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. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Results of Domain Name Front Running Study http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04aug09-en.htm House Dems Suggest Path For ICANN http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/08/house-dems-suggest-path-for-ic.php Key Members of Congress Call for Permanent ICANN-US Tie http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/201 Change of Guard at InternetNZ http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/08/02/change-of-guard-at-the-top-at-internetnz/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/change-of-guard-at-internetnz.html Pro-business tilt at InternetNZ council misfires http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/5554D4858466A03CCC257608006BA895 New look Internet NZ Council http://www.telecommunicationsreview.co.nz/200908033419/new-look-internet-nz-council.php Internet needs fundamental changes to survive http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2247285/internet-needs-fundamental US man charged with stealing domain name http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/aug/05/p2p-domain-stolen ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** ENUM: Converging Telephone Numbers and Addresses in Next Generation Networks This paper provides an overview of developments in numbering, naming and addressing in the context of Next Generation Networks (NGN) with a focus on ENUM (tElephone NUmber Mapping). ENUM comprises a diverse set of standards and non-standardised mechanisms for transforming public telephone numbers into unique domain names. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/58/63/43230852.pdf ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** The US Internet Industry Leads The World, Right? Wrong China is now the largest Internet market in the world. We're pleased to report that Beijing-based entrepreneur Tom Melcher will be writing an occasional post for us about what?s happening there. ... The Internet was invented in the US, American Internet companies dominate the headlines, and the major Internet governance bodies are based in the US. So it?s not surprising that many people think of the ?internet? as an American-dominated industry. http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-the-us-internet-industry-leads-the-world-right-wrong-2009-8 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Results of Domain Name Front Running Study In an attempt to contribute to community discussion regarding domain name front running, ICANN commissioned a study to assess the occurrence of domain name front running. The SSAC defined domain name front running as "an opportunity for a party to obtain some form of insider information regarding an Internet user's preference for registering a domain name and to use this opportunity to preemptively register that domain name. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04aug09-en.htm Public Comment: Proposed Bylaw Amendments Related to GNSO Restructuring (Version 2) Implementation of the GNSO Improvements process requires the amendment of a substantial number of the ICANN Bylaws to reflect new GNSO structures, processes and mechanisms. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-03aug09-en.htm Apply Now For GNSO Council Non Commercial Seats Representation of the Non Commercial Community on the GNSO Council will double from three to six representatives this October when a new Council is seated in Seoul, South Korea. New transitional ICANN Board appointments will fill three of the new Council seats. This month the ICANN Board is accepting Statements of Interest from members of the non commercial community who would like to volunteer for these three new positions and potentially serve as full GNSO Councilors for the next two years. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-05aug09-en.htm The issue of YouTubeIslam.com and domain disputes In the past few days, we have been receiving a large number of emails and phonecalls about the web address YouTubeIslam.com, and a dispute over its ownership. http://blog.icann.org/2009/08/the-issue-of-youtubeislamcom-and-domain-disputes/ House Dems Suggest Path For ICANN House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman joined Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., late Tuesday in calling for the creation of a permanent relationship between ICANN, which administers the world's Web addresses, and the Commerce Department. A memo formally joining the two entities is slated to expire late next month amid concerns on Capitol Hill and within industry that ICANN faces problems with transparency and accountability. ICANN leaders have claimed that after 10 years in business, the California nonprofit is ready for its independence. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/08/house-dems-suggest-path-for-ic.php Key Members of Congress Call for Permanent ICANN-US Tie Philip Corwin of the Internet Commerce Associations reports: "In a stunning rebuke of ICANN's assertion that it had achieved sufficient accountability and professional stature to justify termination of its unique relationship with the U.S. government, the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce as well as the Chairman of its Internet Subcommittee, along with eight other Committee members, dispatched a joint letter on August 4th to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke urging that the relationship between ICANN and the U.S. be made permanent and strengthened." http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/201 http://www.circleid.com/posts/key_members_of_congress_call_for_permanent_icann_us_tie/ Congress: Create Permanent Tie to ICANN The Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Henry Waxman, as well as the Chairman of its Internet Subcommittee and eight other Committee members have called for a permanent tie between ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/08/05/congress-create-permanent-tie-to-icann/ ICANN's Plans To Break Ties With the U.S. Hit a Roadblock as Key U.S. Congressmen Try to Bar the Exit Door - Planned New gTLDs Could Be Delayed In a major and unexpected development several key members of the U.S. Congress today called for the relationship between ICANN and the U.S. to be made permanent and strengthened This comes less than two months before ICANN's current Joint Project Agreement with the U.S. expires on Sept. 30. Internet Commerce Association Legal Counsel Phil Corwin put this breaking news into a perspective in a letter than will be posted to the ICA website