Don't forget to check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! Headlines from the 30 July edition of the news include: Call for Domain Owner Code of Rights and Responsibilities by Robert A. Connor | How to battle of the botnets: Why we're losing the fight against botnets | ICANN Starts Consultation on How to Protect Registrants | Defending the Typosquatter by Bret Fausett The domain name news is supported by auDA. And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Podcaster loses cybersquat of 'Simpsons Movie' site (Reuters) http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/1255116 WIPO Rules for 'The Simpsons' (AP) http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/26/1185339107185.html Internet Core Neutrality: Drawing a Line in the Sand at ICANN by Dan Krimm http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/1085/1/ Users urged to patch serious hole in BIND 9 DNS server http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135053-c,techindustrytrends/article.html A revamp of ICANN?s public comment process http://blog.icann.org/?p=167 ICANN NomComm: Leave It Alone by Bret Fausett http://blog.lextext.com/blog/_archives/2007/7/24/3115433.html nz: UK internet defamation case resonates here http://nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=18562 Dot TK cleans up Tokelau's web domain http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/AFD9EFFEFCDF949BCC25731D0082485B Why Is Uncle Sam Dictating .Us Policy? by Larry Seltzer http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2162720,00.asp Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse to combat cybersquatting [news release] http://cadna.org/pdf/CADNA_Press_Release_7_24_2007.pdf GayCalifornia.com acquired for a Cool Quarter Million Dollars http://send2press.com/newswire/2007-07-0725-008.shtml ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Vint Cerf on Google spectrum and the new "Die Hard" The Internet can sometimes feel intimidating and even dangerous, but I'm glad to report that the guy who got the thing started is very nice and approachable. Vint Cerf is also funny -- early on he had a T-shirt made that said "IP on everything." Cerf, a key architect of the network and its military predecessor, now works at Google as a telecom policy expert and traveling sage who regularly visits the company's offices around the world. (Technically, he's vice president and "chief Internet evangelist.") Vint Cerf was speaking at Google's Kirkland office before heading north to Vancouver for the GeoWeb conference on the intersection of the Web and geographic information systems. Brier Dudley was one of the local reporters Google invited to meet with Cerf before his talk. (Interestingly, Google also invited Microsoft blogger Dare Obasanjo to interview him.) http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/brierdudley/2007/07/vint_cerf_on_google_spectrum_a_1.html Internet Core Neutrality: Drawing a Line in the Sand at ICANN by Dan Krimm Dan Krimm writes on ICANN mission-creep saying "ICANN has expanded its reach well beyond that narrow technical realm and into the world of general public policy. Current policy deliberations at ICANN are increasingly touching upon broad issues like personal privacy, crime-fighting, trademark enforcement, and morality and public order in general." Noting ICANN's budget has "ballooned exponentially", he then goes on to discuss ICANN's debate on policy, namely, a new policy to approve many more new gTLDs. While Dan approves of more gTLDs, he has concerns about parts of the proposed policy "such as a trademark holder could contest a gTLD application if it is not in the trademark holder's commercial interests. Governments or other institutions could contest a gTLD application if they feel that the new gTLD is "immoral" or threatens "public order" or is politically unacceptable for some reason. In fact, if some group of institutions claim a community connection to the gTLD under application, they could oppose the application without being required to give any specific reason at all." Dan describes this as censorship. Dan wants people to join the Keep The Core Neutral campaign and to sign their petition in the hope they will be able to influence ICANN. http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/1085/1/ http://keep-the-core-neutral.org/ Information Security Governance Framework: 7 Key Questions for Audit Committees The Information Security Governance Framework is a holistic, enterprise risk management model for a Board of Directors. It measures governance, compliance, and operational (legal) risks on identity theft and consumer protection. Boards of Directors of financial firms have a fiduciary and regulatory obligation to prevent corporate identity theft. The model: synchronizes relevant regulations for the banking industry. These include GLBA, FDICIA Section 112, FTC ACT, Lanham Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, California?s AB 1950 and FINCEN?s Identity Theft Suspicious Activity Report requirements, plus Basel and CAMELS, within 3 security layers per GLBA 501(b), 521 and 523, i.e., IT or Information Technology Governance, Network Vulnerability and IP or Intellectual Property Governance. IP Governance addresses corporate identity theft, a root source of rampant federal crimes against consumers per President?s Identity Theft Task Force. Fraudulent domain names used within phishing, email spam and fake web sites are Unfair and Deceptive practices that attack trade secrets or sensitive customer information, inside and outside of bank IT networks, resulting in operational losses, operational risks and reputational harm for corporations and consumers. http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=42964 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** How Big Is Your Cloud? by Bret Fausett On Monday, I talked about "name clouds." A "name cloud" consists of all the names registered around your principal name. For example, once upon a time, if you were starting a new online business, you'd register a name in .COM as your principal name (the dark blue square) and depending on the location of your business, you might have picked up your ccTLD as well (the red square). If you wanted to ensure that no one used a similar name in commerce, you'd register your name in .NET, .ORG, .BIZ and .INFO as well. http://namebrief.com/content/view/17/1/ ********************** - DOMAIN SECURITY ********************** Users urged to patch serious hole in BIND 9 DNS server A security researcher has reported a serious vulnerability in BIND 9, the software widely used in the Internet's DNS addressing system. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135053-c,techindustrytrends/article.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/07/25/serious-hole-in-BIND-9-DNS-server_1.html DNS: Definitely Not Safe? Unfortunately, for all its success, DNS is one area in which what you don't know can hurt you -- badly. Despite well-publicised attacks on domain name servers in 2000 and 2001, evidence suggests that many companies simply have not taken the steps necessary to protect this vital part of their networks. Experts differ on just how much danger companies generally face. However, they seem to agree that, depending on the circumstances and the company, the results could include electronic attacks and unknowingly providing confidential information to competitors. Some companies aren't just leaving the back door unlocked -- they're taking out the hinge pins and removing the door entirely. http://cpilive.net/v3/inside.aspx?scr=n&NID=1457 Trusteer Warns ISPs and Enterprises to Protect Consumers from New Pharming Attack [news release] Trusteer announced its CTO and security researcher Amit Klein has cracked BIND's random number generator and demonstrated a new attack affecting most Internet users. In this "DNS Forgery Pharming" attack fraudsters can remotely force consumers to visit fraudulent websites without compromising any computer or network device. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/7/prweb542082.htm Serious flaw affects BIND Internet server software BIND, the dominant DNS server software on the Internet, is vulnerable to a serious cache-poisoning attack that could enable an attacker to fool users rather easily into visiting a malicious Web site. http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/07/25/225765/serious-flaw-affects-bind-internet-server-software.htm New Report Warns Against ?DNS Forgery Pharming? on BIND 9 In a recent report released by Trusteer, security researcher Amit Klein has cracked BIND's random number generator and demonstrated a new attack affecting most Internet users. In this "DNS Forgery Pharming" attack fraudsters can remotely force consumers to visit fraudulent websites without compromising any computer or network device. http://www.circleid.com/posts/dns_server_bind_9_configuration/ ********************** - ICANN ********************** A revamp of ICANN?s public comment process A vital part of ICANN?s processes is the opportunity for there to be public comment on each substantial piece of work before it is put forward for final approval. http://blog.icann.org/?p=167 ICANN NomComm: Leave It Alone by Bret Fausett If there's one part of ICANN that is working well, it's the Nominating Committee. It's time for the NomComm's periodic review though, but my input is rather simple: leave it alone. It's working. http://blog.lextext.com/blog/_archives/2007/7/24/3115433.html ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** .Asia sets Industry Benchmark in the launch of the DotAsia announced the launch of the .Asia Pioneer Domains Program, offering businesses and entrepreneurs the ultimate first-mover advantage for e-commerce in Asia. DotAsia is the first global TLD headquartered in Asia, and the Pioneer Domains Program marks the first time ever a domain registry is opening its doors for domains based on the quality of proposals received for any domain name of choice. http://pioneer.domains.asia/press/2007-07-11-DotAsia-PR.html auDA chooses Resolve as its complaints handling software auDA has chosen the Resolve software from Beethoven Computer Services to support the growing demand on its enquiries, feedback and complaints handling activities. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;549674208 Chinese Domain Name Registrars Sign Agreement More than 40 domain name registration service providers in China have jointly signed a self-discipline convention, the first of its kind in the industry in China, in order to help the solve the problems resulting from the unbalanced and non-standard service in the domain name service market. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2007/07/26/5681-chinese-domain-name-registrars-sign-agreement/ nz: UK internet defamation case resonates here A recent case in the UK has again raised the issue of who is responsible for information available on the internet - and its outcome could reach as far as New Zealand. London businessman Brian Retkin is bringing a claim against Google for defamation, alleging that Google is responsible for not removing links to defamatory information posted on the internet by anonymous sources. Mr Redkin has reportedly spent years trying to get Google to remove links to the defamatory content about his internet domain name business Dotworlds from its search results. http://nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=18562 Dot TK cleans up Tokelau?s web domain Dot TK, the company managing the Tokelau internet domain, is cleaning up, after .tk was named the riskiest country-level domain in the world. Joost Zuurbier, the registry?s chief executive, says the March report was very damaging. ?We saw a decline of approximately 10% of new registrations in the countries where this report hit the press,? says Zuurbier. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/AFD9EFFEFCDF949BCC25731D0082485B Why Is Uncle Sam Dictating .Us Policy? by Larry Seltzer Opinion: This is a case study in how bad the government can be at some things, especially when it's uninterested in public input. It's not often that the registry for a major top-level domain changes. It might be about to happen with the .us domain though. Some people care, but very few. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2162720,00.asp za: Fifa threatens legal action over local website The world's football governing body, Fifa, has ordered a popular KwaZulu-Natal 2010 Soccer World Cup website to shut down or face legal action. ... In the letter to Vosloo, Murray said: "We appreciate that you may not have been aware that companies such as yours, which do not have a formal licence to Fifa, cannot use the infringing signs. For this reason, we are writing to explain this to you and to politely request that you immediately refrain from using the domain name and the infringing signs." http://mybroadband.co.za/news/General/724.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Podcaster loses cybersquat of 'Simpsons Movie' site (Reuters) A U.S. podcaster on Wednesday lost the right to operate a Web site using the name of The Simpsons Movie to attract fans of the cartoon series to sites related to his own Internet output. