Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news.


And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Community Comment Invited on Petition To Form A New GNSO Consumers Constituency
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15apr09-en.htm

Australian registrar's accreditation revoked in security scare
http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7836

BrisConnections 'ransom' takes family toll on Boltons
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25340313-5013404,00.html

auDA terminates Australian Style Pty Ltd (t/a Bottle Domains) registrar accreditation
http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-15042009/

Bottle Domains wins injunction against auDA
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=101089

Red Faces All Round At Wikipedia Over Wikileaks.de
http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7821

Germany not a hard-line censor after all
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/15/german_wikileaks_bungle_subscription/

Theodor Reppe interview (English version)
http://www.gulli.com/news/wikileaks-theodor-reppe-2009-04-15/

Wikileaks.de taken offline by German registry... Update
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/wikileaksde-taken-offline-by-german-registrar.ars

What Europeans Do with Domains by Joe Palombo, Sedo Transfer Specialist
http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2369


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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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Community Comment Invited on Petition To Form A New GNSO Consumers Constituency
The ongoing GNSO Improvements process has created significant community interest in the formation of new GNSO constituencies and several groups have stepped forward to begin the process of forming a new GNSO constituency. The ICANN Board has now received its second formal petition - from the prospective Consumers Constituency. All members of the ICANN community and the public are now invited to review the petition and charter of the Consumers Constituency and share comments with the Board through 14 May 2009.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15apr09-en.htm

Resounding Opposition to New Top Level Domains
The comment period for the second draft of ICANN?s new top level domain name applicant guidebook concluded yesterday. Most commentors suggested ways to fix the process and rules, but these same commentors are opposed to any adoption of new top level domains. In fact, you?d be hard pressed to find more than one comment in favor of new TLDs from an organization other than those trying to launch new TLDs.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/14/resounding-opposition-to-new-top-level-domains/

New gTLD Comment Period Closes
ICANN has been holding a public comment period on the second draft of the new gTLD handbook. This period was due to close yesterday.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090414_new_gtld_comment_period_closes/

What Does Vint Cerf Think About New Top Level Domains?
Father of the Internet thinks there needs be a solid rationale for adding new TLDs.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/15/what-does-vint-cerf-think-about-new-top-level-domains/

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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Australian registrar's accreditation revoked in security scare
Current Australian business bad boy Nicholas Bolton who has recently become a media star in all the wrong ways has landed himself in hot water over another of his business ventures. This time Australian Style which trades as Bottle Domains, a domain name registrar, has had its accreditation removed resulting in the virtual collapse of the business.
http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7836
http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/04/15/australian-registrars-accreditation-revoked-in-security-scare/

BrisConnections 'ransom' takes family toll on Boltons
A day after celebrating a $4.5million coup from holding the nation's biggest infrastructure project to ransom, Nicholas Bolton's fortunes have taken a sharp reversal, to the unrestrained joy of one of his sworn enemies. The Australian internet domain name administrator yesterday terminated the accreditation of Mr Bolton's Australian Style Pty Ltd for a "serious breach", involving a failure to notify auDA that third parties had accessed customer information.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25340313-5013404,00.html

auDA terminates Australian Style Pty Ltd (t/a Bottle Domains) registrar accreditation
auDA has today terminated the registrar accreditation of Australian Style Pty Ltd trading as Bottle Domains, for a serious breach of its obligations under the Registrar Agreement.
http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-15042009/

Bottle Domains wins injunction against auDA
Bottle Domains has won a temporary injunction against the Australian domain name regulator that could see its reinstatement as early as tomorrow.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=101089

Bolton uncorks auDA court challenge
Nicholas Bolton's domain business Bottle Domains has said it is seeking an injunction in the Supreme Court to fight the decision made by Australia's domain name administrator auDA to terminate its accreditation.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/soa/Bolton-uncorks-auDA-court-challenge/0,139023166,339295991,00.htm

Bottle Domains seeks block on auDA termination
Bottle Domains is seeking a Supreme Court injunction to stop the Australian domain name regulator from revoking its accreditation.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=101068

Bolton loses his Bottle over hacked client details
Just a day after it was revealed that rebel BrisConnections unit holder Nicholas Bolton did a $4.5 million deal to vote against his own resolutions to have the toll road builder wound up, his company Bottle Domains has been banned from its primary business of registering internet domain names.
http://business.theage.com.au/business/bolton-loses-his-bottle-over-hacked-client-details-20090415-a736.html
http://www.businessday.com.au/business/bolton-loses-his-bottle-over-hacked-client-details-20090415-a736.html
http://business.smh.com.au/business/bolton-company-banned-20090415-a738.html
http://business.watoday.com.au/business/bolton-loses-his-bottle-over-hacked-client-details-20090415-a736.html
http://business.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/bolton-loses-his-bottle-over-hacked-client-details-20090415-a736.html

Queensland Government rules out tunnel funnelling
... Meanwhile, Nicholas Bolton, the 27-year-old investor who almost brought BrisConnections to its knees has had little opportunity to celebrate the multi-million dollar windfall he negotiated in the deal that allowed the company to survive. Today, his own company Bottle Domains is under threat. It has been banned from registering internet domain names, its major business. Chris Disspain from the Australian Domain Name Administrator says Nicholas Bolton's company breached its obligations to disclose a security breach where people's private details were at risk.
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2543823.htm

