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 *************************************************** ICANN: Drinking from the firehose by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/9/4/4310058.html AusRegistry International selected as Registry Services Provider for .qa - Qatar's Top Level Domain. http://www.ausregistry.com/news-qa.php The Internet at 40: 'Net pioneer still surprised by online world http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137453/The_Internet_at_40_Net_pioneer_still_surprised_by_online_world_ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Global Policy Proposal for the Allocation of IPv4 Blocks to Regional Internet Registries - Background Report (Proposal for handling recovered IPv4 address space) Introduction: Global Internet Number Resource Policies are defined by the ASO MOU - between ICANN and the NRO - as "Internet number resource policies that have the agreement of all RIRs according to their policy development processes and ICANN, and require specific actions or outcomes on the part of IANA or any other external ICANN-related body in order to be implemented". Attachment A of this MOU describes the Development Process of Global Internet Number Resource Policies, including the adoption by every RIR of a global policy to be forwarded to the ICANN Board by the ASO, as well as its ratification by the ICANN Board. In this context, the ICANN Board adopted its own Procedures for the Review of Internet Number Resource Policies Forwarded by the ASO for Ratification. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-12may09-en.htm Global Policy Proposal for Autonomous System Numbers - Background Report (Proposal to change the date for full transition from 16-bit to 32-bit ASNs) Introduction: Global Internet Number Resource Policies are defined by the ASO MOU - between ICANN and the NRO - as "Internet number resource policies that have the agreement of all RIRs according to their policy development processes and ICANN, and require specific actions or outcomes on the part of IANA or any other external ICANN-related body in order to be implemented". Attachment A of this MOU describes the Development Process of Global Internet Number Resource Policies, including the adoption by every RIR of a global policy to be forwarded to the ICANN Board by the ASO, as well as its ratification by the ICANN Board. In this context, the ICANN Board adopted its own Procedures for the Review of Internet Number Resource Policies Forwarded by the ASO for Ratification. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04sep09-en.htm EURid welcomes ICANN to Brussels EURid is pleased to announce that the board of ICANN has approved its proposal to host the ICANN 2010 Europe Meeting. The event will take place in Brussels from 20 to 25 June. http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eurid-welcomes-icann-brussels Drinking from the firehose by Milton Mueller The new President of ICANN, Rod Beckstrom, is making the rounds, listening. He's quickly figured out what makes the global institution he is supposed to run tick: the diverse and fractious "stakeholder" groups that cluster around the business and technology of IP addresses and domain names. He's trying to acquaint himself with the people and attitudes of each one and learning about their issues. Registries and trademark lawyers complaining about registrars; registrars complaining about registries; business badmouthing civil society; frustrated Russians, Chinese, European Unionists complaining about the U.S.; the ITU, the RIRs....all have their own angle, their own feuds, their agendas and demands to press. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/9/4/4310058.html Public Interest Groups in ICANN Appeal to New President For Fairer Treatment For Civil Society The organization that represents Non-Commercial Internet Users in ICANN issued an open letter to the Board this week, expressing concern about the possible failure of ICANN's attempt to balance the representation of commercial and noncommercial interests. http://ipjustice.org/wp/2009/09/03/public-interest-groups-in-icann-appeal-to-new-president-for-fairer-treatment-for-civil-society/ Two and a Half Cheers for ICANN ICA members and others familiar with our work know that we have no hesitancy taking ICANN to task when we have serious problems with its policy or procedures. That?s part of our job of being a vigorous advocate for the domain name investment and development industry given the huge impact that ICANN decisions can have on the fundamentals of its business model. http://www.internetcommerce.org/Two_and_a_Half_Cheers_for_ICANN Choosing the Right Path to a Permanent Accountability Framework for ICANN Over the next month, the ICANN Board will consider its options for ensuring that some framework is in place to ensure ICANN?s accountability to the global Internet community after the approaching expiration of the its Memorandum of Understanding and Joint Project Agreement (MOU/JPA) with the U.S. Department of Commerce. http://pff.org/news/news/2009/082609-ICANN-permanent-accountability-framework.html http://ssrn.com/abstract=1463002 Domain name deadline could lead to power struggle With the joint project agreement (JPA) between ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce set to expire at the end of this month, global Internet communities and stakeholders have mixed feelings about what they'd like to see happen next. http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=54428 African ccTLDs hesitate to tap ICANN support Misconception about the role of ICANN has kept many African ccTLD from taking advantage of support from the organization, according to experts. