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Entrepreneurs are taking advantage of a five-day grace period to sample millions of domain names (AP)
http://iht.com/articles/2007/02/20/business/names.php
Grace period for domain name registration being abused
http://bizreport.com/2007/02/period_of_grace_for_domain_name_registration_being_abused.html
Domain Registration Loophole
http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2007/02/19/domain-registration-loophole
Big names may not prevail in domain disputes
http://news.com.com/2010-1030_3-6160795.html
Cerf: Internet is a reflection of society
http://infoworld.com/article/07/02/21/HNinternetreflectsociety_1.html
DNS attack puts in perspective
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1653053785;fp;2;fpid;3
Google sues Polish poets over gmail.pl
http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20070217-111155-9747r
Registerfly on the fly, ICANN on the run
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/19/registerfly_angry_customers/
Anger and fear as domain firm slowly implodes
http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=F4D808F5-530F-4F5B-BECF-F87EA05CBF15
Doubts over internet porn domain
http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=7363F661-74C2-4483-9AF0-7CC0CD6D3E8B

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DOMAIN NAMES
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Entrepreneurs are taking advantage of a five-day grace period to sample millions of domain names (AP)
This Associated Press story compares buying clothing to domain names - with the practice of domain tasting akin to buying clothes on a credit card in that one has a period in which one can return both. The article notes "entrepreneurs have turned the return policy into a loophole for generating big bucks". Further, "Experts believe spammers and scam artists are also starting to use the grace period as a source of free, disposable Web addresses." The article also notes there were an "average tasting of 1.2 million names each day in December, compared with 7,200 two years earlier" using data from Name Intelligence while "Legitimate registrations made up 2 percent of the registrations at the end of 2006, down from about half in 2004." Another point the article makes is of "A newer variant, sometimes called 'kiting,'" that "involves the same company reregistering the same name every fourth or fifth day to hang onto it in perpetuity, without ever paying for it."
http://iht.com/articles/2007/02/20/business/names.php
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-02-19-web-address-sampling_x.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17237209/
http://blog.lextext.com/blog/_archives/2007/2/20/2751452.html
Grace period for domain name registration being abused
A grace period, which was originally put in place to allow purchasers to double-check their proposed internet address, has proved a lucrative loophole for entrepreneurs and spammers.
http://bizreport.com/2007/02/period_of_grace_for_domain_name_registration_being_abused.html
http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2007/02/16/misspellings-as-business-names
Cybersquatters Gamble on Possible Web Gold
It may not be as sexy as winning the Powerball or Texas Hold 'Em, but there are people who hope to cash in on the famous and possibly soon-to-be famous.
http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=2385290&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Domain Registration Loophole
It's always satisfying to learn something new about an industry, and today brings to light a marketing practice, I never knew existed. AP explores a loophole with domain registration, which allows anyone to return a registered domain name within 5 days and get a full refund. This has led to hundreds of thousands of domain speculators and search arbitragers registering domain names, testing which ones do well for type-in traffic, and getting a full refund on any duds.
http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2007/02/19/domain-registration-loophole
Big names may not prevail in domain disputes
There was a time when it seemed that powerful trademark holders generally prevailed when they sought the transfer of Internet domain names that contained their trademarks. But recent decisions show that domain name registrants have a fighting chance under certain circumstances.
http://news.com.com/2010-1030_3-6160795.html
Cerf: Internet is a reflection of society
The Internet is a mirror of the population that uses it, said Google's vice president and chief Internet evangelist Vinton Cerf said in reference to the proliferation of fraud, social abuse, and other online crimes. "If you stand in front of a mirror and you don't like what you see, it does not help to fix the mirror," Cerf said.
http://infoworld.com/article/07/02/21/HNinternetreflectsociety_1.html
http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2987/070221cerf/
http://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=28931
Internet is beyond political control: Cerf
This article in The Hindu quotes Vint Cerf saying "It is a huge, new democratic opportunity and beyond any one agency's political control." Further, "Nations had tried to control portions of the Internet for their own national goals ? but the Net is too ubiquitous for any single agency to throttle, Dr. Cerf said. "No one owns the Internet ? but there must be some agencies to make it work."
http://thehindu.com/2007/02/21/stories/2007022100661500.htm
DNS attack puts in perspective
A few years ago, the author of this article had the privilege of seeing some root DNS servers in action at VeriSign's main headquarters. It's something he had wanted to do for over a decade, and he was literally slightly shaking with excitement. Physical security was high. It took three-factor authentication to get me past the two mantraps and the bomb-blast protected walls. His escort had to use handprint geometry, a PIN, a smart card, and a retinal scan to get me into the inner sanctum. 