ASIC to investigate Bolton's $4.5m payoff
... Mr Bolton is fighting on several fronts. One of Australian Style's businesses is registering internet domain names, but the Australian Domain Name Administrator (auDA) has banned subsidiary Bottle Domains from registering names "due to a serious breach of its obligations under the registrar agreement".
http://business.smh.com.au/business/asic-to-investigate-boltons-45m-payoff-20090415-a7j2.html
http://business.theage.com.au/business/asic-to-investigate-boltons-45m-payoff-20090415-a7j2.html
http://business.theage.com.au/business/watchdog-growls-at-bolton-20090415-a7hr.html
http://business.smh.com.au/business/watchdog-growls-at-bolton-20090415-a7hr.html
http://business.watoday.com.au/business/asic-to-investigate-boltons-45m-payoff-20090415-a7j2.html

auDA caps Bolton's fizz
Australia's domain name administrator has terminated the accreditation of Nicholas Bolton's domain business Bottle Domains on the same day the IT entrepreneur has won a controversial investment battle.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/auDA-caps-Bolton-s-fizz/0,130061791,339295970,00.htm?feed=rss

Nicholas Bolton banned from selling domain names for 'serious breach'
The company that administers the .au domain may ban all three of Nicholas Bolton's active registry businesses from trading in domain names.
http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,10166,25337705-462,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25337705-5014099,00.html

Whiz kid Bolton penalised by regulator
A day after his $4.5 million BrisConnections victory, entrepeneur Nicholas Bolton has been dealt a heavy blow by a regulator. Security breaches uncovered at his internet business reveal the Melbourne businessman to be a victim of hackers - but he didn't tell the regulator or his customers.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25338019-661,00.html

Authorities probe key players in BrisConnections swap deal
... A day after his stunning $4.5 million BrisConnections victory, Mr Bolton has been dealt a heavy blow by a regulator after security breaches at his internet business. ... Meanwhile, regulator auDA (Australian Domain Name Administrator) yesterday terminated the registrar accreditation of one of Mr Bolton's companies after hackers allegedly broke into the customer database and stole personal details, including credit card numbers.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,25339704-3122,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25339704-3102,00.html

Soapie star Georgia Bolton, sister of Nicholas, is a major shareholder in BrisCon company
The major shareholder of the company used by 27-year-old Nicholas Bolton in the BrisConnections fiasco is his sister, Georgia. ... Yesterday, the one of the companies in Australia Style Group, Bottle Domains, was banned by from acting as a domain name registry by the auDA, company that administers the .au domain.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25341091-5001024,00.html

BrisConnections EGM under the microscope
... auDA, which regulates Australian internet domain names, yesterday banned Mr Bolton's Australian Style, which trades as Bottle Domains, from selling or administering Australian domain names after hackers allegedly broke into the customer database and stole personal details, including credit card numbers.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25340420-664,00.html

Bottle Domains dumped by auDA over security breach
The Australian domain name administrator has ruled out a review of its registrar agreements in the wake of its decision to terminate Bottle Domains accreditation today over a security breach.
http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/142469,bottle-domains-dumped-by-auda-over-security-breach.aspx

Watchdogs investigate Bolton's BrisConnection's deal as his domain name company loses license
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Securities Exchange will investigate the deal between Leighton Holdings and IT entrepreneur Nicholas Bolton that resulted in Bolton voting against his own motion to wind-up BrisConnections, the builder of a $4.9 billion toll road in Brisbane.
http://www.smartcompany.com.au/information-technology/20090416-watchdogs-investigate-boltons-brisconnections-deal-as-his-domain-name-company-loses-license.html

Bottle Domains dumped by auDA over security breach
The Australian domain name administrator has ruled out a review of its registrar agreements in the wake of its decision to terminate Bottle Domains accreditation today over a security breach.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=100973

Bottle Domains given the boot by auDA
Melbourne-based domain registrar Bottle Domains has been stripped of its accreditation by auDA. The move results from a "serious" breach of the registrar agreement in relation to security breaches.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/24436/1231/

Bolton company stripped of licence
A company run by BrisConnections' major shareholder Nicholas Bolton has been stripped of its license to register internet domain names after it failed to notify regulators of a security incident two years ago.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Bolton-company-stripped-of-licence-pd20090415-R57RJ?OpenDocument

Federal Police confirm arrest over theft of 60,000 Bottle Domain customer records credit-card details [Feb 09]
Federal Police have confirmed that a 22 year old Perth man has been arrested over the theft of Bottle Domain?s entire customer database, including credit-card details. 
http://ecommercereport.com.au/story78.php

Bottle Domains says card fraud a co-incidence, but gave lists of customers cards to banks anyway [March 09]
Neither Andrew Stevens, the general manager of Melbourne based Bottle Domains, nor his boss - Nick Bolton, owner of Australian Style Investments ? believe that any of Bottle?s customers? credit cards have been hit by fraud.
http://ecommercereport.com.au/story88.php