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2009/08/31/african-cctlds-hesitate-tap-icann-support ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Securing the .edu top-level domain with DNSSEC The .edu domain will soon support DNSSEC authentication to bring better security to the domain name system. It joins .com, .net, .gov, and .org in making the move. http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2009/09/securing-the-edu-top-level-domain-with-dnssec.ars Security of .edu Internet Domain to Increase [news release] EDUCAUSE and VeriSign announced today the initiation of a project to enhance Internet reliability and stability. By the end of March 2010, the project will deploy a security system known as Domain Name Security Extensions (DNSSEC) within the .edu portion of the Internet, which EDUCAUSE manages under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce. When the project is completed, institutions whose domain names end in .edu will be able to incorporate a digital signature into those names to limit a variety of security vulnerabilities. http://www.educause.edu/About+EDUCAUSE/PressReleases/SecurityofeduInternetDomaintoI/178963 Wolfgang Puck Sued Over Internet Move In June Wolfgang Puck announced that he was trying to register .food as a new top-level domain for the Internet. Now, Eat Me Daily reports, the investors Mr. Puck was working with have sued him and his wife, Gelila. http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/wolfgang-puck-sued-over-internet-move/ AFNIC launches new communication campaign entitled " .fr - and that's the bottom line!" Aimed at individuals and organisations, AFNIC?s new communication campaign can be seen in the press, on the web and on TV from now until mid-October. Based on a character presenting a light-hearted summary of the thousand and one different personal and commercial possibilities of the use of .fr, this campaign has the catchline ?.fr ? and that?s the bottom line!?. http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/227/afnic-launches-new-communication-campaign-entitled-fr-and-that-s-the-bottom-line is: New registration increase by 55% The .is-domain registrations during August increased by 55% from August 2008. 537 domains were registered, while 337 domains were registered August 2008. This is fantastic news. Inspite of an increase in cancellations the total number of .IS domains continues to increase. We expect that we will have 26000 domains by the end of August (need only 250 domains). http://www.isnic.is/news/index.php Plans for a .OTTAWA The .OTTAWA project is intending to apply for the corresponding CityTLD. The project's website provides little information as to whom is behind .OTTAWA and in particular, if it is a private enterprise "? la" .BERLIN or directly supported by the local government as is the case for .PARIS or Barcelona's .BCN. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/263-Plans-for-a-.OTTAWA.html AusRegistry International selected as Registry Services Provider for .qa - Qatar's Top Level Domain. AusRegistry International, a leading provider of Domain Name Registry Solutions for Top Level Domains, has entered into a contract with the ictQATAR to provide Domain Name Registry Software and consulting services for establishing a new administrative body to manage the .qa country code Top Level Domain. http://www.ausregistry.com/news-qa.php AusRegistry Spreads Its Mid East Wings as Registry for Qatar AusRegistry International, the registry for .AU (Australia) and .AE (United Arab Emirates) has added .QA (Qatar) to its stable. The new contract sees it providing Domain Name Registry Software and consulting services for establishing a new administrative body to manage the .QA country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD). http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/09/04/ausregistry-spreads-its-mid-east-wings-as-registry-for-qatar/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/ausregistry-spreads-its-mid-east-wings-as-registry-for-qatar.html .SIC, Dracula's TLD! One of the good things about new gTLDs is that they make ignoramuses like myself a little less dumb. Take Szeklerland. Until a few minutes ago, I'd never heard of the place. A quick browse on Wikipedia and now I know that it's almost the birth place of Dracula. Szeklerland refers to " the territories inhabited by the Sz?kely, a Hungarian people living in eastern Transylvania, centre of present-day Romania. They live in the valleys and hills of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains?". http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/264-.SIC,-Draculas-TLD!.html ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** us: Cyber Command eyeing new DISA headquarters for its base The U.S. Cyber Command has its eyes on the new Defense Information Systems Agency building at Fort Meade, Md., as the site to locate its headquarters, according to industry and Defense Department sources. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090904_2925.php ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Kentucky Appeal Set for Online Casino Domain Name Case The Kentucky State Supreme Court announced it will hear oral presentations in the appeal by the state of its defeat in its attempt to seize the domain names of 141 online casinos. The court will hear the case against online gambling operators on October 22nd. http://www.onlinecasinosphere.com/news/reports/gambling-law/kentucky-appeal-of-online-casino-domain-seizure-rejection-coming-5589.php How to protect your brand from cybersquatters Cybersquatters are siphoning away increasing numbers of users from the Web sites of businesses large and small. Using variations on trademarked names, cybersquatters may lure prospective customers to pornographic Web sites, malware sites, sites hawking counterfeit goods, or pay-per-click advertising sites, some of which lead viewers to competitors' products and services. