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 April 17 edition of the news include: Russians Snub ICANN with IDN SU Registrations | Latest issue of ICANN magazine out | DotAsia Goes Live With Thousands of Registrations | Trading in .au Domain Names Starts in June | .CA reaches the one millionth registration milestone | 12 millionth Domain Name Registration for .DE | Dot-Quebec? | Experts clash over cyberterrorism threat | Sound the alarm, IPv6 execs say | Industry execs sound IPv6 alarm?is the sky really falling? | Study: Google Lost Share of Search Ad Dollars to Yahoo | Google bots are crawling in a new way And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Internationalizing the Domain Name System by Geoff Huston, APNIC http://cisco.com/web/about/ac123/ac147/archived_issues/ipj_11-1/ipj_11-1.pdf .ASIA adding 5,000 domains a day http://domainesinfo.fr/english/189/asia-adding-5-000-domains-a-day.php au: New .au registrant transfers policy - implementation update http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-14042008/ International cyberattack drill tests nations' responses http://news.zdnet.com/2424-1009_22-196879.html DHS offers first take on Cyber Storm exercise [IDG] http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/85D4032CAAA6A4F0CC257427001A2EEB RSA - New Zealand's lessons learned in Cyber Storm II [IDG] http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/6EECC03D01294778CC257428001E8327 Study Finds 'Alarming' Ignorance About Cybercrime http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/client/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207200253 Bush's Cyber Secrets Dilemma http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/04/10/cyber-security-initiative-cx_tech_security_cx_ag_0410cyber.html Underworld economy runs on bots and spam http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=73708 Presidential campaigns clueless about Net threats http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9077198 Walker arrest means business as usual for botnet fighters http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/0432E8683F616FB6CC2574270010D34A L'affaire Yahoo is tres banale to Madison Ave. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9917050-7.html dollars.com Going for Big Dollars in Sedo Auction http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=4605 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** International Private Law Issues regarding Trademark Protection and the Internet within the EU by Zuzana Slov?kov? Abstract: Given the global nature of the Interest, online trademark infringements always involve multiple territories. When any litigation is brought, it is necessary to determine the relevant jurisdiction and applicable law and then to resolve various issues in the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In resolving these questions, courts will proceed according to their own international private law regulations, which may differ considerably from state to state. Internet-related cases always have the additional complication that it is extremely difficult to determine with reasonable certainty the court with jurisdiction and the applicable law. Over the years, the legal frameworks on civil court jurisdiction have been unified somewhat on a European scale. Courts in the EU must currently proceed according to Community law, particularly the Brussels I Regulation and, in the near future, the Rome II Regulation. http://www.jiclt.com/index.php/JICLT/article/viewArticle/60 http://www.jiclt.com/index.php/JICLT/article/view/60/46 Deconstructing an Experiment in Global Internet Governance: The ICANN Case by Dr. Slavka Antonova [International Journal of Communications Law and Policy] Abstract: The model of a global multistakeholder collaboration in Internet domain-name system management, as developed by U.S. government in 1998 and embedded in ICANN, held all the promises of a paradigm shift in global governance. Seven years later, the UN World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia (November 2005) adopted some of the vocabulary of the ICANN experiment and recognized the multistakeholder collaboration as a key organizational principle in global Internet governance. Yet, it reestablished the leading role of national governments and intergovernmental organizations, such as the ITU, in the regulation of the global Internet. This paper examines what was lost during the four years of experimenting with "multistakeholderism" in ICANN and what the stakes of the parties that influenced the policymaking process the most were. Building on Governmentality Studies' understanding of the neo-liberal project of self-governance and Organization Studies' collaboration theory, the document and discourse analysis of ICANN's practices deconstructs the original model of a collaborative policymaking process conducted by a private multistakeholder corporation and formulates the expectations, stakes and strategies of the participating parties. Thus, it is suggested in the paper that, because the Internet technical elite was granted the managerial role in ICANN, the experts were able to influence the agenda of the policymaking process and its pace, and ultimately to take over the policy-proposal accumulation task and eliminate the working groups, which were open to all participants. It is concluded in the paper that, with the globalization of Internet, a cluster of new players entered the field, such as the developing countries governments, and, in the UN WSIS setting, the concerns of "protecting the public interest" reconnected with the familiar international arrangements. http://ijclp.net/article.php?doc=1&issue=12_2008 Info-communism? Ownership and freedom in the digital economy by Milton Mueller [First Monday] Abstract: This paper takes a new look at the debate over commons and property in information and communications. It warns against recreating the old communist-capitalist ideological divide by framing the movement for informational commons as "info-communist." The spectre of communism haunts the movement because of an unresolved ideological tension in its ethical and philosophical foundations. The case for free software and open information contains both deontological appeals to the virtues of sharing, and consequentialist arguments against the growing intrusiveness of the institutional and technological mechanisms used to enforce exclusivity in the digital economy. The paper argues that the deontological case is a dead end that leads to info-communism. The strongest case for open access and freedom in information and communications is grounded in a liberalism that takes maximizing individual freedom as its objective and relies on creative complementarities between property and commons regimes as means to that end. http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2058 Geo-identification and the Internet ? A New Challenge for Australia?s Internet Regulation by Dr Dan Jerker B. Svantesson** People interacting online may feel that they are in a different world. However, physically they are still located somewhere at a geographically identifiable location. Regardless of how sophisticated our presence in cyberspace becomes, this connection to physical locations will remain. Consequently, even acts carried out in cyberspace, are carried out by persons physically within the jurisdiction of some government. For example, a contract entered into online, is entered into by persons physically located within the jurisdiction of some governments. Similarly, Internet defamation cases have an offender and a victim, both of which are physically located within the jurisdiction of some government. Thus, while undeniably we are witnessing a decline in the significance of distance, the significance of location remains constant. https://elaw.murdoch.edu.au/issues/2007/2/Elaw_geoidentification_internet.pdf ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Is Faster Access to the Internet Needed? When it comes to Internet access, is there such a thing as too fast? That's a question U.S. Internet providers are grappling with as they place strategic bets on whether or not to upgrade their networks to offer high-priced, superhigh-speed Web connections. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120779422456503907.