Acceptance Testing  The running of a set of programs, under designated conditions, on a computer before the acceptance of the system by the customer.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)  A method of settling disputes without resorting to the legal courts. Examples include mediation and expert determination.

Application Service Provider (ASP)  A business that rents out the use of software running on its own servers to remote customers using a web-based connection to access the service.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)  The subcontracting by a business of some or all non-core business activities allowing it to concentrate on its principal activities.

Change Control  The process for changing customer requirements during a project.

Civil Procedure Rules (CPR)  The rules of practice and procedure that apply to the conduct of civil litigation in England and Wales.

Claimant  The person who brings a legal action before the courts in England and Wales (formerly called the plaintiff).

Competition Law  The law relating to the abuse of market power by buyers or sellers such as price fixing, cartel and the abuse of monopolies (also called antitrust law).

Cookie  A tag sent by a server to an internet user that is sent back to the server each time the internet user accesses that server.

Copyright  A right for the creator of an original literary, dramatic or musical work to prevent the copying of such work. The right lasts for the life of the creator plus 70 years. No registration is required in the United Kingdom.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)  An integrated information system that is used to run the pre-sales and post-sales activities of a business.

Database Right  A right under European law for the creator of a database to prevent the copying of such a database for 15 years. No registration is required.

Data Controller  A person who holds information about a living individual either on a computer or in structured manual records.

Data Subject  A living individual about whom another holds information on a computer or in structured manual records.

Decompiler  A program that generates high-level source code from machine code.

Design Right  A right to prevent the copying of the external appearance of a manufactured article. Such protection can last for 25 years from the time of registration.

Display Screen Equipment (DSE)  Computer monitors and any other screens that display text, numbers or graphics.

Dispute Resolution (DR)  The settling of an argument between two parties.

Distance Selling  A sale where the buyer and seller do not meet face to face, for example sales via the internet, sales catalogue, fax or telephone.

Domain Name  The address of an internet site, including a host name, subdomain and domain, separated by dots (e.g. www.bcs.org.uk).

Due Diligence  The process of investigation into a business or intellectual property rights before their purchase or entry into a contract relating to them.

Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)  The consolidation of European currencies into the monetary unit of the euro that began in 1999.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)  A software system designed to support and automate the business processes of medium and large businesses.

Escrow  The process of an independent third party holding something in readiness for a possible event. One example is an escrow agent holding the source code of software that would be released to a customer if the supplier became insolvent.

European Economic Area (EEA)  The countries of the member states of the European Union, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

Facilities Management  The management of a user’s computer installation by an outside organisation.

Force Majeure  A supervening event, such as a general strike or outbreak of war, that a contract provides will validly prevent one party to the contract from carrying out its obligations to the other party.

Framing  A method of including one page from the web within what appears to be another page.

Information Commissioner  A government official in the United Kingdom who holds a register of data controllers and enforces data protection legislation (formerly known as the Data Protection Registrar).

Information Technology (IT)  The application to information processing of current technologies from computing, telecommunications and microelectronics.

Intellectual Property Right (IPR)  Legal rights for the owners of inventions, designs and other materials to control their publication or use. Examples include patents, trade marks and copyright.

Interface  Software that enables a program to work with the user, with another program or with the computer’s hardware.

Joint Venture (JV)  An arrangement between two (or more) businesses under which they work jointly for a common purpose.

Linking  In a web page, the process of using a hypertext connection or highlighted piece of text to move the reader to another page.

Metatag  A tag that identifies the contents of a web page (such as a keyword for search engines).

Moral Right  The right of the author of a copyright literary work to be identified as its author and for the work not to be subjected to derogatory treatment.

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)  A contract between two parties under which one (or both) will keep various matters confidential.

Object Code  The list of machine code instructions produced by passing the source code of a computer program through a compiler or an assembler.

Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)  A misleading term for a business that repackages material made by other businesses. Unlike a value-added reseller, an OEM does not necessarily add anything except their name to a product.

Outsourcing  The assignment of tasks, such as payroll and data entry, to independent contractors outside the business.

Passing Off  The action of a business giving the impression that it is (or is linked to) another business. This may be by the use of a similar name or other marketing get-up or the appearance of a product.

Patent  A right granted by the state to an inventor of a new invention that, in return for a full public disclosure of the invention, the inventor will have a monopoly over the exploitation of the invention for up to 20 years.

Personal Data  Information about a living individual.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)  Damage to the hands, arms, neck, back or eyes due to computer use.

Respondent  The person against whom a legal action is brought in the courts in England and Wales (formally called the defendant).

Sensitive Personal Data  Information about a living individual that relates to their race, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, physical or mental health, sexual life or criminal record.

Service Level Agreement (SLA)  A contract between two organisations about the quality of service to be provided by one to the other.

Source Code  A textual description of a computer program, written in a programming language.

Spam  Email that is not requested by the recipient (the word is believed to have been taken from a repetitive Monty Python song).

Specification  In relation to software, a description of the operating environment and proposed features and functionality of a new program; in relation to computer hardware, information about its capabilities and features.

Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM)  A technology that is widely used for the analysis and design of IT systems.

Subject Access Request  The right under data protection legislation in the United Kingdom for an individual to ask a data controller what information it holds about that individual.

Systems Integration (SI)  The combining of different programs or components into a functional system.

Systems Procurement  The choice and purchase of a new computer system.

Technology and Construction Court (TCC)  A division of the High Court of England and Wales that deals with technically complex legal claims.

Trade Mark  A graphic sign that is capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one organisation from another. A trade mark can last indefinitely (including where it has been registered).

Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE)  Legislation in the United Kingdom that preserves the employment rights of individuals upon the sale of the business in which they work.

Value Added Tax  A sales tax applied in the United Kingdom.

Verification  The process of confirming that a result is correct or that a procedure has been performed.