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/341539/How_to_Protect_Your_Brand ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** The Internet at 40: 'Net pioneer still surprised by online world Can you remember a time when you didn't watch videos of silly cats on YouTube, or didn't buy everything from books to car parts to clothes online? What about mail? You know, the stuff that came in paper envelopes with little postage stamps? http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137453/The_Internet_at_40_Net_pioneer_still_surprised_by_online_world_ http://www.pcworld.com/article/171427/.html Domain Name Deemed Tangible Property (Web Pages Too) in Utah ... I feel like that a lot, especially when it comes to cyberlaw. There are so many fields of law, each with their own specialized but overlapping vocabularies, each attempting to advance their own policy objectives, some shaped by frequent contemporary debate, some resting undisturbed for decades, all being applied in a haphazard fashion to the internet. The internet is reportedly 40 years old this week, yet the legal profession's take on it is not yet out of beta. http://bnablog.bna.com/techlaw/2009/09/domain-name-deemed-tangible-property-web-pages-too-in-utah.html Netcraft August 2009 Web Server Survey In the August 2009 survey we received responses from 225,950,957 hostnames ? 13.7M less than in July. Much of the drop this month is due to the expiry of a large number of sites at The Planet, including 5 million sites in the .pl top-level domain all on one IP address, which were believed to be part of a linkfarm. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2009/08/31/august_2009_web_server_survey.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Sedo to Auction Majority of One-Character .Biz Domains Sedo has exclusively been selected to auction the majority of the available internet catalog of one-character .BIZ domain names in cooperation with Neustar Registry Services, the global registry for .BIZ and .US. This is the first time that a generic top-level domain (gTLD) registry has released nearly all of its one-character names, creating an exciting opportunity for corporations, business owners and related associations. http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2481 SnapNames September Showcase Auction Focuses on Jobs With so much news focused on jobs and careers during this economic downturn, SnapNames has taken the opportunity to have its September Showcase Auction focus on domain names related to jobs, careers, education and training. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/09/04/snapnames-september-showcase-auction-focuses-on-jobs/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/snapnames-september-showcase-auction-focuses-on-jobs.html Should We Declare War on Domaining.com? Billionaire Mark Cuban Says News Aggregators are "Parasites" Who Should Be Exterminated As most of you know, Domaining.com is a popular website that aggregates domain industry news headlines generated by leading blogs and publications in our business (including DNJournal.com). There are several other sites that also do this, but Domaining.com has gained the lion's share of the aggregation market with an attractive layout and a number of value added features. http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2009/dailyposts/20090904.htm Fab Fortnight: Quartet of 6-Figure Sales Leads the Way as the Aftermarket Continues to Defy the Dog Days of August The dog days. The dictionary defines them as "the hot period between early July and early September; a period of inactivity." While the domain business overall is in a down cycle (primarily due to the disappearing act that has been performed by PPC revenue), inactivity in the aftermarket has not been one of its problems this month. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2009/20090826.htm Call.com Buyer Snaps Up Christian.com for $600,000 Christian.comYesterday I wrote about Boris Kreiman, who bought the domain name Call.com for $1.1 million. He said he wasn?t done buying, and here?s proof: he just plunked down $600,000 for Christian.com. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/09/04/call-com-buyer-snaps-up-christian-com-for-600000/ Christian.com Sells for $600,000 Sedo and RickLatona.com - leaders in aftermarket domain name sales - have joined together to sell Christian.com for $600,000. http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-sales/christiancom-sells-600000/5950 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** The Internet at 40: 'Net pioneer still surprised by online world ... Forty years ago Wednesday, something happened that changed the way we shop, do business, learn and stay in touch with relatives and friends. It was Sept. 2, 1969 when computer scientists at UCLA created a network connection between two computers. They set up the first node of what has become today's Internet. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137453/The_Internet_at_40_Net_pioneer_still_surprised_by_online_world_ http://www.pcworld.com/article/171427/.html Do not adjust your set: a revolution in television as content moves online There's a revolution going on in television but you may not necessarily be watching it on the set in your living room. Online viewing of programmes in the UK will more than triple in the next few years, according to the latest forecasts, boosted by new video on demand websites offering the best British and US shows to internet users for free. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/sep/05/online-television-free-video-websites Islamic search engine ImHalal filters out potentially sinful material Muslims will be able to surf the internet without the fear of accidentally encountering sinful material after a Dutch company launched the world?s first Islamic search engine. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6823805.ece Wolfram Alpha: More than just another Google Wolfram Research launched its "computational knowledge engine" Alpha to mixed reviews in May. However, founder Conrad Wolfram says the launch of Alpha is only the first step of a multi-decade project. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/sep/02/wolfram-alpha-online-search-engine-calculations au: Millions set to disconnect their fixed-line phones About 2 million people are considering ditching their fixed-line home phones, as Australians move closer to becoming one of the world's first wireless economies. http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/millions-set-to-disconnect-their-fixedline-phones-20090904-fbih.html http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/millions-set-to-disconnect-their-fixedline-phones-20090904-fbih.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/millions-set-to-disconnect-their-fixedline-phones-20090905-fbom.html http://www.watoday.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/millions-set-to-disconnect-their-fixedline-phones-20090904-fbih.html ABC wants free NBN content The ABC has called on the federal government to pass laws ensuring consumers won't have to pay to access any publicly funded content carried on the planned national broadband network, a measure that would give it a huge advantage over its commercial rivals. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26036984-15306,00.html au: PM urges harder line on pub, club hours Kevin Rudd says he wants state governments to limit opening hours of pubs and clubs, saying it is time to take "a harder line" against venues being able to sell alcohol until 7am. In a tirade yesterday against street violence, the Prime Minister, who has no responsibility for liquor licensing laws, also said family breakdown and the internet were creating a period of "social transition", which young people needed assistance to properly handle. ... He also said society was witnessing a major change in family structures, with young people facing family breakdown and often spending more time with their friends or on the internet than they spent with their families. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26023839-5013404,00.html au: Rudd ponders causes of violence The pace of family life, driving young people to spend more time with their friends, could be behind an increase in alcohol-related violence, Kevin Rudd said yesterday. ... ''Are we looking at the manifestation, for example, of kids increasingly spending more time with their friends rather than their parents because their parents and families are too busy? Are we looking at the manifestation of kids spending more and more time online in a more anonymous social environment? http://www.smh.com.au/national/rudd-ponders-causes-of-violence-20090903-fa0w.html Clinic for internet addicts opens in US If you have to take a quick break from reading this article to check your Blackberry, send a text or reboot your Xbox 360 before you reach the end of this paragraph, then the good news is that help is at hand. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/04/internet-addict-clinic Internet addiction center opens in US Ben Alexander spent nearly every waking minute playing the video game "World of Warcraft." As a result, he flunked out of the University of Iowa. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-addiction-center-opens-in-us-20090904-fa72.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-addiction-center-opens-in-us-20090904-fa72.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** au: 'Friends for sale' scheme angers Facebook Facebook has warned that members who buy "friends" from an Australian online marketing company could face banishment from the social network. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/04/2676557.htm au: Facebook 'can't stop friend-selling' A Brisbane businessman accused of selling "friends" from the social networking site Facebook has hit back, saying it would be "very difficult" to stop him. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/05/2677385.htm Facebook can't touch us: uSocial Facebook's warning that it will ban members who pay for "friends" has been labelled an empty threat by the Australian online marketing company offering the service. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26025457-15306,00.html Not enough Facebook friends? Buy them Who says you can't buy friends? An Australian online marketing company is selling friends and fans to Facebook members after offering a similar service to Twitter users. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5821PD20090903 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** The PC Goes on an Energy Diet Personal computers suck up enormous amounts of electricity?often when they aren't even being used. Manufacturers are tackling the problem. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204908604574336280116296164.