Archives Donated from World's Leading Technology Law Association to Offer Rare Insights into Development of Technology Law.

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- Archives of publications, conference proceedings and special reports donated to the Computer History Museum by the world's leading technology law association will soon offer Museum visitors a rare glimpse into the development of technology law from the infancy of the PC industry in 1985-86 to what is now a mainstream global marketplace.

"Over the past two decades, technology industries have become the largest and most important drivers of the global economy," said Susan L. Donegan, Executive Director of the International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw). "Over that time, law practice has evolved to support the adoption of technology products and services by billions of consumers worldwide. We are pleased that these ITechLaw documents will be preserved by the Computer History Museum and available as a knowledge resource for decades to come."

Plans call for ITechLaw paper archives to be scanned and made available as electronic, searchable documents on Computer History Museum servers, according to Donegan.

How much have computer and communications technology changed over the past two decades? Here are some of the highlights in technology development from 1985-86 from the Computer History Museum Web site:

--The first general-interest CD-ROM product released in 1985 -- "Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia;"

--The modern Internet also gained support in 1985 when the National Science Foundation formed the NSFNET, linking five supercomputer centers at Princeton University, Pittsburgh, University of California at San Diego, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Cornell University. However, commercial use of the Internet was still six years away;

--In 1986, Compaq beat IBM to market with the first personal computer, based on Intel's 32-bit 80386 microprocessor. It would be another four years before the introduction of the first truly successful version of Microsoft Windows (Windows 3.0), built to exploit the capabilities of the 80386 chip;

--Also in 1986, Steve Jobs paid $10 million to purchase the Special Effects Computer Group at Lucasfilm, establishing the independent computer animation production company, Pixar. In January, The Walt Disney Company acquired Pixar for $7.4 billion, valuing Jobs' stake in Pixar at $3.9 billion.

About the International Technology Law Association

Founded in 1971, ITechLaw is the world's premier organization representing lawyers in the technology sector. The organization has more than 1100 members worldwide, representing six continents and a broad spectrum of expertise.

In addition to serving as a forum for members to discuss a wide range of legal issues, the association regularly organizes conferences that explore cutting-edge issues and trends in both information technology and intellectual property law.

For more information, visit the ITechLaw Web site at www.itechlaw.org.