shortly. http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2009/dailyposts/20090805.htm Lawmakers warn of ICANN's split with Commerce A group of lawmakers is appealing to the Commerce Department to take action to keep up its close ties with the organization that oversees the system of assigning names on the Internet. http://blog.internetnews.com/kcorbin/2009/08/lawmakers-warn-of-icanns-split.html ?No Evidence of Front Running? Says Internet Security Expert Following ICANN-Commissioned Study Front-Running has been a significant issue within the domain industry in the past - most notably with Network Solutions - however Benjamin Edelman, an Internet security expert, has exclaimed that he found ?no evidence of current front running? following a ten-month study at ICANN?s request. http://www.domainnamenews.com/legal-issues/evidence-front-running-internet-security-expert-icanncommissioned-study/5711 The group that holds the internet together It is invisible to the millions of people who use the World Wide Web, yet it helps hold the Internet together. Type in any address in your browser's url box and you'll end up at your desired location, selected from more than 180 million options ? a result ultimately made possible by ICANN. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/technology/090801/icann-domain-names-internet http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5735FW20090804 ICANN introduces new domain name programmes at meeting in Abu Dhabi The internet address system will soon be open to greater customisation and localisation through two new initiatives unveiled to Arab audiences today by ICANN, a global not-for-profit public-benefit corporation that oversees the coordination of international IP addresses and domain names. http://www.ameinfo.com/205614.html http://www.wam.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1248235434271&pagename=WAM%2FWAM_E_Layout&parent=Query&parentid=1135099399852 Arabic language domains to spur growth of internet in Middle East More people in the Middle East will be accessing the internet in the near future thanks to the introduction of an internet address system in local languages which includes Arabic, officials told Gulf News on Tuesday. http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Technology/10337427.html http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidGN_05082009_10337427/Arabic%20language%20domains%20to%20spur%20growth%20of%20internet%20in%20Middle%20East Arabic domain names overdue The introduction of Arabic-language domain names will increase the use of the internet in the Middle East, something that will boost social and economic development in the region. http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/editorial_opinion/nation/10337799.html Internet lords prepare to untangle web they wove A web address today is instantly recognisable to the world?s more than 1.6 billion internet users, beginning with the familiar ?http://? and ending in a suffix such as ?.com? or ?.ae?. http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090805/BUSINESS/708059964/1005 Arab companies to get Arabic internet domains Arab companies will now be able to have internet domain names in their own language, Icann has said. http://www.ameinfo.com/205741.html Plan to introduce internet addresses in local language Officials unveiled initiatives to open the internet address system to greater customisation at an open forum in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/General/10337289.html When It Comes to gTLDs, Follow the Money (Part 2) by R. Shawn Gunnarson In my previous article I showed that ICANN expects to recover a lot of money from the first round of applications for new gTLDs-$92.5 million, to be exact?and that even that dramatic figure is probably substantially underestimated. For that reason, I argued that ICANN probably will recoup a windfall from the first round of gTLD applications and pointed out that ICANN's promise to consult with the Internet community before spending such a windfall is unsatisfactory because it has failed to say beforehand what surplus revenues might be spent for. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090804_when_it_comes_to_gtlds_follow_the_money_part_2/ ICANN Explains the Handling of YouTubeIslam.com Domain Dispute and Why It Had No Authority In response to a large number of emails and calls related to the disputed domain name, YouTubeIslam.com, ICANN's Senior Vice President, Kurt Pritz, has published a post explaining how the case was handled and why ICANN has no authority in such matters. http://www.circleid.com/posts/icann_explains_handling_of_youtubeislam_domain_dispute/ Test Indicates Domain Front Running a Non-Issue Domain front running is when "insider information" is gathered by a party from monitoring attempts by an Internet user to check the availability of a domain name, and then that info is used to by that party to register that domain name. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/08/05/test-indicates-domain-front-running-a-non-issue Taking on Security with Beckstrom's Law The former cyber chief explains his equation for valuing networks and what it means for computer security. http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/unsafebits/23932/ White House: Melissa Hathaway will resign Citing personal reasons, Melissa Hathaway, the Obama administration's acting Senior Director for Cyberspace, has said she will resign mid-August. In more than one interview, Hathaway has stated that she isn?t empowered to drive change, and concluded herself that she can do more in a different role. ... You may recall that in March, the director of the National Cybersecurity Center, Rod Beckstrom, suddenly resigned his position. Beckstrom resigned citing conditions within the NSA and a lack of funding as his core reasoning. http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200932/4184/White-House-Melissa-Hathaway-will-resign ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** ae: Regulator signs deal to market UAE domain registration The UAE?s telecom regulator has signed a deal with one of the country?s leading information technology and managed services providers to market the nation?s website registrations. http://www.itp.net/news/563895-uae-regulator-signs-deal-to-market-uae-domain-registration Registration Of ?.cn? Domain Names In China The registration of China Internet Domain Names (?CIDN?) under ?.cn,? the two letter top level code for China, is conducted pursuant to the China Internet Domain Name Regulations promulgated on September 2002 by the Ministry of Information Industry (the ?CIDN