[DNS] domain name news - 4 June

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au> Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 22:40:36 -0700 (PDT) · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:10 UTC

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://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings.

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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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ICANN to Work with United States Government and VeriSign on Interim Solution to Core Internet Security Issue
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-03jun09-en.htm

A quick guide to Sydney material
http://blog.icann.org/2009/06/a-quick-guide-to-sydney-material/

Improving Institutional Confidence: The Way Forward
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-01jun09-en.htm

Gore Backs ICANN On Eve Of Hearing
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/06/gore-backs-icann-on-eve-of-hea.php

House subcommittee to look at ICANN
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=41095

IRT Final Report on Trademark Protection in New Top-Level Domains - Part 1: Uniform Rapid Suspension by Patrick Vande Walle
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090603_irt_final_report_icann_uniform_rapid_suspension/

US and UK prepare fightback against eastern hackers
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/04/hacking-security-authorities

Bill Clinton Loses Battle For Domain Names
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/03/bill-clinton-loses-battle_n_211015.html

Mel Gibson's girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva sues twins website
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25585473-5012974,00.html

Now 183 Million Domain Names, But Registration Growth Slows: VeriSign
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=8314

Air France Crash Raises Questions About Domain Name Registration
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/06/air-france-crash-raises-questions-about-domain-name-registration/

$3M Candy.com Sale Gives Domain Name Industry a Boost
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/03/3m-candycom-sale-gives-domain-name-industry-a-boost/

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DOMAIN NAMES
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- ICANN
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ICANN to Work with United States Government and VeriSign on Interim Solution to Core Internet Security Issue
ICANN will work with the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and VeriSign on the goal of an operationally Signed Root Zone as soon as feasible in 2009.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-03jun09-en.htm

A quick guide to Sydney material
Over the weekend, we published quite a bit of material. It was published now to meet a request by the Board and the community that we post three business weeks prior to the start of a meeting; these series of postings ensure that the bulk of materials being considered during Sydney will meet this goal.
http://blog.icann.org/2009/06/a-quick-guide-to-sydney-material/

What the Board decided in May
The Board made a number of important decisions at its May meeting. You can read the preliminary report online now at icann.org/en/minutes/prelim-report-21may09.htm, but here is a quick rundown of the decisions made and their import.
http://blog.icann.org/2009/06/what-the-board-decided-in-may/

Improving Institutional Confidence: The Way Forward
"Improving Institutional Confidence: The Way Forward", is published today for community review and follows from the work of the President's Strategy Committee (PSC). It is a staff evaluation of possible implementation steps from the PSC proposals.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-01jun09-en.htm

Tajikistan Becomes 50th Accountability Framework Signatory
ICANN and TJ TLD Registry, the manager for the Tajikistan ccTLD signed the 50th arrangement under the AF programme.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-01jun09-en.htm

Gore Backs ICANN On Eve Of Hearing
On the eve of a congressional hearing to examine the future of the government's relationship with ICANN ... getting some celebrity support. Former Vice President Al Gore has joined with Vint Cerf, known to many as one of the fathers of the Internet, in acknowledging the success of the group's multi-stakeholder, bottom up governance. Gore led an interagency panel 12 years ago that was charged with coordinating the U.S. government's electronic commerce strategy, which led to the creation of ICANN.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/06/gore-backs-icann-on-eve-of-hea.php

House subcommittee to look at ICANN
ICANN CEO Paul Twomey -- along with representatives from Verisign, GoDaddy.com, Verizon and the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration -- are scheduled to testify Thursday in front of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=41095

A tale of two networks
When Paul Twomey is in Sydney, he has dinner a couple of times a week with his parents, who live in Brisbane. Twomey is the former CEO of the Howard government?s National Office for the Information Economy who now lives in the US, where he is, effectively, the man who runs the internet.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/A-tale-of-two-broadbands-pd20090603-SMSX3?OpenDocument&src=sph

Domain Names a Topic on Capitol Hill Thursday
Domain names, specifically ICANN, will be discussed tomorrow in Washington. The House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet will hold a congressional hearing tomorrow about the future of ICANN and the U.S. government?s involvement. ICANN has already garnered the support of Al Gore and former ICANN chairman Vint Cerf that the joint project agreement should be concluded, effectively cutting ICANN free.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/03/domain-names-a-topic-on-capitol-hill-thursday/

