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 January 28 edition of the news includes: EU aims to clarify legal status of IP addresses | The web weans itself off the US | ICANN makes case for freedom from US oversight | Estonia fines man for 'cyber war' | Google Takes Aim At Domain Tasting Profiteers | The Google Effect on Tasting by Bret Fausett | Why Google Can't Stop Domain Tasting by Bret Fausett | Are domain names recession-proof? And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Google Balks at EU Take on IP Addresses http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=57964 Europe: Your I.P. Address Is Personal http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/europe-your-ip-address-is-personal/index.html Is your Internet address "personal information"? http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2008/01/22/google_ip_address/ The IGF and Networked Internet Governance by Brenden Kuerbis http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/1/18/3473217.html The Future of ICANN (Again) by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/1/17/3470996.html What Every Domainer Needs to Know About Trademarks before Registering Domain Names by Enrico Schaefer http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/ Are domain names real property? Thoughts from Domainfest 2008 http://www.thewhir.com/blogs/David-Snead/index.cfm/2008/1/22/Are-domain-names-real-property--Thoughts-from-Domainfest-2008 Sedo report on growth of secondary domain name market in 2007 http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=3810 Sedo Nearly Doubles Domain Name Sales Revenues in 2007 http://www.forbes.com/businesswire/feeds/businesswire/2008/01/23/businesswire20080123005747r1.html ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Google Balks at EU Take on IP Addresses IP addresses should be classified as personally identifiable information, the head of the European Union's data-privacy regulators said on Monday. Google begs to differ. http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=57964 Europe: Your I.P. Address Is Personal At a hearing yesterday, a top privacy regulator in Europe said something that needs to be said: I.P. addresses need to be treated as personal information. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/europe-your-ip-address-is-personal/index.html Is your Internet address "personal information"? Every computer on the Internet, like every dwelling in a city, has an address. Your computer's address -- called the Internet Protocol address, or IP -- is presented during any online interaction. It may sometimes seem possible that nobody knows what you're doing online. Don't believe it. Your IP can almost identify your machine or, at least, your home network: Go to a Web site, send an e-mail, trade files on BitTorrent, chat on IM, whatever -- your IP is shuttling all over. http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2008/01/22/google_ip_address/ Ground Shakes Beneath Google as EC Debates IP Privacy European approval of Google's $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick may be in doubt as privacy hearings held by the European Commission get underway. The hearings are focusing on whether Internet protocol, or IP, addresses should be considered personally identifiable information. The risk to the pending deal, which has been approved in the United States, is that the European antitrust authority may decide to put privacy back on the table as it weighs its decision. It has previously said it would not consider it. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Ground-Shakes-Beneath-Google-as-EC-Debates-IP-Privacy-61325.html European Regulators Mull Protecting IP Addresses The proposal suggests that when a person can be identified by an IP address, that information should be treated as personal information. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205916731 The IGF and Networked Internet Governance by Brenden Kuerbis The European Parliament has issued a resolution which illustrates the growing interplay of global Internet governance and domestic or regional polities. It also hints at how we might begin to incorporate the broad array of interests affected by global Internet policies. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/1/18/3473217.html Russia Obliterates its Internet While Vladimir Putin is building a Golden Bunker through his stand-ins [TN: a $50 million residence known as "Villa Konstantin" which is rumored being built for him in Switzerland], the Kremlin administration has come up with a new way of interfering in citizens??? private lives and isolating the country from the rest of the world. In the best traditions of the Cold War, the Special Services will have the exclusive means to deprive all those living in the Russian Federation of the right to read and write. http://publiuspundit.com/articles/2008/01/russia_obliterates_its_interne.php ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN Formalizes Relationships with ccTLD Manager for Niue ICANN announced it has signed an exchange of letters with the ccTLD manager for .nu--Niue, Internet Users Society Niue (IUS-N). http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-22jan08.htm ICANN Board Approves Historic F-Root Agreement ICANN has formally approved the Mutual Responsibilities Agreement with the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC), the operators of F-Root. "The security and stability of the domain name system are at the heart of ICANN?s core mission, and the formal approval of this agreement is a key component in meeting that mission," said Dr Paul Twomey, ICANN?s President and CEO. "One of ICANN?s responsibilities under the Joint Project Agreement with the U.S. Government is to work to formalize relationships with root server operators, so this is a real milestone." http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-23jan08.htm ICANN Formalizes Relationship With Niue's ccTLD Manager [sub req'd] ICANN on Tuesday announced that it had signed an exchange of letters with the country code top level domain (ccTLD) manager for .nu -Niue, the Internet Users Society Niue. http://www.tax-news.com/asp/story/ICANN_Formalizes_Relationship_With_Niues_ccTLD_Manager_xxxx29715.html Things you didn?t realize were on the ICANN site: Part 2 by Kieren McCarthy It is very inconsiderate of five-sixths of the world to fail to speak English, but then we are reliably informed that they feel pretty much the same way. And so while the Internet has done an extraordinary job of transcending physical borders, language remains a pretty significant issue if you want to actually communicate with your new online neighbour. http://blog.icann.org/?p=270 The Future of ICANN (Again) by Milton Mueller ICANN is lobbying hard to bring an end to its ?Joint Project Agreement? (JPA) with the US Commerce Department. (The JPA is one of two tethers that ties ICANN to the US government.) Key ICANN management personnel are in Washington today and meetings are being held with industry stakeholder groups. Feelers are being sent out to other stakeholders. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/1/17/3470996.html ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** Record year for .be domain registrations There were 193,648 new .be domain registrations in 2007, the fifth year running the record has been beaten, with there now being 736,498 .be domain names registered. This was 46,626 more paying domain names than at the end of 2006, a growth of 31.7 per cent. http://www.domainnews.com/aftermarket/2008012265/record-year-for-be-domain-registrations/ 2007 sees the record beaten for registering new ".be" domain names for the 5th year in a row [news release] To mark the beginning of the new year, DNS BE, the Belgian registration body for all domain names ending in ?.be?, presented positive preliminary results for the previous year. http://www.dns.be/pdf/Pressrelease_en_20080121.pdf Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) Names New President and CEO The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) announced today that Byron G. Holland has been named its new President and CEO. CIRA is the not-for-profit organization responsible for operating Canada?s dot-ca (.ca) Internet domain name registry. http://cira.ca/en/media-room/news/216.html Media Advisory ? edstelmach.ca and Domain Name Registration Policy The controversy over the registration of edstelmach.ca by an outspoken online critic has increased attention on the registration of domain names. http://cira.ca/en/media-room/news/215.html Chinese domain name campaign extended To cope with increased demand for the .cn domain name, the Experience .CN Domain Name campaign is to be extended until 31st December 2008. Since the campaign introduction in March, domain name registrations have surpassed the 8.4 million barrier. http://www.melbourneitcbs.com/news.php?article=6&title=Chinese%20domain%20name%20campaign%20extended&year=2008&month=01 The AFNIC chooses anycast for the .fr ccTLD [news release] The AFNIC wishes to equip itself with technologies that will reinforce its service level on the French country-code Top Level Domains it administrates. http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/general/NN20080121 The AFNIC celebrates one million .fr domain names registered since the creation of the ccTLD on September the 2nd, 1986 [news release] Domain names in .fr have strongly increased over the last few years. In October 2002 they had reached 100,000 domain names, in July 2006 they had reached 500,000 domains. Today in January 2008 they have reached one million domain name after a 40% growth in 2007. This success is owed notably to the suppling up of the .fr domain name registration procedures until the opening to individuals in June 2006. http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/general/CP20080114 Help.me, love.me: new registry for Montenegro domain Once again, Afilias has won out over its major competitors VeriSign and Canada's eNOM in the battle for backend operation of new registries. Montenegro's governmental council for the top level domain (ccTLD) .me has opted for a consortium of US registrar GoDaddy, Afilias, and the local ME-Net. http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/102198 SGNIC Tender: provision of a Registry-Registrar Domain Name system SGNIC is pleased to announce the Invitation To Tender for the provision of a Registry-Registrar Domain Name system (19 Jan 08 - 8 February 08). http://nic.net.sg/newsroom/20080119152450.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** What Every Domainer Needs to Know About Trademarks before Registering Domain Names by Enrico Schaefer I was recently interviewed by Modern Domainer Magazine about trademark issues. In this article, I discussed a variety of trademark issues for domainers who wish to extend their domain name value by also registering trademarks and as due diligence prior to registering domains in order to avoid trademark infringement threat letters and lawsuits. http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/ http://tcattorney.typepad.com/ModernDomainerMagazineInterview.pdf us: Mizzou licensing rep threatens suit against Web site operator Seven years ago, Richard Lozano registered the Internet domain name missouritigers.com and began often satirical blogs on all things athletic involving Mizzou. ... Flash forward now to December 2007, and to as recently as last week, when Lozano was threatened with a lawsuit by the MU-employed Collegiate Licensing Company of Atlanta. The suit demanded he give up use of the Web site, and provide CLC with financial records of T-shirts sold wholesale on missouritigers.com and cafepress.com bearing what has for years been known to MU fans as the Kitty Logo. He claims he did not use any of Missouri?s registered logos. http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/456605.html Vodafone secures domain rights Telephony provider Vodafone is among the latest firms to make use of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre. In the latest published rulings from the organisation, vodafoneracing.com has been ordered to be transferred to Vodafone. All three necessary defining characteristics of an abusive registration are fulfilled in this case, appointed panellist Knud Wallberg explains. http://www.melbourneitcbs.com/news.php?article=3&title=Vodafone%20secures%20domain%20rights&year=2008&month=01 Colorado no stranger to Web domain disputes Vail Resorts, Crocs, Young Life and Allos Therapeutics probably have nothing in common other than a Colorado mailing address, but they have shared a similar experience. Each has filed a domain name dispute in the past year. Conflicts over Web addresses are on the rise. One organization dealing with the cases, the National Arbitration Forum, handled 1,658 disputes in 2006, a 21 percent increase from the prior year, and next month expects to report a gain for 2007. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/16/paton-colorado-no-stranger-to-web-domain/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** What will IPv6 do for you? The applications aren?t clear Agencies appear on track toward upgrading their information systems to a new, more advanced Internet standard ? known as Internet Protocol version 6, or IPv6 ? but just how they?ll be using it is still a mystery. http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3327556 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Are domain names real property? Thoughts from Domainfest 2008 The second day of domainfest 2008 concluded with a two hour live auction of domain names. At the start of today?s auction ?sex.la? had the highest minimum required bid (surprise surprise). This auction in particular, and domainfest in general, got me to thinking about whether domain names should be considered to be real property, similar to real estate, or intellectual property, similar to trademarks and copyrights. Based on the chats I?ve had in the exhibit hall, and at other conferences, it seems that domainers like the idea of giving domain names some, if not all, of the attributes of real property. On the other hand, Big IP has been firm in its assertion that domain names should be considered to be intellectual property only. While using either of these analytical frameworks would add a certain amount of legal certainty, I think that using either framework, exclusive of the other would be a missed opportunity to create law that reflects the particular place that the Internet occupies in society. http://www.thewhir.com/blogs/David-Snead/index.cfm/2008/1/22/Are-domain-names-real-property--Thoughts-from-Domainfest-2008 FBI requests spawn network forensics startup Startup Packet Analytics today is announcing a tool for searching aggregated log data to analyze traffic activity between IP-based host computers. Net/FSE, which stands for Network Forensic Search Engine, is Linux-based server software that provides a Web interface for network managers to easily see an analytical profile of host-to-host activity based on NetFlow router data as well as log information related to the organization's firewall, intrusion-detection systems and security-information management. http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;2113131704;fp;2;fpid;1 Domain name gaffe launches Clearswift clients into e-mail panic A domain name snafu at Clearswift, a company that filters email and web pages for objectionable content, wreaked havoc on some of its business customers when admins awoke to find their organizations were unable to send or receive email. The outage was caused when mimesweeper.biz, the domain where customers' email is routed before being filtered, went off line. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/23/domain_name_snafu/ Five ho-hum domain names and their curious stories In this brave new Web 2.0 world, it's almost a badge of honor to have a Web site name that only hints at what the user will find there (see Flickr) or is so opaque as to offer no clue at all as to what the Web site is about (see del.icio.us). It's easy to forget the first Internet gold rush of the mid-to-late '90s, when dot-com domain names based on ordinary (and, investors hoped, marketable) nouns and verbs were snapped up by hopeful companies from the humble geeks who had purchased them (often ironically) in the early '90s. The weird and wooly history of the Web can best be traced through some of its most generic domains. Here's a sampling that trace the arc from the geeks to the entrepreneurs and into a more staid corporate world. As with all voyages into the misty pasts of the Internet, we've made copious use of the invaluable Internet Archive Wayback Machine. http://www.itworld.com/Net/3589/five-generic-domain-names-history-080123/ Wrestling with Network Solutions' E-commerce by Mark Gibbs Last week in I began to relate my quest for an online e-commerce solution, a saga that makes "War and Peace" seem short and pithy. I discussed my exploration of osCommerce and then my evaluations of shopping cart solutions recommended by Intuit, which included Go Daddy, ProStores and Homestead. By this time I was feeling somewhat disheartened. Thus it was I turned to the last of the Intuit-recommended services: Network Solutions. I have never been a fan of this company, my opinion shaped by its outrageous service pricing, the various dubious business practices it has indulged in over the years and its recent ethical lapse in holding unregistered domain names hostage. But I needed a shopping cart and my assumption was that I'd be making a safe choice as Network Solutions was, in effect, vouched for by Intuit. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1595927085 http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1595927085 The Internet Commerce Association ? Promoting and Protecting the Interests of Domain Name Entrepreneurs: An Overview for Members The Internet Commerce Association (ICA) was established in September 2006 following the .com settlement between the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and VeriSign. After reviewing that back room-negotiated no-bid perpetual contract, domain name (DN) monetization industry leaders concluded that permanent representation within ICANN, in Washington, and in other critical decision-making arenas was needed to protect its collective interests. http://www.internetcommerce.org/member_benefits ********************** - AFTERMARKET ********************** DOMAINfest Day One by James Koole I managed to get in touch (via instant messaging) with a very busy Bill Sweetman in Hollywood, California early this morning. He?s taking in the sights and sounds of DOMAINfest 2008 He gave me a bit of a rundown on what?s happened so far, as well a what to expect in the coming days. Bill has also been talking with some of the domain industry heavyweights about where the industry is, where it?s headed, and specifically in terms of the growing domain name aftermarket. http://about.tucows.com/2008/01/22/domainfest-day-one/ Sedo report on growth of secondary domain name market in 2007 Sedo has released its latest report, ?Sedo?s Secondary Domain Market Study for 2007,? on the secondary domain name market. In 2007 Sedo, through its online marketplace, sold 27,270 domains with a value of ?37,048,960, a 60 per cent increase on 2006. The most expensive of these was chinese.com for US$1,100,000 followed by li.com for $500,000. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=3810 http://www.domainnews.com/aftermarket/2008012270/sedo-report-on-growth-of-secondary-domain-name-market-in-2007/ http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/01/24/sedo-report-on-growth-of-secondary-domain-name-market-in-2007/ Sedo Nearly Doubles Domain Name Sales Revenues in 2007 Demand for aftermarket domain names grew substantially in 2007, setting yet a new record-setting benchmark for the market, according to an annual report conducted by Sedo. The continued increase in domain name value was spurred by the necessity for organizations and businesses to secure quality domain names that are no longer available through traditional registrars, as well as the greater ability to generate search engine optimization through targeted domain names. http://www.forbes.com/businesswire/feeds/businesswire/2008/01/23/businesswire20080123005747r1.html Sedo Shares Domain Study Results Sedo announced on Wednesday that the demand for aftermarket domain names grew substantially in 2007, setting a new benchmark for the market in the coming years. Sedo also topped the $70 million mark in domain sales in 2007, almost two times that of its 2006 total. http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/012308_Sedo_Shares_Domain_Study_Results.cfm Secondary Domain name Sales Total ?37 Million in 2007 According to SEDO, internet domain name sales in the secondary market totaled GBP37 Million. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/01/23/secondary-domain-name-sales-total-gbp37-million-in-2007 SnapNames Live Auction Enters Day 2 The first day of SnapNames? live domain auction at DomainFEST appears to have been a success. The first day included lower priced domains. Big ticket domains ? including invitro.com, track.com, and athlete.com ? go on auction today. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/23/snapnames-live-auction-enters-day-2/ Is Sedo Worth $350M? We know Sedo is a behemoth in the domain industry. But just how big is it and what is the company worth? Sedo?s latest domain market study, along with majority owner AdLINK?s financial reports, sheds some light. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/23/how-much-is-sedo-worth/ No slump in online real estate The real estate investors packing the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles this week don't have to worry about interest rates, exploding mortgages and foreclosures. The addresses they buy and sell are on the Internet, where a good name might attract millions of people and pull in big bucks from advertising. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-domain24jan24,0,5056598.story SEO and Understanding Your Brand by Richard Burckhardt I always recommend that folks optimizing their web sites take great care to not confuse the name of their company with what the searchers are actually trying to find, which is frequently the brand. http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2008/01/22/seo-and-understanding-your-brand Gents.com Joins Six-Figure Club and Tops Final Weekly Domain Sales Chart for 2007 The 2007 domain race is now over and it was certainly a year to remember. The final week, as expected, was a slow one as it fell within the year's busiest holiday season but that didn't stop the annual totals from hitting heights we have never seen before. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2007/domainsales01-09-08.htm Green.co.uk; Indian.com up for sale on Sedo Sedo have announced the domain name green.co.uk is now up for sale. Registered by a Mr Green twelve years ago, it appears to be an original owner domain with a reserve price range of ?50,000 to ?199,999. The current bid is for ?3,500. The Sedo news release announcing the sale is below. Meanwhile the domain Indian.com is currently up for sale, also on Sedo, with a reserve of between US$200,000 to 499,000. The current bid is US$150,000 less than two days to go of the auction. Click here for more information on the Indian.com auction. Other domains up for auction on Sedo at the moment with five-figure bids are 49.com (currently US$73,000) and sit.com (currently US$60,000). http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/01/22/greencouk-indiancom-up-for-sale-on-sedo/ http://www.domainnews.com/aftermarket/2008012261/greencouk-indiancom-up-for-sale-on-sedo/ http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=1640 Owner puts up green.co.uk for auction Search Engine for Domain Offers (Sedo), a US-based online market for the purchase and sale of internet domain names and websites, has announced that the domain name green.co.uk has been put up for auction by its owner, Mr Green. http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=7FAD1986-6554-4A4E-9AD2-BC400DD37193 bookmarks.com sells for 300k! Bookmarks.com just went under the hammer for $300k http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/01/24/bookmarkscom-sells-for-300k/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** uk: Police suspect internet link to suicides Police in south Wales are investigating the possibility of an internet "suicide chain" after the apparent copycat deaths of seven young people over the past year. The latest victim, Natasha Randall, 17, was found dead at her family home in Blaengarw, near Bridgend last week. Two other teenage girls who knew her attempted to harm themselves the following day. Last night, one of them was still on a life support machine in hospital, while the second girl was discharged from hospital. Police believe that all the victims may be linked, even if they had not met offline. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/23/news Social network sites link to town's seven suicides Natasha Randall was 17, had a large circle of friends and was studying childcare when, without any indication that she was unhappy, she hanged herself in her bedroom. Her death last Thursday was the latest in at least seven apparent copycat suicides in Bridgend, South Wales, that have alarmed parents, health authorities and police, who believe that they may be prompted by messages on social networking websites such as Bebo. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3234692.ece Memorial Web sites "romanticising death" [Reuters] An MP accused popular networking Web sites of "romanticising death" on Wednesday after the suicides of seven young people in the last year around a small town in South Wales. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL2355551020080123 uk: 'Internet suicide cult' rips apart town as SEVEN young people hang themselves A small town has been rocked by the copycat suicides of seven young people. Local people fear the hangings are linked to a chilling internet cult. Within 24 hours of the latest death last week, two friends of the teenage girl had also attempted suicide. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=509727 uk: A wild child who surfed her way to suicide and 'virtual immortality' The secret life of Natasha Randall was laid bare on an alarmingly candid web page. At the click of a button you could discover her likes and dislikes, study revealing photographs, chat to her online and find out who wanted to have sex with her. Yesterday that page became her virtual headstone. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=509804 uk: Porn bill firm Micro Bill Systems opens new front Can you ever consent to blackmail? Rik Ferguson of internet security solutions company Trend Micro thinks so. He's thinking of the behaviour of online billing software from Leeds-based Micro Bill Systems Ltd. Install it to view a three-day free trial of pornographic videos and, if you don't cancel in time, you'll see a popup bill window appear for increasingly longer periods each day until you pay ?39.99. "It's saying, 'I am going to disable your system unless you pay the money, do you agree to this?' That's really consented blackmail," says Ferguson, who hates the idea of X-rated websites shaming users into paying up. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/24/security.hitechcrime UK homes to get super-fast fibre The UK's first "fibre town" could go online in the autumn, delivering speeds of about 100Mbps (megabits per second) to consumers' homes. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7202396.stm uk: Broadband sewer plan in pipeline H2O Networks proposes a cost-effective plan for ultra-fast connection using innovative cable technology that is laid within sewage pipes in the UK http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b4bb45de-c941-11dc-9807-000077b07658.html us: The joke is on cellphone users Customers complain about charges for unwanted text message services such as those offered by Jokemobi. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-lazarus23jan23,1,1836257.column Half of Moscow without internet The first analysis reports regarding the outcome of the previous year prove the broadband internet to cover only a little less than half of Moscow families. Experts say Stream has strengthened its position as the market leader, while fighting for places in 2008 top-3 will only start. Experts expect mobile WiMAX to be launched in Moscow and large players to launch active expansion to regions in the coming year. http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2008/01/17/283671 Forrester: European Mobile Instant Messaging To Triple In The Next Six Years [news release] Mobile instant messaging (IM) adoption in Europe will grow from 8 percent (26.7 million subscribers) in 2007 to 24 percent (80 million subscribers) by 2013, according to a new study by Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR). Forrester?s mobile IM forecast is based on a survey of 22,000 consumers across France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. http://www.forrester.com/ER/Press/Release/0,1769,1192,00.html JupiterResearch Forecasts Strong Growth in Mobile Marketing But Market Still Has Many Hurdles to Overcome JupiterResearch reveals that beyond SMS marketing, most mobile marketing tactics are still in their infancy and will struggle to meet initial high expectations. According to a new JupiterResearch report, "Mobile Advertising in Europe: Achieving Search and Display Revenues in the Long Term" mobile search and display revenues will together reach 1.3 billion euros by 2012. http://jupiterresearch.com/bin/item.pl/press:press_release/2008/id=08.01.15-mobile-marketing.html/ U.K. Traditional Media Brands Attract Online Audiences From Around the World [news release] ComScore released the results of a study of the worldwide traffic to the online properties of traditional U.K. media brands, based on data from the comScore World Metrix audience measurement service. The study revealed that online visitors originating from outside the U.K. outnumbered the domestic audience for the BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, and The Daily Mail. The Daily Mail had the highest proportion of international visitors, with 69 percent of its 7.6 million visitors originating from outside the U.K. The BBC attracted 59 percent of its audience internationally, while the Telegraph (57 percent) and the Guardian Media Group (56 percent) also drew more than half their respective audiences from outside the U.K. Only two of the ten sites studied, British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and ITV Sites, had less than a quarter of their traffic originate internationally. http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2011 Women More Likely to Turn to Internet than Friends or Family for Health Information [news release] Study Finds 60 Percent of Women Rely on the Internet Versus 51 Percent Who Consult Friends, Family or Significant Other: comScore released results from a recent study showing that ? second only to consulting physicians ? women turn most often to the Internet for health information. Eighty-five percent of women using the Internet have researched women?s health issues online while two out of three (63 percent) have used the Internet specifically to learn about birth control options. http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2012 comScore Releases December U.S. Search Engine Rankings [news release] ... In December, Google Sites? share of core searches stood at 58.4 percent. Yahoo! Sites ranked second with 22.9 percent, followed by Microsoft Sites (9.8 percent), Time Warner Network (4.6 percent), and Ask Network (4.3 percent). Yahoo! Sites experienced the most significant market share increase, gaining 0.5 share points versus the previous month. http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2016 comScore Releases Top Canadian Web Rankings for December, 2007 [news release] ... With holiday shopping on Canadians? minds, retail sites dominated the top-gaining site category rankings for December. The consumer goods category rose 70 percent to nearly 5 million visitors, while the consumer electronics category jumped 15 percent to 9.4 million visitors, led by Futureshop.ca Sites with 5.4 million visitors (up 39 percent). http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2007 U.K. and France Enjoy A Robust Online Christmas Shopping Season ... In the U.K. and France, online shopping activity built steadily throughout the season, peaking during the first half of December. The sixth week of the season (Dec. 3 ? Dec. 9) recorded the highest level of online shopping activity, up 38 percent versus the base period (Sep. 3 ? Oct. 28) in the U.K., and up 45 percent in France. Week 7 (Dec. 10 ? Dec. 16) was the second busiest period of online shopping activity, up 35 percent in the U.K. and 39 percent in France. http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1993 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Can Web-based worlds teach us about the real one? Researchers are eager to study millions of online gamers that live in 'virtual' communities such Second Life, hoping to gain insight into our 'real world' behaviors. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0123/p13s01-stct.html How Facebook Is Like Ikea - They get their customers to do the work?and to enjoy doing it Roughly five years after Internet users caught on, the bookshops are suddenly full of books about the user-generated content that "Web 2.0" makes possible: blogs, Wikipedia, Facebook, and the rest. Well, you can forget them, because easily the world's most profitable enabler of user-generated content opened the doors of its first superstore 50 years ago, in Almhult, Sweden. http://www.slate.com/id/2182149/ ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** iPod faces fears of market saturation It has been the technological wonder of the noughties, with seemingly no self-respecting ears seen without its tell-tale white earphones. But, according to some analysts, figures from Apple suggest that the iPod may be reaching market saturation. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/23/ipod.apple ********************** SPAM ********************** Barracuda Networks Releases Annual Spam Report [news release] Barracuda Networks released its annual spam report. The findings included: 1) The majority of business professionals view spam email as the worst form of junk advertising - worse than postal junk mail and telemarketing calls, and 2) spam email accounted for 90 to 95 percent of all email in 2007, up from an estimated five percent of email in 2001. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=3806 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Microsoft commits millions to put PCs in schools [Reuters] Microsoft will spend $235 million (120 million pounds) over the next five years to expand its educational programme that includes getting more computers into classrooms to help bridge the digital divide, the company said on Tuesday. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205916704 http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL2263945720080123 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Most malware comes from legit sites, says researcher The majority of Web sites serving up attack code are legitimate domains that have been hacked by criminals, a security researcher said in a report released today. It's the first time that legitimate sites outnumber the malicious ones hackers purposefully set up to spread malware. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9058599 Al-Qaeda group claims to have strengthened its encryption security The encryption software, "Mujahideen Secrets 2," was announced in the last few days at an Arabic-language site and may well be better than last year's software, "Mujahideen Secrets 1," which some experts claim is poorly designed and breakable. Most surprising, though, is that the Al-Ekhlaas forum that announced the 2.0 version is hosted at a Web site based in Tampa, Fla. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/012308-al-qaeda-encryption-security.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1174177879 http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1174177879 Internet law - liability of websites hosting interactive forums in France In two recent cases, French Courts have held owners of websites hosting interactive forums responsible for the illegal content of messages posted on these forums, whereas the authors of these messages have not even been sued. Certain existing legal provisions could provide these websites with more legal security, but Courts are not quite sure that these provision apply. Courts therefore apply diverse legal theories, which lead to certain legal confusion. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=articles&id=EDFFD636-48E0-43D8-9753-776A7203F0E6 Criminals set sights on growing army of Mac users If Mac users fall for scams that PC users have faced for years, it won't be long before money-hungry crime gangs exploit them, say security experts. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62036938,00.htm New Sophos Security Report reveals cybercriminals moving beyond Microsoft [news release] IT security and control firm, Sophos, has published its Security Threat Report 2008 examining the threat landscape over the previous twelve months, and predicting emerging cybercrime trends for 2008. http://sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2008/01/security-report.html Schneier: Cyber-extortion on the rise Security expert Bruce Schneier has warned that cyber-extortion is on the rise, but gave the caveat that it mainly affects "fringe" industries, such as online gambling, rather than critical national infrastructure organisations. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62036943,00.htm Vishing attacks increase [news release] Are you one of many who have received an e-mail, text message, or telephone call, purportedly from your credit card/debit card company directing you to contact a telephone number to re-activate your card due to a security issue? The IC3 has received multiple reports on different variations of this scheme known as "vishing". These attacks against US financial institutions and consumers continue to rise at an alarming rate. http://www.ic3.gov/media/2008/080117.htm An increase in internet schemes purportedly from the FBI The IC3 has increasingly received intelligence of fraudulent schemes misrepresenting FBI agents, officials and/or FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III. The fraudulent e-mails give the appearance of legitimacy due to the usage of pictures of the FBI Director, seal, letterhead, and/or banners. The types of schemes utilizing the names of FBI agents, officials, or the Director's name are typically lottery endorsements and inheritance notifications. http://www.ic3.gov/media/2008/080104.htm au: NT cops hunt alleged eBay cheat NORTHERN Territory police have joined the hunt for a man accused of cheating people on auction website eBay. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23086347-15306,00.html au: Melbourne DVD pirate ring smashed POLICE claim they have smashed a $12 million-a-year pirate DVD ring in three raids on houses in Melbourne's west. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23095483-15306,00.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** eu: Do internet companies protect personal data well enough? Claims that big internet companies, such as Google or Yahoo, track the on-line behaviour of millions of users, so as to be able to sell the resulting data to on-line advertisers, raise difficult issues, such as whether these data could also be used for other purposes that violate personal privacy, said data protection, industry and consumer protection bodies at a public hearing held by the Civil Liberties Committee on 21 January. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/019-19258-022-01-04-902-20080121IPR19236-22-01-2008-2008-false/default_en.htm ca: The role of identity in society and the privacy issues related to identity: A discussion paper [news release] Identity issues are poorly understood by all but a relatively small community of experts, and this is having an impact on how Canadians react to proposals for increased security measures, notes Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart. ?There is a tug-of-war between efforts to protect the privacy of Canadians and the encroachment of a ?surveillance society?,? says Commissioner Stoddart. ?Canadians need to understand the central role identity plays in this battle.? http://privcom.