.BR Domains; Myth and Reality
Brazil is commonly referred as an emerging market, much like India and Russia. It is Latin America's largest economy with steady growth in the last few years, but where lots of people still live in poverty . With around 67 million Internet users, representing 35.2% of the population, only 3.5% of the population has a broadband connection, and only around 6.7 million with high speed internet . Its most popular domain extension is .com.br, which combined with other types of .br extensions total 1.5 million domains currently registered according to the Brazilian Registry, Registro.br . Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, the sixth most populous, and the seventh country in Internet usage according to the internetworldstats.com. However, The Economist has just reduced their forecast for Brazilian GDP growth this year to 1.6% (previously 2.4%) . But still, after all these numbers you might be thinking promising right? What does this all mean to
 the domain industry?
http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2366

in: Countries Could Force Use of Country Code Domains
An amendment to information technology laws in India may require hosted email providers to use the .in country code domain name and use local servers. This would make their data subject to Indian law.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/14/countries-could-force-use-of-country-code-domains/

Reopening of domain name registrations directly under .mx
The reopening domain name registrations directly under .mx will start on May 1st of 2009. This liberalization will be divided into three stages to permanently open the registration of these domains for the public by the beginning of this upcoming September.
http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2368

New York City Still Exploring .NYC; No Partner Yet
New York City?s Law Department responded to the second draft of the new top level domain name guidebook, raising concerns to a number of points including the cost of applying for and running a new top level domain. One commentor on the story asked if New York had a deal with a third party in which the city wouldn?t incur any out-of-pocket costs.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/14/new-york-city-still-exploring-nyc-no-partner-yet/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Finds Malicious Activity Continues to Grow at a Record Pace [news release]
Symantec Corp. today (April 14) announced that malicious code activity continued to grow at a record pace throughout 2008, primarily targeting confidential information of computer users. According to the company?s Internet Security Threat Report Volume XIV, Symantec created more than 1.6 million new malicious code signatures in 2008. This equates to more than 60 percent of the total malicious code signatures ever created by Symantec ? a response to the rapidly increasing volume and proliferation of new malicious code threats. These signatures helped Symantec block an average of more than 245 million attempted malicious code attacks across the globe each month during 2008.
http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20090413_01

Report: Cyberspace remains a dangerous frontier
The number of compromised computers actively being used in botnets to launch attacks on any given day last year was about 75,000, according to a new report on Internet threats from security firm Symantec Corp.
http://www.gcn.com/Articles/2009/04/14/Internet-threat-report.aspx

CDT: Privacy, transparency needed in cybersecurity policy [IDG]
U.S. President Barack Obama's administration and Congress will have to address major civil liberties and transparency concerns as they create new policies to tackle ongoing cybersecurity vulnerabilties in the government and private industry, a digital rights group said.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/163160/.html
http://computerworld.com.au/article/299428/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/299428/

High tech group: Cybersecurity efforts gaining steam
Bills intended to help secure U.S. computer networks, the power grid and other critical infrastructure are expected in the coming weeks, a high-tech watchdog group said today.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090415_6737.php

Lawmakers Plan Cybersecurity Agendas
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman and ranking member Susan Collins will hold a hearing in late April to examine the 60-day cybersecurity review ordered by President Obama. The audit, which is slated to conclude Friday, is being led by Melissa Hathaway, a top adviser to Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair. After the hearing, Lieberman "will consider his legislative options," a spokeswoman said Wednesday. A number of bills intended to help secure U.S. computer networks, the power grid and other critical infrastructure are expected from committees that share jurisdiction over the issue. House and Senate committees covering commerce, homeland security, intelligence, judiciary and government reform have all introduced legislation in the past.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/lawmakers-plan-cybersecurity-a.php

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Red Faces All Round At Wikipedia Over Wikileaks.de
After claiming the German registry DENIC had deleted the domain name wikileaks.de, it now turns out the problem lies with Wikileaks themselves.
http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7821
http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/04/14/red-faces-all-round-at-wikipedia-over-wikileaksde/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/red-faces-all-round-at-wikipedia-over-wikileaks.de.html

Germany not a hard-line censor after all
Rumours of state censorship in Germany may turn out to have been just a little exaggerated. However, plans for putting their child abuse blocklist on a legal footing may yet have far-reaching consequences for internet users in that country.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/15/german_wikileaks_bungle_subscription/

Theodor Reppe interview (English version)
One of the last days' hot topics was undoubtedly the action around Wikileaks.de. The domain was unavailable over the easter holidays and different scenarios of what had caused this unavailability spread quickly. In the meantime, some of the people involved have gone public and talked about what happened. Now, Wikileaks.de domain owner Theodor Reppe also agreed to share his version of the events: He spoke to gulli:news about the unavailability of his domain, the influence of Wikileaks and digital civil rights in general.
http://www.gulli.com/news/wikileaks-theodor-reppe-2009-04-15/

Wikileaks.de taken offline by German registry
... Update: Despite the statement posted on wikileaks.org, the disappearance of wikileaks.de appears to be the result of nothing more than a terminated contract.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/wikileaksde-taken-offline-by-german-registrar.ars

Goldman Sachs threatens blogger over demonic domain name
A blogger has taken legal action to defend his right to criticise bailed-out investment bank Goldman Sachs. The bank has threatened to sue over trade mark infringement, but the blogger has launched his own legal campaign to defend himself.
http://out-law.com/page-9944