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ UK ISPs face child porn crackdown Internet service providers that fail to curb child pornography on the web would be criminalised in a crackdown to be introduced in the Queen's Speech this autumn. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/internet-providers-face-child-porn-crackdown-1782530.html Young Brits want advice about online privacy [news release] Fifty four per cent of 11-16 year olds in the UK say young people need advice about how to keep their personal information online private, new Ofcom research reveals. Ofcom has today also published two new guides for parents and carers on how to use parental controls on mobile phones, games consoles and portable media players and, if they need to, how to report inappropriate content. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2009/9/nr_20090903 CEOP: parents failing to protect children from online sex predators Parents are a weak link in the chain of defences intended to safeguard children from online sexual predators, says the senior policeman responsible for child protection on the internet. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6823929.ece nz: Auckland schoolgirl's fight appears on YouTube Video sharing site You Tube is hosting the footage of a fight between several girls that took place at Lynfield College recently. http://www.netguide.co.nz/200909041146/auckland-schoolgirl-s-fight-appears-on-youtube.php Lynfield girls' brawl on YouTube Footage of a schoolgirl brawl at Lynfield College, which shows a male teacher being knocked to the ground while trying to stop it, has emerged amid controversy over another attack at the school. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10595128 Conroy's blazing guns won't tame the 'wild west' web by Colin Jacobs, Electronic Frontiers Australia Our politicians like to describe the internet as the Wild West, implying it's a lawless haven for pirates, pornographers and pedophiles. While a few libertarian nerds and the Russian mafia might favour such anarchy, the implication is clear that it's time a government lawman stepped in to make the place safe for decent, law-abiding, internet-using folks, in particular, vulnerable children. Apparently our Communications Minister Stephen Conroy thinks he's just the man for the job. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26025025-5013038,00.html Hector?s World helps Kiwi children deal with cyberbullying New cyberbullying resources are being launched today for children, teachers and parents, and are free online at Kiwi website Hector's World. These are the latest animated resources with Hector and his friends, which helps children 2-9 years old stay safe online and learn about digital citizenship. http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=8414 au: Young Australians advise Government on cyber-safety [news release] The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today met with young Australians advising Government on cyber-safety. http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/083 Web-safety software gathers data on kids [AP] Parents who install a leading brand of software to monitor their kids' online activities may be unwittingly allowing the developer to gather marketing data from children as young as seven - and to sell that information. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10595367 http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/webmonitoring-software-gathers-data-on-kid-chats-20090905-fbnp.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/webmonitoring-software-gathers-data-on-kid-chats-20090905-fbnp.html us: FCC cites success of video game rating system U.S. regulators may consider a single ratings system that would warn parents of programming on television, video games, and wireless telephones that could be inappropriate for children, according to a Bloomberg News report in late August. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-10345920-62.html us: Maine COPPA Expansion Law is Unconstitutional A lawsuit filed yesterday seeks to block enforcement of a new Maine marketing law that would expand upon the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998. Like COPPA, the Maine statute requires "verifiable parental consent" before certain online sites or services may collect, or enable the sharing of, personal information from children under 13. But the Maine law would expand this requirement to adolescents, to offline activity, and for the collection of any "health related" information, while also banning all marketing based on such information. http://pff.org/news/news/2009/082709-advisory-COPPA-maine-expansion-law-unconstitutional-age-verification.html us: Commission Implements Child Safe Viewing Act by Adopting Report on Parental Control Technologies http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-09-69A1.doc http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-09-69A1.pdf Text, Text, Text: Parental Nagging Evolves Electronically As school starts again, there's so much more for a parent to nag about. Homework. Bedtime. Lost hours on Facebook and Xbox. The chores that need to be squeezed in. But in the age of the digital childhood, Jacky Longwell, 45, mother of three in McLean, often text-messages what she once uttered as her children rushed out the door: Be nice to your brother. Walk the dog. Remember your reading. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/05/AR2009090502809.