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1653053785;fp;2;fpid;3
http://www.csoonline.com.au/index.php/id;1653053785;fp;16;fpid;0
http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;1653053785;fp;2;fpid;3
Google sues Polish poets over gmail.pl
Google has launched legal action against a group of Polish poets, demanding that they give up their Internet domain name gmail.pl, a member of the cultural collective said Friday. Google claims the group of poets, known as "Grupa Mlodych Artystow i Literatow," or Group of Young Artists and Writers, has no rights to gmail.pl. The group claims they have no intention to give up the name.
http://www.metimes.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20070217-111155-9747r
http://www.techshout.com/internet/2007/17/google-sues-polish-poets-gmailpl-web-site/
Registerfly on the fly, ICANN on the run
The Register questions the role of ICANN in this article about Registerfly - a US-based registrar that has 900,000 customers and 2 million domain names. The Register asks "just what is ICANN responsible for, anyway?" Apparently there is a power struggle between two Registerfly partners with customers left "scrambling to recover domains that were not automatically renewed as agreed, or were paid for and for no apparent reason allowed to lapse well before the agreed upon expiration date." The Register asks"what of ICANN's decision to simply refer customers back to Registerfly, when the reason they are contacting ICANN in the first place is for a problem concerning domain registration that Registerfly either cannot or will not resolve on its own? If ICANN itself is either unable or unwilling to handle a problem of this magnitude, what is the point of having ICANN around?" The Register concludes "With ICANN watching from the sidelines, customers can only hope that local or federal authorities will step in. Stay tuned.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/19/registerfly_angry_customers/
http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/3a8a80d6f705f8cc/id/229050/cs/1/
Anger and fear as domain firm slowly implodes
Domain name industry overseer ICANN is today expected to take 'decisive action' to help protect the approximately 900,000 domains that customers of scandal-ridden registrar Registerfly.com believe are in danger of being lost.
http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=F4D808F5-530F-4F5B-BECF-F87EA05CBF15
http://computerwire.com/industries/research/?pid=A513D2DC%2D83C8%2D47BE%2D94F5%2D3580F36F87CE
Doubts over internet porn domain
The resurrected proposal to open an internet domain reserved for porn web sites is looking less likely to succeed, with ICANN's board of directors last week expressing 'serious concerns' about it.
http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=7363F661-74C2-4483-9AF0-7CC0CD6D3E8B
http://davidneal.itweek.co.uk/2007/02/any_old_xxxcuse.html
ICANN Publishes Revision to Proposed ICM (.XXX) Registry Agreement for Public Comment
Consistent with the direction given by the ICANN Board as described in the Preliminary Report of the 12 February 2007 Special Meeting of the Board, ICANN today posted for public comment a revised Appendix S of the proposed registry agreement with ICM (sponsoring organisation for the proposed .XXX registry).
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-05jan07.htm
ICANN Ombudsman Releases Report
The ICANN Office of the Ombudsman has released a report concerning the At-Large Advisory Committee and its handling of an application for At-Large Status. The Ombudsman's Report contains twelve recommendations.
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-15feb07.htm
Final Reports of the 2005 and 2006 Nominating Committee
The Final Reports of the 2005 and 2006 Nominating Committee have been prepared by the Chair, George Sadowsky. The purpose of the Final Reports is to provide a clear, transparent and well-documented account of the background, design, motivation and execution of the Nominating Committee?s selection process.