Click Ads on GoDaddy Parked Pages Draw Cybersquatting Suit
Prof. Marc Randazza had a great post Is GoDaddy a Mass Cybersquatter? on his Legal Satyricon and, while it's great fun to muse about these things hypothetically, I think everyone agrees that live action is best. Now we have it in Ubid Inc. v. Godaddy Group Inc., No. 09-2123 (N.D. Ill., complaint filed April 6, 2009).
http://bnablog.bna.com/techlaw/2009/04/click-ads-on-godaddy-parked-pages-draw-cybersquatting-suit.html

GoDaddy sued for alleged cybersquatting
GoDaddy is being sued for alleged cybersquatting in their domain parking program. We have learned that the plaintiff, Ubid, Inc. filed the suit April 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, asserting that GoDaddy is diverting Internet traffic to deceptive parked domains in violation of the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA).
http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2009/dailyposts/04-15-09.htm

Financial Firm Guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking
Lately it seems that UDRP arbitration panels are ignoring the question of reverse domain name hijacking (RDNH), which broadly defines when I company misuses or abuses the UDRP proceedings process. Panels aren?t required to consider RDNH, and many have decided to skip the issue altogether. (There are no penalties for committing RDNH.) But I guess it takes a particularly egregious and clear cut case to get an arbitrator?s blood boiling.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/15/financial-firm-guilty-of-reverse-domain-name-hijacking/

Celebrity Cybersquatting
Celebrity domain names are a perplexing facet of the domain industry. Currently, there are countless celebrity domain name registrations owned by persons other than the celebrity. Yet, when ownership rights of a celebrity domain name are contested, the majority of disputes resolve in favor of the celebrity. This trend is puzzling given that celebrities generally do not have a trademark right in their personal name. This article examines why celebrities have such favorable results through the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). The provisions of the UDRP regarding personal names are not always easily met. Celebrity or not, a complainant must prove three elements to prevail in a UDRP proceeding. First, the celebrity must establish that the domain is identical or confusingly similar to their trademark. Second, the celebrity must prove that the domain owner has no legitimate interest in the domain name. Third, the celebrity must prove that
 the domain name is registered and being used in bad faith.
http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2365

in: M&M wins cybersquatting case at WIPO
Farm equipment-to-software group Mahindra & Mahindra has won a cybersquatting case at the WIPO against a US-based firm, which had tried to block domain name, 'mahindralogistics.com'.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/MM-wins-cybersquatting-case-at-WIPO/articleshow/4409423.cms
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/MM-wins-cybersquatting-case/articleshow/4409423.cms
http://infotech.indiatimes.com/News/MM-wins-cybersquatting-case-at-WIPO/articleshow/4409423.cms

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Who's Behind That Web Site? Ask Whois
Some of you noticed that I made an unusual appearance in Sunday's Post -- our story on the First Family's new dog included a one-line credit at the end that noted.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2009/04/whos_behind_that_web_site_ask.html?hpid=sec-tech

Domain TLD and Trademark Myths
I started buying and selling domain names in 1995. Domain speculation began sometime in 1994. I did appraisals and was one of the biggest advocates for registering generic domain names rather than made-up names or those that violated trademarks.
http://ozelwebtasarim.com/index.php/web-haberleri/3355-domain-tld-and-trademark-myths

Domain industry woes mean opportunity for you
If you still believe that all of the 'good' .com domain names are taken, I'll let you in on a little secret: think again. Plenty of desirable .com domain names are now becoming available for registration when their owners decide not to renew them. Their loss can be your opportunity.
http://econsultancy.com/blog/3670-domain-industry-woes-mean-opportunity-for-you

What Europeans Do with Domains by Joe Palombo, Sedo Transfer Specialist
I have just spent the past three months working from Sedo?s office in Cologne, Germany. During my stay I maintained my role as a transfer specialist. Along with the many cultural differences I noticed while in Cologne, I found myself wondering if the behavior and purchasing trends most commonly associated with our North American customers correspond with what is going on in our European market. What I found was not alarming, but it was indeed noticeably different.
http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2369

Moving from Main Street to Domain Street - Due to the ongoing economy slow down, the local mom and pop shops of Main Street, USA are finding new ways to reach potential customers
Due to the ongoing economy slow down, the local mom and pop shops of Main Street, USA are finding new ways to reach potential customers, gain easy revenue, and test run new products. As those fluent in domaining know, the internet can truly pay off. 
http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2367

At First Blush: Trademarks, Keyword Ads and Fair Use
A U.S. district court in Texas recently entered judgment for the beauty product company, Mary Kay Inc., in a suit regarding the use of their trademark in keyword advertisements for another business. The ad at issue in this case stated: ?Mary Kay Sale 50% Off: Free Shipping on Orders over $100 Get up to 50% Off.? The ad appeared as a sponsored link when an end user searched for ?Mary Kay.? The court held that the ad gave the user the impression that Mary Kay was hosting a sale, when in reality there was no affiliation whatsoever between the advertiser and the cosmetics giant.
http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2364

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Rick Latona Auctions Releases Initial List of Domain Names For TRAFFIC 2009 - Still Accepting Applications
Rick Latona Auctions has announced the first half of its domain names for the upcoming live auction at TRAFFIC Silicon Valley, but has left several slots open for further submissions. Rick Latona is riding a recent wave of success ? selling webcam.com for over $1,000,000 ? and excited about what?s coming next.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-auction/rick-latona-auctions-releases-initial-list-domain-names-traffic-2009-accepting-applications/4805