IRT Final Report on Trademark Protection in New Top-Level Domains - Part 1: Uniform Rapid Suspension by Patrick Vande Walle
The ICANN Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) working group has published its final report, which I decided to analyze a bit further. I already made a few comments last month, both in the At-Large Advisory Council framework and on my own. There are several issues raised by the recommendations of this report. The Uniform Rapid Suspension system (URS) is one.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090603_irt_final_report_icann_uniform_rapid_suspension/

A broadband Australia tapping a market of 5 billion Internet users
Outgoing ICANN CEO, Paul Twomey, paints a picture of enormous opportunities for Australia as the NBN increases broadband speeds and as the global population of Internet users more than doubles in the space of two years to five billion, most of these in Asia.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/25382/127/

ICANN Releases 214-Page Comment Analysis Paper
ICANN has released a 214 page document summarizing feedback to its second draft applicant guidebook for new top level domain names. I spent my Sunday evening reading (OK, sometimes skimming) through it. Today I will write a few posts covering some of my concerns, including:
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/01/icann-releases-214-page-comment-analysis-paper/

Governments Want Control of New Geo Domain Names
One of the more disturbing debates about the launch of new top level domain names is a land grab by Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). Think of GAC as a United Nations scheme for domain names. They were given a voice at the table to prove that ICANN isn?t just a puppet of the U.S. government.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/01/governments-want-control-of-new-geo-domain-names/

ICANN Goes Back to Professor to Clarify New gTLD Demand
In March 2009 ICANN released two reports from professor Dennis Carlton of The University of Chicago about demand for new global top level domain names and competition. At the time, Domain Name Wire described them as ?whitewash? reports. They were essentially propaganda pieces supporting ICANN?s view that there is demand for new TLDs, and showed that Carlton lacked general understanding of the top level domain name space and competition therein.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/02/icann-goes-back-to-professor-to-clarify-new-gtld-demand/

ICANN GuideBook 2.0 Comment Report: Still No Price Caps
In the almost 300 page report of the comments received on the new gTLD guidebook version 2, the issue of most concern to domain holders, is still on the table.
http://www.thedomains.com/2009/06/01/icann-guidebook-20-comment-report-price-caps-are-still-out/

The ICA?s Take On The Uniform Rapid Suspension & What?s it?s Going To Do About It
The Internet Commerce Association (the ICA) has just released its statement regarding the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) proposal of the trademark group making up the IRT committee of ICANN.
http://www.thedomains.com/2009/06/02/the-icas-take-on-the-uniform-rapid-suspension-whats-its-going-to-do-about-it/

Hate UDRP?s: Say Hello To Something Much Worse, The Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS): Get Ready To Lose Your Domains
Trademark holders, unhappy with UDRP?s, a system under which they already have over a 85% win rate, formed a group, The Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT), which was given committee status by ICANN?s Intellectual Property Constituency ?to give additional protection to trademark holders in the implementation of new gTLDs?.
http://www.thedomains.com/2009/06/01/hate-udrps-say-hello-to-something-much-worse-the-uniform-rapid-suspension-system-urs/

ICANN?s New Global TLDs Might Get Scrapped
Naseem Javed wrote us some feedback on the article ?Reasons Why Nobody Uses Tailored Top Level Domain Names?, posted a few days ago, to inform us of ICANN?s new Global Top-Level Domain names, and why they may get scrapped before they even become available:
http://thecoffeedesk.com/news/index.php/2009/06/03/icanns-new-gtld/

ICANN GuideBook 2.0 Comment Report: Still No Price Caps
In the almost 300 page report of the comments received on the new gTLD guidebook version 2, the issue of most concern to domain holders, is still on the table.
http://www.thedomains.com/2009/06/01/icann-guidebook-20-comment-report-price-caps-are-still-out/

ICANN body releases final report on new gTLDs
ICANN?s Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) has published its final proposals on ICANN?s plan to open up the internet to an unlimited number of gTLDs.
http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2214638

Obama administration joins Google
... Andrew McLauglin, former ICANN bigwig and Google policy chief has joined the Obama administration as "deputy chief technology officer". McLauglin was a director at techno utopian think-tank the Berkman Centre, which had the hots for ICANN in the late 1990s, lauding it as a model of "emergent" global governance.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/02/obama_google/