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Keeping pirates at bay - Policing the internet: The music industry has concluded lawsuits alone are not the way to discourage online piracy Three big court cases this year?one in Europe and two in America?have pitted music-industry lawyers against people accused of online piracy. The industry prevailed in each case. But the three trials may mark the end of its efforts to use the courts to stop piracy, for they highlighted the limits of this approach. http://www.economist.com/printedition/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14299558 BT, Orange and TalkTalk condemn plan to tackle illegal file sharing The chief executives of Britain?s biggest internet providers have united to criticise Lord Mandelson?s ?misconceived? plans to disconnect users who illegally download music and films. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6819280.ece Harmony restored as YouTube deal with PRS ends video dispute Music videos featuring the world?s leading artists will return to YouTube today after the website settled a royalty dispute that left British users unable to access tens of thousands of videos for six months. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6819283.ece uk: Opposition mounts against P2P disconnection plan The heads of the UK's largest ISPs have co-signed a letter of protest against the proposal to disconnect suspected illegal file-sharers from their broadband service. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39739509,00.htm Creative industries and consumers? rights : Finding ways of protecting the creative industry from illegal filesharing without affecting consumers' rights Sir, We agree that the creative industries play an important role in the UK and understand the challenge that illegal filesharing presents (letter, Sept 1). We do not condone or encourage such activity, but we are concerned that the Government?s latest proposals on the ?how? to reduce illegal filesharing are misconceived and threaten broadband consumers? rights and the development of new attractive services. Experience in other countries suggests that pursuing such an approach can result in significant consumer resistance. Any new policy must be considered very carefully. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article6819093.ece ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** iPhone makes worldwide loss, says report While Orange and T-Mobile compete with O2 to sell the iPhone in Britain, a report by Denmark's Strand Consult reveals how it makes a loss for providers and struggles against other phones http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/sep/06/telecoms-iphone Big City, Big Troubles There?s something that most iPhone owners who are having problems with their service have in common: they tend to live in large cities. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/big-city-big-troubles/ Nokia fights back for share of smartphone market Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, has admitted it was slow to react to the rise of new devices, such as the iPhone, and has launched a major offensive to win back market share from its rivals Apple and Research in Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry email device. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/sep/02/nokia-smartphones-apple-iphone-music-mobiles Nokia Announces Laptop Details and Rolls Out New Phones Nokia, the world?s biggest maker of cellphones, presented new models Wednesday that have more music features and mesh better with Facebook and the company?s coming netbook computer. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/technology/03nokia.html Austria plans to offer 100 Mbps via LTE in 2011 3 Austria CEO Berthold Thoma has confirmed the deployment of LTE throughout 3 Austria's whole network, following a statement by Nokia Siemens Networks as equipment provider. http://www.broadband-europe.eu/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?ItemID=587 nz: Vodafone, Telecom given last chance to cut mobile rates [The Dominion Post] Vodafone and Telecom have been given less than a month to voluntarily slash the charges they impose on carriers to route calls and texts to mobile phones, before the Commerce Commission recommends the Government does it for them. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2838930/ ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** The Cable is Here But East Africa is Not Ready for It East Africa may have received the first undersea fiber optic cable a month ago but it is emerging there is no requisite infrastructure to enable Seacom go deeper into the hinterland. http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/-/2558/653452/-/qyy9dnz/-/index.html http://allafrica.com/stories/200909070008.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** How Team of Geeks Cracked International Spy Trade From a Silicon Valley office strewn with bean-bag chairs, a group of twenty-something software engineers is building an unlikely following of terrorist hunters at U.S. spy agencies. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125200842406984303.html au: Bet sites on alert for 'IT gangsters' Widespread attempts to shut down betting websites in Australia in recent weeks could be the work of criminal gangs seeking to extort money. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26024998-15306,00.html US Jury Exacts $32M Penalty From ISPs For Supporting Criminal Websites A federal jury in California this week levied a total of $32 million in damages from two Internet service providers that knowingly supported Websites that were running illegal operations. http://www.darkreading.com/securityservices/security/cybercrime/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=219501314 I'm booking a seat for Google's battle to buy our literary heritage If you have any free brain cells next Tuesday, spare a thought for Denny Chin. He is a judge on the US district court for the southern district of New York. And he has the job of deciding a case which has profound implications for our culture. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/sep/06/google-digital-books-chin US Court to test Google publishing move A US district judge named Denny Chin is on the verge of becoming one of the most important men in the history of publishing. On October 7 in a New York courtroom he will preside over a ?fairness hearing? for a deal between Google and US publishers and authors to put millions of books online. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6822739.ece http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,26029783-5017997,00.html Small town Britain's 'online crime hotspot' Shildon in County Durham has been labelled an internet crime hotspot with a higher percentage of fraudulent purchases than anywhere else in the UK. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8240261.stm ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** China Web Sites Seeking Users' Names News Web sites in China, complying with secret government orders, are requiring that new users log on under their true identities to post comments, a shift in policy that the country?s Internet users and media have fiercely opposed in the past. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/world/asia/06chinanet.html Who's the real Communist? by Milton Mueller The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the China's Ministry of Culture has announced sweeping new regulations for online music. The new regulations attempt to make the Ministry a bottleneck and gatekeeper for all commercial exchanges of online music in China. Foreign-produced music must be approved by censors and checked for copyright compliance before it can be distributed over the Internet. According to the Journal, "Online music distributors will be required to provide written lyrics for each song, translated into Chinese, and documents to prove they aren't infringing on intellectual property rights, the ministry notice said. In addition, companies wishing to provide music download services will be required to apply for an Internet culture license to do so." In other words, this is an attempt to undo exactly what the Internet is designed to do. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/9/5/4311698.html Report: China tightens rules for online music providers [IDG] China's Ministry of Culture has implemented a new set of rules governing the online sale and distribution of foreign songs in the country, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/317516/ http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137600/Update_China_tightens_rules_for_online_music_providers_report_says http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/090509-report-china-tightens-rules-for.html Google porn filter gained China's thumbs-up [IDG] China approved of Google's efforts to filter porn from search results on its China portal following state-led criticism of the links, the former head of Google China said Sunday. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/090709-google-porn-filter-gained-chinas.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/171530/.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** ?Social control? better than legislation in Philippines Internet use in the Philippines remains free, with most, if not all form of content, becoming available to all 24 million or so Internet users, about half of them below the age of 19. http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20090906-223922/Social-control-better-than-legislation Google gives ground in digital books dispute Google is to make concessions to European publishers and authors in an effort to stem a rising tide of anger over its landmark digital books settlement in the US. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6bec0e02-9b12-11de-a3a1-00144feabdc0.html Google tries to sidestep criticism of $125m book project Google today attempted to rally supporters of its deal with the US publishing industry, in an effort to combat growing criticism of the $125m (?76m) agreement. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/sep/03/google-books-project-digital Digital publishing - Google's big book case: The internet giant?s plan to create a vast digital library should be given a green light To its opponents, it is a brazen attempt by a crafty monopolist to lock up some of the world?s most valuable intellectual property. To its fans, it is a laudable effort by a publicly minded company to unlock a treasure trove of hidden knowledge. Next month an American court will hold a hearing on an agreement, signed last year by Google and representatives of authors and publishers, to make millions of books in America searchable online. The case has stirred up passions, conflict and conspiracy theories worthy of a literary blockbuster. http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14363287 Google books - Tome raider: A fuss over the internet search firm?s effort to build a huge digital library Paul Courant, the dean of libraries at the University of Michigan, jokes that he also runs ?an orphanage?. Among the books on his shelves are such seminal texts as ?Blunder Out of China? and ?The Appalachian Frontier: America?s First Surge Westward?, which are protected by copyrights belonging to people who cannot