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-20feb07.htm
New Way To Resolve .nz Domain Name Disputes (reg req'd)
New Zealand has recently adopted a new dispute resolution procedure for resolving .nz domain name disputes. Under the new procedure, you can lodge a complaint with InternetNZ where a third party has registered or is using a domain name that is identical or similar to a name in which you have rights. This came into effect on 1 June 2006. 
http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=46336
Runet: domain registration market assessed
RU-Center estimated the domain registration market in 2006 at 375mln rubles ($14mln). 15% of the sum was spent to support the domain RU infrastructure, the rest 85% on registrars. The number of second-level domain names grew by 60% and is expected to reach 1mln in autumn.
http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2007/02/16/236272
us: National Arbitration Forum Reports 21% Increase in 2006 Domain Name Filings (news release)
The National Arbitration Forum reports that their domain name disputes resolutions increased by 21% in 2006 compared to 2005. The National Arbitration Forum handled 1,658 Internet trademark disputes in 2006, making it the largest filing year since the inception of their domain name dispute program. Notable disputes involved famous trademarks such as George Foreman, Stevie Wonder, Vin Diesel, Louis Vuitton and the New York Yankees.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070220005436&newsLang=en
http://prweb.com/releases/2007/2/prweb505898.htm
Freeparking gives Kiwis Australian domain names (news release)
Domain name registrar, hosting and email solutions company, Freeparking, has launched a service providing New Zealand businesses with Australian .com.au and .net.au domain names.
http://m-net.net.nz/latest-news/1442/freeparking-gives-kiwis-australian-domain-names-/1/read.php
MelbIT reaps WebCentral rewards
DOMAIN name registrar Melbourne IT has reported a 42 per cent increase in revenue for the 12 months to December 31 as it begins to reap benefits from its $64 million acquisition of WebCentral Group.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21257037%5e15306%5e%5enbv%5e15306,00.html
NetRegistry expands hosting business
INTERNET services firm NetRegistry has bought the assets of domain name and web hosting outfit PlanetDomain from Primus Telecommunications for about $8 million.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21250525%5E15318%5Enbv%5E,00.html
http://thewhir.com/marketwatch/021907_NetRegistry_Acquires_PlanetDomain.cfm
http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;977563753;fp;2;fpid;1
McAfee wins against cybersquatters
In an impressive victory by McAfee Limited against the Cyber Squatters, who are posing the great threat to the domain names of rightful owners, McAfee wins the disputed domain name www.mcafee.co.in in its favour.
http://www.pr-inside.com/in-an-impressive-victory-by-mcafee-r54470.htm
European Commission is the villain over .eu controversy
European Commissioner Vivianne Reding the internet's biggest villain of the year, according to UK internet service providers. She was given the title by the ISP Association (ISPA) in protest at the rules for registering a .eu domain name.
http://out-law.com/page-7792
Dotster Settles with Neiman Marcus over Typosquatting
Domain registrar Dotster has settled a lawsuit brought by Neiman Marcus. David Steele, an attorney with Christie, Parker & Hale LLP that represented Neiman Marcus, said Neiman Marcus has settled with domain registrar Dotster over typosquatting charges.
http://domainnamewire.com/2007/02/19/dotster-settles-with-neiman-marcus-over-typosquatting/
Tale of Two Tandbergs: Tandberg Pays Tandberg Data $1.5 Million for Tandberg.com
The first 7-figure sale to come to light in 2007 is now on the books. Two Norwegian public companies actually completed their $1.5 million deal for Tandberg.com at the end of December but it just became public knowledge when Tandberg Data released a fourth quarter financial highlights report
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2007/domainsales02-20-07.htm
John Wants His Domain Name
The generic domain name John.com has received 17 bids at domain aftermarket Sedo and has met its reserve. The auction will end February 23. You can expect this one to go much higher in the coming days.
http://domainnamewire.com/2007/02/20/john-wants-his-domain-name/

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OTHER INTERNET NEWS
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uk: Amnesty: ISPs must protect free speech
The human rights group Amnesty International has called on internet service providers to do more to protect free speech online. Speaking at the annual awards dinner held last week by the Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA), Amnesty's campaigns director, Tim Hancock, told delegates that: "Web users and service providers alike have a responsibility to keep alive the things that have made the internet great ? its democracy, its freedom and the way it gives people access to knowledge and the opportunity to participate and be heard, in a way that was unthinkable 45 years ago".