Do You Care About Your Privacy?
ICANN is currently going through a complicated process in order to introduce more TLDs. While the launch of new TLDs is something that a lot of people will welcome it is not without its issues.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/do_you_care_about_your_privacy/

Is the .YourNameHere domain worth $185,000?
There are currently about 21 top-level Internet domains in use worldwide. Most online retailers use .com, but there are also general domains such as .net and .biz and geographical addresses such as .uk for the United Kingdom and .cn for China. There are about to be many more, and this major change in the Internet addressing scheme will pose new questions for e-retailers.
http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=30643

European Union Wants a Cut of the Internet
Nobody really controls the Internet ? untold numbers of servers located in hundreds of jurisdictions simply can't be policed by any one individual, organization, or government. What is controlled, however, is the assignment of IP addresses and domain names ? a function that is carried out by ICANN through the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. That control is set to expire later this year, and ideas on who should take it from there are already beginning to circulate.
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/european-union-wants-cut-internet

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- ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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Security tightened for .org
The Public Interest Registry will announce today that it has begun cryptographically signing the .org top-level domain using DNS security extensions known as DNSSEC.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/060209-public-interest-registry-org.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/165916/.html

.ORG is the First Open Top-Level Domain to be Signed with Domain Name Security Extensions [news release]
Today, .ORG, The Public Interest Registry (www.pir.org), the company behind the .ORG domain name, is the first open generic Top-Level Domain to successfully sign the .ORG zone file with Domain Name Security Extensions (DNSSEC). To date, the .ORG zone is the largest domain registry to implement the security measure.
http://pir.org/index.php?db=content/News&tbl=Press&id=25

uk: Nominet members can stop government interference
Nominet, the UK's top-level domain name registry, is fighting to preserve its right to self-regulation following government concern over its ability to manage its affairs in the public interest.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/06/01/236249/nominet-members-can-stop-government-interference.htm

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- DNS SECURITY
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US and UK prepare fightback against eastern hackers
Hackers who attack defence or commercial computers in the US and UK in future may be in for a surprise: a counterattack, authorised and carried out by the police and defence agencies that aims to disrupt and even knock them off the net.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/04/hacking-security-authorities

Obama administration begins work on cybersecurity R&D
Maximizing government investment in federal cybersecurity research and development is a major component of President Obama's plan to bolster defenses against high-tech attacks. If the White House's new cyber strategy and key agencies' fiscal 2010 budget requests are any indication, they're off to a solid start.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090603_2540.php

The enemy in the net
We know there are criminals using the net, and also that hackers can infiltrate anyone's computer. At the government level it's not only a murky worry, but has become a battle for who will monitor it all and how we will fight cyberwars. And not everything you hear is true.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2009/2574574.htm

At long last, internet's root zone to be secured
The US government said Wednesday it plans to digitally sign the internet's root zone by the end of the year, a move that would end years of inaction securing the internet's most important asset.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/04/dnssec_coming/

What's Next For Obama's Cyber Strategy?
Now that the results of President Obama's cybersecurity review are out, the focus has shifted to the yet-unnamed White House cyber czar who will carry out five broad goals: developing a comprehensive strategy to secure networks; coordinating with states and cities to respond to any future attacks; strengthening coordination between the government and the private sector; ramping up government investments in research and development; and launching a national campaign to promote cybersecurity awareness while building a digital workforce for the 21st century. It is a tall order, but experts on Capitol Hill, at think tanks and within industry are willing to assist.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/06/whats-next-for-obamas-cyber-st.php

What Obama's Cybersecurity Plans Mean For Businesses
While President Obama was careful to assuage fears of government overstepping when it comes to privacy and power regarding his new cybersecurity plans -- the administration will not "dictate security standards" for private companies, he said on Friday -- security experts say he still left the door open for some form of regulation that could impact how enterprises secure their systems and networks.
http://www.darkreading.com/securityservices/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217701118

US grapples with how to retaliate in cyber attacks [AP]
In the murky world of computer espionage, the U.S. faces hard choices on how to retaliate when government or privately owned networks come under cyber attack, senior military and intelligence officials said Tuesday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/02/AR2009060203037.html