be found. Known as ?orphan? books, such titles are one element of a controversial plan by Google, the world?s biggest internet company, to create a vast online library. http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14376406 Google books deal battle heats up The battle over Google's effort to digitise the world's books and create a vast online library has intensified. Authors have until Friday to opt out of the $125 million settlement the search giant made with authors and publishers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8237271.stm German Government lodges objection to Google Books deal The German Government has lodged an objection to the deal which will allow Google to continue to scan, and sell digitised copies of, many of the world's in-copyright books. http://out-law.com/page-10351 ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Is the Internet Broken? Gmail's outage raises new concern about the Net's vulnerability Google's Gmail system, which serves millions of customers around the world, shut down yesterday. The problem may hurt its efforts to market applications which include e-mail to businesses. Google prides itself on the reliability of its software, at least according to its marketing pitch. It is not clear why Google had the problem. It keeps thousands of servers. Some of those may have developed trouble or some outside programmer, a hacker, may have sent a bug into the system to make it collapse. http://www.newsweek.com/id/214760 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** In China and Spain, Deal Tightens Telecom Alliance Telef?nica, the Spanish telecommunications operator, and China Unicom, one of the largest mobile operators in the country, said Sunday that they would buy $1 billion worth of stock in each other to deepen a strategic alliance. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/business/global/07phone.html US House Panel Will Get Broadband Update The House Energy and Commerce Committee will get an update by Obama administration officials next Thursday on implementation of the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus program, Tech Daily Dose has learned. While the panel has not noticed the hearing on finalized a witness list, one might expect officials from the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service to testify. One might also expect those representatives to declare the program's early days a success, given the preliminary figures that have been floated. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/09/house-panel-will-get-broadband.php US Wireless Exec Outlines Policy Priorities Steve Largent, president of wireless association CTIA, told reporters Thursday that his trade group will use the FCC's recently announced notices of inquiry on innovation and competition in the mobile marketplace to share his industry's success story. Having a fact-based examination, which FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski requested at last week's Commission meeting, will "be a good thing for our industry," Largent said. Genachowski has faced pressure from Congress and smaller telecom firms to investigate whether firms like AT&T, Verizon and Sprint Nextel are unfairly dominating the space. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/09/wireless-exec-outlines-policy.php FTC Asks FCC To Study Internet Competition The FTC urged the FCC on Friday to take into consideration the consumer protection agency's primary missions of promoting competition and safeguarding consumers in the marketplace as the FCC develops its national broadband plan. "The FCC deserves tremendous credit for its leadership in creating a national broadband policy that will help bring high-speed Internet access and services to Americans across the nation," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a press release. "As the agency that shares jurisdiction over broadband and the Internet, we look forward to working with the FCC in fulfilling this historic mission." http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/09/ftc-tells-fcc-to-study-interne.php Wiretapping Skype calls: virus eavesdrops on VoIP [AP] Some computer viruses have a crude but scary ability to spy on people by logging every keystroke they type. Now hackers and potentially law enforcement have another weapon: a virus that can eavesdrop on voice conversations that go over computers instead of a regular phone line. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/wiretapping-skype-calls-virus-eavesdrops-on-voip-20090904-fav7.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/wiretapping-skype-calls-virus-eavesdrops-on-voip-20090904-fav7.html Telstra Internet outage points to DNS failure This week's fault that knocked out Internet access for thousands of Telstra BigPond customers was most likely related to the ISPs domain name system (DNS), according to people affected by the outage. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/317356/ Huawei in ASIO's net ASIO is investigating claims that Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is employing technicians in Australia with direct links to the People's Liberation Army. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26036951-15306,00.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 "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery __________________________________________________________________________________ Get more done like never before with Yahoo!7 Mail. Learn more: http://au.overview.mail.yahoo.com/Received on Mon Sep 07 2009 - 02:21:11 UTC
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