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6198701.html http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/1255116 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10453943 http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2007-07-19-simpsons-movie-podcaster_N.htm http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL2583450520070725 WIPO Rules for 'The Simpsons' (AP) Woo-hoo! "The Simpsons Movie" has won its name back on the Internet. WIPO ruled that ownership of the domain name thesimpsonsmovie.com must be handed to News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, which owns the rights to the film and the popular TV series. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/26/1185339107185.html http://film.guardian.co.uk/apnews/story/0,,-6805257,00.html http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/239718 Simpsons Movie Masters Its Own Domain All it took was for 20th Century Fox to have a cow, man, and the unthinkable occurred: Homer J. Simpson came out a winner. WIPO has restored the domain name thesimpsonsmovie.com to the studio after Fox bigwigs filed a complaint that a cybersquatter had taken over the Web address and was redirecting users to sites of a blue, rather than yellow, nature. http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=016b6446-4776-4162-bf61-8d36cfd80570 http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0725/simpsons.html http://chroniclejournal.com/CP_stories.php?id=55942 Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse to combat cybersquatting [news release] The Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse is announcing the launch of its national campaign against Internet fraud. A non-profit organization based in Washington D.C., CADNA is leading the way in confronting cybersquatting ? the fraudulent abuse of domain name registration that threatens the future viability of Internet commerce. http://cadna.org/pdf/CADNA_Press_Release_7_24_2007.pdf http://www.nbc26.com/news/tech/8685802.html http://www.circleid.com/posts/cadna_against_domain_typosqatting_cybersquatting/ http://www.ksbitv.com/technology/8685802.html http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/070725-142028 http://dmwmedia.com/news/2007/07/25/cadna-launching-campaign-against-cybersquatting http://domainnamewire.com/2007/07/24/cadna-steps-up-assault-on-domain-name-owners/ Brand Owners on Web Offensive Owners of domain names c0ca-cola.com, yahooemail.com, and hilt0n.com, beware. A group of copyright holders?including Coca-Cola, Yahoo, and Hilton?has formed a coalition to push for stiffer financial penalties for so-called cybersquatters. The group, launched on Tuesday, calls itself the Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse, and it aims to put sketchy domain name owners out of business. http://redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=22955&hed=Brand+Owners+on+Web+Offensive Coalition Takes Run At Cybersquatters More than 22,000 domain names are in use today that incorporate Apple's iPhone brand name -- though few belong to Apple. That's how bad fraudsters' practice of "cybersquatting" has gotten, says Josh Bourne. He's president of a new group -- the Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse (CADNA). http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/IBD-0001-18411393.htm uk: Victory for witches in ?350m shops fight "A coven of elderly witches has claimed victory in a bizarre battle to have the name of a ?350 million shopping centre changed" reports The Daily Telegraph. The objection was that a shopping centre developer had named a huge addition to Leicester's Shires mall Highcross Quarter. "That is the name given by witches to the four most important periods in the "wicca" calendar. Once the name was announced, the witches, wizards and gnomes immediately registered several internet domain names using the term. Then they set up a website that they have used to discuss their beliefs." Hammerson then took action, first through a request, and then through a complaint to WIPO, to get the domain names back. But it appears they've given up, saying the redevelopment name has "evolved" to Highcross Leicester. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/24/nwitches124.xml http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=470378&in_page_id=1770 http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2432102.html us: Dover firm sues over domain name A Dover sporting goods outlet is eNom in federal court for using a similarly named Web site to direct Internet users to competitors as well to as online pornography sites peddling sex toys. http://nh.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070724/BUSINESSREVIEW30/70723019 uk/in: UK firm to give up 22 Airtel sites Cable and Wireless Guernsey Ltd has surrendered 22 internet sites to Bharti Airtel Ltd, which convinced the Channel Island Domain Name Registry (CIDNR) to rule against the domain-squatting by the UK company. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/India_Business/UK_firm_to_give_up_22_Airtel_sites/rssarticleshow/2231638.cms us: Terre Haute gives up ?Hyte Center? domains Terre Haute officials forfeited 35 domain names earlier this month to which they had bought rights during a dispute over the Charles T. Hyte Community Center name. http://tribstar.com/news/local_story_204235727.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Go Daddy, Miss America & Congress Find Ways to Protect Our Kids Online [news release] Miss America, the president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a well-known researcher of crimes against children, and a top GoDaddy.com executive were among the key figures who testified today before Congress about how to protect our kids from online predators. The business of child pornography over the Internet is estimated to be worth as much as $20 billion. https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/news/release_view.asp?news_item_id=104 ********************** - DOMAINING ********************** Domain Name Parking Companies Gear Up for Fall Domain parking companies tuning up services in time for fall traffic increase. It?s the doldrums of summer and that historically means a drop in internet traffic and domain parking revenue. My revenue is holding strong this summer, in part because the parking companies are doing a good job adding new features and optimization techniques in time for the fall. The article outlines the parking services the author uses: http://domainnamewire.com/2007/07/23/domain-name-parking-companies-gear-up-for-fall/ Domain Roundtable Hits Seattle August 12-15 Hundreds of domain industry participants to attend Name Intelligence event; event focused on networking. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/07/25/domain-roundtable-hits-seattle-august-12-15/ ********************** - DOMAIN SALES ********************** The World's First Domain Name Barter Trading Portal [news release] Swapnames.com is the industry's free and safe marketplace for everyone to literally trade their domain names or websites in return for other, more valuable domain names. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/7/prweb541737.htm GayCalifornia.com acquired for a Cool Quarter Million Dollars Hammerberg & Associates, Inc. recently acquired the domain name, GayCalifornia.com, for a price tag of $250,000. According to the purchaser and "technoprenuer," Jeffery Hammerberg, it was a bargain. http://send2press.com/newswire/2007-07-0725-008.shtml Poker.de Rakes in Massive Pot in the Year's Biggest ccTLD Sale It took a while to complete, but the ?695,000 sale of Poker.de was wrapped up this week, finalizing the biggest country code sale of 2007. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2007/domainsales07-24-07.htm Master of Domain: Business.com Gets Big Payday, Again Telephone-directory company R.H. Donnelley Corp. clinched a deal for Web-based marketing directory Business.com Inc. for between $340 million and $360 million, according to a person familiar with the transaction. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118541740110378568.html RH Donnelley buys Business.com domain name-WSJ (Reuters) Telephone-directory company R.H. Donnelley clinched a deal for Web-based marketing directory Business.com Inc. for between $340 million and $360 million, The Wall Street Journal Online reported on Thursday. http://www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSN2639237020070726 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Online Video: 57% of internet users have watched videos online and most of them share what they find with others The growing adoption of broadband combined with a dramatic push by content providers to promote online video has helped to pave the way for mainstream audiences to embrace online video viewing. Fifty-seven percent of online adults have used the internet to watch or download video, and 19% do so on a typical day. Three-quarters of broadband users (74%) who enjoy high-speed connections at both home and work watch or download video online. http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/219/report_display.asp 'Shooting the Messenger': Myth vs. Reality: U.S. Broadband Policy and International Broadband Rankings Free Press found that the major critiques leveled at the OECD data simply fall apart upon closer examination. The coordinated attempt to ?shoot the messenger? cannot hide critical failures in the U.S. broadband market. These failures are chiefly due to poor policy decisions that have fostered an anti-competitive marketplace. Our European and Asian counterparts are outperforming us because they have policies that foster vigorous competition in the broadband marketplace, offering consumers more choice, faster speeds and lower prices. The simple fact is that international rankings do matter. This is not just a point of pride. Each spot the United States slips represents billions in lost producer and consumer surplus, and potentially millions of real jobs lost to overseas workers. The international studies highlight the fact that the status quo in the U.S. broadband marketplace is unacceptable. U.S. policymakers must reject the ?shoot the messenger? rhetoric and move toward an honest assessment of our problems. This paper exposes the myths put forward to excuse the shortcomings of the U.S. broadband market. The facts speak for themselves: More than 10 million U.S. households remain unserved, and nearly 50 million homes could subscribe but choose not to because the connection available is too expensive or too slow. The 50 million homes that do have broadband face, at best, a duopoly choice between the local phone or local cable company. http://freepress.net/docs/shooting_the_messenger.pdf Free Press Dispels Myths about U.S. Broadband Market [news release] New report urges policymakers to focus on the real problems causing America to fall behind the rest of the world in Internet adoption http://freepress.net/press/release.php?id=255 ********************** OTHER INTERNET NEWS ********************** Tajik MPs approve internet curbs Tajikistan's parliament has approved legislation making it a criminal offence to publish false or offensive information on the internet. ... Under the proposal, anyone who publishes statements that "offend dignity" may face imprisonment. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6908895.stm Malaysia's police summon political writer after government warns bloggers to behave (AP) Police grilled a Malaysian political writer Wednesday over his Web articles lambasting the government, after a minister warned that bloggers could be jailed without trial for writing recklessly about matters like religion. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/26/1185339086860.html Malaysia denies crackdown on bloggers (AFP) Malaysia's deputy prime minister denied the government is clamping down on bloggers after a prominent ruling party politician lodged a police report against a website, reports said Tuesday. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/24/1185043094060.html New Council of Europe Convention to protect children against sexual exploitation and abuse (news release) The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, which represents a major advance in this field. https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1164093 Don't be alarmed: 29,000 sex offenders on MySpace There are about 600,000 convicted sex offenders in the United States. As of this month, 29,000 of them had profiles on MySpace. http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2007/07/25/myspace_sex_offenders/index.html us: MySpace deletes 29,000 sex offenders The operators of the social networking website MySpace say they have detected and deleted 29,000 profiles belonging to convicted sex offenders on its service. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/25/1987535.htm http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/25/1185043133473.html http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2134199,00.html uk: Sex offenders can use social sites, say police Convicted sex offenders should not be prevented from using social networking sites such as MySpace, Scotland Yard said yesterday. The Metropolitan Police said that it had no plans to share information about sex offenders with sites such as MySpace and Bebo with a view to having the profiles of such people taken down. ?Just because you?re a convicted offender doesn?t mean you?re still offending,? a spokeswoman said. ?Why would we pursue them in this way? These are people who have served their time.? http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2137973.ece au: No watching the online predators Sex predators remain free to prey on underage members of popular internet websites such as MySpace because Australian regulations do not keep sufficiently detailed records of their actions. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/25/1185339084507.html Teens smart about using MySpace: study Fears that teenagers using the social networking website MySpace are exposing themselves to sexual predators by disclosing too many personal details are probably overblown, researchers say. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/24/1986327.htm http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/24/1185043069631.html au: Coonan denies cancelling filtering The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan said Family First Senator Steve Fielding?s allegation that the Australian Government has cancelled its ISP-level filtering trial is completely wrong. http://itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=57281 http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Govt-Web-porn-blocking-test-will-go-ahead/0,130061744,339280530,00.htm http://securecomputing.net.au/news/57281,coonan-denies-cancelling-filtering.aspx http://crn.com.au/story.aspx?CIID=87492 au: Commercial internet content filtering trial dropped THE results of Australia's only live commercial internet content filtering trial will never be known because the exercise, championed by the federal Government, was quietly abandoned. The trial was expected to go ahead in Tasmania last year but the major internet filtering technology supplier for the project, Internet Sheriff, has revealed that it was abandoned because Australia's two largest ISPs, Telstra and Optus, refused to participate. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22122602-15306,00.html http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/25/oz_trial_canned/ The U.S. Communication Decency Act & liability of ISPs ISPs provide a wide variety of Internet related services to millions of users. This huge spectrum of services undoubtedly subjects ISPs to potential tort liability. ISPs? tort liability have a chilling effect on the vibrancy of Internet communication because it would be impossible for ISPs to screen all Internet content posted by millions of third parties using their services. Thus, in the Communication Decency Act (?CDA?) of 1996, the U.S. Congress introduced Section 230 to protect ISP from liability and to maintain the robust nature of Internet communications. Even though a significant part of the CDA was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1997, Section 230 of the CDA remains intact to protect ISPs from tort liability. This article illustrates on the specific protection offered by Section 230 of the CDA to ISPs, its limits, and immunities. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=articles&id=55CCDE24-5987-4267-9430-F54B153A74F9 us: Miss America calls for mandatory internet safety classes The current Miss America has asked Congress to take further steps in protecting children from internet predators. Lauren Nelson, who received her country's highest honor for looking classy in a swimsuit, told the Senate Commerce Committee that internet safety classes should be mandatory for school children. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/24/miss_america_fights_internet_predators/ http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070724-image-hash-database-could-filter-child-porn.html us: FBI Seeks To Pay Telecoms For Data The FBI wants to pay the major telecommunications companies to retain their customers' Internet and phone call information for at least two years for the agency's use in counterterrorism investigations and is asking Congress for $5 million a year to defray the cost, according to FBI officials and budget documents. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072402479.html Search sites tackle privacy fears User worries are driving search firms to let people manage how much data they reveal when they visit the sites. The top four search sites, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Ask, have unveiled plans to cut how much data they hold and how long they store it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6911527.stm http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/23/AR2007072301543.html Out-Gagging Google on privacy ... All this spotlighting of privacy offers Google's competitors a chance to shorten Google's lead in the search industry, says Ben Edelman, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School. "Competing search engines struggle to figure out what they can offer users that Google can't," he says. "With Google's limited efforts to protect privacy, that's a clear area where other search engines can flex their muscles." http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/07/23/privacy-search-google-tech-cx_ag_0723google.html Microsoft Offers Privacy Options for its Search Engine There?s nothing like a little regulatory scrutiny to get Internet companies talking about privacy. Even if some of their words ring somewhat hollow. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/the-most-privacy-friendly-search-engine-on-the-web-is/ On antitrust, is Google the next Microsoft? Not too long ago, nearly every move that Microsoft made seemed to draw complaints that the company was abusing its market dominance. Now another market-leading technology company is under fire in Washington as well. An unlikely combination of onetime antitrust defendants like Microsoft and AT&T and liberal consumer groups that have been their traditional antagonists are taking aim at Google. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6198111.html us: Government Reports Cybercrime Poses National Risk A US government study showed that while cybercrime is posing a risk to national security and the U.S. economy, law enforcement still lacks the technical capabilities to tackle it. The Government Accountability Office reported on Tuesday that public and private sectors face numerous challenges to secure cyberspace, both in operational security and in law enforcement. The GAO report also noted that the commercial and the government sectors are struggling to detect and report cybercrime. IT managers, according to the report, are wrestling to implement stronger security, while law enforcement is fighting a growing problem -- one that is especially strong outside of U.S. borders and out of the government's usual legal reach. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201200774 Facebook judge unimpressed by ConnectU's case The judge's message Wednesday to ConnectU over its intellectual property lawsuit against fellow social-networking site Facebook was clear: show us the evidence. http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-6198891.html Judge gives ConnectU founders two weeks to revise Facebook complaint http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9750017-7.html MySpace man-eaters come from Russia with love Foreign fraudsters are sniffing out victims through social networking sites such as MySpace - and this time it's not the teens who need to watch out. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/26/1185339134017.html us: Judge Lets MySpace Block Links to Its Competition A U.S. district court judge recently dismissed what may be the first antitrust case to address whether a social networking site can prevent its users from posting certain links. The Central District's Judge Howard Matz threw out the antitrust claim against MySpace.com last month, saying the social networking site wasn't required to display competitors' Web page links. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1185354181555 FBI, Chinese Officials Pinch Software Pirates A joint sting operation by the FBI and the People's Republic of China has netted more than half a million dollars' worth of counterfeit software, the FBI announced Monday. The unprecedented cooperative effort, code-named "Summer Solstice" and dating back to 2005, resulted in the arrest of 25 people and the seizure of assets in China worth over $7 million as well as more than 290,000 counterfeit software CDs and certificates of authenticity with an estimated retail value of $500 million. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/58476.html http://nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-China-Pirated-Software.html us: Contracts cannot be changed online without notice, rules US appeals court A company cannot change its contract with consumers simply by posting revised conditions on its website, a US appeals court has ruled. The position is similar in the UK, according to an e-commerce legal expert. http://out-law.com/page-8328 au: Stung by Nigerian internet Romeo A 30-year-old Adelaide woman has been duped into sending more than $30,000 to a Nigerian suitor she met over the internet. Police said the woman had registered with a dating agency that provided a chat room facility over the net. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/25/1185043158335.html Consumer advocates to fight NZ Banking code Internet advocacy group InternetNZ and the NZ Consumers' Institute have both come out swinging over the New Zealand Bankers Association's (NZBA) decision to allow victims of Internet banking fraud to be potentially held liable for losses. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Consumer-advocates-to-fight-NZ-Banking-code/0,130061744,339280486,00.htm us: Study: 19 Pct. Watch Online Video a Day (AP) One in five online Americans view video over the Internet on any given day, thanks to speedier Internet connections and a wider selection of clips, a Pew Internet & American Life Project study finds. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/26/1185339117038.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/25/AR2007072501746.html us: Online Newspaper Audience Rising Twice As Fast As General Internet Population: Report Newspapers? online audiences are rising at twice the rate of the general internet audience, according to research by Nielsen//NetRatings for the Newspaper Association of America. Among the findings of the report, based on existing and ongoing data collected in Nielsen?s §Plan survey was an average of more than 59 million people (37.6 percent of all active internet users) visited newspapers online each month during Q1, a 5.3 percent increase over the same period a year ago. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/07/24/online-newspapers-audience-tech-cx_pco_0724paidcontent.html Survey Reveals Youth Attitudes Toward Technology (Reuters) While young people embrace the Web with real or virtual friends and their mobile phone is never far away, relatively few like technology and those that do tend to be in Brazil, India and China, according to a survey. Only a handful think of technology as a concept, and just 16 percent use terms like "social networking," said two combined surveys covering 8- to 24-year-olds published on Tuesday by Microsoft and Viacom units MTV Networks and Nickelodeon. "Young people don't see "tech" as a separate entity - it's an organic part of their lives," said Andrew Davidson, vice president of MTV's VBS International Insight unit. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,134997-c,markettrends/article.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6198435.html http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL236796320070724 Blog: Kiwi kids a switched on lot by Peter Griffin The survey of 18000 children worldwide that forms the basis of the report "Circuits of Cool" put out by TV networks MTV and Nickelodeon makes for some interesting reading, if the results nevertheless match up with what the TV networks wanted to hear - the TV still rules. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10453731 Kiwi kids are digi-kids A global study of eight to 14-year-olds in 12 countries, including New Zealand, shows that Kiwi kids are embracing technology like never before. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/1253069 http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4140337a28.html Nine million now live in World of Warcraft World of Warcraft has hit yet another milestone - this time clocking up a massive nine million subscribed players worldwide. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10453979 http://itwire.com.au/content/view/13677/532/ E-mail Filtering to Block Porn from Corporate Networks Your organization's next e-mail filtering software may come equipped with a blocking component that prevents pornographic content from entering the corporate network. Commtouch Software announced an alliance with the Internet Watch Foundation and Image Analyzer. Comm-touch provides e-mail defense technologies and licences them through OEMs, which integrate the firm's components into their own software and services offerings. With resources from IWF and Image Analyzer, anti-spam users can now scan e-mail traffic for child pornography and other inappropriate content, in addition to scanning for spam or spyware messages, explained Rebecca Herson, senior director for marketing at Commtouch. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135088-c,techindustrytrends/article.html Google, ninemsn may face revenue loss as advertisers click with time online Market leaders ninemsn and Google could face a threat to their dominance of the $1 billion online advertising market if the amount of time consumers spend with individual websites emerges as the key currency for advertisers. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/25/1185339084453.html Tracking Internet usage proving to be a tangled web You can do a lot with the Internet - except, it seems, satisfactorily measure how people use it. Trackers of Internet usage have recently been tinkering with their methodologies in an attempt to properly reflect the ever-changing patterns of Web users and the shifting face of the Internet itself. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/26/1185339113498.html The end of e-mail: discover new ways to stay in touch ... One study from Hewlett-Packard, for instance, found that workers constantly distracted by e-mail and phone calls suffer a temporary 10-point fall in their IQ ? more than twice that found in studies of the impact of smoking a joint. ... Dresdner Kleinwort's IT gurus weren't about to let the tail wag the dog. So they alerted several workgroups in the firm about a "wiki" service called Socialtext (www.socialtext.com). Once the employees grasped its potential, it spread around the firm like wildfire. http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article2800175.ece Qantas to offer inflight web access Qantas says its new Airbus A380 planes will offer passengers both wireless internet access and laptop power sockets. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/24/1185043102717.html us: New EPA Energy Star Specs Raise The Power-Efficiency Bar For PCs The new Energy Star specs that went into effect last week are the first major overhaul in more than a decade. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201200831 IEEE backs 40Gb and 100Gb Ethernet The IEEE High Speed Study Group (HSSG), which has been wrangling over whether the next Ethernet standard will be for 40Gbps or 100Gbps transmission speed, has ruled that it will be both. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2194924/ieee-backs-100-gb-ethernet au: Mobile phone spammer fined A$150,000 A mobile phone marketing company has been fined almost $150,000 over spamming practices that affected thousands of people over the past 12 months. DC Marketing Europe, a company notorious for its "missed call" telemarketing schemes, has been fined by the Australian Communications and Media Authority for breaching the Spam Act in July and August last year, by sending unsolicited messages that failed to identify the sender and did not allow the recipient to unsubscribe. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/23/1185043033323.html http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;722402668;fp;2;fpid;1 http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/13633/127/ http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Missed-call-spam-nets-AU-150-000-fine-/0,130061791,339280432,00.htm http://mobilised.com.au/content/view/1071/1/ http://ibnnews.org/national/marketing_company_fined_over_spam_calls_24707_211458452101547_000000.html http://crn.com.au/story.aspx?CIID=87218 http://itnews.com.au/News/57074,australian-customs-warns-of-email-scam.aspx Taiwan helps APEC partners bridge digital divide with ADOC initiative [news release] The APEC Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC), an initiative submitted by Taiwan in 2003 at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, has been helping bridge the digital divide in APEC countries, representatives from seven APEC economies said Tuesday at the 2007 ADOC Plenary. The plenary is a part of "ADOC Week, " which is taking place in Taipei from July 24-27. Delegations from Chile, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam will also attend an ADOC forum and an ADOC award ceremony. http://cna.com.tw/eng/cepread.php?id=200707240046 One Laptop Per Child Project OKs Mass Production Nicholas Negroponte's nonprofit One Laptop Per Child project reported Monday that it has authorized mass production of its XO laptop. The decision triggers the supply chains of the some 800 parts used for the laptop that is targeted for use by children who can't afford traditional PCs. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201200501 http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/07/23/OLPC-laptops-production-pushes-back-release_1.html us: Reaching out to cellphone-only users People who use only cellphones ? who researchers say are more likely to be younger, binge drinkers, smokers and without health insurance ? are about to have a say in shaping California healthcare policy. All they need to do is answer the phone when the state comes calling. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-me-survey23jul23,1,4071376.story nz: Maori language Google in development A husband and wife team is developing a Maori language version of the search engine Google in an effort to encourage more Maori to use the net. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10453254 au: Convict records placed online A new online service has been launched which will make it easier than ever before for Australians to trace whether they have convict ancestors. Ancestry.com.au - a global genealogy network - has just launched the most comprehensive collection of convict transportation records, from 1788-1868, ever made available to anyone with a computer. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/25/1185339061055.html Microsoft sales surpass $50 billion, despite competition from free Microsoft's revenues are now around $1 billion a week, with the company totting up sales of $51.12 billion (up 15%) in its latest financial results, for Fiscal Year 2007. Annual profits were more than $14 billion, and the company returned $31 billion to shareholders through share buybacks and dividends. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/archives/2007/07/21/microsoft_sales_surpass_50_billion_despite_competition_from_free.html AOL to Buy Ad Firm That Monitors Web Use AOL announced an agreement to acquire Tacoda, a New York advertising network that monitors consumers' online behavior, such as Web sites they visit, to determine their interests. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal, which comes only a few weeks after Yahoo said it was launching a system based on online consumer behavior, follows AOL's May acquisition of Third Screen Media, a Boston advertising network for mobile devices. The same month, AOL acquired controlling interest in Adtech, a German company known for easy-to-use tools designed to help Web site publishers manage their advertising. Last year, it also bought District-based Lightningcast, which specialized in video ads. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072402055.html Nokia to buy social networking site Twango (Reuters) Nokia said it is to buy US-based social networking and photo sharing site Twango as millions of Internet users flock to similar sites like MySpace and Facebook. http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4140357a28.html New Report Busts Telco Myths about U.S. Internet by Timothy Karr A report released today decisively shoots down many of the myths that telecommunications lobbyists and shills have manufactured about the health of America's Internet. The report, "Shooting the Messenger," urges policymakers to focus on the real problems that have caused America to fall dangerously behind the rest of the world in Internet adoption -- competition and availability. The report's authors at Free Press believe the root of the problem to be the "cozy duopoly" of cable and broadband providers that stifle competition and innovation while driving costs to consumers through the roof. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-karr/new-report-busts-telco-my_b_56878.html au: Optus uploads: A revolution in the making? As Optus joins the likes of Telstra and others in now counting uploads as well as downloads in its service plans, has our new found enthusiasm for posting ourselves all over Facebook and YouTube set us up for higher prices? http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Optus-uploads-A-revolution-in-the-making-/0,130061791,339280375,00.htm au: The great price byte Downloads are ballooning and the cost of data is looming as an issue for service providers and users. Last week's OECD data was widely seen as bad news for Australia. In terms of speed and cost of broadband internet, we lag behind much of the developed world. And with demand increasingly outstripping supply, the situation may not improve any time soon. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/23/1185043035992.html Wi-Fi radiation: who do we believe? Not everything is known about the health effects of wireless equipment. But does that make it dangerous? http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;95624901;fp;2;fpid;1 uk: Wi-Fi fears to be investigated Britain's top environmental investigative body is considering looking into radiation from mobile phones and their masts, Wi-Fi networks and electric power lines following articles in The Independent on Sunday. http://news.independent.co.uk/health/article2790973.ece us: FCC Backs Open-Access Plan Majority of FCC members tell House panel they support open-access requirement for the coming radio spectrum auction. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072400889.html EU to free up wireless spectrum for 3G (AP) The European Union is making more radio spectrum available for accessing Internet services over mobile phones, saying the use of lower frequencies would cut operators' costs and let them reach customers over a wider area. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/26/1185339107179.html http://iht.com/articles/2007/07/25/business/spectrum.php http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2007-07-25-eu-3g-spectrum_N.htm Request for Proposals: APEC Telecommunications & Information Working Group VOIP Security Guidelines Project The purpose of this project is to help business in the APEC Region use VoIP securely. Most users are not security or telecommunications experts and will not be fully informed about the security implications of using this technology. This project will assist APEC member economies to help their small business communities understand best practices in relation to VoIP security. http://www.apec.org/apec/projects.MedialibDownload.v1.html?url=/etc/medialib/apec_media_library/downloads/misc/rfps/2007.Par.0026.File.v1.1 uk: Child porn 'on Langham's computer' Graphic child pornography videos were found on a laptop recovered from the home of the actor Chris Langham, a court was told yesterday. File names referred to children as young as seven, while some included the words Lolita and rape, said Christopher Crute, a forensic computer analyst for Kent Police. He told Maidstone Crown Court that the letters PTHC on some files meant ?pre-teen hardcore?. They had been downloaded from the internet in 2005. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2128421.ece uk: Co-star 'did not know about porn' Comedian Paul Whitehouse has told a court he had no knowledge of co-star Chris Langham using child pornography as research for a drama series. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/6913530.stm http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article2798528.ece au: Sydney man accused of grooming boy on net Two men have been arrested in Perth and Sydney for allegedly grooming a Canberra teenager over the internet. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/25/1185043154926.html au: Aussie free after plea deal over teen romance Tamara Broome, the Australian supermarket employee jailed in the US after an internet romance with a 17-year-old North Carolina boy, is free. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/07/26/1185339119409.html http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/26/1988795.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2007 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §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 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo!7 Mail has just got even bigger and better with unlimited storage on all webmail accounts. http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/unlimitedstorage.html -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.cynosure.com.au/mailman/private/dns/attachments/20070730/cd46e5ab/attachment-0001.htmReceived on Mon Jul 30 2007 - 02:10:01 UTC
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