Experts: Cyber czar's authority must be resolved
The biggest question hanging over the White House cybersecurity coordinator position is whether that individual will have the authority to marshal disparate agency efforts to safeguard information technology networks, tech insiders said today.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090601_6398.php

Security is a top concern with smart electric grid
Security specialists are working to make sure the Obama administration's plans to develop a smart electric grid that relies on the Internet to supply and monitor power across the country will include security standards for reducing vulnerabilities to cyberattack.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090601_2309.php

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- DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Sotomayor domain name on sale for $5K
A cybersquatter is looking to cash in on the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, asking $5,000 for the rights to soniasotomayor.com.
http://thehill.com/in-the-know/sotomayor-domain-name-on-sale-for-5k-2009-06-01.html

Kentucky Supreme Court Receives IMEGA Online Gambling Brief
Briefs from the groups supporting the decision against Kentucky's seizure action against 141 online gambling sites were due to the state Supreme Court today.
http://www.onlinecasinoadvisory.com/casino-news/online/imega-filed-brief-on-online-casino-case-42867.htm

Jimmy Choo and Jimmy Morrison Win Domain Names
Two Jimmy?s have won domain names through arbitration decisions, but one of the Jimmy?s is a brand and the other one is dead.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/01/jimmy-choo-and-jimmy-morrison-win-domain-names/

Pfizer Drops Domains, Wins Them Back in UDRP
As we reported previously, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer let more than 50 of their .org domain names expire in March 2009. The names were brought to DNN?s attention as they appeared on a SnapNames auction list.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/legal-issues/pfizer-drops-domains-wins-udrp/

Bill Clinton Loses Battle For Domain Names
Bill Clinton's attempt to prevent Web of Deception's Joseph Culligan from using his name for a series of web URLs ? williamclinton.com, williamjclinton.com, and presidentbillclinton.com ? was lost this week when an arbitration panel denied the former President's complaint.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/03/bill-clinton-loses-battle_n_211015.html

Bill Clinton Loses Domain Name Challenge
Bill Clinton had a way of winning at the polls, but he couldn?t persuade an arbitrator this month that he should have rights to the domain names williamclinton.com, williamjclinton.com and presidentbillclinton.com.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/02/bill-clinton-loses-domain-name-challenge/

Mel Gibson's girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva sues twins website
MEL Gibson's girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva is suing a web domain provider for setting up a site that claims she is carrying twins.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25585473-5012974,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25586476-5012985,00.html

Arbitrator Says Complainant Harassed Domain Owner
LaFrance Corporation made a dubious attempt at getting the domain name LaFrance.com and lost. But despite overwhelming weakness in its case, an arbitrator with World Intellectual Property Organization failed to find reverse domain name hijacking. Just wait until you read why.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/02/arbitrator-says-complainant-harassed-domain-owner/

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- IPv4/IPv6
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IPv6: Nobody Said You Had to Like It
The Internet is at crossroads. The current IPv4 address space is nearing exhaustion, while the next-generation IPv6 addressing system dramatically expands the available address space. Yet, to date, it hasn't been widely deployed.
http://www.enterprisenetworkingplanet.com/news/article.php/3812531

nz: FX goes live with IPv6
FX Networks has announced today that its national internet backbone is now running Internet Protocol version 6, making it the first national service provider to offer IPv6.
http://www.telecommunicationsreview.co.nz/200906043348/fx-goes-live-with-ipv6.php

IPv6 hits NZ internet backbone
The next-generation Internet Protocol, IPv6, has been much discussed but long in coming around the world. I've been playing around with it on Linux and FreeBSD, as well as Windows, but having to use tunnel brokers overseas has put some brakes on my IPv6 experience.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/blogs/techie-isles/soa/IPv6-hits-NZ-internet-backbone/0,2001113776,339296778,00.htm

Next generation IPv6 live at FX Networks
New Zealand company FX Networks has announced that its high performance national Internet backbone is natively running Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) in parallel with IPv4 and is available for customers to use.
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=8251