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Prepare for battles over domain names An old friend sent me an email from Seattle last week. Things have changed in the 18 years since I last talked to Jothan Frakes. For starters, he?s now an industry expert in the domain name industry, which didn?t even exist the last time we talked. What brought about the email was a conversation I had earlier with Paul Twomey, President and CEO of ICANN, an organisation that includes in its tasks the managing of domain names and IP addresses. http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Technology/10205046.html Internationalizing the Domain Name System by Geoff Huston, APNIC The objective is the internationalization of the DNS, such that the DNS can support the union of all character sets while preserving the absence of ambiguity and uncertainty in terms of resolution of any individual DNS name. We need to describe all possible characters in all languages and allow their use in the DNS. So the starting point is the ?universal character set,? and that appears to be Unicode. http://cisco.com/web/about/ac123/ac147/archived_issues/ipj_11-1/ipj_11-1.pdf au: Would you like yours filtered? For the 100th time, filtering content at the ISP level does not work. The federal government is currently looking at making ISP?s provide a ?clean feed? into your home. However, a clean feed is not 100 per cent clean, can prevent you from accessing legitimate sites and is easily circumvented. Providing a clean feed does not address the major problems: children who are groomed, harassed and bullied via email, social websites, chat rooms and mobile phones. A more effective way to protect children (and adults) from accessing inappropriate content is for ICANN to mandate categorisation of websites, which is controlled through your browser. However, there is no substitute for parental supervision and education. http://onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7233 ICANN, IISI join efforts to promote internet awareness [sub req'd] http://www.telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=210835 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** .ASIA adding 5,000 domains a day .ASIA opened to all on March 26. We have the first official post-launch stats for Asia's new Internet domain. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/189/asia-adding-5-000-domains-a-day.php New .au registrant transfers policy - implementation update The new registrant transfers policy will take effect on 1 June 2008. In December 2007, the auDA Board approved a recommendation from the 2007 Names Policy Panel that the registrant transfers policy be relaxed to allow a registrant to transfer their domain name licence to another eligible entity, for any reason. http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-14042008/ 60% Growth in the Number of New .CZ Domains Within the six months from the launch of the new registration system for the .CZ domain administration the number of domains increased by 60 per cent comparing to the previous half-year. The current system enables easier and faster registration. The registration number growth has been definitely affected by prices; domains with the .CZ extension are less expensive in offerings of most registrars from the last year?s October. http://www.nic.cz/page/447/60--growth-in-the-number-of-new-.cz-domains/ .eu turns two [news release] The .eu top-level Internet domain celebrates its second anniversary today. On April 7, 2006 .eu became available to the general public within the European Union. It quickly became one of Europe?s largest top-level domains. Today there are more than 2.8 million registered .eu domain names, and approximately 2500 new .eu domain names are registered each business day. http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-turns-two Over 300k .EU Registered in 2007 The past two years has seen the registration of over 2.8 million European Internet identities, with .eu ranking as the fourth most popular top level domain in Europe, and the ninth worldwide. http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/041108_Over_300k_EU_Registered_in_2007.cfm Over 300,000 .eu web domains created in 2007 During the past two years, businesses, NGOs and EU residents have secured over 2.8 million European Internet identities, making .eu, at its second birthday last week, the fourth most popular ?Top Level Domain? in Europe, and the ninth worldwide. http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=954-26 http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=954-26 No change in .nz wholesale fee [news release] InternetNZ (the Internet Society of New Zealand Inc) is leaving unchanged the wholesale domain name fee charged to authorised .nz registrars by nz Registry Services (NZRS). http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/2008/nzfee February 2008 issue of 'The Browser' from InternetNZ InternetNZ have published the February 2008 edition of The Browser to let people know what is happening in New Zealand regarding internet issues. Issues covered include InternetNZ?s support of the Separation Plan for Telecom NZ; APTLD marking ten years; highlights of the Local Government Broadband Forum held in February which includes an article on local councils discussing open access; Foo Camp 2008 - an invitation-only gathering of over 100 New Zealand technologists where attendees gather to network, share ideas and discuss a range of new and emerging technologies, including web applications, open source programming and wireless and web services. From the Domain Name Commissioner news that as a result of the Structural Review the Domain Name Commission will cease being an operational office of InternetNZ and will instead be incorporated as a company, fully owned by InternetNZ and that the consultation has now closed for the .nz Dispute Resolution Service Policy Review although submissions are available online. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/browser/feb08 pl: NASK in the WOMBAT project [news release] NASK is one of the partners of WOMBAT project (Worldwide Observatory of Malicious Behaviors and Attack Threats - www.wombat-project.eu), planned for years 2008 ? 2010 within the EU?s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The primary NASK?s contribution to the project will be provided by - operating at NASK CERT Polska team, with the support of the Research Division within NASK. http://nask.pl/newsID/id/458 uk: Increased email spoofing activity During the past few days we have become aware of a large volume of email spoofing activity involving the nominet.org.uk domain name. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=4907 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** International cyberattack drill tests nations' responses Details have emerged about "Cyber Storm II", a large-scale exercise carried out to test how governments and critical-infrastructure organizations respond to cyberattacks. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62040077,00.htm http://news.zdnet.com/2424-1009_22-196879.html DHS offers first take on Cyber Storm exercise [IDG] With its latest Cyber Storm II exercise now completed, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it expects to release an after-action report analyzing the event, and is now beginning planning for Cyber Storm III in 2010. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9076458 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/85D4032CAAA6A4F0CC257427001A2EEB RSA - New Zealand's lessons learned in Cyber Storm II [IDG] Earlier this month, New Zealand completed its second Cyber Storm. Sponsored by the US Department of Homeland Security Cyber Storm II gathered together about 2,500 people from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the US to play out several cyber attack scenarios in which critical parts of the infrastructure were disabled by computer threats. Although the results of Cyber Storm II are not expected to be made public until August, some of the participants shared their thoughts on the experience at the RSA Conference in San Francisco this week. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/6EECC03D01294778CC257428001E8327 http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;660807064;fp;2;fpid;1 http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;660807064;fp;2;fpid;1 Better co-ordination the key to fighting cyber-attacks Co-operation between different organisations is the key to coping with co-ordinated cyber-attacks. That's the view of Gregory Garcia, assistant secretary for cyber security and communications at the US Department of Homeland Security describing the build-up to the Cyber Storm II exercise completed last month. http://www.techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?NewsID=11937 Nato allies form cyber defence command Nato is creating a cyber command to protect its allies against crippling online attacks on national infrastructure. http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39184605,00.htm The New E-spionage Threat The e-mail message addressed to a Booz Allen Hamilton executive was mundane?a shopping list sent over by the Pentagon of weaponry India wanted to buy. But the missive turned out to be a brilliant fake. Lurking beneath the description of aircraft, engines, and radar equipment was an insidious piece of computer code known as "Poison Ivy" designed to suck sensitive data out of the $4 billion consulting firm's computer network. http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_16/b4080032218430.htm Study Finds 'Alarming' Ignorance About Cybercrime "Consumers' unsecured computers play a major role in helping cybercriminals conduct cybercrimes," the National Cyber Security Alliance warns. At the RSA Conference on Wednesday, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) reported that U.S. consumers don't understand botnets, networks of compromised computers that have become one of the major methods for attacking computer systems. http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/client/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207200253 Bush's Cyber Secrets Dilemma There's a problem facing the Bush administration: It has $30 billion to spend over the next five to seven years to keep the U.S. safe from hackers and cyberspies. But to extend that protection to the nation's critical infrastructure--including banks, telecommunications and transportation--it needs the cooperation of the private sector. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/04/10/cyber-security-initiative-cx_tech_security_cx_ag_0410cyber.html Underworld economy runs on bots and spam The world of cybercrime is thriving on spam and the means of distributing it, say security experts.. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=73708 Presidential campaigns clueless about Net threats The 2008 presidential campaigns are apparently oblivious to many of the threats that could damage their candidates' reputations and fund-raising abilities or disclose sensitive insider information, a security researcher said Friday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9077198 Walker arrest means business as usual for botnet fighters When Owen Walker was arrested for masterminding a massive international network of compromised computers last year, it seemed like a major victory in the war against botnets. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/0432E8683F616FB6CC2574270010D34A ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Ace.com Owner Wins Arbitration WebMagic Ventures, owner of Ace.com, has won an arbitration brought against it by ACE Limited, an insurance company. This is an extraordinary case given the value of the underlying domain name and egregious assertions brought by ACE Limited. However, the panel could not charge ACE Limited with reverse domain name hijacking. This is just one of many three character domain names currently in dispute. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/04/11/acecom-owner-wins-arbitration/ Failure to Respond To Trademark Threat Letters & Use of Privacy Services Can Support a Finding Of Bad Faith There are many risks to domain investors under the UDRP. The opportunity to capitalize on strong generic or descriptive domain names is in many ways dependent on a solid understanding of UDRP decisions and avoiding behavior which would increase a risk of transfer. As investors purchase domains at higher prices, the ability to protect those domains from transfer later on becomes more important. http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2008/04/failure-to-resp.html ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** CAIDA and ARIN Release IPv6 Survey by Dan Campbell The Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) and the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) presented the results of a recent IPv6 survey at the ARIN XXI Public Policy Meeting in Denver on April 7th. The survey involved over 200 respondents from a blend of Government, commercial organizations (including ISPs and end users), educational institutions, associations, and other profit and non-profit entities. The purpose of the survey, conducted between March 10th and 24th, was to capture IPv6 penetration data in the ARIN region. http://www.circleid.com/posts/84136_caida_arin_ipv6_survey/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Network Solutions Hijacking Unassigned Sub-Domains Network Solutions is hijacking unassigned sub domains and delivering link filled holding pages for hundreds of thousands of sites. http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/08/network-solutions-hijacking-unassigned-sub-domains/ Network Solutions hijacks customer sub-domains for ad fest Shameless domain registrar and web hoster Network Solutions is hijacking its customers' sub-domains, filling these pilfered pages with a sea of money-making ad links. And you can guess where the money goes. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/11/network_solutions_sub_domain_parking/ NetSol Runs Ads on Sub-Domains Domain registrar and Web hosting provider Network Solutions is reportedly using its customers' sub-domains to run ad-generating links, according to The Register. http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/041108_NetSol_Runs_Ads_on_SubDomains.cfm Network Solutions Makes Another Evil Move Not content with the profits it makes from front running, Network Solutions has decided to scam people in another way: it is now hijacking unassigned sub-domains. http://www.domainbits.com/network-solutions-sucks/ The warning signs of another RegisterFly One of the questions I am asked is how can you predict another RegisterFly situation. A situation where a registrar goes bankrupt and stops servicing its customers. Lots of people were left in a lurch last year when RegisterFly tech support stopped answering tickets and RegistryFly didn?t pay for renewals to the Registry. The result was that the Registry started deleting domains of the RegistryFly customers. http://blog.domaintools.com/2008/04/the-warning-signs-of-another-registerfly/ Should we drop the ?dot com?? by James Koole Seth Godin has an interesting post over at his blog today in which he debates the question, ?Drop the dot?? as in, can we get rid of the dot com when talking about websites. Godin says no, because saying dot com is easy to say - just four letters, two syllables - and pretty much leaves it at that. But let?s weigh the possibilities: http://about.tucows.com/2008/04/10/should-we-drop-the-dot-com/ Drop the dot? ... The suffix is useful, and we'll have it for a long, long time in my opinion. That's because [dot] com uses just four characters to say, "we have a website and this is the address for it." No need to say "our website is" when you can just use four characters instead. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/04/drop-the-dot.html ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Developments in fibre technologies and investment Users' bandwidth demands continue to increase over time and this is leading Internet service providers and telecommunication operators to find ways to meet these growing network capacity requirements. Operators have spent the previous 20 years extending fibre backbones out to local main distribution frames but now many are working on pushing fibre ever closer to end-users in order to improve capacity. This paper provides an overview of developments in optical fibre communication technology and investment. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/8/40390735.pdf Public rights of way for fibre deployment to the home Fibre network deployments in the last mile are viewed as a key technology for communications access in the high-speed broadband market providing capacity that is symmetric and can support multiple play services. One factor which can slow the pace of fibre investment in the local loop is the cost associated with legal and regulatory procedures in obtaining permits for access to streets, roads, and other public lands as well as barriers to access existing ducts. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/9/40390753.pdf At a Crossroads: "Personhood" and Digital Identity in the Information Society This paper discusses the relationship between the development of digital identity management and the concept of personhood, and the broader links to trust in the information society. It concludes that more investigation is needed to address gaps in international data protection in light of the emergent identity infrastructure. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/31/6/40204773.doc Harassment through the Digital Medium A Cross-Jurisdictional Comparative Analysis on the Law on Cyberstalking by Warren Chik Abstract: ... Cyberstalking has become a concern that has translated into law in larger and more technologically-matured jurisdictions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan and even in a small country like Singapore. Existing laws relating to harassment or intimidation are often fact- or relationship- specific and are inadequate to meet the needs of modern society, while nascent cyberstalking laws are substantively disparate. I will first use Singapore as a case study and backdrop by presenting the factual experience and judicial developments in Singapore relating to cyberstalking and identify some of the usual problems in its treatment under law. I will then analyse and compare the cyberstalking laws of several key jurisdictions to determine the common elements and treatment amongst them with a view to the formulation of a proposed statutory solution that will take into consideration the different rights and interests of members of society in the use of digital media for social interaction. I will also briefly consider the issues of prescriptive, adjudicatory and enforcement jurisdiction and the need for greater international cooperation to deal with the problem through the harmonisation of substantive laws, the coordination in procedural investigative measures and complementary recognition and enforcement laws. http://jiclt.com/index.php/JICLT/article/view/56 Right of Disabled People to Accessible Internet by Amir Majid Abstract: Regarding the civil rights of disabled people, I have not come across any test of welfare more potent than that authoritatively enunciated in the UK House of Lords by Lord Slynn of Hadley (a jurist of brilliant distinction). Lord Slynn adopts a purposive and justice-oriented approach to this issue and recommends that a nation shouldstrive to enable a disabled person lead as "normal life" as