Moniker?s Live Domain Auction Looks Like a Winner
My general response to a list of domain names published for a live domain auction is usually subdued. Rarely do I see domain names that are priced to sell.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/14/monikers-live-domain-auction-looks-like-a-winner/

Sedo Sales Slow in Lead Up to Easter
In the two weeks running into Easter, domain name sales appear to have slowed considerably in both number and top prices with the top sale in the week to April 13 being vodkas.com selling for ?21,500 (US$28,450), a much lower price than that paid for vodka.com which also sold through Sedo for $3 million in December 2006. In the week to April 6, the top seller for Sedo was viewit.com, selling for US$40,000.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/04/15/lead-up-to-easter-sees-slow-sedo-sales/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/sedo-sales-slow-in-lead-up-to-easter.html

Cuba domain name speculators rush to invest in Cuba
Dozens of domain name speculators rushed to register hundreds of Cuba related domain names on April 13 and the day after President Obama announced sweeping changes to US Cuba policy as a way to ?invest? (speculate really) in the business opportunities that may present themselves under this new US Cuba policy.
http://havanajournal.com/business/entry/cuba-domain-name-speculators-rush-to-invest-in-cuba/

Cuba Policy Changes Lead to Domain Name Opportunities
Over the past few days I?ve read lots of news about the thawing relationship between the United States and Cuba. (President Obama relaxed restrictions on people traveling from the U.S. to Cuba and on remittances to Cuba.)
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/15/cuba-policy-changes-lead-to-domain-name-opportunities/

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INTERNET USE
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Should Google run the mobile gateway?
Google, the world's favourite search engine, just gets more and more powerful. The question is what to do about it. Even though it remains largely a one-product company - search - there is nothing on the horizon to dislodge it. A year or two ago, as web activity started migrating to mobiles, Google's dominance was at risk - not least because Yahoo was ahead in making mobile search usable. But recent statistics from netmarketshare.com, which have provoked remarkably little discussion, suggest Google now has an astonishing 97.5% share of mobile search, even before its own Android operating system has been fully rolled out.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/16/victor-keegan-google-mobile

Media Executives Plan Online Service to Charge for Content
Three longtime media executives are building an automated system to allow newspapers and magazines to charge for online access, including an ?all you can read? subscription that would allow access to multiple publications, the executives said on Tuesday.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/15/business/media/15brill.html

EBay Looks Abroad for Growth
EBay Inc. reached a tentative agreement to buy a controlling stake in Gmarket Inc., a leading South Korean e-commerce company, in a move that would make eBay the top player in the country's online shopping market.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123977171683420189.html

NZ sites, designers nominated for Oscars of the internet
New Zealand Trade & Enterprise?s Just Add New Zealanders website, designed to draw film, TV and commercial makers to godzone, Xero, plus an AimProximity Vodafone effort were among the nominees for the 13th annual Webby Awards, announced this morning NZ time.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nz-sites-designers-nominated-oscars-internet-101207

When Cloud Computing Doesn?t Make Sense
Clouds, clouds, clouds. Everyone talks about Google-style cloud computing ? software as services off in the Internet ?cloud? ? as the future.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/when-cloud-computing-doesnt-make-sense/

Seeking to End World Hunger, One Search at a Time
That?s what Vladimir Hruda, David Whitehead and Salmaan Ayaz, undergraduate students at the University of Richmond, are hoping. The trio of students built Hoongle.org, a custom Google search engine that promises to donate 20 grains of rice per search to schools in the developing world.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/seeking-to-end-world-hunger-one-search-at-a-time/

Britain in 2009: A nation of bullied social networkers who don?t believe in global warming
The annual Social Trends study published by the Office for National Statistics presents a revealing portrait of the way we live now. ... Lifestyles - Two-thirds of teens are now social networkers: Britain is still a nation of couch potatoes it seems. Both sexes say that watching television is their favourite pastime, while sport and exercise comes fifth for men and 10th for women. Computers have brought the greatest change of the past 10 years ? the number of homes with a PC has risen from 29 per cent to 70 per cent. Online networking is most popular among on children ? 27 per cent of eight- to 11-year-olds have a web profile, but only 15 per cent of parents do so. By the age of 16, more than two-thirds of teenagers are using sites such as MySpace and Bebo.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/britain-in-2009-a-nation-of-bullied-social-networkers-who-donrsquot-believe-in-global-warming-1669289.html

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Facebook and YouTube ahead of Ashes summer
It may prompt some spluttering from the Pimms and cucumber sandwich brigade. But after a winter of negative headlines off the pitch and indifferent performances on it, the England and Wales Cricket Board has vowed to embrace Twitter, Facebook and other modern marketing tricks as part of a drive to expand the appeal of the sport during what will be its busiest summer ever.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/apr/15/ashes-twenty20-cricket-lords-icc-ecb

Facebook now accounts for one third of all online social networking time
The latest comScore data is good news for Facebook, ranking the site as the sixth most popular website in the world with 275 million unique users each month. That exceeds the 200 million user mark that Facebook recently made public, but regardless of different metrics the trends are interesting here.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/apr/15/facebook-socialnetworking

