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 23 August edition of the news include: Is the Internet Over? by John C. Dvorak | U.N. Internet Governance Advisory Group to Meet in Rio de Janeiro [news release] | 'Cyberwar' and Estonia's Panic Attack | Brandjacking Big Pharma | Whois Privacy Stalemate...Again by Milton Mueller | What's in a name? Tell that to those arguing the toss over .xxx | ca: CIRA watchers hope for 'slash and burn' visionary | Mattel sues porn site over use of Barbie name | Challenge of implementing IPv6 into the US Army | Melbourne IT doubles annual profit | Cardiology.com sells for US$550,000 And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Terror goes digital. With Canadian help http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070818.wyarmouthPOINT18/BNStory/Technology/home Paris Chosen as Site of ICANN?s 32nd Public Meeting http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-17aug07.htm Clarification Regarding .KP Country Code Top-Level Domain http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-17aug07.htm es: Spanish Registry to Launch Sunrise Period for IDNs (.ES) http://www.globedomains.com/2007/08/14/spanish-registry-to-launch-sunrise-period-for-idns-es/ kp: N. Korea to Connect to Rest of World via Web http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/08/123_8472.html NKorea to get Internet code [AFP] http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/17/2008436.htm http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/18/1186857789913.html za: New domain name regulations http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2007/0708161033.asp?S=Legal%20View&A=LEG&O=FPTOP uk: New domain name scam http://link.etyper.com/r/webversion.asp?TId=23233561617 be: EURid wins court case http://link.etyper.com/r/webversion.asp?TId=23233561617 Web of terror http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/EDITORIAL/108160004 http://washingtontimes.com/article/20070816/EDITORIAL/108160004/1013 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - DOMAIN SECURITY ********************** Terror goes digital. With Canadian help Welcome to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia ? pivotal battleground in the global jihad. The town of 7,000 doesn't look the part. ... The town is home to a branch of Register.com. ... Normally, when anyone signs up new domains, they have to provide a name, address and contact information, all of which become publicly available to anyone who's even remotely net-savvy. ... But for a few extra dollars, Register.com also offers an anonymous registration service: Try to find out who registered any one of these websites, and you'll be handed the same address and phone number in Yarmouth. This service is hugely popular: Civil-liberties advocates and anyone else who values their privacy flock to it. But it's also very useful to another group of people, halfway around the globe: On one of the world's largest pro-Hamas websites... http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070818.wyarmouthPOINT18/BNStory/Technology/home http://theinquirer.net/?article=41787 ********************** - ICANN ********************** Paris Chosen as Site of ICANN?s 32nd Public Meeting Paris, France will host ICANN's 32nd International Public Meeting from 22-27 June 2008. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-17aug07.htm ICANN chooses Paris for mid-2008 meeting Nothing's official yet, but Paris is apparently ICANN's choice for its June 2008 meeting. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/88/icann-choses-paris-for-mid-2008-meeting.php Clarification Regarding .KP ccTLD A number of incorrect media reports are circulating that ICANN is scheduled to approve ".KP" as the ccTLD for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) at ICANN's meeting in Los Angeles in October. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-17aug07.htm http://www.globedomains.com/2007/08/18/clarification-regarding-kp-country-code-top-level-domain/ Action Alert: Submit Your Comments to ICANN ICANN announced Friday that a 21-day comment period has opened for the public to submit comments regarding ICANN?s proposed policy for approving new gTLDs on the Internet. The Keep The Core Neutral coalition (KTCN) has created a new Action Alert to guide supporters in submitting comments to ICANN. The Action Alert web page can be found here and KTCN appeals to all supporters of free expression to participate in this public action. http://keep-the-core-neutral.org/node/48 Remarks by Vint Cerf to The Americas Competitiveness Forum - June 2007 In these remarks at the The Americas Competitiveness Forum, regarding domain names Vint discusses IPv4/IPv6 as one of the challenges ahead and Internationalised Domain Names. http://ita.doc.gov/competitiveness/ACF/remarks_cerf.asp ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** es: Spanish Registry to Launch Sunrise Period for IDNs (.ES) ESNIC, the Spanish registry, will launch a Sunrise Period for .ES IDNs on October 1. http://www.globedomains.com/2007/08/14/spanish-registry-to-launch-sunrise-period-for-idns-es/ EU Questions on .eu It's been weeks now that I meant to summarize several Written Questions by Members of the European Parliament. Thanks to St?phane, whose recent post made me realize how late I was! http://domaine.blogspot.com/2007/07/eu-questions-on-eu.html kp: N. Korea to Connect to Rest of World via Web North Korea will gradually open its door to embrace the Internet when tension on the Korean Peninsula eases after the South-North summit, an expert said Thursday. ... The historical moment may come in November when ICANN is expected to approve North Korea's Internet country domain as ``.kp.'' It is certain that North Korea will apply for the domain suffix during ICANN's regular meeting in Los Angeles between October 29 and November 2, the organization's Korean representative was quoted as saying by The Korea Business Daily. http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/08/123_8472.html http://www.circleid.com/posts/north_korea_domain_name_icann/ http://chinapost.com.tw/business/2007/08/18/118928/ICANN:-North.htm http://allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008230004 NKorea to get Internet code [AFP] North Korea is expected to register an Internet country address this year as the isolated communist state takes cautious steps towards global information technology, an official said Friday. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/17/2008436.htm http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/18/1186857789913.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/08/18/1186857789913.html Dot TK Launches UK Office [news release] Dot TK announces it has opened offices today in Soho, London. http://pressdispensary.co.uk/feed/991325.php us: Vulnerabilities for kids.us [news release] While the 19 current active sites in the kids.us domain appear to be operating under both the spirit and letter of the law, serious potential vulnerabilities exist within the domain. Today, if an individual wants to register a kids.us domain, for example they first register the domain name via a kids.us accredited registrar. The domain name is reserved, but it is not allowed to go live immediately on the Internet. Next, the registrant must submit the website content to the registry directly so that it can be reviewed and verified pursuant to the kids.us content policy. If all of the content on the site passes, then the domain name is allowed to go live. http://dnalliance.us/archives/000046.html za: New domain name regulations The .za Domain Name Authority (Zadna) has published new policies and procedures for its members, following its recent consultation process. http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2007/0708161033.asp?S=Legal%20View&A=LEG&O=FPTOP http://www.globedomains.com/2007/08/16/za-new-domain-name-regulations/ http://www.legalbrief.co.za/article.php?story=20070817074256855 [sub req'd] ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** uk: New domain name