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 *************************************************** Overwhelmed by ICANN material at the moment? Here?s a quick guide by Kieren McCarthy http://blog.icann.org/2009/10/overwhelmed-by-icann-material-at-the-moment-heres-a-quick-guide/ World War III could be fought on Internet, says ITU head [IDG] http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/320993/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Overwhelmed by ICANN material at the moment? Here?s a quick guide by Kieren McCarthy If you are a regular ICANN community member, it is likely you are currently feeling overwhelmed by the amount of material that has appeared in the past week. So here is a quick guide to help make sense of it all. http://blog.icann.org/2009/10/overwhelmed-by-icann-material-at-the-moment-heres-a-quick-guide/ Advisory: Availability of Bulk Transfers in Individual gTLDs ICANN-accredited registrars are advised that Part B of the Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy ("Transfer Policy") permits ICANN to approve a bulk transfer of all of a registrar's names in a particular gTLD without requiring simultaneous transfer of its names in other gTLDs. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-05oct09-en.htm ICANN Announces Important Milestones in Making the Internet More Accessible to All In the past several days, ICANN has announced recent milestones regarding changes in how the Internet community will use the Internet in the near future. These important developments include the plan for deployment of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) in the next few months and significant progress in developing the model for delegating new gTLDs. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04oct09-en.htm Organizational Review: Extension of Three Public Comment Periods As requested by Community Members, the deadlines of the three following public comment periods have been moved to the 22nd of November: SSAC review WG draft report; NomCom review WG draft report; and Board review draft final report. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-07oct09-en.htm ICANN Releases New gTLD Applicant Guidebook ?Would Apple Need Permission from China for .MAC? by Jothan Frakes The much-anticipated New gTLD Draft Application Guidebook is out! ICANN has released Version 3. Lots of changes, some minor, some large. All worth reading if you're a potential applicant or just interested in the promise of new TLDs. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20091005_icann_releases_new_gtld_applicant_guidebook/ No Wildcarding for New Top Level Domain Names Registries that are awarded new top level domain names will be prohibited from wildcarding unregistered domains, based on the latest version of ICANN?s applicant guidebook. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/05/no-wildcarding-for-new-top-level-domain-names/ Cybersquatters Not Allowed to Apply for New gTLDs The latest version of ICANN?s guidebook for new top level domain name applicants includes language to prohibit cybersquatters from applying for new top level domain names. This could have interesting implications if people get technical about it. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/05/cybersquatters-not-allowed-to-apply-for-new-gtlds/ New Top Level Domains Still Two Years Away from Reality Latest ICANN guidance and remaining challenges means new TLDs are a long way away. The introduction of new TLDs, such as .green and .food, looks to be at least a couple years away from reality. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/05/new-top-level-domains-still-two-years-away-from-reality/ Latest Top Level Domain Guidebook Allows .Com Prices to Skyrocket Over the weekend, ICANN released its latest New gTLD Applicant Guidebook with guidelines for the introduction of new TLDs such as .eco and .shop. Unfortunately, the guidebook still holds a time bomb for owners of existing domain names, such as .com domains, that could force them to pay massive renewal fees for their domains. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/05/latest-top-level-domain-guidebook-allows-com-prices-to-skyrocket/ ICANN releases new v3 of new TLD applicant guide book This morning ICANN release the much anticipated version 3 of the applicant guidebook for new TLDs and opened the corresponding Public Comment Forum.The release of the new documents detailing how interested parties can apply for the much discussed new TLDs goes hand in hand with an overhaul of the corresponding website. http://www.domainnamenews.com/icann-policy/icann-releases-v3-tld-applicant-guide-book/6240 No Wildcarding for New Top Level Domain Names Registries that are awarded new top level domain names will be prohibited from wildcarding unregistered domains, based on the latest version of ICANN?s applicant guidebook. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/05/no-wildcarding-for-new-top-level-domain-names/ ISOC-NY Forum: Civic Representation in ICANN: What Now? Joly MacFie writes: The Internet Society's New York Chapter (ISOC-NY) will be holding a public forum at NYU on Oct 8 2009 to discuss, in the post JPA world, civic representation in ICANN. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20091005_isoc_ny_forum_civic_representation_in_icann_what_now/ The Internet set free: ICANN Director Mike Silber explains why a recently signed ICANN agreement means that the Internet now ?belongs to the world? ICANN has recently signed an historic Affirmation Agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce which ICANN says confirms the effectiveness of its model of international multi-stakeholder and bottom-up governance of the global Internet addressing system. http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Internet/9860.html U.S. getting out of the Internet management business -- sort of It sounds almost silly to say it, but the Internet is going global. Of course, it's already global. But the underlying technology that makes the Internet run was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense 40 years ago, and the federal government continued to have a dominant voice in how the Internet was run. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/09/icann-has-greater-freedom-.html ICANN: Master of the universe Forty years to the day after the first packets passed on what was to become the modern Internet, the United States relinquished exclusive control over ICANN, the 11-year-old organization established to provide management of Internet names and numbers. It's been a stormy ride, with ICANN making many questionable decisions and acting far too slowly in many cases, causing ripple effects that are still seen today. http://www.infoworld.com/d/adventures-in-it/icann-master-universe-335 IDN ccTLDs set to launch on November 16 ICANN's proposed expedited process for the release of non-ASCII character country code domains is about to become reality. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/278-IDN-ccTLDs-set-to-launch-on-November-16.html New Internet Governance and Naming Regime ICANN has announced several changes in how the Internet community will use the Internet in the near future. These important developments include the plan for deployment of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) in the next few months and significant progress in developing the model for delegating new gTLDs. http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?aid=1000342916 Deerhake Says He Didn?t Agree to Sign ICANN Letter for New TLDs One of the signers of a letter to ICANN that urged swift approval of new top level domain names says he didn?t agree to sign the letter. In a letter to ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom, several other high ranking ICANN employees, and its Board of Directors, Stephen Deerhake of GDNS, Inc says he didn?t explicitly agree to sign the letter. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/06/deerhake-says-he-didnt-agree-to-sign-icann-letter-for-new-tlds/ ICANN says it's business as usual following governance change The head of media at ICANN was somewhat taken aback at the level of interest generated by the news last month that the US government would no longer have unilateral control over ICANN. http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=449602 Coble troubled by Internet domain names On first blush, Rep. Howard Coble doesn?t seem like the most likely character to be involved in a dispute over Internet domain names. The 78-year-old Greensboro Republican is more likely to get on the phone with an angry constituent than answer an angry e-mail in kind. But a letter the long-time member of the House Judiciary Committee co-authored to ICANN has gotten attention from folks who follow the Internet. http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/10/05/article/coble_troubled_by_internet_domain_names Post Delegation Dispute: A Once Supportable Concept Proposed by the IRT is Now Unsupportable by Jeff Neuman Ok. I admit it. I supported the concept of a post delegation dispute resolution process for generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Registries. I served as the only gTLD registry member of the Implementation Recommendation Team (IRT) appointed by the Intellectual Property Constituency of the Generic Names Supporting Organization of ICANN. http://www.circleid.com/posts/post_delegation_dispute_irt_concept_unsupportable/ au: Our net nannies need direction In the far-flung little country town of Canberra, the biggest bunch of interfering, do-gooding nannies you'd never want to be seated among at a dinner party are ploughing ahead with their Quixotic mission to muzzle, blinker and hobble Australia's ... Contrast that with last week's agreement between the US Department of Commerce and Icann. ... Until this agreement, the US was the major arbiter of the internet, a fact that annoyed other nations and groups. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/our-net-nannies-need-direction/story-e6frfhqf-1225783064962 Ceding the Internet to ?Global Governance? ... Well, we can add another dubious decision to the list of sacrifices the Obama Administration has made to alter of international engagement. Today it was announced that the Obama Administration had agreed to cede much U.S. control over the non-profit ICANN that regulates and manages the Domain Name System under which Internet Protocol addresses and registration of top-level domains like .org and .com are assigned. http://blog.heritage.org/2009/10/05/ceding-the-internet-to-?global-governance?/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** auDA?s 2009 board elections ? an unofficial betting market. With a cumulative total more than one million dot com.au domain names now registered, turnover amongst Australia?s 28 licensed domain name registrars in 2009 may well be comfortably in excess of $100million. http://www.ecommercereport.com.au/?p=326 .IE Domain Registrations Grow Strongly... From a Low Base Registrations if .IE domain names are growing strongly, with a growth of 15 per cent (9,398 registrations) in the last quarter to 131,862 registered domain names. However the growth is in an economic climate in Ireland that is not conducive to business growth. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/10/07/2539/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/ie-domain-registrations-grow-strongly...