trace-forward their information products,” Holcombe said. “Information sharing systems for tracing information forward should be seriously considered for complimenting existing industry and governmental traceback systems for the purpose of increasing the sharing of trustworthy informational products by farmers.”

The symposium is organized and sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (USDA/ERS), Institute for Food and Agricultural Standards (IFAS) at Michigan State University, and Mead Johnson Nutritionals.

Opening remarks for the two day meeting were made by the representative of the Chinese Minister of Agriculture, Ms. Zhang Yuxiang, Chief Economist of the Minister of Agriculture, Director General, Department of Markets and Economic Information; the representative of the United States, Dr. Betsey Kuhn, Director, Food Economics Division, USDA/ERS; Prof. Zhang Lijian, Vice President, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS); Prof. Ma Aiguo, Director General, Agri-food Quality and Safety Center, Chinese Ministry of Agriculture; and Prof. Ian Gray, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Michigan State University (MSU).

Keynote presentations were provided by Prof. Lawrence Busch, Distinguished Professor, IFAS, Michigan State University; and Prof. Jin Fazhong, Deputy Director General, Agro-food Quality and Safety Center, Chinese Ministry of Agriculture.

Other symposium papers were submitted and presented by Prof. Sterling Andrew Starbird, Operations & Management Informations Systems, Santa Clara University, California; Prof. Ye Zhihua, Director General, Institute of Quality Standards & Testing Technology of Agro-Products, CAAS; Prof. David Jukes, Senior Lecturer in Food Regulation, The University of Reading, U.K.; Dr. Deepa Thiagarajan, Assistant Professor, MSU; Prof. Feng Zhongze, Senior Agronomist, Agro-food Quality and Safety Center, Chinese Ministry of Agriculture; Mr. Peter Sousa Hoejskov, Associate Professional Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Prof. Liu Shihong, Director of Key Laboratory of Agricultural Information Technology, Agricultural Information Institute, CAAS; Ms. Jean C. Buzby and Dr. Fred Gale, Senior Economists, USDA/ERS; Prof. Shou Yingheng, Dean, College of Economic Management, Nanjing Agricultural University; Ms. Zhang Wen, Deputy General Manager of Department of Quality Management, Yili Group Company Ltd.; Prof. Yang Shuming, Director of Animal Products Lab, Institute of Agricultural Quality Standard and Testing Technology, CAAS; Mr. Ma Mingzhu, General Manager, Dongsheng Farm, Guangdong Province; Mr. Daniel March, Director, Food Safety Global Quality Assurance, Mead Johnson Nutritionals; Mr. Li Yang, Director General, Green Food Development, Center of Heilongjiang Province; Ms. Linda Calvin, Economist, USDA/ERS; Ms. Song Yi, Director, Aquatic Products Certification Branch Center, Center for Agro-products Quality and Safety, Ministry of Agriculture; Mr. Luis Flores, MSU; and Mr. Gao Shan, Senior Research Fellow, Beijing Ruide Jinsui Information Technology Center.

“I was very fortunate to be invited to present at this symposium, and to experience the friendliness of the Chinese people,” Holcombe said. “For those interested in more information about the presentation, please see the paper, Banking on Granular Information Ownership, retrievable from Pardalis’ homepage.”

About the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture

The Ministry of Agriculture handles farm-level food safety regulations and policies. One of its most important duties is to regulate and enforce the use of chemicals, pollutants, and pesticides on farms. The Ministry of Agriculture is also responsible for animal health, and has handled the bird flu (avian influenza) outbreaks and the mad cow disease prevention measures. The Ministry of Agriculture works with local governments, operates disease research laboratories, and administers vaccinations and emergency response measures. See Food Safety in the People's Republic of China’ in Wikipedia.org.

About the United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (USDA/ERS)

The mission of the USDA/ERS is to be a primary source of economic information and research in the USDA. The USDA/ERS conducts research to inform public and private decision-making on economic and policy issues involving food, farming, natural resources, and rural development.