Regulations.?) http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=articles&id=DC6AFCC3-567C-4618-B6A1-C0EF1BEEF39B .Eco: The Domain Extension for Treehuggers As far as top-level domains (TLDs) are concerned, ICANN has full control over whether or not we see new TLDs make it to the web. Most of us are pretty content with the ones we have, like .com, .edu, .net, .org, but Dot Eco is trying to muster up support and momentum for a new TLD: .eco. http://mashable.com/2009/08/03/eco-top-level-domain/ Al Gore Vs Mikhail Gorbachev? The Latest on the .eco Domain Battle As we've been tracking on TreeHugger, there is a push for a new top level domain (TLD) - the .eco domain - and there are currently a couple hats in the ring. On the one hand, there is the .eco that is backed by Al Gore, Sierra Club and others. And on the other hand, there is the .eco that is created by Big Room and is supported by a few great backers, the latest of which is Green Cross International, headed up by none other than Mikhail Gorbachev. Hopefully the big names lining up behind the .eco applications lend some weight to what a TLD like this could mean for the planet. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/al-gore-vs-mikhail-gorbachev-the-latest-on-the-dot-eco-domain-battle.php Gorbachev?s Green Cross Org Backs Competing Dot Eco Effort It looks like battle lines are being drawn over the future of the dot eco domain. As you may have heard, there are two separate groups fighting to host the .ECO top-level domain. ICANN, which oversees new applicants for domain extensions, has yet to decide if .ECO will even exist, much less who gets to control it ? but that hasn?t stopped rallying efforts from both sides to win support for the cause. http://www.ecorazzi.com/2009/08/04/gorbachevs-green-cross-org-backs-competiting-dot-eco-effort/ Environmental organisations call for .eco domain A global environmental organisation has joined the campaign for the introduction of a .eco (Dot Eco) domain. Green Cross International has pledged its support to Big Room, a Canadian company hoping to submit an application for the Dot Eco domain to be introduced. http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/news/national-news/12471-environmental-organisations-call-for-eco-domain.html Groups battle to rule dot-eco registry The move to green up cyberspace by establishing ".eco" as a new top-level domain is creating a new cold war of sorts, pitting a former president of the Soviet Union against a former vice-president of the United States. http://www.thestar.com/business/article/676215 Landrush for Second Level .MX Domains Begins With Premium Pricing Nic Mexico has commenced a unique method for the landrush period for registrations of .MX second level domain names. Beginning on September 1, the initial registration fee for domain names directly under .MX will start at USD $1,000.00 and will decrease in Dutch Auction style gradually until October 31 when the price could be as low as $35. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/08/04/landrush-for-second-level-mx-domains-begins-with-dutch-auction/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/landrush-for-second-level-.mx-domains-begins-with-premium-pricing.html Special offer on .my domain names Register a .my domain name or renew a current one and you?ll get a 50% reduction on the fee. For renewals, the discount is applicable for a renewal period of one-year. http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2009/8/3/technology/20090803153728&sec=technology Change of Guard at InternetNZ The recent election for president of InternetNZ (Internet Society of New Zealand), the body that oversees the .NZ domain name space, saw Frank March elected as the new president. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/08/02/change-of-guard-at-the-top-at-internetnz/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/change-of-guard-at-internetnz.html Pro-business tilt at InternetNZ council misfires An attempt to elect a slate of business-oriented candidates ? some with strong connections to telecommunications users' group TUANZ ? to the InternetNZ council has largely failed. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/5554D4858466A03CCC257608006BA895 New look Internet NZ Council Internet NZ's new president is Frank March, a senior special advisor with the IT and Telecommunications Policy Group at the Ministry of Economic Development http://www.telecommunicationsreview.co.nz/200908033419/new-look-internet-nz-council.php ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Internet needs fundamental changes to survive The basic internet protocols need reworking according because it lacks proper security say experts. The basic TCP/IP protocols are unsuited to the modern internet delegates have been told. Instead a new system that sacrifices openness for accountability is needed. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2247285/internet-needs-fundamental http://uk.news.yahoo.com/16/20090805/ttc-internet-needs-fundamental-changes-t-6315470.html http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/152184,internet-needs-fundamental-changes-to-survive.aspx Cyber leadership takes shape at Homeland Security The Obama administration's recent cybersecurity review resulted in few changes in agency roles and responsibilities for protecting federal computer networks and systems, but officials and outside experts say they will bring a more coordinated approach to oversight. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090805_9634.php US struggling to find cyber-tsar Barack Obama's administration is continuing its search for a "cyber-tsar", which the US president pledged in May to appoint personally. The White House's acting cyber-security head, Melissa Hathaway, stood down on Tuesday for "personal reasons". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8185699.stm us: Rockefeller, Snowe Retool Cyber Bill Senate Commerce Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, plan to circulate after the August recess a retooled version of sweeping cybersecurity legislation they introduced in April, CongressDaily's PM Edition reported on Friday. The bill will likely be the subject of a September hearing, with a markup scheduled shortly thereafter. They had been aiming for July committee action but the healthcare debate "put everything on simmer," said one staffer. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/08/rockefeller-snowe-retool-cyber.php At Black Hat, Cloud Of Doubt Hovers Over Government Initiatives Cyber czar, cyber schmar. If you're waiting for the government to take the lead in the cybersecurity industry, you're going to have a long wait. ... Part of the reason that government doesn't act more quickly on cybersecurity is because the costs and benefits aren't well understood, says Rod Beckstrom, the former director of the National Cyber Security Center who is now president and CEO of ICANN. Beckstrom presented a new model for assessing the economics of security at the DEFCON conference over the weekend. http://www.darkreading.com/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218900535 Acting U.S. Cyber Security Czar Calls It Quits Melissa Hathaway, the acting senior director for Cyberspace for the National Security and Homeland Security Councils, has resigned from her position and will be returning to the private sector. She claimed to have taken the decision because of personal motives. ... s. Hathaway is the second high-ranking official with cyber security in the job description to quit this year. Back in March, Rod Beckstrom, the director of the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), resigned and complained of insufficient funding, staffing and lack of cooperation from the NSA. In June 2009, Mr. Backstrom was appointed as CEO and president of ICANN. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Acting-U-S-Cyber-Security-Czar-Calls-It-Quits-118329.shtml Comcast adopts DNS hijacking, imposes irritating opt-out Despite knowing the ways in which DNS hijacking can cause problems for non-Web clients, Comcast has rolled it out in an attempt to make money off misspelled URLs. To make matters worse, opting out is a hassle. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/08/comcasts-dns-redirect-service-goes-nationwide.ars ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** US man charged with stealing domain name Over the years there have been plenty of stories about dodgy dealings with domain names - from cybersquatters to the notorious, decade-long battle for ownership of sex.com. But prosecutors in the US have just found themselves a new angle - after a man in New Jersey was charged with stealing a domain name. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/aug/05/p2p-domain-stolen N.J. man charged with Web name theft, sale on eBay [AP] A northern New Jersey man is charged with stealing a prime piece of Internet real estate and reselling it for more than $100,000. Authorities say Daniel Goncalves, 25, of Union, hacked into the online account belonging to one of the owners of the P2P.com domain name. He allegedly shifted ownership to himself and resold the Web site address on eBay to professional basketball player Mark Madsen of the Los Angeles Clippers. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/08/03/financial/f083748D67.DTL http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/08/03/ap6734701.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/nj-man-is-first-to-be-charged-with-web-name-theft-20090804-e7g0.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/nj-man-is-first-to-be-charged-with-web-name-theft-20090804-e7g0.html New Jersey man arrested for domain name theft Members of the New Jersey State Police Cyber Crimes Unit arrested a Union County man on July 30th for stealing a domain name, the first known arrest for this crime in New Jersey. http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/new-jersey-man-arrested-for-domain-name-theft http://everythinghudson.com/index.php/20090803137/new-jersey-news-nj/new-jersey-state-police-domain-name-theft-arrest-daniel-goncalves-p2p-com.html http://bergennow.com/index.php/20090803438/Beyond-Bergen/New-Jersey-State-Police-domain-name-theft-arrest-Daniel-Goncalves-P2P-com.html First Ever Stolen Web Domain Case Going to (Basketball) Court It's the first case of its kind involving the arrest of a suspect for stealing an Internet domain. So if it was going to involve just one team in the NBA, you know it had to be the no-luck Los Angeles Clippers. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/tech/First-Ever-Stolen-Domain-Case-Going-to-Basketball-Court--52379042.html Mark Madsen: Clipper, ex-Laker and domain name speculator In a strange series of events befitting the shady world of domain name speculation, New Jersey state police arrested a man on suspicion of stealing the rights to p2p.com and selling them to Los Angeles Clipper forward Mark Madsen. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/08/mark-madsen-clipper-laker-and-domain-name-speculator-2.html LA Times: Domaining is ?Shady? Out of the news yesterday, of the first ever arrest of a person for domain theft, came this gem from the LATimes.com: ??In a strange series of events befitting the shady world of domain name speculation, New Jersey state police arrested a man on suspicion of stealing the rights to p2p.com and selling them to Los Angeles Clipper forward Mark Madsen?" http://www.thedomains.com/2009/08/04/la-times-domaining-is-shady/ Domain Thief Lands in Jail After Picking the Wrong People to Steal From If you have spent any time in this business you know that domain hijacking is a serious, ongoing problem, one exacerbated by the fact that the criminals who perpetrate the thefts have little fear of prosecution. http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2009/dailyposts/20090803.htm First Ever Criminal Prosecution for Domain Name Theft Underway Over the years hundreds of stories of domain name theft have been reported, most famous among them of course is the theft of Sex.com. Even as recent as last week, reports of stolen domains sent a chilling reminder through the domain industry as valuable domains Before.com, Adios.com and others were stolen from Warren Weitzman. http://www.domainnamenews.com/featured/criminal-prosecution-domain-theft-underway/5675 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Domain Name Companies Spend $2M Lobbying Washington Domain name related companies continue to spend millions of dollars lobbying representatives in Washington, a study by Domain Name Wire shows. The analysis used public records filed with the U.S. Senate to calculate lobbying expenses by domain name companies and other companies regarding domain name issues. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/08/05/domain-name-companies-spend-2m-lobbying-washington/ Netregistry owner buys MD Webhosting Netregistry owners Online Growth Solutions have acquired MD Webhosting to overtake Melbourne IT as the number one player in the .au market. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/151889,netregistry-owner-buys-md-webhosting.aspx Netregistry / Online Growth Solutions acquires MD Web Hosting MD Web Hosting is now part of the Online Growth Solutions Ltd group of companies, alongside Netregistry, PlanetDomain, NETT Magazine and Hostess. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/313551/ http://www.techworld.com.au/article/313486/ Netregistry?s parent snaps up Web hosting company Netregistry?s parent company, Online Growth Solutions (OGS), has acquired MD Web Hosting for an undisclosed price and is hungry for more acquisitions. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/313689/ http://www.crn.com.au/News/151889,netregistry-owner-buys-md-webhosting.aspx ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Server.com Sold For A Solid $770,000 You?d think in the midst of a recession domain name sales would become less common and be negotiated for far less than the high-priced .com acquisitions we remember from the late nineties and during the dotcom boom. http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/03/servercom-sold-for-a-solid-770000/ Server.com Sells for $770,000, Jesus.net for $124,000 Sedo completed two six-figure domain name sales this week, including a monster sale of Server.com for $770,000. The domain name is showing a standard GoDaddy parked page right now, and was previously parked at Dotzup. According to Compete.com the domain name receives over 12,000 unique visitors per month. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/08/03/server-com-sells-for-770000-jesus-net-for-124000/ Average price of .co.uk domain overtakes .com The average price of .co.uk domain names has surpassed that of .com domains for the first time, highlighting the increased focus among companies on regionally specific suffixes, according to domain name marketplace Sedo. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2247335/average-price-uk-domains ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** ENUM: Converging Telephone Numbers and Addresses in Next Generation Networks This paper provides an overview of developments in numbering, naming and addressing in the context of Next Generation Networks (NGN) with a focus on ENUM (tElephone NUmber Mapping). ENUM comprises a diverse set of standards and non-standardised mechanisms for transforming public telephone numbers into unique domain names. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/58/63/43230852.pdf The Role of Communication Infrastructure Investment in Economic Recovery Policy makers need to evaluate the costs and benefits of any public investment in telecommunication infrastructure and select projects which can stimulate current demand but simultaneously expand the productive capacity of the economy in the longer term. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/43/42799709.pdf ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Technology 'priority for Britons' Britons are more willing to cut back on holidays and meals out in the recession than on spending on communication technology, an Ofcom review suggests. The watchdog's annual report says spending on mobiles, the internet and TV is regarded as a higher priority than almost anything except food. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8186127.stm Digital economy can lift Europe out of crisis, says Commission report The European Commission's Digital Competitiveness report published today shows that Europe's digital sector has made strong progress since 2005: 56% of Europeans now regularly use the internet, 80% of them via a high-speed connection (compared to only one third in 2004), making Europe the world leader in broadband internet. Europe is the world's first truly mobile continent with more mobile subscribers than citizens (a take up rate of 119%). Europe can advance even further as a generation of "digitally savvy" young Europeans becomes a strong market driver for growth and innovation. Building on the potential of the digital economy is essential for Europe's sustainable recovery from the economic crisis. Today the Commission has asked the public what future strategy the EU should adopt to make the digital economy run at full speed. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1221 Telstra closes in on 100Gbps transmission Telstra has been flexing its next generation muscles in a trial which could speed up the telco's existing network infrastructure between capital cities. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/313491/ http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/313491/ Europe's net refuseniks revealed, one-third never used the internet One third of Europeans have never used the net, according to an EU report. The study, which examined the region's digital landscape over the last five years, also revealed that more than one in four Europeans had never used a PC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8184189.stm EU says a third of Europeans never used Internet One third of European Union citizens say they have never used the Internet, compared with 40 percent in 2007, an EU study showed on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE57335U20090804 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-41529820090804 Europe Says It Leads U.S. in Broadband Use The European Union has re-established its lead over the United States in the use of high-speed computer connections, making the Continent ?the world leader in broadband Internet,? the European Commission said on Tuesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/technology/internet/05broadband.html Rupert Murdoch plans charge for all news websites by next summer The billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch suffered the indignity of seeing his global empire make a huge financial loss yesterday and promptly pledged to shake up the newspaper industry by introducing charges for access to all his news websites, including the Times, the Sun and the News of the World, by next summer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/aug/06/rupert-murdoch-website-charges News Corp hints of end to free info on internet Rupert Murdoch's media empire News Corporation has taken another bruising from the global financial downturn. News Corp has just reported a fourth quarter loss of more than $US200 million. Over the past year the media conglomerate's bottom line has tumbled by $US3.4 billion, reflecting a tough and competitive environment. http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2009/s2647400.htm Consumers Grow Weary of Complicated Time-consuming Online Booking Processes A survey finds that many consumers have grown weary of the often complicated and time-consuming process of planning and booking a trip online. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/business/04frustrate.html Chinese teenager beaten to death in internet addiction clinic His parents hoped their teenage son would be home in a month, cured of his addiction to the Internet. They never thought that within 10 hours of taking him to an addiction climic they would receive a telephone call notifying them that the 16-year-old was dead. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china/article6739615.ece When ?Internet Addiction? Turns Deadly So-called ?Internet addiction? among Chinese youths has led to a proliferation of clinics around the country that claim to be able to treat the recently defined disorder. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/08/04/when-internet-addiction-turns-deadly/ Chinese net addict son 'beaten to death' at camp [AFP] A teenager was reportedly beaten to death by trainers at a rehabilitation camp in China where his parents had sent him to cure his internet addiction. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-internet-addict-beaten-to-death-in-rehab-20090804-e84q.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/net-addict-son-beaten-to-death-at-camp-20090804-e87r.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** It's SO over: cool cyberkids abandon social networking sites From uncles wearing skinny jeans to mothers investing in ra-ra skirts and fathers nodding awkwardly along to the latest grime record, the older generation has long known that the surest way to kill a youth trend is to adopt it as its own. The cyberworld, it seems, is no exception. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/aug/06/young-abandon-social-networking-sites us: Marines ban social networking sites amid Pentagon study [AP] The Pentagon is reviewing the use of Facebook and other social networking sites on its computers with an eye toward setting rules on how to protect against possible security risks. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090804_3800.php http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/us-marines-renew-ban-on-twitter-facebook-20090805-e8yb.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ DPP blasts Australian net censor plan The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions has slammed the Federal Government's internet censorship policy, saying it will have very limited, if any, success in achieving its aims. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/dpp-blasts-net-censor-plan-20090805-e9mq.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/dpp-blasts-net-censor-plan-20090805-e9mq.html NSW DPP Cowdery harpoons net filter plan New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery thinks the Federal Government?s ISP-level internet filtering plan is impractical and is sceptical of any mandatory filtering plan designed to protect net users. We know this because he very publicly told the 2009 eCrime Symposium in Sydney exactly that. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/26716/1250/ UK police warn over rise of teenage 'sexting' trend Police, parents and children?s charities have expressed alarm at a growing trend dubbed ?sexting?, where young people send explicit and indecent photos to each other using their mobile phones. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6738532.ece 'Sexting' trend of explicit photo exchange among British teenagers, charity warns Parents have been warned of a new teenage trend of "sexting", in which children exchange explicit photos of themselves by text. More than a third of secondary school children have been sent messages containing sexual content, a survey showed. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5970094/Sexting-trend-of-explicit-photo-exchange-among-teenagers-charity-warns.html UK police warn of teenage 'sexting' A worrying number of teenagers are swapping intimate or sexually explicit photos, called "sexts", on their mobiles, police say. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre says it receives daily reports of harassment after private photos have been circulated. http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_8181000/8181443.stm Schoolchildren 'sending sexual texts' [Press Association] Parents were warned today of the dangers of explicit emails and texts being sent to their children. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/schoolchildren-sending-sexual-texts-1767051.html "Sexting" craze on the rise among children A growing number of teenagers are swapping sexually explicit images of themselves on mobile phones leaving them open to bullying and victimisation by their peers, police and a children's charity said on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5733ET20090804 http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/2721849/ 'No escape' from cyber-bullies Cyber-bullying follows kids home, leaving those on the receiving end with no place to escape, Education Minister Julia Gillard said yesterday in launching a program to combat the growing social problem. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,25873793-5013044,00.html Govt pilots anti-cyber bullying project The Federal Government has announced a new pilot project aimed at curbing cyber bullying in Australian schools. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/313486/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/080309-govt-pilots-anti-cyber-bullying.html http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/08/03/govt-pilots-anti-cyber-bullying-project http://www.infoworld.com/d/networking/govt-pilots-anti-cyber-bullying-project-010 http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/313486/ http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/article/313486/ Unpicking claims in the media about suicide and depression In the context of the sad suicides of a number of young people in Geelong, the well known psychologist, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, has exaggerated the relationship between depression and suicide. http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/08/04/unpicking-claims-in-the-media-about-suicide-and-depression/ The fake world of Facebook and Bebo: How suicide and cyber bullying lurk behind the facade of 'harmless fun' Teenagers are addicted to online networking. Harmless fun? Not when cyber bullies drove 15-year-old Megan Gillan to kill herself. As an Archbishop condemns the craze, we examine the very real dangers of these often phoney friendships... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1204062/The-fake-world-Facebook-Bebo-How-suicide-cyber-bullying-lurk-facade-harmless-fun.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** A third of young people would not pay for music online, says EC report One in three young people say they are not willing to pay for for online services such as digital music and video downloads, according to a report published by the European Commission. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/aug/04/third-young-people-pay-music-online British man arrested for role in running FileSoup file sharing website A British man has been arrested for his role in running one of the internet's oldest file sharing websites. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/aug/04/file-soup-sharing-tv-movies Rivalry Between Apple and Palm Intensifies The Palm Pre has a large touch screen, slide-out keyboard and fast Web browsing. Palm also likes to point out that another selling point is the smartphone?s ability to link to iTunes, Apple?s music and media store. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/technology/companies/04palm.html iiNet seeks TIO, ACMA help to boost case Australia's third-largest ISP may recruit the telecommunications industry's peak regulators in its bid to beat a copyright lawsuit brought against it by a group of entertainment giants. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,25886904-15317,00.html iiNet may seek regulator iiNet may seek telco regulators' help to beat the entertainment industry's lawsuit against it, The Australian reports. http://www.skynews.com.au/business/article.aspx?id=359682 Pirate Bay spokesman calls it quits Three months after being sentenced to prison and fined ?600,000, one of the men in the Pirate Bay trial says he is stepping down from his job as the site's spokesman. Thirty year old Peter Sunde - known online as "brokep" - announced in a blog post that he was leaving the role, after a tumultuous period for the Swedish file sharing site. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/aug/03/pirate-bay-peter-sunde Swedish crackdown on piracy pays off [AFP] Sweden's tough new anti-piracy law has led to a sharp drop in illegal downloading but critics say the effects will be short-lived and argue it is an excessive breach of personal privacy. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/swedish-crackdown-on-piracy-pays-off-20090804-e88l.html http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-technology/swedish-crackdown-on-piracy-pays-off-20090804-e88l.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/swedish-crackdown-on-piracy-pays-off-20090804-e88l.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** In France, 92 percent of residents use a mobile: report The number of mobile users continues to rise in France with 91.8 percent of residents subscribing to wireless services as of end-June, up from 88.1 percent a year ago, the telecoms regulator said on Wednesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5744DD20090805 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-41561620090805 http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE5744CX20090805 U.S. Agency Plans Meeting on Distracted Driving The Transportation Department will convene a meeting of safety experts and others concerned about the dangers of text-messaging and cell phone use while driving, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said on Tuesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/us/politics/05drive.html Regulators will continue investigation into links between Google and Apple American regulators will not end their investigation of the links between Google and Apple - despite the fact that the search giant's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, has resigned his position as a director of his Silicon Valley rival. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/aug/04/google-apple FTC Will Continue Google-Apple Probe FTC Competition Bureau Director Richard Feinstein said Monday the Commission will continue to investigate remaining interlocking directorates between Apple and Google despite the fact that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has stepped down from the computer manufacturer's board. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/08/ftc-will-continue-googleapple.php FTC says Google, Apple probe still on as spotlight shifts Just hours after Google CEO Eric Schmidt resigned from Apple's board of directors, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it will continue its antitrust investigation. Schmidt stepped down after months of scrutiny and online chatter about the fact that he sat on the board of a company that increasingly competes with his own. Schmidt wasnt alone, though. Genentech Board Chairman Arthur Levinson also sits on the boards of both Google and Apple. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9136211/FTC_says_Google_Apple_probe_still_on_as_spotlight_shifts FTC Will Continue Google-Apple Probe FTC Competition Bureau Director Richard Feinstein said Monday the Commission will continue to investigate remaining interlocking directorates between Apple and Google despite the fact that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has stepped down from the computer manufacturer's board. The FTC has been examining the Google-Apple connection for some time and Feinstein commended the companies for recognizing that sharing directors raises competitive issues as Google and Apple increasingly compete with each other. Schmidt has served on Apple's board since 2006 and since that time has entered the Web browser and operating system business with Google's Android and Chrome products. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/08/ftc-will-continue-googleapple.php Kiwis overcharged for mobiles A telecommunications watchdog says 2degrees' low price entry into the mobile phone market shows New Zealanders have been charged too much up to now. http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/business/2719927/ ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Internet needs fundamental changes to survive The basic internet protocols need reworking according because it lacks proper security say experts. The basic TCP/IP protocols are unsuited to the modern internet delegates have been told. Instead a new system that sacrifices openness for accountability is needed. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2247285/internet-needs-fundamental http://uk.news.yahoo.com/16/20090805/ttc-internet-needs-fundamental-changes-t-6315470.html http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/152184,internet-needs-fundamental-changes-to-survive.aspx Cyber leadership takes shape at Homeland Security The Obama administration's recent cybersecurity review resulted in few changes in agency roles and responsibilities for protecting federal computer networks and systems, but officials and outside experts say they will bring a more coordinated approach to oversight. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090805_9634.php US struggling to find cyber-tsar Barack Obama's administration is continuing its search for a "cyber-tsar", which the US president pledged in May to appoint personally. The White House's acting cyber-security head, Melissa Hathaway, stood down on Tuesday for "personal reasons". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8185699.stm us: Rockefeller, Snowe Retool Cyber Bill Senate Commerce Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, plan to circulate after the August recess a retooled version of sweeping cybersecurity legislation they introduced in April, CongressDaily's PM Edition reported on Friday. The bill will likely be the subject of a September hearing, with a markup scheduled shortly thereafter. They had been aiming for July committee action but the healthcare debate "put everything on simmer," said one staffer. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/08/rockefeller-snowe-retool-cyber.php us: 3rd Circuit Upholds 10-Year Internet Ban in Child Porn Case A man who was indicted as the leader of a child pornography ring in Delaware has lost an appeal that challenged both his 20-year prison term and a ban on using the Internet for another decade after he is released. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202432747310 After links to cybercrime, Latvian ISP is cut off [IDG] A Latvian ISP linked to online criminal activity has been cut off from the Internet, following complaints from Internet security researchers. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/080509-after-links-to-cybercrime-latvian.html http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9136262/After_links_to_cybercrime_Latvian_ISP_is_cut_off http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/169635/.html nz: Year in jail for internet banking scam A Hamilton woman who defrauded the National Bank of more than $110,000 via an internet banking loophole has been sentenced to 12 months in jail. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10588833 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Iraq Censorship Laws Move Ahead The doors of the communications revolution were thrown open in Iraq after the American-led invasion in 2003: In rushed a wave of music videos featuring scantily clad Turkish singers, Web sites recruiting suicide bombers, racy Egyptian soap operas, pornography, romance novels, and American and Israeli news and entertainment sites that had long been blocked under Saddam Hussein?s rule. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/world/middleeast/04censor.html Iraq plans internet porn, violence crackdown [AP] The Iraqi government has decided to crack down on internet service providers and ban sites that incite violence or carry pornography, officials said , a move that has been strongly criticised by freedom of speech advocates as a dangerous first step toward political censorship. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10588839 Iraq mulls website ban, fuels censorship fears Iraq is considering blocking websites deemed pornographic or that incite violence or crime, triggering fears of a return to Saddam Hussein-style state censorship and government propaganda. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE57451420090805 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-41564220090805 Website tracks world online censorship reports [AP] When Shanghai blogger Isaac Mao tried to watch a YouTube clip of Chinese police beating Tibetans, all he got was an error message. Mao thought the error ? just after the one-year anniversary of a crackdown on Tibetan protesters in China? was too suspicious to be coincidental, so he reported it on a new Harvard-based website that tracks online censorship. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/2009-08-04-online-censorship_N.htm ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** nz: Gifford: Music industry sounds like a broken record There's only a couple of days left to make submissions on proposed legislation governing how copyright affects your internet use. It follows last year's debacle, in which former culture and heritage minister Judith Tizard and departmental officials used a supplementary order paper to jam a new section into the Copyright Act stuffed with provisions a select committee had already rejected. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10588650 UK govt web monitoring plans unworkable, warns Linx Government proposals to monitor all web communications are technologically unworkable, according to the organisation that switches the majority of web traffic for the UK. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39705023,00.htm http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62056668,00.htm US net neutrality bill returns without Boucher House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., is conspicuously absent from the list of co-sponsors of new legislation designed to ensure that major telecommunications and cable providers never block or degrade content traversing their high-speed Internet networks. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090803_4941.php ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Apple tried to silence owner of exploding iPod with gagging order Apple attempted to silence a father and daughter with a gagging order after the child?s iPod music player exploded and the family sought a refund from the company. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article6736587.ece ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Fixing The U.S. Broadband Problem With the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the United States has made a massive commitment to providing all Americans with ubiquitous and affordable broadband. Not only must the Federal Communications Commission issue a "National Broadband Plan" by next February, but the recovery act has committed over $7.2 billion in stimulus funds to help further the process. http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/04/broadband-lawrence-spiwak-intelligent-technology-internet.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2009 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home mail: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA "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 __________________________________________________________________________________ Find local businesses and services in your area with Yahoo!7 Local. Get started: http://local.yahoo.com.auReceived on Wed Aug 05 2009 - 18:12:00 UTC
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