-from-a-low-base.html 'Strong Growth' in .IE Domain Names There has been continued strong growth in .ie domain registrations in the third quarter of this year, according to a report from the IE Domain Registry (IEDR). http://www.insideireland.ie/index.cfm/section/news/ext/domainnames001/category/1091 Strong growth in .ie domain registrations A total of 9,398 .ie domain names were registered in the third quarter of this year, a rise of 15% on the same period last year, according to the IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the managed registry for Ireland?s internet address. http://www.examiner.ie/breakingnews/business/strong-growth-in-ie-domain-registrations-429125.html http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/strong-growth-in-ie-domain-registrations-429125.html ICT professionals mourn as Ndukwe Kalu?s burial closes in For many ICT professionals, the announcement of the burial arrangements of late president of Nigerian internet Registration Association, NiRA, Engr Ndukwe Kalu, last week, draws closer a bitter reality that the industry has lost a true facilitator and may live with the hard reality that the vacuum his death would create may take time to fill. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/10/07/ict-professionals-mourn-as-ndukwe-kalu%E2%80%99s-burial-closes-in/ New York City Plan to Seek .NYC Web Address New York City has become the first American city to openly state it will seek a generic Top Level Domain. The City of New York will seek the .NYC gTLD working with dotNYC LLC, a private company that for the last year has been meeting with city officials about the plan for the .NYC web address. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=9269 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/10/04/nyc/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/new-york-city-plan-to-seek-.nyc-web-address.html City sets its sites on '.nyc' Web domain It's the 21st-century equivalent of the 212 area code. New York City is on the verge of getting its very own Internet domain that will give area Web sites the option of putting an ".nyc" rather than a ".com" at the end of their addresses. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/city_sets_its_sites_on_nyc_web_domain_crNzB6g8pUvJzGKySklDZI Knowing where you're § - and making it truly personal: NZ Domain name commissioner Debbie Monahan Domain name commissioner Debbie Monahan heads the Domain Name Commission (www.dnc.org.nz) which is responsible for managing the ".nz" portion of cyberspace's real estate. She has some simple advice for small New Zealand businesses wanting to better express themselves online. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10601865 PRI's The World - Geo Quiz Podcast 426 Lost Country Code "Dot-Y-U" is the Internet country code assigned to Yugoslavia. The country no longer exists. http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuar/.artsmain/article/11/1164/1562340/Radio/PRI%27s.The.World.-.Geo.Quiz.Podcast.426 http://www.theworld.org/2009/10/05/dot-yu/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** World War III could be fought on Internet, says ITU head [IDG] Threats of cyberwar and a story of real violence rubbed shoulders at a news conference to mark the opening of the ITU Telecom World exhibition and forum in Geneva on Monday. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/320993/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/100509-world-war-iii-could-be.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/173115/ http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/320993/ Next world war in cyberspace: UN [AFP] The next world war could take place in cyberspace, the UN telecommunications agency chief warned on Tuesday as experts called for action to stamp out cyber attacks. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/next-world-war-in-cyberspace-un-20091007-gll2.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/threat-of-next-world-war-may-be-in-cyberspace-un-20091007-glk8.html With no plan to respond to cyberattacks, U.S. risks reliving 9/11 In the wake of a widespread cyberattack, the United States could face the same lack of coordination and preparedness the nation experienced after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because the government has not developed clear policies for how to respond, a panel of current and former federal security officials said on Monday. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091005_7678.php The Real Cyber Czar In May, President Obama declared cyberspace a "strategic national asset," and an unacceptably vulnerable one. In a speech at the White House, he warned of unprecedented levels of online theft, pervasive electronic espionage and the increasing use of cyberattacks in conjunction with military operations. Then he pledged to appoint a national-level cybersecurity official to coordinate the government's responses to online threats, giving such efforts "the high-level focus and attention they deserve." http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091005_2168.php DNSSEC Signed ROOT by 1 July 2010 Mehmet Akcin writes: As announced today as part of RIPE meeting in Lisbon, Portugal by Joe Abley, DNS Group Director at ICANN, and Matt Larson, Vice President of DNS Research at VeriSign, in their presentation (Page 25), DNSSEC for the root zone is proposed to be fully deployed by July 1, 2010. http://www.circleid.com/posts/dnssec_signed_root_by_1_july_2010/ Securing a Domain: SSL vs. DNSSEC by Howard Eland There has been quite a bit of talk lately about the best way to secure a domain, mainly centered in two camps: using Secure Socket Layer (SSL), or using DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC). The answer is quite simple -- you should use both. The reason for this is that they solve different problems, using different methods, and operate over different data. http://www.circleid.com/posts/securing_a_domain_ssl_vs_dnssec/ First root server provides a DNSSEC-signed zone as of December 1st Joe Abley of ICANN and VeriSign manager Matt Larson announced, at the 59th meeting of the "R?seaux IP Europ?ens" (RIPE) in Lisbon, that, starting on the 1st of December, the central root zone of the Domain Name System (DNS) will be signed, deploying the DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) protocol, which has been discussed for years. However, the signed