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. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Country code operators tell ICANN: we don't want geographic gTLDs! http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/217-Country-code-operators-tell-ICANN-we-dont-want-geographic-gTLDs!.html auDA reinstates Australian Style Pty Ltd (t/a Bottle Domains) registrar accreditation http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-17042009/ au: Bolton takes on internet controller http://www.businessday.com.au/business/bolton-takes-on-internet-controller-20090419-abg4.html auDA "grossly negligent" says domain registrar CEO http://www.itwire.com/content/view/24518/1231/ auDA appeal against Bottle injunction rejected http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=101169 auDA recklessness damages Australian domain industry http://linuxworld.com.au/article/299855/ ICA Tells Kentucky Supreme Court to Uphold Ruling in Domain Name Seizure Case http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/178 Will New Regulations Kill Pharma Ads On Google? http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/17/pharmaceutical-advertising-google-technology-paidcontent.html Google's Trademark Tussle http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090414_278741.htm Google: The Recession Takes Its Toll http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090416_292549.htm Google's Revenue Growth Slows on Pullback in Advertising http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123991260142626435.html ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Internet Governance: Why Plato is Still Relevant by Dr. Konstantinos Komaitis [International Journal of Communications Law & Policy] Abstract: ... This paper discusses the influential role of custom and its effects within the society of Internet Governance; it then proceeds to discuss an interpretation of justice, which demonstrates the way custom might be enforced and imposed upon various subjects. Finally, this paper shows that these conflicting customs should not necessarily annihilate multiparticipatory governance structures, rather assist in their progress. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1381625 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Country code operators tell ICANN: we don't want geographic gTLDs! In a statement posted on ICANN's new gTLD program comment page by the ccNSO, ICANN's policy setting body for country code Top Level Domains requests that geographic names not be launched as gTLDs. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/217-Country-code-operators-tell-ICANN-we-dont-want-geographic-gTLDs!.html Field Guide to ICANN Reforms (Part 4): Results are in on Noncommercial Stakeholder Group charter proposals by Milton Mueller Public comments are in on the charter proposals that will shape the reformed GNSO. The politics of GNSO reform are now abundantly clear. Noncommercial organizations and individuals from a surprisingly broad swath of transnational civil society have participated in ICANN's GNSO reform proceeding, sending in comments. And virtually all of them are supporting the Noncommercial Stakeholders Group (NCSG) charter proposed by the NCUC. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/4/17/4156005.html Upcoming Event: Congressional Seminar on "ICANN & Internet Governance: How Did We Get Here & Where Are We Heading?" IGP's Milton Mueller will be a panelist at a Congressional Seminar, "ICANN & Internet Governance: How Did We Get Here & Where Are We Heading?," hosted by the Progress & Freedom Foundation on April 24, 2009 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/4/17/4156285.html ICA Tells ICANN: Version Two of New gTLD Guidebook No Improvement Over Its Predecessor The comment period on Version two of ICANN?s Draft Applicant Guidebooks for new gTLDs closed on April 13th, and the ICA submitted the comment letter below to apprise ICANN of our views on this critically important proposal for DNS expansion. http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/177 Hewlett-Packard Wants .HP Domain Name Technology behemoth Hewlett-Packard ? better known as HP ? wants ICANN to reconsider its rule that new top level domain names must be at least three characters. HP wants to apply for .hp, which is forbidden because two character top level domain names are currently reserved for country code domain names. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/16/hewlett-packard-wants-hp-domain-name/ Attorney Wants .Pol Top-Level Domain for Politicians Political law attorney Matthew T. Sanderson believes the Internet needs a new .pol top-level domain because of cybersquatters who grab domain names related to politicians. He cites Meg Whitman's difficulty acquiring domains related to her gubernatorial run in California: http://watchingthewatchers.org/read/3509 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** auDA reinstates Australian Style Pty Ltd (t/a Bottle Domains) registrar accreditation Pursuant to a temporary order of the Supreme Court of Victoria, auDA has today reinstated the registrar accreditation of Australian Style Pty Ltd trading as Bottle Domains, pending a full hearing scheduled for Wednesday 22 April 2009. http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-17042009/ au: Bolton takes on internet controller First Nicholas Bolton threatened to bring BrisConnections, builder of the nation's biggest infrastructure project, to its knees. Now the 27-year-old has embarked on a legal fight that could destroy the governing body that controls the ownership and registration of internet domain names in Australia. http://www.businessday.com.au/business/bolton-takes-on-internet-controller-20090419-abg4.html http://business.theage.com.au/business/bolton-takes-on-internet-controller-20090419-abg4.html http://business.smh.com.au/business/bolton-takes-on-internet-controller-20090419-abg4.html http://business.watoday.com.au/business/bolton-takes-on-internet-controller-20090419-abg4.html http://business.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/bolton-takes-on-internet-controller-20090419-abg4.html Bottle resellers hurting from battle with auDA The battle between Bottle Domains and the Australian Domain Name Administrator (auDA) is costing Bottle?s resellers dearly, several industry representatives claim. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/299882/ auDA "grossly negligent" says domain registrar CEO The CEO of a major Australian domain name registrar has blasted .au administrator auDA's decision to de-accredit Bottle Networks. Meanwhile, Bottle has hit back at auDA in the courts, winning a temporary injunction until a hearing this week. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/24518/1231/ auDA appeal against Bottle injunction rejected Bottle Domains' temporary injunction against auDA revoking its accreditation stands after the Victorian Supreme Court turned down an appeal by the regulator. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=101169 auDA recklessness damages Australian domain industry Larry Bloch, CEO & co-founder of Netregistry, says the Supreme Court's decision to grant a temporary injunction against the Australian Domain Name Administrator (auDA) on behalf of Bottle Domains has thrown the domain industry into a week of instability and chaos. There is now the possibility that - if Bottle Domains wins its case - auDA may be subject to severe damages for loss of business, potentially bankrupting the tightly budgeted administrator. "Chris Disspain of auDA has acted as judge, jury and executioner by cancelling Bottle Domains' accreditation so suddenly, and this action is now proving to be grossly negligent." http://linuxworld.com.au/article/299855/ auDA recklessness damages Australian domain industry [news release] The Supreme Court's decision to grant a temporary injunction against the Australian Domain Name Administrator (auDA) on behalf of Bottle Domains has thrown the domain industry into a week of instability and chaos. There is now the possibility that - if Bottle Domains wins its case - auDA may be subject to severe damages for loss of business, potentially bankrupting the tightly budgeted administrator. "Chris Disspain of auDA has acted as judge, jury and executioner by cancelling Bottle Domains' accreditation so suddenly, and this action is now proving to be grossly negligent," says Larry Bloch, CEO and co-founder of Netregistry. http://netregistry.com.au/news/articles/518/1/auDA-recklessness-damages-Australian-domain-industry/Page1.html auDA?s actions against Bottle Domains too extreme [news release] "auDA has acted as judge, jury and executioner by cancelling Bottle Domains' accreditation so suddenly," says Larry Bloch, CEO and co-founder of Netregistry. The domain industry was shocked today after the surprise announcement of auDA's action against Bottle Domains, the Melbourne based domain registrar owned by Australian Style. http://netregistry.com.au/news/articles/517/1/auDAs-actions-against-Bottle-Domains-too-extreme/Page1.html au: Bolton Bottle saga back in court Nicholas Bolton will return to court on Wednesday, this time to fight for the future of Bottle Domains, the domain registry company he founded in 2001 while still a teenager. http://business.theage.com.au/business/bolton-bottle-saga-back-in-court-20090417-a9hi.html http://business.smh.com.au/business/bolton-bottle-saga-back-in-court-20090417-a9hi.html Domain battle hits the bottle Controversial investor Nicholas Bolton's Bottle Domains company yesterday successfully applied for a Supreme Court injunction to block Australia's domain name regulator from terminating its accreditation. But the case will flare up again today. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Domain-battle-hits-the-bottle/0,130061733,339296003,00.htm Bottle injunction endangered by auDA appeal Bottle Domains temporary injunction against a revoke of its .AU accreditation is in limbo after the ruling was appealed by the domain regulator, auDA. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=101116 ASIC warns against false transfers ... Meanwhile, Mr Bolton's internet company, Australian Style Investments, has had its domain name registrar accreditation reinstated, pending the outcome of a court case next week. http://business.theage.com.au/business/asic-warns-against-false-transfers-20090417-aaay.html BrisConnections stuck in construction rut ... Elsewhere yesterday, Mr Bolton, whose Internet domain name group Bottle Domains earlier this week had its accreditation revoked by name registrar auDA, won a temporary injunction against auDA. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25348540-664,00.html http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,25348094-3122,00.html If the hat fits ... But Bolton hasn't had it all his own way, with Australian internet domain name administrator, auDA terminating his accreditation as a domain name registrar for a ''serious breach'' that included not informing auDA that third parties had accessed customer information, including credit card details. His Bottle Domains has been reinstated until the matter is further heard next Wednesday. http://smallbusiness.theage.com.au/growing/management/if-the-hat-fits-615864997.html?s_cid=rss_smallbiz http://smallbusiness.smh.com.au/growing/management/if-the-hat-fits-615864997.html?s_cid=rss_smallbiz 900,000th .be domain name activated Today 16 April 2009, saw the 900,000th .be domain name registered with DNS BE. The 900,000th domain name is artchaud.be, owned by a Flemish artist creating lithographs and silk-screen prints for expositions. He is the lucky winner of 10 XL promotion stickers, which he can use to promote his website. http://www.dns.be/en/home.php?n=433 900,000th .BE domain name registered Last week DNS.BE, the registry for .BE domain names, announced the 900,000th .BE domain name has been registered. The 900,000th domain name is artchaud.be, owned by a Flemish artist creating lithographs and silk-screen prints for expositions. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/04/19/900000th-be-domain-name-registered/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/900000th-.be-domain-name-activated.html IANA Report on the Redelegation of the .BY Top-Level Domain ... Recommendation: In its decision making process on accepting delegation and redelegation requests, ICANN respects the ability for a local Internet community as well as local law and local government to make decisions about the operation of a top-level domain. In its research, staff believe that there are grounds for reassignment of the domain name under the relevant criteria. It is therefore recommended that the .BY domain should be redelegated to Open Contact Ltd. as per their request. http://www.iana.org/reports/2009/by-report-03feb2009.html .eu: three years on, three million domain names Three years after its launch, the .eu top-level internet domain continues to be a success story. There are now more than three million internet domains under Europe?s own top-level domain. http://www.businesstoday.com.mt/2009/04/15/t11.html Registration of 2nd Level .MX Domains Set to Begin Recently changes were announced for the registration of .MX domain names enabling registration at the second level. As of September 1, 2009, all that are eligible to register a .MX domain name will be entitled to register .MX domains at the second level. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/04/19/registration-of-2nd-level-mx-domains-set-to-begin/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/registration-of-2nd-level-.mx-domains-set-to-begin.html One in eight .nl domain names has a ?green? host SIDN, the .nl registry, and Cleanbits, the green Internet promoter, carried out a joint study in March 2009 to quantify the market share of CO2-neutral service providers in the .nl Internet zone. http://www.sidn.nl/ace.php/c,728,6049,,,,One_in_eight_nl_domain_names_has_a_green_host.html?ACE_Id=89dc757559fa7adbf6c5a1a069275c51 rs: Domains made available from lists of domains reserved for needs of Republic of Serbia and new mini-mini land rush Domains that have been reserved until now for the needs of Republic bodies, which they are no longer interested in, will be made available according to the land rush procedure from 18th May 2009 at noon. http://rnids.rs/en/node/67?lang=en IANA Report on the Redelegation of the .SO Top-Level Domain ... For an extended period, the delegation of .SO has been ?lame?. This means that none of the authoritative name servers have worked, essentially making the domain completely dysfunctional. Furthermore, attempts to directly contact the listed contacts for .SO by IANA staff have resulted in failure. Deliver has been attempted on the postal address listed without success. ... Recommendation: In its decision making process on accepting delegation and redelegation requests, ICANN respects the ability for a local Internet community as well as local law and local government to make decisions about the operation of a top-level domain. ... It is therefore recommended that the .SO domain should be redelegated to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia as per their request. http://www.iana.org/reports/2009/so-report-03feb2009.html Registration of 2nd Level .MX Domains Set to Begin Recently changes were announced for the registration of .MX domain names enabling registration at the second level. As of September 1, 2009, all that are eligible to register a .MX domain name will be entitled to register .MX domains at the second level. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/04/19/registration-of-2nd-level-mx-domains-set-to-begin/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/registration-of-2nd-level-.mx-domains-set-to-begin.html ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Estonia leads the way in countering cyber-attacks Estonia, which recently suffered what appeared to be the largest political cyber-attack ever seen on EU soil, is organising an EU ministerial meeting on the protection of vital infrastructure against cyber-crime, the European Commission has announced. http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/estonia-leads-way-countering-cyber-attacks/article-181172 U.S. cybersecurity review done, heads to Obama soon President Barack Obama will soon receive the results of a 60-day review of cybersecurity that should weigh in on whether he should name a cybersecurity czar, the White House said on Friday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39109620090418 Federal cybersecurity review drawing to a close A 60-day review of federal cybersecurity efforts that President Barack Obama ordered in February is scheduled to end this week, although it's unclear when the much-anticipated findings will be publicly released. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131710 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/041609-federal-cybersecurity-review-drawing-to.html Control of Cybersecurity Becomes Divisive Issue The National Security Agency has been campaigning to lead the government?s rapidly growing cybersecurity programs, raising privacy and civil liberties concerns among some officials who fear that the move could give the spy agency too much control over government computer networks. http://nytimes.com/2009/04/17/us/politics/17cyber.html Role of Bush NSA Plan Under Review The Bush administration planned last year to direct the National Security Agency, which specializes in spying electronically on foreign adversaries, to take the techniques it has employed to defend military computer networks and use them to protect U.S. government civilian networks, according to current and former officials. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041604291.html Phishers get more wily as cybercrime grows Phishing scams have grown up from the unsophisticated swindles of the past in which fake Nigerian princes e-mailed victims, who would get a big windfall if they just provide their bank account number. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53G1H820090417 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39089420090417 Terrorists using Internet as a weapon: experts [AFP] "Computer-savvy" terrorists are using the Internet as a new weapon but national authorities must be aware of individual rights when combating the threat, speakers at an international conference said Thursday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/terrorists-using-internet-as-a-weapon-experts-20090417-a92w.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/terrorists-using-internet-as-a-weapon-experts-20090417-a92w.html CERT Polska takes part in the FISHA Project [news release] Since March 2009, the CERT Polska team (operating within NASK) has been taking part in the 2-year EU project called FISHA (A Framework for Information Sharing and Alerting). The main objective of the project is to develop the prototype of the EISAS (European Information Sharing and Alerting System)?a pan-European system for sharing and accessing information on computer safety as well as alerting to risks on the Internet. http://nask.pl/newsID/id/509 ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** ICA Tells Kentucky Supreme Court to Uphold Ruling in Domain Name Seizure Case The Internet Commerce Association today joined in a Friend-of-the-Court brief filed with the Kentucky Supreme Court urging it to uphold the decision of the Court of Appeals that domain names are not ?gambling devices? subject to seizure under Kentucky law. http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/178 Internet Commerce Group Files Against Kentucky Online Casino Grab In preparation, the Internet Commerce Association filed an amicus brief asking that the decision by the Court of Appeals holding that Internet casino domain names do not constitute gambling devices be upheld. http://www.onlinecasinoadvisory.com/casino-news/online/ica-files-brief-against-kentucky-online-casino-forfeitures-42719.htm Kentucky Supreme Court Domain Seizure Update Advocate organisations supporting freedom of speech and the Internet independence principles have made submissions to the Kentucky Supreme Court ahead of its hearing of an appeal against an appeal by the Kentucky state government. http://www.recentpoker.com/news/kentucky-domains-2576.html The ?Monster Test? for the IRT We read and hear a lot of complaints from trademark interests about allegedly rampant cybersquatting and other forms of trademark infringement, but it?s rare to see a story about reverse domain name hijacking and other abuses committed by them. http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/176 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** How to use a domain name to circumvent application of law Interesting article in the NYT: When they advertise in the USA, pharmaceutical companies must include risk information about the drug. When they use Google AdWords, they cannot do it, as there is a 95 characters limit. According to the Food and Drug Administration, such ads omit ?the most serious and frequently occurring risks associated with the drugs promoted in the links above?. http://domaine.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-use-domain-name-to-circumvent.html Africa's top-level domains stymied by manual operations Low Internet penetration, poor marketing strategies and manual operations of registries have hampered the growth of Africa's top level domains. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2009/04/15/africas-top-level-domains-stymied-manual-operations ARIN President and CEO Update ARIN previously announced that Thomas Cady would be joining as President and CEO. Mr. Cady will not become ARIN's CEO due to changes in Mr. Cady's personal circumstances. https://www.arin.net/announcements/2009/20090416.html Heads of top Internet exchange points from all over the world will meet in Prague [news release] At the end of April, representatives of the biggest Internet exchange points (peering centres) from all over the world will gather in Prague. NIX.CZ, the operator of the Czech peering point, along with CZ.NIC, the administrator of the top level domain .CZ and the international organization EURO-IX organize a two-day meeting in the Czech capital on 27 and 28 April. The main topic will be how to secure the data flow between states and their networks. http://www.nic.cz/page/640/heads-of-top-internet-exchange-points-from-all-over-the-world-will-meet-in-prague/ Pool Taking Pre-Orders for Non-Existent Domain Names In a move that will surely add confusion to an already crazy process, domain backordering service Pool.com is accepting pre-orders for non-existent domain names such as .xxx and .web. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/16/pool-taking-pre-orders-for-non-existent-domain-names/ Syracuse iSchool Professor Milton Mueller wins 2009 ITERA Outstanding Researcher Award [news release] Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool) Professor Milton Mueller has been selected to receive the 2009 International Telecommunications Education and Research Association (ITERA) Outstanding Research Award. http://ischool.syr.edu/newsroom/news.aspx?recid=658 Live Current?s Cricket Site Hits Snag at Wrong Time Live Current Media just can?t seem to do anything right. Not only is it liquidating many of its prized domain names to make ends meet, but its prized cricket web site IPLT20.com is having problems at precisely the wrong moment. (Live Current?s deal with Indian Premier League is part of the reason it?s having to liquidate domain names; the contract requires the company to cough up about $50M over 10 years. Its cricket partners have been cutting it a break on payments.) http://domainnamewire.com/2009/04/19/live-currents-cricket-site-hits-snag-at-wrong-time/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Will New Regulations Kill Pharma Ads On Google? Google executives have singled out health as an ad category that has been performing well. ?Health, for example, has seen strong growth in the U.S. and it?s now one of our largest verticals,? Jonathan Rosenberg, Google?s senior vice president for product management, said in his introductory remarks on the company?s earnings call Thursday. http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/17/pharmaceutical-advertising-google-technology-paidcontent.html Google's Trademark Tussle It's vexing for a company to see its brand name disparaged. It can be downright infuriating when that brand is used to drum up business for a rival. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090414_278741.htm Google: The Recession Takes Its Toll It's official now: Even Google can't escape the recession. With its first-quarter results on Apr. 16, the leader in Web search revealed its first quarter-on-quarter decline in sales, reflecting cutbacks in online ad spending. Thanks to cost cutting, Google handily beat profit expectations, but it offered no assurance that overall business conditions would turn around anytime soon. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090416_292549.htm Google's Revenue Growth Slows on Pullback in Advertising Google Inc. felt the pain of the recession in the first quarter, posting its first revenue decline in consecutive quarters since going public nearly five years ago. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123991260142626435.html Google?s Profit Is Up 8%, Beating Analysts? Estimates The slumping economy has broken Google?s streak: The Internet search giant said Thursday that it had its first decline in revenue compared with the previous quarter since it went public in 2004, as marketers reined in their online advertising budgets. http://nytimes.com/2009/04/17/technology/companies/17google.html Interview: Mason Cole of Oversee.net It?s been a heck of a year for domains given the ups and downs we?ve been seeing since the start of 2009. We sat down with Mason Cole, a nine year veteran of the domain business and Vice President of Communications and Industry Relations for Oversee.net, to get the registrar perspective on the place of domain names in Internet commerce, the value of .com names and registrar concerns about the new gTLD initiative. http://www.namesmash.com/?p=264 High End of the Domain Aftermarket Takes a Breather - First Week With No Reported 6-Figure Sales Since Early February For the first time in two months, no six-figure domain sales were reported this week. There were however hundreds of four and five figure sales, the price range favored by the small to medium sized business end users that are the most active buyers in today's aftermarket. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2009/04-14-09.htm Moniker Publishes List of Domains for April TRAFFIC Moniker has just published the full catalogue of domains available at the live auction at the TRAFFIC domain name conference and expo on April 27. Some of the more interesting names up for auction include ad.com, deal.mobi, ComedyClub.com and DebtCollection.org. http://www.domainnews.com/en/moniker-publishes-list-of-domains-for-april-traffic.html http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/04/16/moniker-publishes-list-of-domains-for-april-traffic/ Sedo's Spanish Themed Auction is coming Sangria, Flamenco and Siesta ? for many people these terms conjures up images of Spain. At Sedo these names remind us of the rapidly growing Spanish domain name market that grew by a staggering 30% in 2008 compared to the previous year. http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2372 Just Days Left To Register For .ME Auctions [news release] If you want to grab one of the snappiest domains available for use online today, don?t miss the latest auction opportunities available from the .ME Registry. http://www.nic.me/news.php?news=166 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Internet Filtering: Rhetoric, Legitimacy, Accountability and Responsibility by T. J. McIntyre & Colin Scott [Regulating Technologies] Abstract: This paper argues that the automatic and opaque nature of internet filtering, together with the fact that it is generally implemented by intermediaries, raises new problems for the law and in particular may tend to undermine aspects of freedom of expression. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1103030 Ascertaining Cyber Jurisdiction in Cyber Space: Jurisprudential Understanding and a Comparative Analysis by Anand Singh - ICFAI Law School Abstract: ... In this paper an attempt has been made to challenge and analyse the current paradigm being used for determination of cyberspace jurisdiction in India. The rapid growth of e-commerce and the vulnerability of the netizen's make the task all the more challenging. The absence of a single determinant for ascertaining jurisdiction over cyber space and the practices employed by the various developed countries poses an uphill task on the face of our judiciary. However competitive legislation and suitable administration ensuring content filtration and strict surveillance is prototypical for building confidence and instilling faith in the system. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1366018 Sex, Kids, and Crime in Cyberspace: Some Reflections on Crossing Boundaries by Bert-Jaap Koops Abstract: This contribution sketches some contours of the landscape of sex, minors, and crime in cyberspace, illustrated by a varied casuistry of case-law emerging in the Netherlands. It discusses exposure to indecency, self-representation, viewing child porn online, grooming, and webcam sex abuse. It also highlights four types of boundaries - of nations, age, consent, and decency - in this landscape, that pose challenges to regulators, because in cyberspace, borders have a tendency to shift and blur. This implies that a debate is needed on the regulatory tilt of cybersex policy, which needs to take into account the co-evolution of technology, society, and regulation, and the need for empirical research and theoretical reflection. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1365986 Hate Crime in Cyberspace: The Challenges of Substantive Criminal Law by Audrey Guinchard [Information and Communication Technology Law] Abstract: Hate crime evokes hate speech, but to assimilate one with the other would not do justice to the diversity of behaviors encompassed by the expression "hate crime". A first overview of the notion is necessary in order to highlight the key features of offenses involving hatred. A particular emphasis will be given to the specificity of cyberspace hate crimes both in the UK and in France. This comparison will enable us to tackle the main issue cyber-hate raises: that of the legitimacy and practicality of criminalizing behaviors related to hatred on the internet. The debates may not be specific to hate crimes but they are acute for at an international level, crime notably limits a freedom of expression which does not have the same meaning both legally and culturally. The Convention on cyber crime will also be looked at, especially that its critics argue that it did not go far enough into protecting victims of hate crimes at an international level. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1375589 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Economic indicators: Googling the future - Internet search data may be useful for forecasters Claims of clairvoyance, particularly when they come from economists, deserve a sceptical reception. Hal Varian, a professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley who also happens to be Google?s chief economist, has no such pretensions, but he does believe that data on internet searches can help predict certain kinds of economic statistics before they become available. http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13497048 OPINION: As the web cripples papers, an internet licence fee could help deliver the news Two great anxieties are running Britain's media ragged as Gordon Brown's visions of Digital Britain take shape. One, stretching back over anxious decades, is the BBC's fear of losing its licence fee (or watching it sliced away by competitors short of advertising). The other, transfixing both national and regional press, sees internet websites taking over print's role without providing anything approaching traditional newspaper revenue streams: no cover price, few subscriptions, only fatally cheap ads. These are the ways that worlds end - unless somebody comes up with a bright idea. So tie these two ends together. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/19/internet-licence-fee Google: The Recession Takes Its Toll It's official now: Even Google can't escape the recession. With its first-quarter results on Apr. 16, the leader in Web search revealed its first quarter-on-quarter decline in sales, reflecting cutbacks in online ad spending. Thanks to cost cutting, Google handily beat profit expectations, but it offered no assurance that overall business conditions would turn around anytime soon. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090416_292549.htm Google's Revenue Growth Slows on Pullback in Advertising Google Inc. felt the pain of the recession in the first quarter, posting its first revenue decline in consecutive quarters since going public nearly five years ago. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123991260142626435.html Google?s Profit Is Up 8%, Beating Analysts? Estimates The slumping economy has broken Google?s streak: The Internet search giant said Thursday that it had its first decline in revenue compared with the previous quarter since it went public in 2004, as marketers reined in their online advertising budgets. http://nytimes.com/2009/04/17/technology/companies/17google.html UK business helps Google increase second quarter profits, despite fall in revenue Google, the internet giant, has seen its quarter on quarter revenues fall for the first time in five years - although it managed to increase profits, helped in part by the recovery of its UK business. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/17/google-digital-media Microsoft: The Internet needs more trust to grow The Internet needs to be more trustworthy if it wants to grow, according to Microsoft's senior security executive, Scott Charney. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131715 http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/163311/.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Digging up dirt: Facebook spies for hire Large companies and government departments are employing a new Sydney-based company to dig up dirt on staff by spying on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube posts. http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/web/digging-up-dirt-facebook-spies-for-hire/2009/04/17/1239475038317.html http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/web/digging-up-dirt-facebook-spies-for-hire/2009/04/17/1239475038317.