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2008/nr-c_080121_e.asp ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Has AT&T Lost Its Mind?A baffling proposal to filter the Internet by Tim Wu Chances are that as you read this article, it is passing over part of AT&T's network. That matters, because last week AT&T announced that it is seriously considering plans to examine all the traffic it carries for potential violations of U.S. intellectual property laws. The prospect of AT&T, already accused of spying on our telephone calls, now scanning every e-mail and download for outlawed content is way too totalitarian for my tastes. But the bizarre twist is that the proposal is such a bad idea that it would be not just a disservice to the public but probably a disaster for AT&T itself. If I were a shareholder, I'd want to know one thing: Has AT&T, after 122 years in business, simply lost its mind? http://www.slate.com/id/2182152/ Web pornography targeted in China Chinese authorities closed down 44,000 websites and arrested 868 people last year in a campaign against internet pornography, state media has reported. Another 1,911 people received unspecified penalties for "pornography activities", Xinhua news agency said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7204013.stm China plays dirty with porn sites [AFP] Chinese authorities shut down 44,000 websites and arrested 868 people last year in a campaign against pornography that is set to continue to the Beijing Olympics in August, state media said on Wednesday. http://news.theage.com.au/china-closes-down-44000-porn-sites/20080123-1nnk.html http://news.smh.com.au/china-closes-down-44000-porn-sites/20080123-1nnk.html http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2885&iArticleId=4219086 Online videos ?attack China?s sovereignty? "An unprecedented act of censorship" is how international press freedom organisation, Reporters Without Borders, described China's latest method of internet censorship. The new measures are aimed at silencing those who attempt to express their opinion through online video material. http://action.amnesty.org.au/china/comments/7844 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ uk: Plans for junk food ad ban dropped The government has abandoned plans to impose a pre-9pm ban on junk food TV advertising when it unveils its new anti-obesity strategy tomorrow, safeguarding more than ?200m a year in TV advertising revenue. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/22/advertising.health au: Schools of thought The start of the school year is looming. You've bought the uniform, shoes and textbooks, and put money aside for the school fees. But what about the laptop, home PC with broadband connection, printer, mobile phone, MP3 player, USB flash drive and a PDA? http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23085477-11869,00.html us: State Money Sought to Curb Web Predators Alicia Kozakiewicz was 13 when she was abducted and assaulted in a Herndon basement by a man she met online. Four days after her disappearance, a team of law enforcement officers who specialize in cybercrime tracked her down. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/22/AR2008012203010.html New study reveals growth of online child porn [sub req'd] The increase in child pornography ? fuelled by the enormous growth of the Internet ? has enforcement agencies around the world scrambling to combat a crime that is affecting millions of people. http://www.legalbrief.co.za/article.php?story=20080123074656491 Domain name gaffe launches Clearswift clients into e-mail panic A domain name snafu at Clearswift, a company that filters email and web pages for objectionable content, wreaked havoc on some of its business customers when admins awoke to find their organizations were unable to send or receive email. The outage was caused when mimesweeper.biz, the domain where customers' email is routed before being filtered, went off line. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/23/domain_name_snafu/ ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** NZ government ponders digital media regulation Broadcasting minister Trevor Mallard and communications minister David Cunliffe jointly issued a research report this morning on the regulation of digital broadcasting. ... The potential regulatory schemes seek to cover an increasingly converged range of digital media, where a clear line can no longer be drawn between audiovisual internet content and broadcast television programmes. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/AF2BEF0AAFB8C732CC2573DA000232C1 White House Has No Comprehensive E-Mail Archive For years, the Bush administration has relied on an inadequate archiving system for storing the millions of e-mails sent through White House servers, despite court orders and statutes requiring the preservation of such records, according to documents and technical experts. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/21/AR2008012102070.html us: Framing a National Broadband Policy It is difficult to pick up a business or technology magazine without reading that the United States is falling behind other nations in broadband telecommunications. In a new article in the telecommunications law journal CommLaw Conspectus, ITIF President Rob Atkinson demonstrates just how far the U.S. has fallen behind, and outlines the economic rationale for a national broadband strategy, showing why the market alone will not generate the societally optimal level of broadband in the foreseeable future. Atkinson then weighs various broadband policy priorities, offering a framework for crafting a national broadband policy. http://www.itif.org/index.php?id=118 ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** Last.fm to launch free, on-demand music streaming A world where music lovers can listen to free music over the internet - legally - came a significant step closer today when Last.fm, the social music website, announced that it had record industry's approval to start an unprecedented new streaming service. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3240760.ece Last.FM Has a First With Streaming Music CBS has become the first company to create what is clearly the future of music online: a site where you can listen to any song you want free, supported by advertising. The company is doing that with the latest version of Last.FM, the online radio site it bought last year. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/lastfm-is-first-with-streaming-music-users-choose/index.html Last.fm, music labels launch free music on-demand [Reuters] Last.fm, the social music network owned by CBS Corp, said on Wednesday it is introducing a free service for fans to listen to their favorite songs on-demand. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN2341167820080123 YouTube Launches Korean Site [IDG] The new service also includes content from local partners and will face tough competition from established local video sites like Pandora TV and portals like Daum. http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_002570DE00740E18492573D90011E269.html MySpaceTV and BBC Worldwide link up [Reuters] MySpace on Wednesday said it signed an agreement with BBC Worldwide to bring short video clips from programs such as "Doctor Who" and "Top Gear" to its online community. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN239384720080124 ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Dell, Microsoft Team on (Product) Red PCs Not to be bested by the likes of Apple and Motorola, Dell and Microsoft are joining forces to create (Product) Red PCs that will help African women and children with HIV/AIDS. The PCs will be crimson versions of Dell's XPS One line running Microsoft Windows Vista, and as much as $80 of the purchase price will be donated to The Global Fund via (Product) Red, Microsoft said. Details about the computers as well as a (Product) Red printer from Dell will be released later this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Dell-Microsoft-Team-on-Product-Red-PCs-61352.html Dell and Microsoft introduce RED computers [Bloomberg News/Reuters] Dell and Microsoft said Wednesday that they would donate up to $80 from the sale of three new computer models to pay for AIDS medication for Africa. http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/23/business/red.php Dell and Microsoft Team Up on (Red) PCs [IDG] Dell will sell special crimson-red versions of its XPS line of computers to raise money for AIDS treatment programs in Africa, the company confirmed Tuesday. http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_002570DE00740E18802573D90038BD69.html uk: A top-sliced licence fee will trigger the BBC's destruction by Polly Toynbee What should a government in trouble do? First, expose no new flanks to public anger. This is no time to start an epic battle over the fate of the BBC, which is more loved and trusted than any government can hope to be. Every poll shows the BBC is a national treasure - yes, even when it blunders and is never quite as good as its high rhetoric. Yet for reasons that are essentially frivolous, Labour is toying with its demise. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2244725,00.html Microsoft: Vista Has Fewer Flaws Than Other First-Year OSes Vista logged fewer vulnerabilities in its first year than XP, Red Hat, Ubuntu, and Apple Mac OS X did in their first years http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=143979 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** au: Telstra Says CDMA Incentives Will End Telstra has confirmed that its current incentives for customers migrating from its CDMA network to the new 3G network will end on the 28th of January despite the Federal Government moves forcing it to keep the network running a further three months. http://www.mobilised.com.au/content/view/1225/1/ The CDMA Shutdown Debacle I love a good spin story Not because I enjoy the marketing babble and butt-covering language but because it reveals that some companies, despite their huge wealth and resources, simply don't understand, or refuse to understand, the business environment they operate within. Telstra is a case in point. http://www.hydrapinion.com/index.php/carry/2008/01/23/the_cdma_shutdown_debacle Australian CDMA cut-off date moved to April The Australian CDMA cut-off date has been pushed back several months after the Federal Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, said on Friday that he was not convinced as yet of the "equivalence" between Telstra's Next G and older CDMA network. http://www.itworldcanada.com/Pages/Docbase/ViewArticle.aspx?id=idgml-1f2ac85d-22d4-4888-85f6-6cacf513e4d7 Telstra kicks off Next G face-lift Telstra has confirmed that its current incentives for customers migrating from its CDMA network to the new 3G network will end on the 28th of January despite the Federal Government moves forcing it to keep the network running a further three months. http://www.mobilised.com.au/content/view/1225/1/ French broadcasting: No English, please The ?pro-American? president takes on France's English-speaking television: ?GOBSMACKED!? That is how one journalist at France 24, a television news channel, described the newsroom's reaction to President Nicolas Sarkozy's announcement that the channel should in future broadcast only in French. That such a colloquialism?in English?reverberates so readily around a French television studio shows how bilingual the channel has become in a land known for linguistic chauvinism. http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10534508 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** us: Airwaves, Web Power at Auction: bidding for wireless spectrum The auction for rights to a highly valuable swath of the nation?s airwaves will begin Thursday and is expected to include multibillion-dollar bids from the nation?s two biggest wireless phone companies, Verizon and AT&T, as well as Google. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/business/22spectrum.html us: FCC auction draws repeat entrepreneurs [IDG] A handful of people who bid in the disastrous C-Block PCS auction in 1996 plan to participate in the upcoming 700MHz contest, despite warning signs indicating the potential for similar troubles. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9058658 How iPhone uses Skyhook's technology to find you Apple's chief executive, Steve Jobs, revealed in his keynote speech last week a new location-awareness feature available on the iPhone and the iPod Touch. It allows the sleek devices to home in on their current location using Wi-Fi technology. http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/23/technology/ptend24.php ********************** VoIP ********************** Worm fears shut down Skype video feature Skype has been forced to turn off a video-sharing feature in its software because it could be misused to launch a self-copying worm attack against Skype users, security researchers said Tuesday. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/22/Worm-fears-shut-down-Skype-video-feature_1.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Two cops on child porn charges [AAP] TWO West Australian police officers have been charged with possessing child pornography and stood down from duties. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23098671-5001028,00.html au: Second serving WA policeman charged over child porn A WA policeman with 22 years' service and another with 10 years' service have been charged with possessing child pornography and stood down from duties. http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,23096813-2761,00.html au: WA police officers charged with child porn possession Two Western Australia police officers have been charged with possessing child pornography. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/23/2145114.htm http://au.news.yahoo.com/080123/21/15m4s.html Lithuanian child porn suspect 'hiding in Britain' [AFP] Police in Lithuania said on Wednesday they were tracking a 24-year-old local man who is suspected of posting videos on the Internet showing sexual abuse of children and believed to be hiding in Britain. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2885&iArticleId=4219402 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- 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 Make the switch to the world's best email. Get the new Yahoo!7 Mail now. www.yahoo7.com.au/worldsbestemailReceived on Mon Jan 28 2008 - 12:07:27 UTC
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