Facebook Ranks as Top Social Networking Site in the Majority of European Countries [news release]
comScore, Inc. today (April 15) released an analysis of Facebook?s growth in Europe during the past year. As the popular social networking site has increasingly focused its attention on global expansion and increased penetration across countries and regions, the site has catapulted to the #6 ranked Web property worldwide with 275 million visitors in February, a 175-percent increase versus year ago. One of the global regions that best illustrates Facebook?s growth is Europe, where the site has seen a 314-percent increase to nearly 100 million visitors.
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2774

Twitter Growth Surges 131% In March
Twitter's popularity is surging, thanks in part to constant news stories about Twitter's surging popularity, stories not unlike this one.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216500968&subSection=News

Twitter Spreads Scoops ? and Falsehoods
The Twitterati have long marveled at how effective the microblogging service is at spreading the news, 140 characters at a time. The crash of a US Airways Airbus in the Hudson River in January is Exhibit 1, but there are many other examples. Not surprisingly, Twitter is equally efficient at spreading misinformation.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/twitter-spreads-scoops-and-falsehoods/

Why Social Media Matters for Government
While not everyone quite understands social media, or Web 2.0, all of us more or less agree that it is here to stay. In the past the Internet was a one-way information medium, but today the audience talks back. People react to what they see and read, and share information on a grass-roots level, en-masse. Blogs led the revolution, and now we have tweets, wikis, podcasts, social networking sites, as well as sharing of and commenting on photos, music, videos and more.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090415_9417.php

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
**********************
Intel Says PC Sales Have Reached a Bottom and Forecasts Moderate Growth
In another sign that the worst of the economic downturn might have passed, Intel said on Tuesday that the personal computer industry had bottomed out in the first quarter of the year.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/15/technology/companies/15chip.html

Intel claims PC market has 'bottomed out'
Intel claimed today that the downturn in the personal computer sector had bottomed out, even as its shares slid nearly 6 per cent after economic uncertainty prevented it from offering financial forecasts for the rest of 2009.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6096192.ece

************************************************
CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
************************************************
au: iiNet pulls out of net censorship trials
Australia's third largest internet provider, iiNet, has withdrawn from the Government's internet censorship trials, saying it could not "reconcile participation in the trial with our corporate social responsibility".
http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/iinet-pulls-out-of-net-censorship-trials-20090323-972l.html

Australia prepares to filter the Web
Critics call it Australia?s great firewall: a filter that would block out harmful content and protect children. The Australian government wants to make the filter secret and compulsory, a proposal that has triggered some public outrage.
http://www.france24.com/en/20090414-australia-filter-internet-child-protection-censorship-law

Le gouvernement veut rendre obligatoire la censure du Web
Le gouvernement planche sur une r?glementation qui filtrerait l'acc?s ? certains sites Internet via une liste noire qu'il ?tablirait. Une fa?on de lutter notamment contre des sites p?dophiles mais qui est loin de convaincre tout le monde.
http://www.france24.com/fr/20090414-australie-filtre-internet-censure-pedophile-liste-noire

So What Exactly Is Prohibited Content?
Even our Communications Minister is confused. Chris Dziemborowicz explains why a dentist, a horror movie and a gambling site were on the leaked ACMA list of prohibited websites
http://newmatilda.com/2009/04/16/so-what-exactly-prohibited-content

**********************
ONLINE TV & MUSIC
**********************
Australian ISPs may be liable for illegal downloads
The NSW Federal Court has not ruled out the possibility that an ISP could be in direct breach of copyright laws if it provides internet service to individuals that illegally share files on peer-to-peer networks.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25337473-15306,00.html

iiNet piracy liability looms large
The Federal Court today turned down iiNet's request to limit the consequences of the court case brought against it by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) to 86 films.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/iiNet-piracy-liability-looms-large/0,130061791,339295979,00.htm

OPINION: Back to the Future at Tenenbaum Copyright Trial
A few hours ago I stopped by attorney Ray Beckerman's blog and found there the prepared statement of musician John Perry Barlow. The statement offers a glimpse of testimony he is prepared to offer in the case of Sony BMG Music Entertainment v. Tenenbaum, a theatrical production whose last act promises to teach us something about the constitutionality of tough statutory damages for copyright infringement.
http://bnablog.bna.com/techlaw/2009/04/back-to-the-future-at-tenenbaum-copyright-trial.html

Pirate Bay confident of trial win
One of the founders of file-sharing website The Pirate Bay has said he anticipates victory in the court battle over alleged copyright theft. Peter Sunde said: "We are quite confident we are going to win."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7999563.stm

Pirate Bay founders prepare for court ruling [AP]
Innovative digital pioneers or reckless cyber pirates? The founders of file-sharing hub The Pirate Bay are either heroes or villains depending on whom you ask.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10566958
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/swedish-court-to-issue-verdict-in-pirate-bay-case-20090416-a7nz.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/swedish-court-to-issue-verdict-in-pirate-bay-case-20090416-a7nz.html

Hulu snapping at heels of YouTube
Hulu, which offers free video of television shows and films from a number of networks and studios, has been ranked second largest web video site after YouTube, according to new figures.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/5155087/Hulu-snapping-at-heels-of-YouTube.html

France to vote again on Internet piracy law
France's parliament will vote again on a government-backed bill to crack down on Internet piracy, a proposal that was rejected the first time around in an embarrassing defeat for the ruling UMP party.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53E5H620090415
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39064320090415