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39285974,00.htm
us: Eli Lilly Loses Effort to Censor Zyprexa Documents Off the Internet- Judge Rescinds Injunction Against Wiki, Other Websites
Judge Rescinds Injunction Against Wiki, Other Websites New York - A U.S. District Court judge today refused Eli Lilly's request to ban a number of websites from publishing leaked documents relating to Zyprexa, Eli Lilly's top-selling drug. Although the judge rejected the First Amendment arguments made by a variety of individuals eager to publish the documents, the court concluded that "it is unlikely that the court can now effectively enforce an injunction against the Internet in its various manifestations, and it would constitute a dubious manifestation of public policy were it to attempt to do so." The order is a victory for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which represents an anonymous individual who was previously barred by the court's earlier orders from posting links to the Zyprexa documents on the zyprexa.pbwiki.com wiki.
http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=1685
us: Some states pushing for laws to curb online bullying (AP)
Ryan Patrick Halligan was bullied for months online. Classmates sent the 13-year-old Essex Junction, Vt., boy instant messages calling him gay. He was threatened, taunted and insulted incessantly by so-called cyberbullies. In 2003, Ryan killed himself.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/02/21/1171733830518.html
eu: Safer Internet Day - Reding welcomes self regulating industry moves
Vivian Reding, European commissioner for telecommunications and media scored another major victory for European citizens last week when leading European mobile operators signed up to measures aimed at protecting minors from accessing pornography and hate speech on cell phones.
http://www.neurope.eu/view_news.php?id=70192
uk: Privacy row as checks on phones and e-mails hit 439,000
Almost 450,000 requests were made to monitor people?s telephone calls, e-mails and post by secret agencies and other authorised bodies in just over a year, the spying watchdog said yesterday. In the first report of its kind from the Interceptions of Communications Commissioner, it was also revealed that nearly 4,000 errors were reported in a 15-month period from 2005 to 2006. While most appeared to concern ?lower-level data? such as requests for telephone lists and individual e-mail addresses, 67 were mistakes concerning direct interception of communications.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1409395.ece
http://out-law.com/page-7788
us: Man sues IBM over firing, says he's an Internet addict (AP)
A man who was fired by IBM for visiting an adult chat room at work is suing the company for $5 million, claiming he is an Internet addict who deserves treatment and sympathy rather than dismissal.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/18/chat.room.lawsuit.ap/index.html
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article1407070.ece
Anti Spyware Coalition - Best Practices: Factors for Use in the Evaluation of Potentially Unwanted Technologies
In October 2005, the ASC released its Working Report -- Definitions and Supporting Documents, which defined the term "Spyware (and Other Potentially Unwanted Technologies)." One of the key tenets underlying that definition was that it was ultimately up to the user to determine whether a technology's behavior is wanted or unwanted. A piece of technology that exhibits behaviors unwanted by users in one context may offer enough benefits that it becomes wanted by the same users in another, particularly if the technology in question is offered with proper notice, consent, and user control. The report offers a table documenting types of underlying technologies and short descriptions of reasons why a certain implementation of an underlying technology may be wanted and why a different implementation of the same underlying technology may be unwanted.
http://antispywarecoalition.org/documents/BestPractices.htm
au: Ticket-dodging Oz boy racer boasts of exploits online
A 22-year-old Aussie driver who decided to ignore a "major defect notice" on his Nissan 200 SX was busted after rather brilliantly boasting of his escape from cops in an internet chat room.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/21/oz_boy_racer/
au: Australian PM heart-attack email carries virus
A fake breaking news report claiming that John Howard had a heart attack is being circulated by spammers in an attempt to hijack Australians' computers.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/02/20/1171733729115.html
jp: Report: Survey shows growing number of Japanese fear Internet crimes
An increasing number of Japanese fear they may become the victims of crime on the Internet, according to a government survey reported by Japanese newspapers.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/02/21/1171733813043.html
Europe?s Plan to Track Phone and Net Use
A proposed law would require companies to keep detailed data about people?s Internet and phone use.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/business/worldbusiness/20privacy.html
uk: Government backs digital lockdown
Calls to ban Digital Rights Management to limit what people can do with digital media have been rejected.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6381853.stm
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6160760.html
us: Neutrality On the Net Gets High '08 Profile
Bloggers and other Internet activists made their marks in the past two presidential elections chiefly by building networks of political enthusiasts and raising money for candidates. Now, they are pushing aggressively into policymaking -- and not just over high-profile issues such as Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/19/AR2007021900934.html
us: More states move to ban Internet hunting
A Texas businessman who wanted to allow computer users to hunt from the comfort of their homes has instead spawned dozens of state laws banning the practice.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/4562715.html
us: FDA warns of dangers of ordering drugs over the Internet (AP)
Consumers who thought they were purchasing sleep aids, antidepressants and other drugs over the Internet instead were shipped a powerful anti-psychotic, sending some unwitting victims to the emergency room, federal health officials warned Friday.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/16715633.htm
us: Privacy Groups Hit ISP Data Storage Bill
Led by Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, eight Republican U.S. House members have filed legislation that would give Attorney General Alberto Gonzales broad powers to require Internet service providers (ISPs) to retain customer data.