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- MISCELLANEOUS
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Now 183 Million Domain Names, But Registration Growth Slows: VeriSign
There are now almost 183 million domain names registered around the world across all Top Level Domains according to the latest 2009 Domain Name Industry Brief from VeriSign. This represents a 17 per cent increase year-on-year and a four per cent increase over the fourth quarter of 2008. Registrations increased twelve per cent over the same quarter from last year while ccTLD registrations continued to increase at a faster rate than gTLDs.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=8314
http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/06/03/now-183-million-domain-names-but-registration-growth-slows-verisign/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/183-million-domain-names-but-registration-growth-slows-verisign.html

Internet Domain Names Surpass 180 Million in First Quarter of 2009 [news release]
The Internet now encompasses more than 180 million domain names, according to the first quarter 2009 Domain Name Industry Brief published by VeriSign. The first quarter of 2009 ended with a total base of nearly 183 million domain name registrations across all of the Top Level Domain Names (TLDs). This represents a three percent increase over the fourth quarter of 2008 and a 12 percent increase over the same quarter from last year. 
https://press.verisign.com/easyir/customrel.do?easyirid=AFC0FF0DB5C560D3&version=live&prid=506988&releasejsp=custom_97

Domain Name Registration Growth: Up or Down?
... I could have headlined this article ?Domain Registrations Up 17%?. But I also could have titled it ?Domain Registrations Decline 17%?. It all depends on the baseline.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/03/domain-name-registration-growth-up-or-down/

Air France Crash Raises Questions About Domain Name Registration
As investigators seek to unravel the fate of Air France flight 447, there?s been speculation online about an unusual domain name registration made some two years prior to this week?s plane crash, flight447.com.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/06/air-france-crash-raises-questions-about-domain-name-registration/

Demand Media Patents ?Tiered Registrations?
Demand Media, parent company of domain name registrar eNom, has patented a new method for domain name registration along with a corresponding apparatus.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/news/demand-media-patents-tiered-registrations/5229

Business.com Owner Files for Bankruptcy
Yellow pages directory publisher and Business.com owner R.H. Donnelly has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/02/businesscom-owner-files-for-bankruptcy/

Prohibiting Domain Names Based on Trademark Rights
Paragraph 10 of the Trademarks Act provides that only the trademark owner has the right to use a registered trademark for goods or services for which it has registered the mark. Thus, third parties can use the same or similar sign only if there is no risk of confusion with the goods and services of the trademark owner. In two recent decisions the Supreme Court has confirmed this principle in respect of domain names.
http://www.internationallawoffice.com/Newsletters/Detail.aspx?g=f2c07107-624b-4a3c-ab1b-e9a3693efdc8

Neighborhood politics turn nasty
Has Humpty Dumpty fallen off the wall? The pieces of this activist-rich neighborhood are plain to see: the executive board of Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association, a splintered association membership, the founders of Seminole Heights Foundation and their supporters, and scrappy - sometimes nasty - banter in the blogosphere by a legion (or maybe a handful) of anonymous posters. ... The board has said it will not file a lawsuit but will pursue arbitration from ICANN, an Internet network for arbitration on domain name conflicts. Board members approved spending $1,300 to pay lawyers for their work on the arbitration, said Harmon.
http://southtampa2.tbo.com/content/2009/jun/03/st-neighborhood-politics-turn-nasty/

TRA/.aeDA is the official 971 ENUM operator [news release]
Telephone Number Mapping (ENUM, from E.164 NUmber Mapping) is a suite of protocols and technologies used to unify the telephone numbering system E.164 with the Internet addressing system (DNS) by using a technical methods called indirect lookup method. UAE is allocated the country code (1.7.9.e164.arpa) to represent UAE telephone code (971).
http://aeda.ae/eng/viewnews.php?Newsid=52

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- DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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$3M Candy.com Sale Gives Domain Name Industry a Boost
It?s official, according to seller Rick Schwartz: Candy.com has sold to G&J Holdings for $3 million (and may include some royalties). But I?m not going to write about how great Rick is; I?ll leave that to other people (and Schwartz does such a good job of it himself). Instead, I?m going to make a few observations:
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/03/3m-candycom-sale-gives-domain-name-industry-a-boost/

Tiny .biz domain names to be auctioned off to highest bidders
That's the question NeuStar is asking the Internet e-commerce community as it adds one- and two-character names to the .biz domain and makes them available to the highest bidders.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/060109-tiny-biz-auctioned.html
http://www.itworld.com/networking/68676/tiny-biz-domain-names-be-auctioned-highest-bidders
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/305546/
http://computerworld.com.au/article/305546/