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2345266/Facebook-spies-dig-up-dirt-on-Aussies Twitter's U.S. users nearly double in March Twitter Inc. continues to be on a roll. The micro-blogging site had a 131% increase in U.S. visitors just from February to March of this year, according to online traffic tracker comScore Inc. Twitter had 9.3 million visitors last month -- 5 million more than it did in February. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131679 http://computerworld.com.au/article/299654/ Telstra cracks down on Twitter, Facebook mischief Telstra is the first major Australian company to tell its employees how to behave on social media like Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/20/2547223.htm Telstra staff on notice after Twitter gaffe After being embarrassed by one of its employees on micro-blogging site Twitter, Telstra will today release a new policy governing how staff can talk about the company online, even in private conversations. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25357606-15306,00.html Telstra lays down rules on worker web use Telstra has become the first major Australian company to set guidelines on employee use of Facebook, Twitter and similar websites. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/19/1240079538773.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/19/1240079538773.html MySpace logs on to phone charging An application developed for MySpace that enables people to recharge their pre-paid mobile phone credit from the social networking website is becoming a new source of e-commerce and advertising revenue. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25357607-15306,00.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** NZ ICT spend beats recession, up to $19.3bn New Zealand computer and communication equipment buyers have not been put off by the recession, with new figures showing a 3 per cent rise in ICT sales during the 2008 financial year. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10567562 NZ ICT industry not slowing down What global financial crisis? New Zealand's information and communications technology industry continued to grow at the same pace in the 2008 financial year as the year before, according to the country's official statistics organ. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/soa/NZ-ICT-industry-not-slowing-down/0,139023166,339296030,00.htm NZ ICT industry continues to grow [news release] Total sales of goods and services from New Zealand's information and communication technology (ICT) industry increased 3 percent to $19.3 billion in the 2008 financial year, Statistics New Zealand said today. This was similar to the growth rate in sales of ICT goods and services reported the previous year. http://www.stats.govt.nz/products-and-services/media-releases/information-communication-technologies-supply-survey/information-and-communication-technology-supply-survey-2008-mr.htm MI5 seeks Q - applications in invisible ink optional For years Britain's foreign intelligence service, MI6, had a Q - a figure, in fact and fiction, "whose team is responsible for innovative technology and gimmicks and gadgets and things like that," as one of its officers puts it. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/18/mi5-recruit-scientific-adviser Worldwide PC sales down 7%: IDC Global shipments of personal computers slid 7.1 per cent in the first quarter, industry tracker IDC said, although falling prices and the increasing popularity of netbooks helped keep sales from slipping even further. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25341310-5013040,00.html The PC Doesn?t Have to Be an Anchor For years, portable computers were second-class citizens in the Republic of Computing. These were the auxiliary machines, adjuncts to the muscle machines on or below the desk. They were expensive, underpowered and, in the early years, much too large for anyone then to call them ?laptops? or ?notebooks.? In 1983, the Compaq Portable weighed 28 pounds, more than enough to set one?s shoulder throbbing halfway down an airport concourse; it cost $2,995 for one floppy-drive or $3,950 for two. http://nytimes.com/2009/04/19/business/19digi.html Study Finds Some Youths 'Addicted' to Video Games A new study concludes that children can become addicted to playing video games, with some skimping on homework, lying about how much they play and struggling, without success, when they try to cut back. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/19/AR2009041902350.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Major German online companies agree to block child porn websites German internet providers have grudgingly agreed to block websites containing child pornography. Critics say their deal with the government won't make much of a difference. Five of Germany's eight major internet service providers - Deutsche Telekom's T-Online, Vodafone's Arcor, Kabel Deutschland, Telefonica's O2 and Alice's Hansenet - signed the legally binding agreement with the government and the Federal Crime Office on Friday, agreeing to install software to block consumer access to child pornography sites. The five companies together cover around 75 percent of the German market. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4185666,00.html Germany bids to block child porn sites [AFP] The German government has signed agreements with key Internet service providers to block access to child porn sites, family affairs minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-bids-to-block-child-porn-sites-20090418-aaee.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-bids-to-block-child-porn-sites-20090418-aaee.html http://www.todayonline.com/articles/314465.asp To censor or protect: Blocking child porn is the easy sell, but will Australian government web filtering go too far? When Cliff Fogarty received what seemed like "3000 calls from the media" he knew something was wrong. Journalists told him his Maroochydore boarding kennels website was on a secret Government blacklist of illegal internet sites. "I thought, What? You've got to be kidding," he says incredulously. "We didn't know we were on it." http://www.theage.com.au/national/to-censor-or-protect-20090418-aav5.html http://www.smh.com.au/national/to-censor-or-protect-20090418-aav5.html http://www.watoday.com.au/national/to-censor-or-protect-20090419-ab5e.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/to-censor-or-protect-20090419-ab0r.html Google tips FCC about new YouTube comment filtering system Google has told the FCC that YouTube is testing a new filtering system for video comments. Is this a response to pressure from groups like the Parents Television Council? http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/google-developing-new-you-tube-comment-filtering-system.ars ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Internet regulation in France: Trois strikes and you're out - Will France pass a controversial law against file-sharing? Hollywood?s bible, Variety magazine, always refers to France as Gaul, a ?land of wine, baguettes and amour?. But America?s media industry may soon start taking France more seriously. The French government is trying to pass a harsh new law that would cut off internet access for people who download pirated music and films. Media bosses reckon other countries might follow suit. http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13496729 Has online piracy reached a tipping point? For years, digital technology and the Internet have provided a virtual buffet of digital video, music, news and other content from which millions have feasted on for free. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10222810-93.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62053334,00.htm How Charter Communications warns accused file sharers AT&T made news last month for acknowledging that it had begun sending warning notices to customers accused of illegal file sharing by the music industry. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10222853-93.html Pirate Bay owners pledge to fight again after court jails them for copyright theft The music, film and entertainment industries were celebrating a rare victory over internet copyright pirates last night after a Swedish court handed down prison sentences and hefty fines to four men behind the world's most notorious filesharing website. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/18/pirate-bay-prison-sentences-sweden You won't stop us, vow Pirate Bay owners despite jail terms The Swedish owners of the illegal file-sharing website The Pirate Bay defiantly vowed to keep it open for business last night despite facing a year in jail for allowing millions of internet users to illegally download music, movies and computer games for free. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/you-wont-stop-us-vow-pirate-bay-owners-despite-jail-terms-1670410.html Editorial: The Pirate Bay ruling - A Swedish court rules against a wesbsite notorious for bootlegged content. But the war rages on. The entertainment industry scored another victory in its battle against online piracy Friday when a Swedish court convicted the operators of the Pirate Bay -- one of the Web's most popular tools for finding bootlegged movies, songs, software and games -- of aiding and abetting copyright infringement. The site operators had gleefully mocked copyright law, simultaneously making them prime targets for music and movie conglomerates and folk heroes to millions of Internet users who swap digital goods. Yet their extreme behavior made them seem more important than they are, and the court's ruling isn't likely to be as helpful in combating rampant piracy as the industry's improving efforts to make content available online. ... Today's challenge is to create compelling authorized sources of music, movies and games online that make better use of the Net than the bootleggers do. If the industry is going to win over the Pirate Bay's customers, it will be through user-friendly online movie and music outlets such as Hulu and Spotify, not the courts. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-ed-pirate18-2009apr18,0,6182385.story Four Convicted in Sweden in Internet Piracy Case A Swedish court has convicted four men linked to an Internet file-sharing service, the Pirate Bay, of violating copyright law, giving the music and movie industries a prominent victory in their campaign to curb online piracy. http://nytimes.com/2009/04/18/business/global/18pirate.html http://nytimes.com/2009/04/18/world/europe/18copy.html Why no one should be shocked by The Pirate Bay verdict The Pirate Bay verdict last week, crowed about by content owners, caused a very different reaction among self-styled digital pirates. "Sweden is also presently a country in RAGE because of the clearly political motivated and big money?oops, I meant Big Content manipulation of our legal system," wrote one. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/why-no-one-should-be-shocked-by-the-pirate-bay-verdict.ars Pirate Bay prosecution could spawn flurry of lawsuits The entertainment industry yesterday hailed the successful prosecution of the four founders of the illegal file-sharing website Pirate Bay, as a major victory in its battle to recoup billions of pounds in lost revenue. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/5170170/Pirate-Bay-prosecution-could-spawn-flurry-of-lawsuits.html Pirate Bay prosecution could spawn flurry of lawsuits The entertainment industry yesterday hailed the successful prosecution of the four founders of the illegal file-sharing website Pirate Bay, as a major victory in its battle to recoup billions of pounds in lost revenue. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/5170170/Pirate-Bay-prosecution-could-spawn-flurry-of-lawsuits.html Pirate Bay founders defy year's jail sentence and order to pay ?2.5 million Four men behind a file-sharing website that has hundreds of thousands of British users were sentenced to a year in jail and ordered to pay ?2.5 million in damages yesterday for helping internet users to download music, films and computer games. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6111777.ece Pirate Bay convictions are legally insignificant outside Sweden EDITORIAL: A court in Sweden has found the co-founders of file-sharing site The Pirate Bay guilty of copyright offences. Each of them has been sentenced to one year in prison. But while the ruling has symbolic significance outside Sweden, it has little legal significance. http://out-law.com/page-9954 The Pirate Bay Verdict and the Future of File Sharing The verdict against the founders of The Pirate Bay is being hailed by many as a triumphant win against illegal file-sharing. The four men involved in the BitTorrent tracking site were found guilty on Friday of being accessories to violating copyright law. A Swedish court sentenced each of them to a year in jail and a collective fine of $3.6 million. http://www.pcworld.com/article/163339/.html File sharers sentenced to prison ... Gregor Pryor, lawyer at UK-based Reed Smith, said: ?The reality is that this means next to nothing. The history of anti-piracy litigation, starting with Napster and then working your way to Kazaa and now Pirate Bay, shows a different type of technology each time.? http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/675bb2ea-2b35-11de-b806-00144feabdc0.html Four Guilty in Web Piracy Case The operators of a notorious file-sharing Web site were found guilty of copyright infringement by a Swedish court, a key legal victory for the entertainment industry that nonetheless may do little to stem the piracy of entertainment on the Internet. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123996047873328827.html The Pirate Bay verdict: guilty, with jail time The Pirate Bay "spectrial" has ended in a guilty verdict, prison sentences for the defendants, and a shared 30 million kronor ($3.5 million) fine. According to the Swedish district court, the operators of the site were guilty of assisting copyright infringement, even though The Pirate Bay hosted none of the files in question and even though other search engines like Google also provide direct access to illegal .torrent files. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/the-pirate-bay-verdict-guilty-with-jail-time.ars What does the Pirate Bay verdict mean for innovation? It's the jewel in the crown of internet piracy, but is the verdict against Pirate Bay a pyrrhic victory? http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/apr/17/pirate-bay-startups Pirate Bay defendant: we can't and won't pay One of the co-founders of The Pirate Bay website said today that the one-year prison sentences handed down by a Swedish judge are "weird and bizarre" and insisted that the defendants "can't pay and wouldn't pay" the $3.6m (?2.4m) fine. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/17/pirate-bay-verdict-peter-sunder-kolmisoppi-online-press-conference Pirate Bay guilty verdict, a year in jail: Google next? ... Following the verdict, it will be interesting to see whether the organisations behind the case -- the International Federation of the Phonographic Industries and the Motion Picture Association of America -- will now try to get Google and YouTube into court. There is no shortage of links to copyright information on Google. There is a difference, in that linking to torrent files is a byproduct of Google's ubiquitous search strategy, rather than its purpose. Still, it would be interesting to see Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt jailed as well. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/apr/17/piratebay-guilty-verdict Pirate Bay Defendant Disappointed With Google One of several founders of the Pirate Bay file-sharing Web site convicted in Sweden of copyright infringement and sentenced to jail time said Friday that he was disappointed with the lack of support from Google. http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/drm/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216700029 Copyright and piracy wars: something for nothing "Home taping is killing music," the record labels chanted almost 30 years ago. The plea fell on deaf ears: the techniques for getting something for nothing have become ever more complex with the universality of the internet over the past 10 years. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/18/internet-piracy-copyright-wars-pirate-bay Swedish antipiracy law: Traffic down, ISP rebels Immediately following the enactment of a new Swedish antipiracy law on April 1, Internet traffic in Sweden plummeted--and it has yet to return to prior levels. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10220679-93.html Why The Pirate Bay Decision Does Not Mean Canada Needs Copyright Reform by Michael Geist In the wake of this morning's Pirate Bay decision, the Canadian Recording Industry Association is unsurprisingly continuing its lobby efforts by sending out messages to MPs and media that the case is evidence that Canada must update its copyright laws. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3863/125/ Video Sites Duke It Out for Content: YouTube, Hulu Race to Sign Deals for Movies, Shows That Draw Advertising Google Inc.'s video-sharing site YouTube created a new area of its site devoted to premium content, with the addition of hundreds of full-length movies and thousands of full-length TV episodes to fill it. But the move is only the latest salvo in a war with an obvious target: Hulu. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123991223381926379.html Appeals court blocks Internet streaming order in RIAA music piracy case In a victory for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a federal appeals court in Boston today overturned a ruling by a trial judge that would have allowed some courtroom proceedings in a high-profile music piracy case to be streamed live over the Internet. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131716 au: Record stores ask music lovers to snub downloads The Australian Music Retailers Association is urging music lovers to today step away from their computers and walk into a music shop to celebrate Record Store Day. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/18/2546369.htm TV battle now shifts to downloads After years of turning a blind eye, a deaf ear and the other cheek to growing cries from consumers for catch-up television services, almost all TV operators are now falling over themselves to oblige in what is shaping as a battle for internet supremacy. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,,25355436-7582,00.html Italians Look to Small Screen There has been a conspicuous shift in the Italian film industry ? from the big screen to the computer screen. Several of the best-known Italian directors have turned their lenses to making short movies for the Internet. Some have been lured by commercial projects, others by the opportunity to tell poignant stories in a condensed form. And in a country with one of the lowest levels of Internet access in Europe, for many it is the first time they have flirted with the medium. http://nytimes.com/2009/04/20/technology/internet/20cine.html Don Henley battles Republicans over YouTube video YouTube has become the battleground in a copyright fight between singer Don Henley and a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in California. Henley, one of the founders of rock group The Eagles, has filed a lawsuit accusing Senate candidate Charles DeVore of violating his copyright. DeVore allegedly used two of Henley's hit songs "The Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" in two YouTube campaign videos without authorization. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10222772-93.html German Composer Sues Google/YouTube German composer Frank Peterson has filed a lawsuit at the Higher District Court in Hamburg against Google/YouTube, claiming that his music videos and other audiovisual repertoire were used illegally. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3i27945265e8c95425efc47d45a1c1f594 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Despite Profit Decline, Optimistic Words at Nokia Nokia, the world?s largest cellphone maker, reported its worst quarterly profit in more than a decade on Thursday, but company?s shares rallied after its chief executive suggested the worst for the global industry may be over. http://nytimes.com/2009/04/17/technology/companies/17nokia.html Nokia profits fall as smartphones lose out to iPhone Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, saw profits plunge more than 90% in the first three months of the year as cash-strapped consumers held onto their existing handsets. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/16/nokia-profits-fall Mobile phone fraud leads to prize fight Engineers are to compete for funds to develop fraud-proof mobile phones to herald the way for their use as electronic wallets. Four out of five phones in use in the UK contain data which can be used by criminals to access bank accounts, steal identity or sell on personal data, yet only four in 10 people lock their mobiles using a PIN. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/19/mobile-technology-fraud au: CSIRO notches up more patent wins The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation (CSIRO) has had some more wins in an ongoing legal battle over the use of patented Wi-Fi technology. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/20/2547443.htm ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Apple users no longer safe from malware, suggest experts It may be time to dump one of the canards of the technology world - that Macs are safe from viruses. Earlier this year, reports of a possible Mac attack started appearing but now experts have confirmed that malware targeting Apple is out in the wild - and that it works. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/apr/16/apple-osx-trojan World's First Mac Botnet? Not Quite. This morning, as I scrolled down the list of security Web sites I normally check via my RSS reader, I noticed several items referencing news about the "world's first Mac botnet." As I read on, it became clear this was neither news nor a first. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/04/worlds_first_mac_botnet_hardly.html Phishers get more wily as cybercrime grows Phishing scams have grown up from the unsophisticated swindles of the past in which fake Nigerian princes e-mailed victims, who would get a big windfall if they just provide their bank account number. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53G1H820090417 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39089420090417 Terrorists using Internet as a weapon: experts [AFP] "Computer-savvy" terrorists are using the Internet as a new weapon but national authorities must be aware of individual rights when combating the threat, speakers at an international conference said Thursday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/terrorists-using-internet-as-a-weapon-experts-20090417-a92w.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/terrorists-using-internet-as-a-weapon-experts-20090417-a92w.html Report: Britain's prime minister backs efforts to combat piracy Gordon Brown, Britain's prime minister, is backing efforts by copyright holders to combat digital piracy and protect premium content on the Web, according to reports. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10222503-93.html Opposition to Google Books Settlement Jells With a May 5 deadline for filing objections to the Google books settlement looming, opposition to and criticism of the settlement continues to cement. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/opposition-to-google-books-settlement/ Estonia leads the way in countering cyber-attacks Estonia, which recently suffered what appeared to be the largest political cyber-attack ever seen on EU soil, is organising an EU ministerial meeting on the protection of vital infrastructure against cyber-crime, the European Commission has announced. http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/estonia-leads-way-countering-cyber-attacks/article-181172 U.S. cybersecurity review done, heads to Obama soon President Barack Obama will soon receive the results of a 60-day review of cybersecurity that should weigh in on whether he should name a cybersecurity czar, the White House said on Friday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39109620090418 Federal cybersecurity review drawing to a close A 60-day review of federal cybersecurity efforts that President Barack Obama ordered in February is scheduled to end this week, although it's unclear when the much-anticipated findings will be publicly released. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131710 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/041609-federal-cybersecurity-review-drawing-to.html Control of Cybersecurity Becomes Divisive Issue The National Security Agency has been campaigning to lead the government?s rapidly growing cybersecurity programs, raising privacy and civil liberties concerns among some officials who fear that the move could give the spy agency too much control over government computer networks. http://nytimes.com/2009/04/17/us/politics/17cyber.html Role of Bush NSA Plan Under Review The Bush administration planned last year to direct the National Security Agency, which specializes in spying electronically on foreign adversaries, to take the techniques it has employed to defend military computer networks and use them to protect U.S. government civilian networks, according to current and former officials. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041604291.html Will New Regulations Kill Pharma Ads On Google? Google executives have singled out health as an ad category that has been performing well. ?Health, for example, has seen strong growth in the U.S. and it?s now one of our largest verticals,? Jonathan Rosenberg, Google?s senior vice president for product management, said in his introductory remarks on the company?s earnings call Thursday. http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/17/pharmaceutical-advertising-google-technology-paidcontent.html Google's Trademark Tussle It's vexing for a company to see its brand name disparaged. It can be downright infuriating when that brand is used to drum up business for a rival. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090414_278741.htm ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** au: Adam Internet defends antisemitic hosting Adelaide-based ISP Adam Internet has defended its decision to continue to provide web hosting services to a holocaust denier, despite a federal judge ordering years ago that his site be taken down. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Adam-Internet-defends-antisemitic-hosting/0,130061791,339296016,00.htm ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Google avoids ?100m UK tax: website hailed as a ?paragon? is accused of adding to the public?s burden Google, the internet giant with the motto ?don?t be evil?, avoids paying more than ?100m a year in UK tax despite pulling in annual revenues of more than ?1.25 billion. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6122329.ece Google is accused of UK tax avoidance Google has joined the list of companies facing criticism over tax avoidance after public accounts showed it paid only ?600,000 in UK corporation tax despite local revenues of more than ?1.25bn. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/20/google-uk-tax-avoidance ACCAN consumer telco advocacy body gets heads An ex-ACCC deputy chair and the chief of the Consumers? Telecommunications Network (CTN) have been appointed to the Government?s newly-formed consumer telecommunications representative body. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=101186 Advocate to raise consumer voice in communications sector [news release] Australia's new peak communications consumer representation body today announced the appointment of advocate Mr Allan Asher as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer. http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/026 Obama Picks Technology And Performance Officers President Obama has named Virginia Technology Secretary Aneesh P. Chopra to be the nation's first chief technology officer. The president announced the choice yesterday in his weekly radio and Internet address, adding Chopra to a small group of advisers whose aim it is to enhance and modernize the delivery of government services. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/18/AR2009041801980.html WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Discusses Efforts to Reform Spending, Government Waste; Names Chief Performance Officer and Chief Technology Officer [news release and announcement] In his weekly address, President Barack Obama announced that Jeffrey Zients, a CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur, will join the administration as the Chief Performance Officer, and that Aneesh Chopra, Virginia?s Secretary of Technology, will serve as the Chief Technology Officer. Zients will also serve as Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget. He will work to streamline processes, cut costs, and find the best practices throughout the government. As Chief Technology Officer, Chopra will promote technological innovation to help the country meet its goals from job creation, to reducing health care costs, to protecting the homeland. Together with Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, they will help give all Americans a government that is effective, efficient, and transparent. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Weekly-Address-President-Obama-Discusses-Efforts-to-Reform-Spending-Government-Waste-Names-Chief-Performance-Officer-and-Chief-Technology-Officer/ DOJ: U.S. government exceeded surveillance authority [IDG] The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) exceeded its surveillance authority of U.S. residents under a far-reaching telephone and Internet communications wiretap program, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131708 http://www.pcworld.com/article/163270/.html us: Is a Crackdown Looming for Parenting Blogs? A number of Juggle readers are parent-bloggers themselves ? and many of you read mom- or dad-blogs regularly. In many cases, parent-bloggers review products, such as diapers, toys and baby gear, and often receive free samples or services from companies hoping to see their wares get real parents? seal of approval. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/04/17/is-a-crackdown-looming-for-parenting-blogs/?mod=rss_WSJBlog?mod= ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** 'Broadband for all' plan given new push by UK government The government has proposed putting tens of millions of pounds behind Lord Carter's ambition to offer everyone in Britain access to broadband by 2012, and is also looking to bring mobile phone services to the entire country as part of a major push to create a digital economy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/18/broadband-access-gordon-brown-carter British Government considering support for broadband, says Lord Mandelson The trade secretary, Lord Mandelson, has indicated that the government is considering "pump priming" financial intervention to ensure next-generation broadband is available to all UK households. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/17/digital-britain-broadband-lord-mandelson Mandelson hints at ?1bn plan to supply rural homes with superfast broadband More than ?1 billion of taxpayers? money could be deployed to help to connect 12.5 million homes in small towns and rural areas to superfast broadband, amid fears that phone companies are unable to afford to do so. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article6115609.ece Fresh Hope for US Broadband On the campaign trail and in the White House, President Barack Obama has embraced the idea of providing high-speed Internet access to every community in America. But the plans for universal broadband have gotten off to a rocky start. Some technology executives complain that the $7.2 billion allocated in the federal stimulus plan isn't half the amount needed to do the job. Telecom companies, including AT&T (T) and Verizon Communications (VZ), are so wary of the program's potentially onerous rules?the strings that usually come attached with federal money?that they may sit out the first round of grants. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc20090415_352958.htm au: Federal Government looks to cash in on mobile spectrum The Federal Government has released a request for tender seeking a valuation of its mobile spectrum assets in the lead up to spectrum auctions. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=101171 http://www.crn.com.au/News/101171,federal-government-looks-to-cash-in-on-mobile-spectrum.aspx us: As Costs Fall, Companies Push to Raise Internet Price Internet service providers want to end the all-you-can-eat plans and get their customers paying ? la carte. But they are having a hard time closing the buffet line. Faced with rising consumer protest and calls from members of Congress for new regulations, Time Warner Cable backed down last week from a plan to impose new fees on heavy users of its Road Runner Internet service. http://nytimes.com/2009/04/20/business/20isp.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** Germany breaks up child porn ring Police in Germany have said they have broken up a child pornography network suspected of involving around 9,000 people in more than 90 countries. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8003129.stm Global child porn ring smashed [AFP] German police say they have smashed a global child porn ring of some 9000 suspected pedophiles in 92 countries. http://www.smh.com.au/world/global-child-porn-ring-smashed-20090417-a93z.html http://www.theage.com.au/world/global-child-porn-ring-smashed-20090417-a93z.html au: Porn major Kenneth Chapman free A former army major who led a UN mission in East Timor was yesterday released on a 12-month suspended jail sentence for downloading more than 1000 images of child porn. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25349430-2862,00.html uk: Jail for GP with 90,000 child images Derby A GP who downloaded nearly 90,000 indecent images of children was jailed for three years. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6115886.ece uk: Internet child porn trial told of image haul A major police investigation into paedophiles using the internet to swap child porn uncovered almost 125,000 vile photos and video clips, a trial has heard. http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Internet-child-porn-trial-told.5180069.jp +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2009 --------- 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 Enjoy a better web experience. Upgrade to the new Internet Explorer 8 optimised for Yahoo!7. Get it now.Received on Sun Apr 19 2009 - 23:36:50 UTC
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