possible. His Lordship emphasised that "the yardstick of a "normal life" is important; it is a better approach than adopting the test as to whether something is 'essential' or 'desirable'. Social life in the sense of mixing with others, taking part in activities with others, undertaking recreation and cultural activities can be part of normal life. It is not in any way unreasonable that the severely disabled person should wish to be involved in them despite his disability." In this article, the laws in the international scene, the EU, the US and the UK will be surveyed briefly. The search will be for finding a legal right to accessible internet for people with disabilities. Then the evaluative remarks will be made on how nations are promulgating pro-disabled laws and what action they are taking to enforce these laws. http://jiclt.com/index.php/JICLT/article/view/37 Excessive Internet Use: The Role of Personality, Loneliness and Social Support Networks in Internet Addiction by Elizabeth Hardie and Ming Yi Tee Abstract: An online survey of 96 adults showed that, based on Young's (1998) criteria for the Internet Addiction Test, 40% of the sample could be classified as average internet users, 52% as problem over-users and 8% as pathologically addicted to the internet. The three groups differed on a range of factors, with over-users and addicts spending increasingly more time in online activities, being more neurotic and less extraverted, more socially anxious and emotionally lonely, and gaining greater support from internet social networks than average internet users. Further analysis revealed that only neuroticism and perceived support from online social networks were significant predictors of excessive internet use. In addition, over-users were found to be younger and less experienced in computer use than average or addicted users. Further research is needed to explicate the role of personality and track the possible pathways from novice over-use to eventual average use or pathological addiction. http://www.swin.edu.au/sbs/ajets/journal/V5N1/V5N1abstract_hardie.htm Regulating Mobile Content: Convergences and Citizenship by Gerard Goggin [International Journal of Communications Law and Policy] Abstract: Internet and media convergence has been for sometime concentrated on mobile technologies. Most notable, perhaps, has been the emergence of a cluster of online, mobile data and content services and technologies that have been precursors of fully-fledged mobile media themselves. With these important, lucrative, and potentially far-reaching developments in mind, this paper focusses on international approaches to regulation of mobile content with case studies of the US, Canada, Britain and Australia. As well as reflecting on the trends across these countries, I also consider the implications of such regulation, and the new models of governance they represent, for questions of cultural citizenship. To what extent are questions of cultural citizenship being posed in regulatory and policy models and discussions of mobile content? At stake here is the convergence, or rather clash, of the quite distinct models of cultural citizenship and exchange, that come respectively from the histories and traditions of telecommunications and the Internet. Thus in conclusion I raise the question of why the commons debate with respect to mobiles be so belated? Is the commons a useful notion to draw upon in thinking about the future of mobiles, or are there new concepts required to register what is at stake in these velocitous transformations? http://ijclp.net/article.php?doc=7&issue=12_2008 The Principles for User Generated Content Services: A Middle-Ground Approach to Cyber-Governance The debate over how, whether, and by whom the Internet should be regulated has occurred mostly at the extremes: some have argued that formal regulation of the Internet is impossible and undesirable, advocating for self-governance and heavy reliance on private arrangements, while others have argued that formal, traditional regulation is possible, inevitable, and ideal. ... This Note begins, in Part I, by summarizing the literature on cybergovernance, tracing commentators? evolving attitudes toward selfgovernance and private arrangements. Part II describes the Principles and their development, focusing on the threads of cooperation and private arrangements underlying the Principles. Part III examines the Principles in light of the various approaches legal scholars have taken to cyber-governance and argues that the Principles represent a promising middle ground that takes advantage of the benefits and minimizes the problems associated with each model. Part III also provides a suggestion for how to deepen and extend the middle-ground approach embodied in the Principles, based upon some of their strengths and weaknesses. Part IV concludes. http://harvardlawreview.org/issues/121/march08/notes/principles_for_user_generated_content.pdf In My Own World: A Case Study of a Paedophile's Thinking and Doing and His Use of the Internet by David Wilson & Timothy Jones [Howard Journal of Criminal Justice] Abstract: A case study of a convicted paedophile and the relationship between his thinking and doing is presented to reveal how his fantasy life, his use of the Internet and his contact offences against children are linked. More broadly, the authors propose a generic offending space model to chart how, and in what circumstances fantasy becomes reality. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1119037 Perfect 10 and Contributory Liability: Can Search Engines Survive? by Damon Chetson Search engines allow millions of users to locate content on the Internet, including content offered by individuals and companies who have infringed upon a copyright holder's rights. Copyright Law's contributory infringement doctrine presents a dilemma for search engines like Google, whose services may facilitate the infringement of copyrights by enabling users to locate such content on the Internet. The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc. highlights the problems associated with contributory liability doctrine in copyright law in the digital era. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the case to the district court, holding that ?reasonable and feasible? means were available to Google, enabling it to block access on its search engine to content that violates a copyright holder's rights. This recent development illustrates some of the problems of applying the standard of contributory liability to search engines on the Internet. http://www.ncjolt.org/content/view/164/107/ Love Actually! Older Adults and their Romantic Internet Relationships by Sue Malta Abstract: This research was inspired by two stereotypes: first, that older adults don?t do computers ? and certainly not the Internet and, secondly, that older adults don?t do sex ? they are asexual. The results clearly show these stereotypes to be flawed. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted via synchronous computer-mediated-communication (private chat). The sample consisted of older adults (61 ? 85 years) who had all used the Internet to meet potential romantic partners, either through their involvement in online discussion groups or via online dating sites. For the most part, the relationships described were meaningful, intimate and long-lasting. The majority were involved in ongoing sexual activity with their partners, and for some, cyber-sex was or had been an integral part of their relationships. Additionally, a proportion enjoyed flirting online with others and some were also involved in extra-dyadic relationships; indicating that sex and intimacy outside of primary, committed relationships was just as compelling an activity for these older adults as for younger Internet users. http://www.swin.edu.au/sbs/ajets/journal/V5N2/V5N2abstract_malta.htm Kids' Ad Play: Regulating Children's Advergames in the Converging Media Context by Sara Grimes Abstract: This article explores possibilities for regulating emerging forms of advertising within children's online culture, focusing specifically on the rising phenomenon of advergames. An immensely popular form of entertainment among children and teens, advergames integrate advertising and market research strategies directly into the fabric of online games and environments. I begin by situating advergames within broader traditions of advertising to children. I then present and discuss four potential "points of entry" for the regulation of these new media advertising practices, which include media regulation, consumer protection law, industry self-regulation and contract law. As media regulation in Canada and the US share many similarities, and because children's digital media is most often transnational with a large proportion of content originating from the US, the discussion draws upon both Canadian and US legislation, providing comparisons where relevant. I discuss different courses of action that could potentially establish clearer restrictions on marketers' interactions with children online, as well as enforce regulation of the role of advertising in children's online games. The aim of this paper is to explore the Canadian government's position that existing regulatory frameworks can be effectively extended to digital media, as well as demonstrate the necessity of enhanced coordination and integration if these regulatory regimes are to remain relevant within the converging media context. http://ijclp.net/article.php?doc=8&issue=12_2008 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Nine out of 10 UK web users watch video Almost nine out of 10 UK web users watched video online in December, according to comScore, whose data revealed the dominance of YouTube. In the UK, 28.7 million web users, or 87% of the online population, watched video in December, accessing 3.1m videos. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/10/web20.digitalmedia comScore Video Metrix Launched in U.K., France, Germany and Canada [news release] ... Canada Shows Heavy Online Video Viewing Activity: Of the five countries currently reported by comScore Video Metrix, online video had the highest reach in Canada, where 19 million viewers viewed a video online in December, representing 89 percent of the total online population age 15 and older. The U.K. was next with an 87 percent reach, followed by France with an 84 percent reach and Germany with an 81 percent reach. Penetration was slightly lower in the U.S., where online video reached 78 percent of the total online population. http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2166 Mobile broadband on the rise among Irish businesses - report 55 per cent of large corporate firms in Ireland use mobile broadband using data cards and modems, says a report by Irish regulator ComReg. ComReg also found that 16 per cent of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) had adopted mobile broadband via laptops, while 24 per cent had accessed the internet over mobile handsets (up from 15 per cent in 2006). http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=30463 ComReg Business Survey reveals that adoption of mobile broadband is strong [news release] The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) today published the results of a business survey of the telecommunications needs of large Corporate firms and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The survey, of over 550 businesses in Ireland, was conducted on behalf of ComReg by Millward-Brown IMS in January and February 2008. The survey analyses the usage and attitudes of Irish business to ICT and is conducted twice a year. http://comreg.ie/publications/comreg_business_survey_reveals_that_adoption_of_mobile_broadband_is_strong.584.103058.p.html MOBILITY: Nomads at last - how wireless is changing the way we work, live and love Wireless communication is changing the way people work, live, love and relate to places?and each other, says Andreas Kluth: At the Nomad Caf? in Oakland, California, Tia Katrina Canlas, a law student at the nearby university in Berkeley, places her double Americano next to her mobile phone and iPod, opens her MacBook laptop computer and logs on to the caf?'s wireless internet connection to study for her class on the legal treatment of sexual orientation. She is a regular here but doesn't usually bring cash, so her credit-card statement reads ?Nomad, Nomad, Nomad, Nomad?. That says it all, she thinks. Permanently connected, she communicates by text, photo, video or voice throughout the day with her friends and family, and does her ?work stuff? at the same time. She roams around town, but often alights at oases that cater to nomads. http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10950394 In every measure, Obama clobbers Clinton online We've long known that Barack Obama is the Web's favorite presidential candidate -- now that Ron Paul is gone, the race isn't even close. But in a blog post today the Web-analysis firm Compete put out the full measure of Obama's dominance over rival Hillary Clinton. http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2008/04/11/obama_online/ Google aims to penetrate Deep Web with HTML forms crawling In a move aimed at taking the search engine giant closer to what's commonly called the Deep Web, Google Inc. Friday said that it has started experimenting to find ways for its search engine to index HTML forms like drop-down boxes and select menus. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/11/Google-aims-to-penetrate-Deep-Web-with-HTML-forms-crawling_1.html Australian eBay members cry foul ... New payment arrangements imposed by the online auction house will see costs dramatically rise for Australians selling goods; as the local market is a testbed for the planned worldwide policy. Buyers will no longer be able to use direct deposits - a popular payment method - personal cheques or money orders to purchase items on the website from June 17. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23521777-15306,00.html feeBay: eBay mandates PayPal for all Australian payments eBay is using its massive market share to lock users into paying for purchases through its fee-based PayPal service. In a world first move, the online retailer has announced that as of June 17, users in Australia must use its PayPal payment service for all transactions, with the only exception for cash-on-delivery. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1263339578;fp;2;fpid;1 Mobile Browsing Set For Major Growth Mobile Web browsing is poised to grow from 76 million browsers delivered last year to nearly 700 million by 2013, according to a new study by ABI Research released Friday. http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/browsers/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207200175 'Suicide' Internet search turns up 'how to' advice: study [AFP] People searching the Internet for information about suicide methods are more likely to find sites encouraging suicide than those offering help or support, according to a study released Friday. http://news.smh.com.au/suicide-internet-search-turns-up-how-to-advice-study/20080411-25li.html http://news.theage.com.au/suicide-internet-search-turns-up-how-to-advice-study/20080411-25li.html Running L8 But CU Soon. Luv, Mom OMG. Dat u mom? Yes, it is. Parents are horning in on their teenagers' lives through text messaging. Sending shorthand cellphone messages used to be the province of the younger set -- under the dinner table, in the car, at all hours of the night. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/10/AR2008041003784.html France Telecom Goes to the Movies With its three-screen service, Orange?the telco's mobile, Internet, and TV arm?makes sure you're wired for entertainment wherever you are http://businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2008/gb20080410_396858.htm Myspace tries to reach a bigger screen Positioning a social network as a breeding ground for a television series, MySpace has signed a deal with a British-based production company, ShineReveille International, to distribute its video content outside the United States. http://iht.com/articles/2008/04/11/technology/myspace.php ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Israel army in Facebook clampdown Israeli defence chiefs have moved to tighten internet social networking rules after photographs appeared showing sensitive military subjects. A review of Facebook pages belonging to Israeli troops found that some had posted detailed pictures of air bases, operations rooms and submarines. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7343238.stm ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** IBM races to make hi-tech memory Handheld gadgets storing thousands of hours of film footage could soon be a reality thanks to IBM scientists. Researchers for the computer giant are working on a technology known as racetrack memory which uses tiny magnetic boundaries to store data. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7341031.stm Updated Web Browsers: Which One Works Best? Apple's Safari, Mozilla's Firefox 3, and Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 duke it out to be the program you use most on your PC. ... Which One Is Best? I'm sticking with Firefox. I use my browser for everything from word processing to story research to invoice filing, and I love being able to customize the program I use most often. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144338-c,browsers/article.html Why inflight telephony spells cacophony Harmony: that is what the European Commission professed to promulgate this week. The decision on "harmonised conditions of spectrum use for the operations of mobile communication services on aircraft" promises to enhance "quality of life". But Brussels' announcement of the freedom to roam, telephonically, at 30,000 feet spells only discord. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/simon-calder-why-inflight-telephony-spells-cacophony-808125.html ********************** SPAM ********************** New spam tricks revealed Spammers are increasingly relying on legitimate content and web sites to cloak their messages, attempting to bypass traditional controls by passing their messages off as genuine. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=73856 us: Judge: law protects Comcast's "Good Samaritan" spam filters Internet "e-mail marketer" e360insight has had a rough time of it in the courts. The company first came to the public's attention when it sued to try to knock spam blacklist provider Spamhaus off the Internet, an attempt that was ultimately thwarted. e360insight's latest attempts to further its business through the courts has now been dismissed, as a judge has ruled that Comcast's decision to filter e-mails sent by the company is perfectly legal. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080413-judge-law-protects-comcasts-good-samaritan-spam-filters.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Study finds digital divide in Qatar society There exists a wide technological divide between children and their parents in Qatari society. Though many e-education initiatives are technologically and pedagogically effective, children may not enroll because of parental anxiety, says Qatar's Global Information Technology Report 2007-2008. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&month=April2008&file=Local_News2008041221250.xml us: Folks below the 'digital divide' would use the Internet more if they had it, research suggests There is still a "digital divide." Rich people are connected to the Internet more than poor people, and some worry that this creates an "electronic underclass" unable to access important services. Subsidies to help low-income households get online have been suggested. http://news.cornell.edu/stories/April08/InternetDivide.ws.html Can the Cellphone Help End Global Poverty? If you need to reach Jan Chipchase, the best, and sometimes only, way to get him is on his cellphone. The first time I spoke to him last fall, he was at home in his apartment in Tokyo. The next time, he was in Accra, the capital of Ghana, in West Africa. Several weeks after that, he was in Uzbekistan, by way of Tajikistan and China, and in short order he and his phone visited Helsinki, London and Los Angeles. If you decide not to call Jan Chipchase but rather to send e-mail, the odds are fairly good that you?ll get an ?out of office? reply redirecting you back to his cellphone, with a notation about his current time zone ? ?GMT +9? or ?GMT -8? ? so that when you do call, you may do so at a courteous hour. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/magazine/13anthropology-t.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Fears over pro-suicide web pages People searching the web for information on suicide are more likely to find sites encouraging the act than offering support, a study says. Researchers used four search engines to look for suicide-related sites, the British Medical Journal said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7341024.stm Computer viruses hit one million The number of viruses, worms and trojans in circulation has topped the one million mark. The new high for malicious programs was revealed by security firm Symantec in the latest edition of its bi-annual Internet Security Threat Report. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7340315.stm Top botnets control 1M hijacked computers Storm is a shadow of its former self, Kraken is just another name for Bobax, and the biggest botnet goes by the mouthful of "Srizbi," a noted botnet researcher said Wednesday as he released the results of his census of the various armies of hacked computers that spew spam. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/10/Top-botnets-control-1M-hijacked-computers_1.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144359-c,cybercrime/article.html Google Accused of Unfairly Rejecting Anti-Abortion Ad A Christian group in Britain is suing Google over the search engine's alleged refusal to place an ad related to abortion. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,348869,00.html Free Tibet Web sites hacked Malware has been detected on two pro-Tibet independence Web sites, in what could be a politically motivated attack, according to security supplier ScanSafe. The security vendor detected the malware on FreeTibet.org and SaveTibet.org Web sites. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/10/Free-Tibet-Web-sites-hacked_1.html us: Eight Teenagers Charged in Internet Beating Have Their Day on the Web The six teenage girls accused of beating a classmate and filming the attack for the Internet made their first court appearance on Friday, looking down and occasionally covering their faces with their hands and hair to avoid a gaggle of cameras. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/us/12florida.html us: Video of Teen Beating Raises Questions [AP] Eight Florida teenagers charged with beating another teen so they could post the "animalistic" attack on YouTube got exactly what they had wanted _ worldwide exposure. http://news.smh.com.au/video-of-teen-beating-raises-questions/20080412-25ns.html http://news.theage.com.au/video-of-teen-beating-raises-questions/20080412-25ns.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** US groups seek to shield minors' Web data A coalition of medical groups and child advocates called Friday for guidelines that would prevent Internet companies from tracking the behavior of minors online, contending that many adolescents are divulging more than they realize and aren't digesting complex privacy policies. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-kidsonline12apr12,1,6408934.story U.S. Adults Wary Of Web-Use Tracking A majority of U.S. adults are uncomfortable with Web sites using a person's online activity to deliver customized content, a study released Thursday showed. http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207100981 Majority Uncomfortable with Websites Customizing Content Based Visitors Personal Profiles [news release] A majority of U.S. adults are skeptical about the practice of websites using information about a person's online activity to customize website content. However, after being introduced to four potential recommendations for improving websites privacy and security polices, U.S. adults become somewhat more comfortable with the websites use of personal information. http://harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=894 American ISPs already sharing data with outside ad firms Multiple American ISPs are sharing customer data with outside firms that deal in so-called behavioral ad targeting, and according to one of these firms, the Silicon Valley-based NebuAd, roughly 10 per cent of all US web surfers are affected. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/10/american_isps_embrace_behavioral_ad_targeting/ Australian bosses' to get power to check email Companies will be able to intercept the emails and internet communications of their employees without their consent under new laws being considered by the Federal Government to protect the nation's critical infrastructure from a cyber attack. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/04/13/1208025032644.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/04/13/1208025032644.html Australian email spy powers 'a licence for witch hunts' Civil rights groups have spoken out against a proposal for closer monitoring of email and internet use in workplaces. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/14/2216007.htm Australian email spy plan about national security: Gillard Employers would be able to read their staff's emails under proposed new national security laws being considered by the Federal Government. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/14/2215638.htm Gillard defends email intercept Proposed laws to allow companies to snoop on their workers' emails are needed to protect vital electronic infrastructure from terrorist attacks, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard says. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/04/14/1208025037405.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/04/14/1208025033663.html http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,23535343-2702,00.html Bosses to be made email spies in anti-terror plan Laws to allow bosses to snoop on their employees' emails are needed to protect crucial infrastructure from terrorist attacks, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard says. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23535254-5006301,00.html Bosses to snoop on emails - and you would never know Bosses could be given the power to snoop on employees' emails and monitor their internet messaging under a new plan to avert a terrorist attack in Australia. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23535224-2,00.html Aussie considers workplace spy powers [AAP] New laws that give companies the power to intercept employee emails and internet communications without consent are being considered by the federal government in the name of national security. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=55&objectid=10504000 Office gossip emails still safe [AAP] Pproposed laws to allow companies to snoop on their workers' emails are needed to protect vital electronic infrastructure from terrorist attacks, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard says. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23535335-1702,00.html Australian Google execs out of sight They spend their days devising technology that eats away at privacy but when it comes to disclosing their own personal information the people behind Google's prying mapping systems are less than co-operative. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23526150-7582,00.html ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** Europe rejects plan to criminalize file-sharing [IDG] The European Parliament rejected attempts to criminalize the sharing of files by private individuals and threw out the idea of banning copyright abusers from the Internet, in a plenary vote Thursday. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/10/Europe-rejects-plan-to-criminalize-file-sharing_1.html http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1466645745;fp;2;fpid;1 Europe rejects anti-piracy plans European politicians have voted down calls to throw suspected file-sharers off the net. The idea to cut off persistent pirates formed part of a wide-ranging report on creative industries written for the European parliament. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7342135.stm EU votes against disconnecting file-sharers People should not be criminalised for the file-sharing of copyrighted material if they are not profiting from doing so, the European Parliament has recommended. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39384074,00.htm In Europe, a Push to Take Away Piracy Suspects' Internet Access Prodded by the music industry and government, some Internet service providers are reluctantly exploring the adoption of an old-fashioned shunning ritual as the ultimate 21st century punishment: banishing errant online users. http://iht.com/articles/2008/04/13/business/ISP14.php http://nytimes.com/2008/04/14/business/worldbusiness/14isp.html What's the Future of Mobile Music? [Billboard] ... And while there's been much discussion about how ease of use, need for innovation, pricing and so on contribute to the problem, one of the overlooked issues is that of marketing. Talk to any mobile industry executive or major-label representative, and they'll tell you all about how excited they are over ringback tones, mobile video, full-song downloads and such. But ask them to take out their checkbook and pay for some advertising around these services and you'll soon be facing empty air. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/144498/whats_the_future_of_mobile_music.html Next Generation Music Services Will Halt European Music Industry Decline by 2010 [news release] As CD sales will continue to dwindle, next-generation digital music services will be key to future music industry revenues, according to a new report from JupiterResearch, a leading authority on the impact of the Internet and emerging consumer technologies on business. The report, 'European Next-Generation Digital Music Services: Remove Consumer Barriers to Drive Mass-Market' finds that next-generation digital offerings will eventually embrace platform agnosticism and begin to meet consumer expectations of music 'without limits.' http://jupiterresearch.com/bin/item.pl/press:press_release/2008/id=08.04.09-next-gen-music-services.html/ Flickr to offer video sharing Photo-sharing website Flickr has confirmed months of speculation and responded to demands from its users to introduce video sharing. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/09/web20.digitalmedia Vodafone biggest seller of music singles in NZ Digital music sales in New Zealand are soaring with mobile phone company Vodafone selling the most music singles, beating out traditional record stores, The Warehouse, iTunes and rival phone company Telecom for the top position. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10503646 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Indonesia restores access to YouTube Web site Indonesia's Internet service providers have restored access to YouTube and other Web sites that carried a Dutch lawmaker's film that accuses the Koran of inciting violence, an industry official said on Friday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKJAK17047820080411 Indonesia ends YouTube ban [AFP] Indonesia's main internet providers say they have restored access to YouTube and other sites carrying a controversial anti-Islam film following "overwhelming" protests from web users. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/11/2214683.htm Indonesia apologises for YouTube blockade [AFP] Indonesia ended its blockade of websites carrying a controversial anti-Islam film and apologised to the public on Friday after a string of angry complaints and accusations of censorship. http://news.smh.com.au/indonesia-apologises-for-youtube-blockade/20080412-25n1.html http://news.theage.com.au/indonesia-apologises-for-youtube-blockade/20080412-25n1.html Blocking of YouTube by three ISPs attacked as ?excessive? [news release] Reporters Without Borders today denounced as ?excessive? the government?s demand that 146 Internet service providers (ISP) block access to the YouTube video website because of the posting on it of a Dutch film, "Fitna," which criticises the Koran. http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26496 So now we can legally watch Max Mosley being beaten by prostitutes. For whom is this a victory? Having primly waited for permission from a high court judge, I have finally got on the internet and looked at a video of Max Mosley's sado-masochistic sex games with a group of London prostitutes. I tried the News of the World's website, but this was a bit of a disappointment because, while I could hear the formula one boss pleading for more punishment in a stage German accent, no pictures appeared on the screen at all. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/apr/11/law Web users flock to Mosley sex video The News of the World's video of Formula One boss Max Mosley with five prostitutes attracted almost 189,000 unique visitors to its website yesterday, according to figures released by the newspaper. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/11/newsoftheworld.pressandpublishing Saudi Blogger Releases Christian Version of 'Fitna' The recent film "Fitna" by the controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders was seen by many as an attack on Islam. Now a Saudi blogger has created a film featuring violent texts from the Bible, with the intention of showing that stereotyping can go both ways. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,546534,00.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ au: Senators caught up in the Fielding Filth Filter Steve Fielding, the Senate choice of 1.88% of Victorians, is obsessed with p-rnography. Since he arrived in Canberra, no Estimates session has been complete without Fielding earnestly declaring that Australian families weren't safe from the flood of p-rn ready to roll out of their PCs. His greatest direct contribution to public policy since he was "elected" was to badger the Howard Government into wasting tens of millions of dollars on the ludicrous Netalert internet filter scheme. http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20080411-Senators-caught-up-in-the-Fielding-Filth-Filter.html au: Would you like yours filtered? For the 100th time, filtering content at the ISP level does not work. The federal government is currently looking at making ISP?s provide a ?clean feed? into your home. However, a clean feed is not 100 per cent clean, can prevent you from accessing legitimate sites and is easily circumvented. Providing a clean feed does not address the major problems: children who are groomed, harassed and bullied via email, social websites, chat rooms and mobile phones. http://onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=7233 Fortinet wins 'Deep Throat' porn filtering test The controversial Deep Throat Fight Club test of porn filters held at this week's RSA security show has declared a winner. According to organizers Untangle, the best performer was Fortinet. http://www.techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?newsID=11946 http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/04/10/Fortinet-wins-Deep-Throat-filter-test_1.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;597781564;fp;2;fpid;1 Brazil wants Google info on alleged pedophiles A panel of the Brazilian senate has ordered Google to provide access to account information for 3,261 suspected pedophiles who've used Google's Orkut social-networking service, Agence France-Presse reported Wednesday. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9916570-7.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** New Zealand's Digital Copyright Law Demonstrates Anti-Circumvention Flexibility New Zealand passed its digital copyright law this week, drawing the ire of the technology community and the blogosphere. While the bill isn't great, many of the provisions are far better than what Industry Minister Jim Prentice may have in mind for Canada including format and time shifting provisions as well as anti-circumvention provisions that are more flexible than those found in the DMCA. In fact, the anti-circumvention provisions are arguably the best of any country, since they are compliant with WIPO, limited in scope, and seek to preserve fair dealing rights. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2829/125/ New Zealand copyright reform law schools US DMCA on fair use New Zealand got a massive new copyright reform bill this week. Was it good? Was it bad? It depends on who you ask (and whether they read the bill). This is a major piece of legislation, and we won't even attempt to summarize all that's packed inside. For our purposes, the anti-circumvention provisions are the most interesting, as they have turned out to be the most hated part of the DMCA. American consumers have never been able to figure out why they should not be allowed to rip DVDs and put them on an iPod, for instance, or why they weren't allowed to bypass the region coding on a video game that was legally imported from another continent. Now they can look on New Zealand and think about what might have been. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080410-new-zealand-copyright-reform-law-schools-us-dmca-on-fair-use.html New Zealand ISPs forced to police internet piracy Internet service providers took a big step towards becoming internet police courtesy of a new copyright law passed in Parliament last week. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/F6D6303585849E65CC2574290075FE8E nz: Copyright Act may drag ISPs into disputes InternetNZ fears Internet service providers will be dragged into dozens of disputes every day over who owns copyright to material posted on homepages and websites they host. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4479398a28.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/4479398a28.html nz: Music labels unlikely to opt out of 'iPod' change The Recording Industry Association says record companies are unlikely to try to use "opt out" provisions in the amended Copyright Act to prevent people from copying music from CDs to iPods, MP3 players, telephones and computers. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4479390a28.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Sir David Attenborough fronts Google charity push Sir David Attenborough has thrown his weight behind a Google initiative to open its mapping tools to environmental charities. Google Earth Outreach can be used by charities and non-governmental organisations to embellish maps with a layer of text, video and audio content to illustrate their projects around the world. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/apr/10/googlethemedia.digitalmedia Yahoo, Weighing Options, Keeps Them Open Yahoo?s board met Friday to evaluate Microsoft?s takeover bid and other alternatives but did not make a formal decision on which option to pursue, people briefed on the meeting said. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/technology/12yahoo.html Yahoo! holds council of war on Microsoft plan Yahoo! held a board meeting yesterday to review how far its discussions with Time Warner about a white knight rescue were progressing, although any agreement is still thought to be a fortnight away. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3732170.ece Microsoft counsel warns against Yahoo-Google deal Microsoft's top lawyer on Thursday warned that any deal between Yahoo and Google would hurt competition. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62040143,00.htm Microsoft Windows 'in danger of collapsing', analysts say Microsoft Windows, the operating system which has dominated desktop computing for decades, is in danger of collapsing, according to analysts at Gartner. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3730534.ece Reports of Windows? demise are greatly exaggerated I was planning to avoid posting about Gartner?s ?Windows will collapse under its own weight? presentation from earlier this week because I felt it was a bunch of hype that didn?t provide any new insights or conclusions. But given how many others are riffing ? and riffing crazily ? on Gartner?s findings, I?ve decided to throw my two cents in. http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1331 Gartner: Windows collapsing under its own weight; Radical change needed Microsoft?s Windows juggernaut is collapsing as it tries to support 20 years of applications and becomes more complicated by the minute. Meanwhile, Windows has outgrown hardware and customers are pondering skipping Vista to wait for Windows 7. If Windows is going to remain relevant it will need radical changes. http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=8428 Traditional software licensing: Why you pay more and a look at your options It?s hard to believe that some of the most profitable software companies in the world?Oracle, Microsoft and SAP?are sitting on a licensing model that is untenable in the long run and will increasingly irk customers. But there may be a revolution in the cards that could tip the balance of power, argues Gartner. http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=8440 U.N. Teams With Google Earth To Track Refugees, Educate Public Can Google Earth save the world? The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees announced a new partnership with the search engine this week. The goal: To use Google's globe-mapping software to illustrate the plight of parts of the planet's population. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/11/AR2008041103566.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** au: Tenders called for $4.7b broadband project THE federal government has moved a step closer to delivering on its promise of building a national high-speed broadband network. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23522597-15306,00.html Australian Government invites National Broadband Network proposals The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy, today announced the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) to roll-out and operate the National Broadband Network. http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2008/023 All eyes on Australian broadband bids An emerging Indian telecommunications company, two huge private equity funds and a major local investment bank are all considering making bids through consortiums for the Rudd Government's $9 billion-plus national broadband network project. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23536004-15306,00.html Which Broadband and IT Vision for America? Broadband and IT policy in the United States is increasingly mired in a debate that is as extreme as it is unproductive. One side sees government as the problem; the other sees big corporations. One side wants all networks and information to be private with almost no role for government. The other wants big corporations out of the role of providing networks, content and software; instead these should be publicly-owned, produced by open-source volunteers, or owned by small mom and pop ISPs. In this WebMemo, ITIF President Rob Atkinson argues that it?s time for a debate in America that focuses on the most important digital economy issues: how to get fast broadband networks to all Americans; how to use IT to transform our health care system, transportation system, education system, and government; and how to encourage all organizations to become digital, thereby driving productivity and income growth, and resulting in a better quality of life. http://www.itif.org/index.php?id=136 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** WiMax to pip LTE 3G at the post? 4G race could see a winner soon WiMax could prove to be the winner in the 4G race against the long-term evolution of 3G, simply because the technology is here first. Teresa Kellett, director of global development for telco Sprint Nextel, said during a panel discussion at this week's WiMax Forum Asia 2008 that WiMax's first-mover advantage over the long-term evolution of 3G (LTE) may eventually help the former become a more widely adopted technology. http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0,39024665,39186779,00.htm http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39384063,00.htm ********************** VoIP ********************** VoIP Jargon Decoded How to make sense of the geek-speak you?ll hear when talking to VoIP providers and phone vendors: Try talking shop with your local VoIP service provider or an IP PBX vendor, and you?ll swear that you?re listening to a language other than English. That?s no surprise, given the never-ending range of acronyms and buzzwords that pass for industry parlance these days. It?s worth taking the time, however, to read between the lines. Behind the jargon are some serious pros and cons that companies need to consider when migrating to VoIP. Here are a handful of some of today?s most common VoIP terms ? and what they really mean. http://www.voip-news.com/feature/voip-jargon-decoded-041008/ ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** us: Officials Find Child Pornography on 20,000 Va. Computers Law enforcement officials working undercover were sent child pornography files from nearly 20,000 private computers in the state over a 30-month period, according to a report by an expert on the distribution of Internet child porn. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/08/AR2008040803930.html nz: 'Uncrackable' computer key to finding Marie A computer may hold the key to the disappearance of 15-year-old Christchurch girl Marie Davis. A specialist police team is examining the contents of Marie's computer, including trawling through websites she has visited and emails. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4475978a11.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (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 Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address. www.yahoo7.com.au/y7mailReceived on Thu Apr 17 2008 - 01:32:50 UTC
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