German cruise domain name sails away with ?59,500 price tag
The domain name seereise.de, which means 'cruise' in German, has been sold by online domain name auction house Sedo for ?59,500 (?52,000).
http://www.globalgold.co.uk/web-hosting-news/domains-news/german-cruise-domain-name-sails-away-with-59500-price-tag-19195184.html

The Incredible Mutating Domain Appraisal Scam
First Pozde.com. Then TropicalNames.com. Then NameOrange. Now the latest domain name appraisal scam has moved to FlyAppraisals.com. It?s all the same scam and the same scammers.
http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/03/the-incredible-mutating-domain-appraisal-scam/

Rick Latona Announces TRAFFIC ccTLD Auction Inventory
Rick Latona Auctions will be hosting the inaugural ccTLD live auction at the TRAFFIC ccTLDs Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Thursday, June 4, starting at 10:00am Eastern Time.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-auction/rick-latona-announces-traffic-cctld-auction-inventory/5246

Slow Days for High Value Sedo Sales
The two weeks to June 1 saw a slow couple of weeks for Sedo when it comes to high value sales. Although the sales are happening, the last two weeks saw no high value sales. The highest value sale was moviles.net which sold for ?25,000. Other sales in the week to June 1 were muziekinstrumenten.nl (?13,000) and w4.com (US$20,000).
http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/06/03/slow-days-for-high-value-sedo-sales/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/slow-days-for-high-value-sedo-sales.html

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INTERNET USE
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Kiwis spend less time online [NZPA]
New Zealand adults spend nearly 50 per cent less time on the internet than other adults worldwide, a new survey shows. The Norton Online Living Report, by internet security firm Symantec, looked at the online habits of adults and children in 12 countries.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/2465319/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10576064

Britons say broadband 'essential'
UK consumers now believe broadband is becoming as essential a utility as electricity or water, according to a panel of government advisers. Some 73% of those questioned described a high-speed connection as important.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8079637.stm

Russians are willing to give up food, water and clothes, but not the internet
In these crisis-ridden times, a recent study found that 44pc of Russian internet users would not give up the cherished resource even if it meant sacrificing their nutrition and overall wellbeing. Are you willing to give up use of the internet?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/russianow/5423240/The-polls.html

Power shifts to papers in web war
Global media companies are poised to reclaim the power they ceded to Google during the financial crisis to force the search giant to pay for content, according to a leading media analyst.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,25197,25565367-7582,00.html

A Case for Non-Ad Revenue on the Web
There has been a lot of debate lately among Web entrepreneurs about online ads. As growth in online ad spending shrinks, ad-based start-ups are searching for new revenue streams and Twitter is explaining why it does not run ads.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/a-case-for-non-ad-revenue-on-the-web/

Sunday Times plans standalone website
The Sunday Times is set to launch a standalone website ? and is considering charging readers for its content.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/03/sunday-times-website

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Time on social networks almost doubles in a year
Spending more time on social networks and blogs? You're not alone, with the latest figures showing the number of minutes spent on social networking sites in the United States has almost doubled over the past year.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-40056020090603
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE5520OM20090603

Web social networks face off across borders
As social networking services providers like Facebook and MySpace beef up their services to attract users, the battle lines are increasingly being drawn on foreign soil.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-40076920090603

Facebook use grows by 700%; maintains top social networking spot
In April, Facebook users spent 13.9 billion minutes on the site, a dramatic hike from the year-earlier total of 1.7 billion minutes, according to a report from The Nielsen Co. The 700% increase let Facebook easily maintain its place atop the social networking business.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9133841
http://computerworld.com.au/article/305787/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/305786/

Study: Young adults haven't warmed up to Twitter
While 99 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds have profiles on social networks, only 22 percent use Twitter, according to a new survey from Pace University and the Participatory Media Network.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10253161-36.html

Twitter spam is on the rise. Is your computer safe?
First, the good news: according to a new Nielsen report, the amount of time users spend on Twitter rose 3,712 percent to nearly 300 million minutes over the past year. And now, the bad: a substantial portion of that traffic could be spam. Writing today on FoxNews.com, Steven Kotler argues that the number of ?unwanted tweets is rising. What was once maybe one or two messages a day has now risen to around 10 percent of everything that?s showing up.?
http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2009/06/02/twitter-spam-is-on-the-rise-is-your-computer-safe/