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3660201
us: Senator wants to ban 'deceptive' video game ratings
A U.S. Senate Republican with presidential ambitions has renewed his push to slap new regulations on the video and computer game industry, including a ban on "deceptive" labels by ratings outfits.
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6159413.html
au: Crooks behind spam deluge
THE Australian Communications and Media Authority has launched a series of investigations into possible breaches of local anti-spamming laws following its successful prosecution of a Perth spammer last year.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21253207%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html
us: How to avoid spam avalanche
The tech quandary for many small businesses isn't about building a better website or when to buy Microsoft's new Vista operating system. It's an old problem managers thought they'd already licked: spam.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-02-20-spam-usat_x.htm
Norwegian newspaper publisher finds the secret to profiting online
After catching up on the latest news flashes on the death of Anna Nicole Smith, visitors to www.vg.no, the online version of the biggest-selling tabloid newspaper in Norway, can get their minds back to business by scrolling down the page ? to the oil company earnings reports. ... At a time when other newspaper companies lament a loss of readers and advertisers, Schibsted is thriving. No profit warnings here: Earnings rose 28 percent in the fourth quarter. Online operations will generate about 20 percent of the company's revenue this year, according to analysts at Kaupthing, a bank based in Reykjavik, even as many other big newspaper publishers struggle to reach the 10 percent mark. Perhaps more important, at least for investors, online businesses will provide nearly 60 percent of the company's operating earnings by next year, the Kaupthing analysts predict. Schibsted has become so emblematic of online success that Bharat Anand, a professor at Harvard Business School, is writing one of the institution's well-known case studies on the company.
http://iht.com/articles/2007/02/18/business/papers.php
uk: PC World plans to offer carbon-neutral PC
PC World is planning to offer a carbon-neutral computer to PC users concerned about the environmental impact of technology. The computer will be built using recycled materials and the most energy-efficient components available, the company said, but that alone will not be enough to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article1413553.ece
Flame First, Think Later: New Clues to E-Mail Misbehavior
Social neuroscience offers clues into the neural mechanics behind sending messages that are taken as offensive, embarrassing or downright rude.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/health/psychology/20essa.html
Mobiles to drive net growth - Cerf
GOOGLE vice president and chief internet evangelist Vinton Cerf has predicted that mobile phones, not personal computers, will fuel growth of the worldwide web.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21262140%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html
au: Phone 'debt trap' snares tweens
A NEW study by controversial think-tank The Australia Institute warns that children as young as six are being targeted in a bid for "cradle to the grave" brand loyalty.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21245180-421,00.html
au: Mobiles destroying childhood
WHILE the average parent usually buys their child a mobile telephone with security in mind, researchers at the Australia Institute have condemned the marketing of mobiles to children as promoting consumerism and destroying childhood.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21247016%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html
Email obsession costing millions
The woman who has come up with a plan to help email obsessives says the problem is costing companies millions of dollars in lost productivity.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/998790
Hard disk test 'surprises' Google
The impact of heavy use and high temperatures on hard disk drive failure may be overstated, says a report by three Google engineers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6376021.stm
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/9756/1103/

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Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>.
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(c) David Goldstein 2007

 
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David Goldstein
address: 4/3 Abbott Street
COOGEE NSW 2034
AUSTRALIA
email: Goldstein_David &#167;yahoo.com.au
phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home)

"Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery

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