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SPAM
**********************
Spam 'uses as much power as 2.1m homes'
Internet users have long known that spam emails - offering everything from cheap medicines and sex aids to get-rich-quick schemes - are an unwanted annoyance, but new research suggests that they are also hugely damaging to the environment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/15/spam-mcafee-symantec-emails-environment

Is spam causing greenhouse gas?
Is spam causing the environmental hazard of greenhouse gas emissions? That's what McAfee says in its "Carbon Footprint of Spam" report released Wednesday, which states climate-change researchers from the firm ICF and McAfee's security staff calculated that the amount of energy needed to transmit, process and filter spam globally is equal to 33 billion kilowatt-hours each year. They say that can also be expressed as the equivalent to the electricity used in 2.4 million homes annually or the same green-house gas emissions from 3.1 million passenger cars using 2 billion gallons of gas.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/041409-spam-greenhouse-gas.html

Spam E-mails Killing the Environment, McAfee Report Says [IDG]
If annoying users and wasting their time wasn't bad enough, spam e-mails are also responsible for clogging our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, a gas that shoulders much of the blame for global warming, according to a report commissioned by antivirus vendor McAfee.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/163141/.html
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=114300
http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?NewsID=114297

2008 spam was 62 trillion messages: McAfee
The global energy bill required to transmit, process and filter spam e-mail in 2008 totaled some 33 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), according to a new report commissioned by security software vendor McAfee and carried out by ICF International.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/299365/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/299365/

Social networking linked to spam
The amount of spam sent over the internet increased by 192 per cent in 2008, and social networking sites are contributing to more sophisticated spam attacks, says a computer security company.
http://www.qt.com.au/story/2009/04/15/social-networking-linked-to-spam/

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
GhostNets in the machine
Cybercrime is big business - and perhaps nowhere more so than in China, with many attacks motivated by nationalism. Meet the people on the frontline
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/16/china-cybercrime-hacking

Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Finds Malicious Activity Continues to Grow at a Record Pace [news release]
Symantec Corp. today (April 14) announced that malicious code activity continued to grow at a record pace throughout 2008, primarily targeting confidential information of computer users. According to the company?s Internet Security Threat Report Volume XIV, Symantec created more than 1.6 million new malicious code signatures in 2008. This equates to more than 60 percent of the total malicious code signatures ever created by Symantec ? a response to the rapidly increasing volume and proliferation of new malicious code threats. These signatures helped Symantec block an average of more than 245 million attempted malicious code attacks across the globe each month during 2008.
http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20090413_01

Report: Cyberspace remains a dangerous frontier
The number of compromised computers actively being used in botnets to launch attacks on any given day last year was about 75,000, according to a new report on Internet threats from security firm Symantec Corp.
http://www.gcn.com/Articles/2009/04/14/Internet-threat-report.aspx

CDT: Privacy, transparency needed in cybersecurity policy [IDG]
U.S. President Barack Obama's administration and Congress will have to address major civil liberties and transparency concerns as they create new policies to tackle ongoing cybersecurity vulnerabilties in the government and private industry, a digital rights group said.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/163160/.html
http://computerworld.com.au/article/299428/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/299428/

High tech group: Cybersecurity efforts gaining steam
Bills intended to help secure U.S. computer networks, the power grid and other critical infrastructure are expected in the coming weeks, a high-tech watchdog group said today.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090415_6737.php

Lawmakers Plan Cybersecurity Agendas
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman and ranking member Susan Collins will hold a hearing in late April to examine the 60-day cybersecurity review ordered by President Obama. The audit, which is slated to conclude Friday, is being led by Melissa Hathaway, a top adviser to Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair. After the hearing, Lieberman "will consider his legislative options," a spokeswoman said Wednesday. A number of bills intended to help secure U.S. computer networks, the power grid and other critical infrastructure are expected from committees that share jurisdiction over the issue. House and Senate committees covering commerce, homeland security, intelligence, judiciary and government reform have all introduced legislation in the past.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/lawmakers-plan-cybersecurity-a.php

Businesses warn of rising risk of counterfeiting on internet
Popular brands have called for stricter policing of the internet, as they fear fraud will soar during the first "digital recession".
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/businesses-warn-of-rising-risk-of-counterfeiting-on-internet-1668301.html

Aussie inventor wins over Microsoft
An Australian inventor is set to share in a damages payout of more than $500 million after a US court ruled that Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, infringed a patented technology used to deter software piracy.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25341170-15306,00.html

Aussie inventor in A$537m Microsoft damages win
An Australian inventor is set to reap the lion's share of a $US388 million ($537 million) damages award from Microsoft after a US jury found the software giant stole his technology.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/aussie-inventor-in-537m-microsoft-damages-win/2009/04/15/1239474914416.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/biztech/aussie-inventor-in-537m-microsoft-damages-win/2009/04/15/1239474914416.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2338804/The-Aussie-who-beat-Bill-Gates

Perth Nigerian scammer jailed
A Perth man has reportedly been jailed for six years for his role in a Nigerian-style scam campaign that netted $132,400 from four Australian victims.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Perth-Nigerian-scammer-jailed/0,130061744,339295989,00.htm

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PRIVACY
**************************
EC starts legal action over Phorm
The European Commission has started legal action against Britain over the online advertising technology Phorm. It follows complaints to the EC over how the behavioural advertising service was tested on BT's broadband network without the consent of users.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7998009.stm