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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PC Touch Screens Move Ahead
The computer industry has a lot riding on your fingers. For years, companies have dabbled with the touch-screen technology that lets people poke icons on a display to accomplish tasks like picking a seat at an airport check-in kiosk. Apple elevated such technology from a novelty to a must-have feature on mobile devices with its iPhone. People can flip through pictures with a flick of a finger or make a document larger by pressing two fingers against the screen and stretching them out.
http://nytimes.com/2009/06/03/technology/03touch.html

Microsoft Wants Gadgets to Run Windows
Microsoft is not willing to cede the laundry room to Google. I wrote last week about how Google?s Android may be the leading candidate to be the operating system that will drive Internet-connected devices of all sorts, including, according to Sehat Sutardja, the chief executive of the Marvell Technology Group, washing machines.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/microsoft-wants-gadgets-to-run-windows/

Australians offer answer to toxic old TVs
Australia's first television glass recycling plant is calling for New Zealanders' old televisions, as environmental organisations on both sides of the Tasman sea try to stem the flow of toxic TVs to rubbish dumps.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/australians-offer-answer-to-toxic-old-tvs-1694111.html

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Internet filter: $44.5m and no goal in sight
The Rudd Government's internet censorship policy will cost about $90,000 per blocked web address to implement and the Government has admitted it has not developed any criteria to determine whether trials of the scheme are a success.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/06/03/1243708489312.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/06/03/1243708489312.html
http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/internet-filter-445m-and-no-goal-in-sight-20090603-bvi5.html
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/internet-filter-445m-and-no-goal-in-sight-20090603-bvax.html

Conroy to opt for tiered Internet filtering
Senator Conroy's office has confirmed the Government plans only to introduce mandatory internet filtering for web content that is Refused Classification (RC), with all other explicit content filtered on a voluntary basis by internet service providers.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=104642

Filter plan angers Labor youth base
Unwired has become the ninth internet service provider to join the federal Government's controversial internet filtering trials as Young Labor rebels against the plans to censor the world wide web.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25571450-15306,00.html

au: Parents could 'spy' on kids' mobile phones
Parents may soon be able to read their children's text messages as part of a plan to give them more control over rapidly developing technologies.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/02/2586587.htm

Mum wants Australian cyber thugs to pay
The mother of a US teen who committed suicide after a campaign of abuse by cyber bullies has appealed to Australian lawmakers to prosecute attackers. Tina Meier, whose daughter Megan hanged herself in 2006, aged 13, said strict school rules and the threat of criminal action were the keys to keeping school bullies at bay.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,25576831-8362,00.html

us: Happy Internet Safety Month
June is widely known as National Internet Safety Month but Congress has yet to pass a resolution recognizing that fact. In 2008, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced a measure in May and it passed the chamber within days. The year before, her resolution was approved by unanimous consent on the same day it was introduced. Reps. Gene Green, D-Texas, and Melissa Bean, D-Ill., introduced similar resolutions in the House in 2007 and Bean's bill passed under suspension of the rules 12 days into the month aimed at protecting kids online. Last Congress, the House approved a measure giving a nod to Internet Safety Month and the FTC's OnGuard Online program -- in July.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/06/happy-internet-safety-month.php

us: Internet safety seminar held at St. Bernard School
To better protect themselves and children from the dangers of the internet, parents and teachers attended a presentation at St. Bernard's elementary school Wednesday night.
http://www.amherstburgecho.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1596343

us: Girl Scouts aim to make web browsing safer
When you think of internet safety, Girl Scouts are probably not the first thing to come to mind, but they are becoming some of the leading advocates for the cause.
http://www.wwaytv3.com/girl_scouts_aim_make_web_browsing_safer/06/2009

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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UK film industry seeks online 'speed humps' to thwart internet piracy
The UK film and television industry is calling on the government to introduce online "speed humps" that would slow down or restrict the broadband access of people who illegally share copyrighted material, and slap pop-up warnings on websites to stem the rising tide of internet piracy.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/31/film-industry-illegal-file-sharing