scam Domain name owners need to be wary of unscrupulous sales practices that involve companies calling and trying to pressure them into registering or renewing domains at inflated prices. We have been made aware of a new scam where registrants are called up by someone claiming to be affiliated with the UK registry Nominet, and notified that a third party has registered their domain in an alternative suffix. The registrant is then pressured into entering into a bidding war to retain their intellectual property. The third party, of course, does not actually exist ? and prices are exorbitant. http://link.etyper.com/r/webversion.asp?TId=23233561617 be: EURid wins court case A Belgian court has decided that registry operator EURid's interpretation of the .eu Sunrise rules, particularly relating to the acceptance of makes including ampersands, was correct. The rules stated that a ?prior right name? (a trademark or other qualifying word or phrase) that included ampersands, other special characters, spaces or punctuations should be converted into a domain name by either eliminating or (if possible) rewriting the special characters, or replacing them with hyphens. http://link.etyper.com/r/webversion.asp?TId=23233561617 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Web of terror On Aug. 8, the Treasury Department finally listed the Al-Salah Society as "one of the largest and best-funded Hamas charities." ... According to the Patriot Act, everyone affiliated with or supporting them are also deemed terrorists. Thus, North American corporations that sell server space and IP services to Hamas aid and abet a terrorist network. ... The U.S. network-access and domain-name register companies selling services to these Hamas Web sites include: Domainbank.com; register.com; Network Solutions LLC; OnlineNIC, Inc.; GoDaddy.com; eNom, Inc.; Defender Technologies Group; and Oversee.net. http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/EDITORIAL/108160004 http://washingtontimes.com/article/20070816/EDITORIAL/108160004/1013 Regional Internet Groups Pledge Cooperation in the Caribbean [news release] The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC), and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) today signed a declaration of cooperation describing their intent to work together to promote the effective use of the Internet and Internet-based resources in the Caribbean. http://arin.net/media/releases/070816CTU-ARIN-LACNIC.pdf Internet Society Announces New Application Round for the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF [news release] Continuing its longstanding commitment to build technical capacity in less developed countries, the Internet Society (ISOC) today announced that it is seeking applications for the next round of the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF program The program offers engineers from developing countries fellowships that fund the cost of attending an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meeting. http://www.afilias.info/news/press_releases/pr_articles/2007-08-08-01 Tucows Appoints Internet Veteran Bill Sweetman as General Manager of its Domain Name Portfolio [news release] Tucows announced the appointment of Internet veteran Bill Sweetman to General Manager of its large domain name portfolio. In this new role, Sweetman will be dedicated to continually enhancing the quality and profitability of Tucows's domain name portfolio and related programs. http://about.tucows.com/media/news/tucows-appoints-internet-veteran-bill-sweetman-as-general-manager-of-its-domain-name-portfolio/ Bill Sweetman Joins The Herd by Ken Schafer I was just thrilled that we finally got to make it official earlier today and announce that Bill Sweetman has joined Tucows! http://about.tucows.com/2007/08/16/bill-sweetman-joins-the-herd/ Top 10 oldest domains on the Internet These names appear as a component of a Web site's URL.The list below represents the 10 first domains ever registered on the Internet. http://english.pravda.ru/business/finance/15-08-2007/95983-top_oldest_domains-0 Staking a claim in cyberspace Enlightened Shopper Jr. doesn't own much ? a crib, a bunch of toys, a sweet smile and his namesake Internet domain address. He doesn't actually know he owns bensonrider.com. At 20 months, his Internet skills consist of trying to play the keyboard like a piano. But the Web is the future and, with domain names being snapped up like Muskoka waterfront, why not claim a bit of cyberspace? http://www.thestar.com/living/article/246257 ********************** - DOMAINING ********************** Uploading Graphics to Parked.com Pages Here?s a how-to guide to customizing domain names. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/08/17/uploading-graphics-to-parkedcom-pages/ Aftermarket Domain Valuation Factors: Dan Warner Details What Motivates Domain Buyers Today by Dan Warner Consumers purchase domains for a variety of reasons. These unique motivating factors shape the value which is attributed to domains by individual buyers. It logically follows that a domain's true value can only be attributed to a specific buyer at a particular moment in time. Following is a framework of primary factors that buyers commonly attach to each domain purchase. http://dnjournal.com/articles/aftermarket/warner-valuation-factors.htm The NameMedia Story: How They Are Rocking the Internet and Rolling Up the Domain Industry The pioneers in this business have long preached that one day the corporate world and Wall Street would discover the untapped power in high quality domain names and make their move on this space. That day is here. A handful of well-financed new domain conglomerates recently arrived and they are now busy reshaping not only the landscape of this industry but that of the entire media world. Using domain names as their attack vehicles, they have started a long march that could eventually leave them in command of the high ground in global advertising. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2007/june.htm T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York 2007: The Domain Business Takes a Bow on the World's Biggest Stage Just over two and a half years after they started the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. domain conference in a Delray Beach, Florida Marriott with a little over 100 registrants on hand, co-founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu took their show to Broadway and staged a major hit in the Big Apple. The June 19-22, 2007 meeting at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan was also a groundbreaking affair for the domain industry as a whole, putting it squarely in the spotlight in the financial and media capital of the world. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2007/july.htm ********************** - DOMAIN SALES ********************** Eleven steps to buying a domain name that doesn't suck Whether you're a multinational Internet retailer or a lone human just entering the Web world, there are many things to consider when purchasing a new domain name, not the least of which are core SEO (search engine optimization) parameters. Following is a list of considerations I'd (CNet) supply to either entity mentioned above or anyone in between. Some may seem ridiculously obvious, but a friendly reminder won't hurt. http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9759544-7.html Sedo To Host Live Auction at DomainFocus Conference in London [news release] Sedo will facilitate the world?s first live auction for .co.uk domain names. The event will take place at the Domain Focus conference in London on September 6-7, 2007. http://www.sedo.com/presse/presse_170807.php4 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - DOMAIN SECURITY ********************** Terror goes digital. With Canadian help Welcome to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia ? pivotal battleground in the global jihad. The town of 7,000 doesn't look the part. ... The town is home to a branch of Register.com. ... Normally, when anyone signs up new domains, they have to provide a name, address and contact information, all of which become publicly available to anyone who's even remotely net-savvy. ... But for a few extra dollars, Register.com also offers an anonymous registration service: Try to find out who registered any one of these websites, and you'll be handed the same address and phone number in Yarmouth. This service is hugely popular: Civil-liberties advocates and anyone else who values their privacy flock to it. But it's also very useful to another group of people, halfway around the globe: On one of the world's largest pro-Hamas websites... http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070818.wyarmouthPOINT18/BNStory/Technology/home http://theinquirer.net/?article=41787 ********************** - ICANN ********************** Paris Chosen as Site of ICANN?s 32nd Public Meeting Paris, France will host ICANN's 32nd International Public Meeting from 22-27 June 2008. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-17aug07.htm ICANN chooses Paris for mid-2008 meeting Nothing's official yet, but Paris is apparently ICANN's choice for its June 2008 meeting. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/88/icann-choses-paris-for-mid-2008-meeting.php Clarification Regarding .KP ccTLD A number of incorrect media reports are circulating that ICANN is scheduled to approve ".KP" as the ccTLD for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) at ICANN's meeting in Los Angeles in October. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-17aug07.htm http://www.globedomains.com/2007/08/18/clarification-regarding-kp-country-code-top-level-domain/ Action Alert: Submit Your Comments to ICANN ICANN announced Friday that a 21-day comment period has opened for the public to submit comments regarding ICANN?s proposed policy for approving new gTLDs on the Internet. The Keep The Core Neutral coalition (KTCN) has created a new Action Alert to guide supporters in submitting comments to ICANN. The Action Alert web page can be found here and KTCN appeals to all supporters of free expression to participate in this public action. http://keep-the-core-neutral.org/node/48 Remarks by Vint Cerf to The Americas Competitiveness Forum - June 2007 In these remarks at the The Americas Competitiveness Forum, regarding domain names Vint discusses IPv4/IPv6 as one of the challenges ahead and Internationalised Domain Names. http://ita.doc.gov/competitiveness/ACF/remarks_cerf.asp ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** es: Spanish Registry to Launch Sunrise Period for IDNs (.ES) ESNIC, the Spanish registry, will launch a Sunrise Period for .ES IDNs on October 1. http://www.globedomains.com/2007/08/14/spanish-registry-to-launch-sunrise-period-for-idns-es/ EU Questions on .eu It's been weeks now that I meant to summarize several Written Questions by Members of the European Parliament. Thanks to St?phane, whose recent post made me realize how late I was! http://domaine.blogspot.com/2007/07/eu-questions-on-eu.html kp: N. Korea to Connect to Rest of World via Web North Korea will gradually open its door to embrace the Internet when tension on the Korean Peninsula eases after the South-North summit, an expert said Thursday. ... The historical moment may come in November when ICANN is expected to approve North Korea's Internet country domain as ``.kp.'' It is certain that North Korea will apply for the domain suffix during ICANN's regular meeting in Los Angeles between October 29 and November 2, the organization's Korean representative was quoted as saying by The Korea Business Daily. http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2007/08/123_8472.html http://www.circleid.com/posts/north_korea_domain_name_icann/ http://chinapost.com.tw/business/2007/08/18/118928/ICANN:-North.htm http://allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008230004 NKorea to get Internet code [AFP] North Korea is expected to register an Internet country address this year as the isolated communist state takes cautious steps towards global information technology, an official said Friday. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/17/2008436.htm http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/18/1186857789913.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/08/18/1186857789913.html http://www.todayonline.com/articles/206185.asp http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_2166539,00.html http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view_article.php?article_id=83206 http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=070817140237.1mibt9n1 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest_of_World/N_Korea_sheds_its_Net_allergy/articleshow/2291811.cms http://ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=5019662 Dot TK Launches UK Office [news release] Dot TK announces it has opened offices today in Soho, London. http://pressdispensary.co.uk/feed/991325.php us: Vulnerabilities for kids.us [news release] While the 19 current active sites in the kids.us domain appear to be operating under both the spirit and letter of the law, serious potential vulnerabilities exist within the domain. Today, if an individual wants to register a kids.us domain, for example they first register the domain name via a kids.us accredited registrar. The domain name is reserved, but it is not allowed to go live immediately on the Internet. Next, the registrant must submit the website content to the registry directly so that it can be reviewed and verified pursuant to the kids.us content policy. If all of the content on the site passes, then the domain name is allowed to go live. http://dnalliance.us/archives/000046.html za: New domain name regulations The .za Domain Name Authority (Zadna) has published new policies and procedures for its members, following its recent consultation process. http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2007/0708161033.asp?S=Legal%20View&A=LEG&O=FPTOP http://www.globedomains.com/2007/08/16/za-new-domain-name-regulations/ http://www.legalbrief.co.za/article.php?story=20070817074256855 [sub req'd] ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** uk: New domain name scam Domain name owners need to be wary of unscrupulous sales practices that involve companies calling and trying to pressure them into registering or renewing domains at inflated prices. We have been made aware of a new scam where registrants are called up by someone claiming to be affiliated with the UK registry Nominet, and notified that a third party has registered their domain in an alternative suffix. The registrant is then pressured into entering into a bidding war to retain their intellectual property. The third party, of course, does not actually exist ? and prices are exorbitant. http://link.etyper.com/r/webversion.asp?TId=23233561617 be: EURid wins court case A Belgian court has decided that registry operator EURid's interpretation of the .eu Sunrise rules, particularly relating to the acceptance of makes including ampersands, was correct. The rules stated that a ?prior right name? (a trademark or other qualifying word or phrase) that included ampersands, other special characters, spaces or punctuations should be converted into a domain name by either eliminating or (if possible) rewriting the special characters, or replacing them with hyphens. http://link.etyper.com/r/webversion.asp?TId=23233561617 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Web of terror On Aug. 8, the Treasury Department finally listed the Al-Salah Society as "one of the largest and best-funded Hamas charities." ... According to the Patriot Act, everyone affiliated with or supporting them are also deemed terrorists. Thus, North American corporations that sell server space and IP services to Hamas aid and abet a terrorist network. ... The U.S. network-access and domain-name register companies selling services to these Hamas Web sites include: Domainbank.com; register.com; Network Solutions LLC; OnlineNIC, Inc.; GoDaddy.com; eNom, Inc.; Defender Technologies Group; and