Internet privacy: Britain in the dock
Britain's failure to protect its citizens from secret surveillance on the internet is to be investigated by the European Commission. The move will fuel claims that Britain is sliding towards a Big Brother state and could end with the Government being forced to defend its policy on internet privacy in front of judges in Europe.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/internet-privacy-britain-in-the-dock-1668844.html

Robert Verkaik: Law has struggled to keep up with technology
In recent months opponents of the Big Brother surveillance society have concentrated their fire on government plans to create a giant database of everyone's email and mobile phone communications. But a much more insidious invasion of our privacy on the internet is driven by profits rather than politics. The phenomenal growth in internet shopping represents a marketing dream that if properly harnessed promises to generate the kind of wealth not seen since the dot.com boom of the late 1990s. No wonder companies like Phorm, who have led the way in web-browser tacking, are not alone in seeing the potential.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/robert-verkaik-law-has-struggled-to-keep-up-with-technology-1668846.html

Use of Web Tracking Tool Raises Privacy Issue in Britain
The European Commission threatened Britain with sanctions on Tuesday for allowing an Internet service provider to use a new advertising technology to track the Web movements of customers.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/15/business/global/15privacy.html

Commission launches case against UK over privacy and personal data protection [news release]
The Commission has opened an infringement proceeding against the United Kingdom after a series of complaints by UK internet users, and extensive communication of the Commission with UK authorities, about the use of a behavioural advertising technology known as ?Phorm' by internet service providers. The proceeding addresses several problems with the UK's implementation of EU ePrivacy and personal data protection rules, under which EU countries must ensure, among other things, the confidentiality of communications by prohibiting interception and surveillance without the user's consent. These problems emerged during the Commission?s inquiry into the UK authorities? action in response to complaints from internet users concerning Phorm.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/570

Britain in the dock over secret tracking of internet accounts
Fears that Britain is slipping into a surveillance society have been heightened by Brussels initiating legal action after declaring that UK laws guaranteeing data protection were ?structurally flawed? and well below the European standard.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6097384.ece

UK's privacy laws illegally inadequate, says Europe
UK laws protecting the privacy of people's communications are inadequate, the European Commission has said. The Commission has launched a legal case against the UK over its implementation of European Union Directives.
http://out-law.com/page-9945

Amazon blocks Phorm adverts scan
Amazon has said it will not allow online advertising system Phorm to scan its web pages to produce targeted ads. Phorm builds a profile of users by scanning for keywords on websites visited and then assigns relevant ads.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7999635.stm

Amazon opts out of Phorm system
Amazon has opted out of Phorm's controversial targeted-advertising technology, delivering a blow to the UK-listed company, which is already the subject of a European Commission legal action against the UK government.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/15/phorm-amazon-opt-out-advertising-online-privacy

Amazon opts out of Phorm
Online retailer Amazon has confirmed that it is opting out of the controversial internet advertising service, Phorm. The company has said that it will not allow Phorm to scan its web pages in order to serve customers with targeted adverts based on their browsing habits.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/5160107/Amazon-opts-out-of-Phorm.html

Citizens' privacy must become priority in digital age, says EU Commissioner Reding [news release]
In a video posted on her website this morning, Viviane Reding, the European Union's Commissioner for Information Society and Media, said that Europeans must have the right to control how their personal information is used, and said that the Commission would take action wherever EU Member States failed to ensure that new technologies such as behavioural advertising, RFID 'smart chips' or online social networking respected this right.
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=4881

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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us: New taxes for taxing times?
Because of quirks in many state laws, sales taxes may be levied on CDs sold in storefronts but not on iTunes and other digital downloads. ... A growing number of states are considering laws to tax digital goods, such as iTunes songs, Amazon MP3s, or electronic books. Yet at a time when governments say they want to encourage broadband adoption and the development of a low-carbon economy, opponents say taxing digital goods sends exactly the wrong message.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10219578-38.html

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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
*********************************
EBay Plans Public Offering for Skype
EBay announced plans on Tuesday to spin off Skype, its Internet calling division, in an initial public offering aimed at the first half of 2010.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/15/technology/companies/15skype.html

Ebay to spin off Skype
Ebay has announced plans to spin off Skype, its online phone unit, with an initial public offering next year following the collapse of talks that would have sold Skype back to its founders.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0429e8da-293d-11de-bc5e-00144feabdc0.html

Skype talks with eBay run into trouble
Ebay, the internet auction site, effectively hoisted the ?For Sale? sign on Skype last night when it announced plans to spin off the revolutionary internet calls business in an initial public offering some time next year.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6094708.ece

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
Australia to harmonise emergency services communications
Senator Stephen Conroy, Australia?s Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, has welcomed proposals to harmonise the spectrum for emergency radio services across the country.
http://www.futuregov.net/articles/2009/apr/15/australia-wants-better-communications-emergency-se/

U.S. Telecoms Eager to Get Cuba on the Line
U.S. telecommunication firms could open up investment in Cuba now that the Obama administration will allow companies to operate there, a final global frontier for the Internet age.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/14/AR2009041403144.html

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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au: Queensland man charged with child porn offences
A 19-year-old Queensland man has been charged with possessing and distributing child pornography over the Internet following a joint investigation with the FBI and the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/299191/


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(c) David Goldstein 2009


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David Goldstein
http://davidgoldstein.tel/
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



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