Britons confused by legality of downloads, finds report
Consumers are spoilt for choice when they seek content online and are confused about what is legal and not legal, according to a report published on Friday. That confusion, and the ease of lawbreaking, present challenges for Government, the authors say.
http://out-law.com/page-10053

BT accused of download throttling UK customers
Britain's biggest broadband supplier has been accused of limiting download speeds on its cheapest package without giving users a clear warning.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8077839.stm

BT admits limiting download speeds and 'throttling' iPlayer traffic
Customers on its cheapest internet package have complained of a considerable slowdown in the speed of their BT internet connection in the evenings.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/5431052/BT-admits-limiting-download-speeds-and-throttling-iPlayer-traffic.html

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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India's Mobile Market Is Growing Despite Economic Slowdown [IDG]
India's mobile phone market continues to be unaffected by the economic slowdown, with 11.9 million new mobile subscribers in April. That's a 45 percent greater increase than in the same month last year, according to data released Monday by India's Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/165897/.html

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SPAM
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au: Lonely hearts tricked into paying for spam: watchdog
The Federal Court has granted interim orders against three companies over allegations of setting up false dating profiles and SMS spamming.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/06/01/1243708408133.html
http://www.watoday.com.au/articles/2009/06/01/1243708408133.html
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/lonely-hearts-tricked-into-paying-for-spam-watchdog-20090602-bt5c.html

ACMA obtains interlocutory orders in SMS spam case [news release]
The Federal Court of Australia has granted interlocutory orders in relation to ACMA?s proceedings against Mobilegate Ltd, Winning Bid Pty Ltd, Jobspy Pty Ltd and individuals associated with those companies for allegedly breaching the Spam Act 2003 by sending unsolicited SMS.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311737

Fed Up With Twitter Spam? It?s Going to Get Worse
As every Twitter user knows, the popular micro-blogging site has become a hot spot for spammers intent on carpet bombing users with the usual pitches for government grants, debt-reduction services, and penile-enhancement pills.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/165980/.html

McAfee: Users Trusting Spam Filters Too Much
McAfee released their June spam report without any really big surprises in it. The report first notes that spam volumes over the last few months, the first few of the Obama administration, have leveled off: "...mostly business as usual in the spam world." It seems some had expected otherwise.
http://blogs.pcmag.com/securitywatch/2009/06/spam_trends_of_the_future_emer.php
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2347896,00.asp

Spam finds new paths into corporate nets
Unsolicited e-mail accounted for 90.4 percent of all messages received on corporate networks during April, an increase of 5.1 percent from a month earlier, according to a report released May 26 by Symantec's MessageLabs Intelligence unit.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=339801
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/spam-finds-new-paths-corporate-nets-471

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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Arizona man arrested over live internet rape
Police in Arizona have arrested a 20-year-old man over allegations that he raped a woman live on the internet.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/jun/03/internet-video-sexual-assault

Hackers Hit 40,000 Websites with Mass Compromise
Hackers have compromised about 40,000 legitimate Websites, infecting them with malicious JavaScript that ultimately redirects users to a malicious site, says Websense. Security researchers at Websense say the tactics are reminiscent of the notorious RBN group.
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Hackers-Hit-40000-Web-Sites-With-Mass-Compromise-224833/

Symantec Survey Reveals More Than Half of Small and Midsized Businesses in Australia and New Zealand Experience Security Breaches [news release]
Symantec Corp. released the Australian and New Zealand findings of its 2009 Global Small and Mid-sized Business (SMB) Security and Storage survey. The survey revealed that more than half (58 percent) of SMB respondents in Australia and New Zealand experience security breachesan instance where information has been subject to unauthorised access, often where the data is lost, stolen, or hacked.
http://www.symantec.com/en/au/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20090512_01

Report: Cybercime Riches Are Hard To Come By
Turns out the profitability of cybercrime may have been greatly exaggerated. According to a new report by two researchers for Microsoft's research organization, cybercrime doesn't equal easy money after all, despite findings to the contrary.
http://www.darkreading.com/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217701656

US and UK prepare fightback against eastern hackers
Hackers who attack defence or commercial computers in the US and UK in future may be in for a surprise: a counterattack, authorised and carried out by the police and defence agencies that aims to disrupt and even knock them off the net.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/04/hacking-security-authorities