Oversee.net. http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/EDITORIAL/108160004 http://washingtontimes.com/article/20070816/EDITORIAL/108160004/1013 Regional Internet Groups Pledge Cooperation in the Caribbean [news release] The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC), and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) today signed a declaration of cooperation describing their intent to work together to promote the effective use of the Internet and Internet-based resources in the Caribbean. http://arin.net/media/releases/070816CTU-ARIN-LACNIC.pdf Internet Society Announces New Application Round for the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF [news release] Continuing its longstanding commitment to build technical capacity in less developed countries, the Internet Society (ISOC) today announced that it is seeking applications for the next round of the ISOC Fellowship to the IETF program The program offers engineers from developing countries fellowships that fund the cost of attending an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meeting. http://www.afilias.info/news/press_releases/pr_articles/2007-08-08-01 Tucows Appoints Internet Veteran Bill Sweetman as General Manager of its Domain Name Portfolio [news release] Tucows announced the appointment of Internet veteran Bill Sweetman to General Manager of its large domain name portfolio. In this new role, Sweetman will be dedicated to continually enhancing the quality and profitability of Tucows's domain name portfolio and related programs. http://about.tucows.com/media/news/tucows-appoints-internet-veteran-bill-sweetman-as-general-manager-of-its-domain-name-portfolio/ Bill Sweetman Joins The Herd by Ken Schafer I was just thrilled that we finally got to make it official earlier today and announce that Bill Sweetman has joined Tucows! http://about.tucows.com/2007/08/16/bill-sweetman-joins-the-herd/ Top 10 oldest domains on the Internet These names appear as a component of a Web site's URL.The list below represents the 10 first domains ever registered on the Internet. http://english.pravda.ru/business/finance/15-08-2007/95983-top_oldest_domains-0 Staking a claim in cyberspace Enlightened Shopper Jr. doesn't own much ? a crib, a bunch of toys, a sweet smile and his namesake Internet domain address. He doesn't actually know he owns bensonrider.com. At 20 months, his Internet skills consist of trying to play the keyboard like a piano. But the Web is the future and, with domain names being snapped up like Muskoka waterfront, why not claim a bit of cyberspace? http://www.thestar.com/living/article/246257 ********************** - DOMAINING ********************** Uploading Graphics to Parked.com Pages Here?s a how-to guide to customizing domain names. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/08/17/uploading-graphics-to-parkedcom-pages/ Aftermarket Domain Valuation Factors: Dan Warner Details What Motivates Domain Buyers Today by Dan Warner Consumers purchase domains for a variety of reasons. These unique motivating factors shape the value which is attributed to domains by individual buyers. It logically follows that a domain's true value can only be attributed to a specific buyer at a particular moment in time. Following is a framework of primary factors that buyers commonly attach to each domain purchase. http://dnjournal.com/articles/aftermarket/warner-valuation-factors.htm The NameMedia Story: How They Are Rocking the Internet and Rolling Up the Domain Industry The pioneers in this business have long preached that one day the corporate world and Wall Street would discover the untapped power in high quality domain names and make their move on this space. That day is here. A handful of well-financed new domain conglomerates recently arrived and they are now busy reshaping not only the landscape of this industry but that of the entire media world. Using domain names as their attack vehicles, they have started a long march that could eventually leave them in command of the high ground in global advertising. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2007/june.htm T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York 2007: The Domain Business Takes a Bow on the World's Biggest Stage Just over two and a half years after they started the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. domain conference in a Delray Beach, Florida Marriott with a little over 100 registrants on hand, co-founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu took their show to Broadway and staged a major hit in the Big Apple. The June 19-22, 2007 meeting at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan was also a groundbreaking affair for the domain industry as a whole, putting it squarely in the spotlight in the financial and media capital of the world. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2007/july.htm ********************** - DOMAIN SALES ********************** Eleven steps to buying a domain name that doesn't suck Whether you're a multinational Internet retailer or a lone human just entering the Web world, there are many things to consider when purchasing a new domain name, not the least of which are core SEO (search engine optimization) parameters. Following is a list of considerations I'd (CNet) supply to either entity mentioned above or anyone in between. Some may seem ridiculously obvious, but a friendly reminder won't hurt. http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9759544-7.html Sedo To Host Live Auction at DomainFocus Conference in London [news release] Sedo will facilitate the world?s first live auction for .co.uk domain names. The event will take place at the Domain Focus conference in London on September 6-7, 2007. http://www.sedo.com/presse/presse_170807.php4 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** China Cracks Down on News Media as Party Congress Nears China?s government said Wednesday that it was cracking down on ?false news reports, unauthorized publications and bogus journalists.? ... People?s Daily, the official voice of the Communist Party, said the party Central Committee?s propaganda department, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the State Press and Publication Administration jointly warned that ?those who intentionally fabricated news that caused public anxiety and tarnished the nation?s image would be harshly dealt with or even prosecuted if they broke the law.? http://nytimes.com/2007/08/16/world/asia/16china.html Chinese Websites Punished For Publishing Porn As a result of publishing pornographic novels, 348 websites in China have either been punished or will soon be punished. These websites have been accused of spreading 40 obscene novels that according to local media are harmful to teenagers' minds and bodies and may lure them to commit deviant crimes. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2007/08/16/5765-chinese-websites-punished-for-publishing-porn/ Program shows CIA behind Wikipedia entries The world according to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia is in a constant state of update, as tens of thousands of contributors work to ensure the site's content is correct. But now an innovation on the site has confirmed a long-held suspicion: that Wikipedia is a prime target for spin-doctoring. A new identification program on the site reveals that some of the most prolific contributors to Wikipedia are the CIA, the British Labour Party and the Vatican - and they are not just updating their own entries. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/16/2007049.htm http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2172052,00.asp http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10458340 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081601727.html Wikipedia and the art of censorship The secret of Wikipedia's phenomenal success is that anyone can edit the millions of comments, facts and statistics published on the pages of the world's most popular online encyclopaedia. But that of course is also its greatest weakness. The chance to rewrite history in flattering and uncritical terms has proved too much of a temptation for scores of multinational companies, political parties and well-known organisations across the world. http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_tech/article2874112.ece ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Eurobarometer: Are Europe's children too confident in tackling online risks? Can parents trust their 13 year old daughter when she surfs the web? Do they know for sure that their 11 year old son's mobile phone conversation is safe? A Commission survey of children from all over Europe has looked into how they use new media. It shows that the use of internet and mobile phones has become almost self-evident for Europe's young generation. In general, they also know the risks of using the internet and mobile phones. However, when facing trouble online, minors will ask an adult only as a last resort. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1227 au: Protest greets sexualisation inquiry An inquiry into the sexualisation of children in the media has attracted a storm of protest from TV networks and ad agencies. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22251252-17061,00.html nz: Hector's World Teachers' Forum Launched [news release] An online forum has just been launched for teachers using Hector?s World cybersafety resources with their students. Managing Director of Hector?s World Ltd. Liz Butterfield says, ?We have established this forum because the best experts on how to get the greatest learning impact with Hector?s World resources are the teachers.? http://netsafe.org.nz/isgnews/isgnews_default.aspx http://netsafe.org.nz/Doc_Library/download/hwl_teachers_forum_launched10august07.pdf au: Cyber safety hotline goes live The Federal Government's NetAlert website and telephone hotline, where families can download free internet filters and obtain net safety advice, has been launched. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/08/20/1187462133791.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/20/1187462133791.html http://www.smarthousenews.com.au/Computing/Support?Article=/Computing/Support/V6S9P8S7 au: At the library ... just surfing the net for, er, porn Explicit pornography can be viewed in many Victorian public libraries ? including the State Library ? because some decline to install internet filters on the basis that it imposes overly strict censorship. Graphic movies showing penetrative sex are easily accessible online because libraries believe current filtering software can block legitimate research. The result is that there is little to stop deviants accessing child pornography and other sites offering free sexual images. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/08/18/1186857841912.html au: SA girls victims of online attacks Sexually explicit photographs and malicious fabricated profiles of South Australian schoolgirls and women on the internet are a "significant problem", police say. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22272436-5006301,00.html au: State school conference focuses on internet safety Parents attending a state schools conference have expressed concern about internet safety. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/19/2008919.htm au: Brawls for Internet tipped to end in death A leading child psychologist and anti-bullying campaigner says it is "only a matter of time" before a student dies in a schoolyard fight recorded for the Internet. "Fights are being staged exclusively for the purposes of being filmed on mobile phones and uploaded to YouTube," Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, a founding member of the National Coalition Against Bullying, said. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22261894-2,00.html au: Porn access at library Queanbeyan children could potentially access pornography on the city's library computers. The computers, provided by the Queanbeyan City Council, are lacking internet filtering mechanisms such as firewalls. http://queanbeyan.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?story_id=1039057 nz: Society Raises Concerns Over Dissemination of Objectionable Internet Content [news release] On Thursday night last week The Australian Prime Minister John Howard announcded a A$189 million package to deal with the growing problems of internet porn and dissemination of, and availability of, objectionable content to minors via ISPs. The Society is asking whether our government has taken any similar action. It most recently raised its serious concerns with the Minister of Justice, the Hon. Mark Burton, in a letter dated 1 June 2007, and has received no response to questions it has raised about Government policies addressing the problem. http://spcs.org.nz/content/view/158/1/ http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0708/S00171.htm ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** How Safe is ?Social Networking?? [news release] Myspace, Twitter, Facebook ? Social Networking is the web success story of the new century. The statistics are mind-bending ? Myspace claimed its 100 Millionth user in August 2006. But a recent ENISA workshop put the question - ?how safe are social networks?? According to the experts, there is a lot to be concerned about; from specialised social networking worms spreading through Myspace profiles to identity theft, extortion, spear-phishing and even recruitment of terrorists ? social networking has it all. But the biggest threat is to personal privacy. http://enisa.europa.eu/pages/02_01_press_2007_08_16_social_net.html Web watchdog warns of social network perils The European watchdog for web and information security, Enisa, has warned of the dangers of social networking sites. Academics and industry experts discussed the risks of using social networking websites at Enisa's How safe is "Social Networking"? workshop, with personal security emerging as the main concern. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62031044,00.htm Fighting antisocial behavior on social networking sites With social networking sites exploding in growth, most young users are well aware of the risks and the seamy side of the territory. But according to new surveys, many children and teens still cannot resist meeting strangers they have befriended online. http://iht.com/articles/2007/08/19/business/social20.php Pull down the walled gardens by Michael Geist Internet law professor Michael Geist says the walled gardens of social networks should be pulled down. Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have become part of the daily routine for millions of internet users. The popularity of these networks, however, has resulted in an unfortunate by-product - the mushrooming number of requests that come from dozens of these sites. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6944653.stm au: Facebook labelled a A$5b waste of time The next time you see an employee hunched intently over the computer, don't imagine he or she is slaving over the office accounts or a report for the next shareholders meeting. Employees are more likely to be whiling away the hours on the social networking site Facebook, a report says. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/19/1187462087940.html Facebook time-wasters could cost A$5 billion a year Facebook could cost employers up to $5 billion a year in productivity. The rise of the "underground intranet" in workplaces has resulted in more time-wasting by employees. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22273758-2,00.html http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Facebook-costs-businesses-AU-5bn-SurfControl/0,130061733,339281297,00.htm http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10458802 The technology disconnect In the midst of a new revolution there's a temptation to confuse data transfer with human communication, Hugh Mackay writes in the second and final extract from his new book. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/19/1187462087992.html Animal cruelty films on YouTube YouTube has become a forum for animal cruelty, with viewers flocking to watch clips such as one of a tethered goat being fed to a python by laughing onlookers. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2284380.ece Bebo Becomes the Most Visited Social Networking Site in the UK comScore released a study of UK traffic in July to a selection of leading social networking sites. UK property Bebo.com became the most visited social networking site from within the UK in July, attracting 10.6 million unique visitors, an increase of 63 percent over the start of the year. It was closely followed by social networking behemoth Myspace.com, which enjoyed a 25 percent increase in traffic over the same time period, to reach 10.1 million unique visitors in July. http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1571 Sophos Facebook ID probe shows 41% of users happy to reveal all to potential identity thieves Research highlights dangers of irresponsible behavior on social networking sites [news release] Sophos is warning social networking users of the dangers of allowing strangers to gain access to their online profiles, following new research into the risks of identity and information theft occurring through global phenomenon Facebook. Compiled from a random snapshot of Facebook users, Sophos's research shows that 41% of users, more than two in five, will divulge personal information - such as email address, date of birth and phone number - to a complete stranger, greatly increasing their susceptibility to ID theft. http://sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2007/08/facebook.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Skies Aren't So Friendly For Google American Airlines wants Google to stop engaging in one of its biggest business practices. The airline wants Google to stop selling keyword-based sponsored search results tied to any of its trademarks and is seeking punitive damages over the alleged infringement. http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/3695021 American Airlines Sues Google Over Search Words [Reuters] The airline accuses Google of violating trademark laws with its practice of selling search terms such as "American Airlines" or "AA.com" to other companies for advertising. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201801009 http://nytimes.com/2007/08/18/technology/18google.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6203229.html http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1725026420070817 Airline Sues Google Over Keyword Ads [AP] American Airlines is suing Google Inc. over the Internet company's sale of keywords ads for rivals triggered by its own trademarks. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/18/1186857810418.html Lawsuit Challenges Google?s Keyword Ads Google and other search engines have been on the receiving end of a dozen or so lawsuits challenging a common practice in search advertising: the use of someone?s trademark, say Mercedes Benz, to show an ad for a competitor, say a BMW dealer. In that case, the BMW dealer would be buying ads tied to the search keyword ?Mercedes Benz? from Google. So far the legal scorecard favors search engines. They have won several of these cases, and while they have suffered some adverse rulings they have yet to definitively lose a case. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/lawsuit-challenges-googles-keyword-ads/ American Airlines Sues Google over Keyword Ads Suit claims that the search company is infringing on the airline's trademarks by using them as keyword triggers for paid advertisements by other companies. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136092-c,techindustrytrends/article.html American Airlines Sues Google Over Keyword Ads by Eric Goldman Well, this is interesting. It's not unusual for a trademark owner to sue Google for keyword-triggered ads--been there, done that. However, the fact that American Airlines pulled the trigger catches my attention. Many trademark owners who have sued Google had relatively obscure brands. Rescuecom? JTH Tax? Check-n-Go? Even American Blinds is hardly a household name. In contrast, American Airlines is an extremely well-known trademark owner with a big portfolio of trademarks. Further, American Airlines apparently decided it was worth going to war over this issue--and is prepared to pay the big bucks to litigate this case accordingly. If this lawsuit runs its course, I expect this to be a hard-fought and expensive lawsuit. http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2007/08/american_airlin.htm my: Laws in cyberspace Bloggers are not above the law. They can be sued or prosecuted, like anyone else. Bloggers are sometimes accused of telling lies and described as rumour-mongers who can cause disharmony amongst the people and therefore cause damage to the country. To some people, it appears that there are no laws in cyber space and that the law of the jungle prevails. This is far from the truth because bloggers are certainly not above the law. http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2007/8/14/technology/20070814115330&sec=technology Swedish Market Court Dismisses Claim In Internet Deep Linking Case This article concerns the recent Swedish Market Court decision to dismiss a claim against a "buy and sell-site" for deep linking to adverts on a competing site and permitting the use of a competitor?s name as a Google keyword. In a decision from mid-2006, the Swedish Market Court as court of final instance ruled in proceedings brought by "Blocket", the largest "buy and sell-site" in Sweden. http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=50936 Spouse cyberspying dangerous, possibly illegal Increasing use of stealthy surveillance software for computers and phones is raising legal concerns and alarm among those who help victims of domestic violence. "These commercial surveillance packages, such as Spector from SpectorSoft, are turning up in domestic violence cases," says Cindy Southworth, director of technology at the Washington, D.C.-based organization National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). The group gets many calls from women who say their abusers know too much. "We advise women, if you're researching an escape plan or trying to find a new job, don't do it on your home PC." http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1227440269;fp;2;fpid;1 nz: Online, your PC is the weakest link Under a new code of practice introduced by members of the New Zealand Bankers' Association, online customers could find themselves out of pocket if they are defrauded and do not have up-to-date software. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10458405 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** nz: Privacy and Technology in the 21st Century A free forum in Wellington on 28 August, as part of Privacy Awareness Week. http://privacy.org.nz/library/privacy-and-technology-in-the-21st-century ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Terror law puts Britons at risk of surveillance by US agents A new law swept through Congress by the US government before the summer recess is to give American security agencies unprecedented powers to spy on British citizens without a warrant. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was approved by Congress earlier this month to help the National Security Agency in the fight against terrorism. But it has now emerged that the bill gives the security services powers to intercept all telephone calls, internet traffic and emails made by British citizens across US-based networks. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2151854,00.html us: Concerns Raised on Wider Spying Under New Law Broad new surveillance powers approved by Congress this month could allow the Bush administration to conduct spy operations that go well beyond wiretapping to include ? without court approval ? certain types of physical searches on American soil and the collection of Americans? business records, Democratic Congressional officials and other experts said. Administration officials acknowledged that they had heard such concerns from Democrats in Congress recently, and that there was a continuing debate over the meaning of the legislative language. But they said the Democrats were simply raising theoretical questions based on a harsh interpretation of the legislation. http://nytimes.com/2007/08/19/washington/19fisa.html U.S. Defends Surveillance to 3 Skeptical Judges Three federal appeals court judges hearing challenges to the National Security Agency?s surveillance programs appeared skeptical of and sometimes hostile to the Bush administration?s central argument Wednesday: that national security concerns require that the lawsuits be dismissed. http://nytimes.com/2007/08/16/washington/16nsa.html CONFERENCE: ANACOM Conference: Regulating Convergence - Converging Regulation September 07, Portugal: Bringing together a number of key national and international figures from the world of communications regulation, this conference will be a unique opportunity for wide-ranging debate on the challenges faced by regulation and regulators. Such challenges come from issues that include next generation network implementation and access, competition from emerging markets, the development of new business models, the possible application of new regulation institutional models, as well as radio spectrum policies. Finally, the implications of these new realities for citizens in general must not be forgotten, especially within the scope of providing the universal service of electronic communications. http://www.anacom.pt/template2.jsp?categoryId=246762 nz: Web issues over banking code New Zealand's main banks are moving quickly to hose down potentially damaging wording in a new code of banking practice produced by the New Zealand Bankers Association, wording that implies consumers will be responsible for the security of online banking. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/12/story.cfm?c_id=12&objectid=10458545 http://www.thesheet.com/nl05_news_selected.php?act=2&stream=1&selkey=2396 http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4171089a28.html ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Radio days are here again as Britons tune, click and plug into digital age In a world of digital TV, video-on-demand and the iPod, radio risked being left behind. There is something rather old-fashioned about switching on your "wireless", a term more likely to refer to broadband internet these days. But the latest audience figures published yesterday reveal that we are more in love with the radio than ever before. It is just that we are not listening to it in quite the same way as we used to. http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,2150602,00.html Comment: Worldwide and wireless While across the land radio station executives look to the usual explanatory suspects in the wake of yesterday's Rajar quarterly audience figures - any minute now I expect someone from London's ailing Capital Radio to blame the miserable weather or stock market wobbles - one thing is beyond doubt: the way we listen to radio in Britain is changing. In 2003, 900,000 of us tuned in via digital radio. Yesterday's Rajars, the first to measure how people listen as well as what they listen to, revealed that 12 million people now access digital radio through DAB sets, satellite or digital television, and the internet. Podcast downloads are up too, with a jump from 1.9m downloads of radio material to 2.7m, and there is also a steady increase in the number of listeners aged 15 and over tuning into radio via their mobile phones. http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,2150715,00.html Internet radio 'set for rapid growth' Terrestrial radio will be almost wiped out by 2020 as exponential growth in WiFi lets listeners enjoy Internet stations anytime, anywhere from their mobile phones, according to an entrepeneur in the field. http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/20/business/business_30045681.php Web threatens traditional news organizations The Internet is a threat to traditional news organizations, which no longer have the advantage of being the first to report breaking news online, according to a Harvard University study released yesterday. Researchers at the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics & Public Policy found that nontraditional media Web sites, including aggregators, bloggers, search engines and service providers, were growing faster than Web sites connected to traditional news media outlets, such as newspapers. The researchers studied the traffic of 160 news sites for one year, from April 2006 to April 2007. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9031378 Editorial Observer: Wiring the Frog, or Personal Tales From the Electronic Present A year and a half ago, I began an editorial essay like this one with these words: ?I do not own a BlackBerry or a pager. I don?t chat or instant-message or text-message. My cellphone could connect to the Web if I let it, but I don?t.? The essay went on to talk about the addiction of e-mail, as if that were somehow a racy new form of interhuman conversation. What an idiot. http://nytimes.com/2007/08/16/opinion/16observer.html U.S. uses Web to reach Muslim youth The U.S. State Department chose a novel way to publicize baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr.'s appointment this week as its special sports envoy. It went on YouTube. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes, who appears in the video, said Thursday it was part of her campaign to bring a positive image of the United States to a skeptical global audience ? particularly in the Muslim world. Children are a chief target. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-08-17-online-media-muslim-youth_N.htm Online 'hooligans' casting a dark cloud over the blogosphere Blogs are still generating news scoops, particularly in the United States. And marketers are trying to figure out how to include blogs in their ad campaigns. But blogs are also attracting attention because of the spread of "cyberbullying." http://iht.com/articles/2007/08/19/business/blogs20.php Normal service resumes on Skype Skype said its internet phone service has returned to normal after a software bug left many users unable to log on for two days. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/20/1187462124551.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1677935675;fp;2;fpid;1 http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/08/18/skype-its-alive_1.html Skype outage hits 220 million users Skype, the online phone company, was today working to fix an outage that left its 220 million users unable to make cheap calls over the internet. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article2277632.ece Error in Skype?s Software Shuts Down Phone Service Skype?s 220 million users, some of them small businesses that had given up their landlines, were left without a way to call colleagues, customers and friends. http://nytimes.com/2007/08/17/business/17ebay.html http://iht.com/articles/2007/08/16/business/skype.php http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/16/skypes-bad-day/ Skype outage disables millions of users Skype is experiencing software problems that have disconnected service for millions of users. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;408597100;fp;2;fpid;1 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Fibre optic networks to break light speed? German scientists claim to have broken the light speed barrier, which could blow away the known limitations of modern networking but the technology is unlikely to make it into a product -- if at all -- until most administrators working today have retired. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Fibre-optic-networks-to-break-light-speed-/0,130061791,339281235,00.htm Google Won't Go Dark to Go Green Eco-friendly Web developers are designing in dark colors to save energy. But going black only saves watts on old-style CRT monitors, not LCDs http://businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2007/tc20070814_994723.htm ********************** SPAM ********************** A death penalty for spammers? No, the solution is social change A recent New Yorker piece suggested that there are more than 170,000,000,000 emails sent every day. Of these billions, most are spam: something between 100bn and 150bn spam messages are sent every single day. That means that if Bill Gates were to put everyone on Earth online tomorrow, there would be spam enough for everyone: the newest born Bushman baby in the world could expect to get 20 offers of penis enlargement in her first day out of the womb. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/aug/16/guardianweeklytechnologysection.comment Spammers find new ways to slip through Just when it appeared tech firms had the upper hand against spam, spammers have unleashed new forms of the meddlesome e-mail to trick filters. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2007-08-15-spam_N.htm ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** uk: Bandwidth threat as on-demand TV grows Eyebrows were raised this week when the BBC's iPlayer suddenly lurched towards confrontation. Just two weeks after the video-on-demand software became publicly available, internet service providers were going on the offensive - claiming that they could be forced to throttle such services in order to save bandwidth. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/aug/16/guardianweeklytechnologysection.it1 Now it's operators v handset makers The battle for control of your mobile phone is about to enter an interesting stage. You may think that you are in charge. After all, you press all the buttons. But in reality the operators have been calling the shots for years. They have been trying to keep you within their walled gardens of paid-for services and charging by the amount of data consumed, leaving you with open-ended bills. They have even been fiddling with handsets to discourage use of the wireless connection appearing in an increasing number of handsets that can make near-free phone calls if you are in a Wi-Fi area. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/aug/16/guardianweeklytechnologysection.comment1 Can Universal turn the tide against Apple's iTunes? Nobody knows, but in a six-month experiment the world's biggest music label will try to switch people away from iTunes, the world's biggest music download store. Pick a side! The bait for the switch is copy protection, known as DRM (digital rights management). Users who continue to shop online at Apple's iTunes Store will still get their Universal music encumbered with Apple's DRM. If they go to a different store, they can buy unprotected MP3s of the same tracks for the same price, or less. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/aug/16/guardianweeklytechnologysection.drm au: Pirated Simpsons video filmed on mobile A 21-year-old man from the western Sydney suburb of Prairiewood faces up to five years' imprisonment after he was charged with uploading a pirated copy of The Simpsons Movie on the internet. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/17/1186857730452.html Record industry dismay as allofmp3.com boss is acquitted by Russian court The record industry today attacked a decision by a Russian court to clear a music website boss of copyright infringement in a test case for the country's fight against piracy. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) said it was "extremely disappointed" that the court had failed to convict Denis Kvasov, who ran the download site allofmp3.com, claiming that the site was "in clear violation of Russia's law." http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article2271673.ece http://www.usatoday.com/tech/world/2007-08-16-allofmp3-case-thrown-out_N.htm S'porean incurs wrath after prosecuting downloaders The director of a Singaporean anime distribution house has received death threats after taking action to crack down on illegal downloaders, according to local news reports. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62031019,00.htm ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Greenest Vendor? Still Toshiba Environmental agency praises five Toshiba notebooks as the most environmentally friendly: Mirror, mirror on the wall; who is the greenest vendor of them all? Toshiba of America has had five of its notebooks rated gold by EPEAT, the environmental agencies top green rating. and claims that this is more gold-rated notebooks than any other supplier can boast. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136093-c,recycling/article.html At 25, compact disc faces retirement [AP] An engineering marvel in August 1982, the compact disc turns 25 years old Friday. In an age of iPods and MP3 players, however, its future is increasingly in doubt. http://iht.com/articles/2007/08/16/business/cd.php http://www.latimes.com/technology/ats-ap_technology10aug16,1,3758836.story Compact disc hits 25th birthday Exactly 25 years ago the world's first compact disc was produced at a Philips factory in Germany, sparking a global music revolution. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6950845.stm Compact Disc is 25 Years Old An obsolete form of optical media known as the "Compact Disc" celebrates its 25th birthday tomorrow. In a press release issued Thursday, Philips said a staggering 200 billion of them were produced (194 billion accounted for by AOL signup disks) since the first one was stamped off the production line on Aug. 17, 1982. http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/08/compact-disk-is.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** CONFERENCE: Broadband Europe 2007 December 2007, Belgium: Broadband technology has become widely available, evolving out of the labs, into the hands of policy makers, politicians and the general public. As governments and large-scale business users demand ever more diverse and advanced applications for broadband technologies; innovative companies find outlets for their hardware and software solutions; commercial opportunities are created; and end users get the products they require. BroadBand Europe is uniquely placed to spotlight all these developments. As the only established annual global forum, that is organised in Europe, by European organisations; BroadBand Europe is at the heart of European broadband technology and policy development. The event 2007 will also feature an international trade-show, enabling to present future initiatives and policies, to discuss technology requirements with R&D and industry experts, to meet professionals from around the world, and to discover future applications. http://www.broadbandeurope.biz/ au: Costello to block Labor's broadband Peter Costello has moved to undermine Labor's commitment to build a national broadband network by derailing its funding. Mr Costello has announced that laws will be made to prevent money being taken from the Future Fund other than for what it was intended. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22258944-7582,00.html ********************** VoIP ********************** China's VoIP Growth Outpaces Its PSTN The volume of IP calls in China was almost 110 billion minutes up to September 2006, which is an 11.8% increase year-over-year, according to a report from ReportLinker. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201800565 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au/us: Sailor guilty of net grooming A sailor in the US Navy has pleaded guilty to using the internet to groom a 14-year-old Australian girl for sex in a police sting operation. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/20/1187462141758.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Get the World's number 1 free email service. http://mail.yahoo.com.au -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.cynosure.com.au/mailman/private/dns/attachments/20070823/a5780cfc/attachment-0001.htmReceived on Thu Aug 23 2007 - 06:31:53 UTC
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