About the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)

The mission of the CAAS is to conduct the task of the agricultural research sponsored by the People's Republic of China.

Institute of Food and Agricultural Standards (IFAS)

The mission of the IFAS at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan is to raise fundamental issues with respect to equity, fairness and transparency of food and agricultural standards at the local, national and international levels.

About Mead Johnson Nutritionals

Mead Johnson Nutritionals, a Bristol-Myers Squibb company, is a world leader in nutrition, dedicated to providing infants and children with the best possible start in life. The company’s Chinese facilities are located in Guangzhou, China.

About Pardalis, Inc.

Pardalis' mission is to introduce the sharing of confidential, trustworthy and traceable data along complex and poorly coordinated supply chains with innovative Common Point Authoring™ methods for protecting the ownership rights of information producers. For more information, call 877-OWN-DATA (in the United States) or visit http://www.pardalis.com.

Chinese Patent Issued

Patent protection for Common Point Authoring system is globally spreading

BEIJING, CHINA, September 17, 2007 —Pardalis, Inc. announced today that a notification has been received from the Chinese government following their review of Pardalis' U.S. Patent #6,671,696. The Pardalis 696 Patent was issued by the United States in 2003 and is entitled ‘Informational object authoring and distribution system’. The notification received from China signifies that an equivalent Chinese patent was granted on June 20, 2007 and numbered as ZL02820809.9. The term of the patent will be in force until August 13, 2022.

Pardalis' 696 patent is also known as the parent patent for the Common Point Authoring™ system. The critical benefit and characteristic of the Common Point Authoring™ system is granular information ownership.

“China now joins Australia, Mexico and New Zealand as countries which have either issued patents to Pardalis or are in the process of doing so,” said Steve Holcombe, Pardalis’ CEO. “We also expect similar actions by 2009 from Brazil, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India and Japan.”

““We are very pleased with the spreading of global patent protections for the Common Point Authoring™ system,” Holcombe said. “More detailed information about the Common Point Authoring™ system is available in our recent white paper, Banking on Granular Information Ownership, retrievable from Pardalis’ homepage.”

About Pardalis, Inc.

Pardalis' mission is to promote the sharing of confidential, trustworthy and traceable data along complex and poorly coordinated supply chains with innovative Common Point Authoring™ methods for protecting the granular ownership rights of information producers. For more information, call 877-OWN-DATA or visit http://www.pardalis.com.

Mexican Patent Allowance Notification Received

Patent protection for Common Point Authoring system is globally spreading

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO, July 27, 2007 —Pardalis, Inc. announced today that a notification has been received from the Mexican government following their review of Pardalis' U.S. Patent #6,671,696. The Pardalis 696 Patent was issued by the United States in 2003 and is entitled ‘Informational object authoring and distribution system’. The notification received from Mexico signifies that an equivalent Mexican patent will soon issue.

Pardalis' 696 patent is also known as the parent patent for the Common Point Authoring™ system. The critical benefit and characteristic of the Common Point Authoring™ system is granular information ownership.

“Mexico now joins Australia, China and New Zealand as countries which have either issued patents to Pardalis or are in the process of doing so,” said Steve Holcombe, Pardalis’ CEO. “We also have hopes for similar actions in the near future from Brazil, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India and Japan.”

““We are very pleased with the spreading of global patent protections for the Common Point Authoring™ system,” Holcombe said,” Holcombe said. “More detailed information about the Common Point Authoring™ system is available in our recent white paper, Banking on Granular Information Ownership, retrievable from Pardalis’ homepage.”

About Pardalis, Inc.

Pardalis' mission is to promote the sharing of confidential, trustworthy and traceable data along complex and poorly coordinated supply chains with innovative Common Point Authoring™ methods for protecting the granular ownership rights of information producers. For more information, call 877-OWN-DATA or visit http://www.pardalis.com.