root zone will be distributed only gradually to a total of 13 root servers, while the public key is slated for distribution starting on the first of July, 2010. Responses cannot actually be validated until then. DNSSEC is designed to ensure that responses to DNS requests only come from authorised servers. http://www.h-online.com/security/First-root-server-provides-a-DNSSEC-signed-zone-as-of-December-1st--/news/114416 ca: DNSSEC Deployment Heads North - The .ca Canadian country code domain opens up a DNSSEC testbed. The global movement toward a more secure DNS infrastructure has gained another convert. The .ca ccTLD now has an open public DNSSEC testbed to help secure the more than 1.2 million domains it manages. http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3842711/DNSSEC+Deployment+Heads+North.htm ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Risk of Portfolio Approach to Cybersquatting by Alex Tajirian A secret weapon is falling into dangerous hands. Organized cybercriminals are building up portfolios of cybersquatting domain names. A smart operator with such a portfolio can go beyond simple stealing and competing full out for traffic and revenues. Rightful brand owners, feeling the squeeze, will find out too late that the bandits have the money to fight legal action. The time to act is now, before pieces of the playing field have been bought up by the enemy. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20091005_risk_of_portfolio_approach_to_cybersquatting/ UDRP: Your?e Going To Lose A ??Sucks? Domain If You Park It. In a new ruling today on the domain radioshacksucks.com made it pretty clear if you own one of these company ?sucks? domains if you park it you will lose it. http://www.thedomains.com/2009/10/05/udrp-youre-going-to-lose-a-sucks-domain-if-you-park-it/ Michael Jackson Charity Officials Slam Lawsuit Bosses of the Heal the World Foundation have vowed to fight the lawsuit Michael Jackson's estate administrators have filed against them - insisting they are the King Of Pop's "friends". ... The suit alleges the defendants cybersquatted various domain names - but foundation officials are adamant they wish no harm on Jackson's memory. http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212260221.shtml http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/contents/20091006/jackson-charity-officials-slam-lawsuit.htm ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Twenty-two power laws of the emerging social economy Traditional measures of business success are becoming less and less important.There is a time for big picture thinking and there is a time for details in business and IT, the latter which make business and technical strategy a reality and the former which provides needed direction and focus. ... 2. Beckstrom?s Law: Originally formulated by Rod Beckstrom (currently head of ICANN), Beckstrom?s Law is a way of calculating the actual value of a network (versus the theoretical maximum potential, which is what Metcalfe?s Law and Reed?s Law determine). http://blogs.zdnet.com/Hinchcliffe/?p=961 ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Dark Blue Sea and GoDaddy Get Back Together Dark Blue Sea, parent company of Fabulous, has had a rough year. It probably hit bottom back in July, when GoDaddy pulled out of a sales distribution agreement with the company. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/06/dark-blue-sea-and-godaddy-get-back-together/ Rent.co.uk Biggest Weekly Sale for Sedo A ccTLD domain name was the biggest seller in a slow week for big sales in the week to 28 September. Rent.co.uk sold for ?65,000 (US$103,600) was the only domain name to make it to the six-figure mark (in US$). The next biggest seller for the week was admedia.com ($50,000). http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/10/07/rentcouk-sedo/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Olympics urged to open content rights to online [AP] The Olympic movement needs to learn from the likes of YouTube or risk losing young viewers for life, IOC members were told Monday. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/biz-tech/olympics-urged-to-open-content-rights-to-online-20091006-gkmo.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/biz-tech/olympics-urged-to-open-content-rights-to-online-20091006-gkmo.html Bing slips, Google inches ahead in search war As the search wars continue, new numbers are in showing that Microsoft's Bing slipped while Google inched further ahead last month. Google's search accounted for 71.08% of all U.S. searches conducted between September and October, said the Internet monitoring firm Hitwise. That's a 1% market share increase for Google, Hitwise reported late on Tuesday. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139038/Bing_slips_Google_inches_ahead_in_search_war http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/5CA29342E26AF49DCC25764800121B6D http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/100709-bing-slips-google-inches-ahead.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** When Old Flames Beckon Online Is it really a good idea to "friend" our old flames and crushes online? Ask Joy Moore, who recently went searching for her first love on the Internet. In 1974, he was captain of the high-school football team?tall, handsome, with mutton-chop sideburns that Ms. Moore says were "all the rage at the time." He took her to church events and taught her how to kiss. Then he moved away. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704252004574454962678774416.html Soon, US Bloggers Must Give Full Disclosure For nearly three decades, the Federal Trade Commission?s rules regarding the relationships between advertisers and product reviewers and endorsers were deemed adequate. Then came the age of blogging and social media. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/business/media/06adco.html Yes, new FTC guidelines extend to Facebook fan pages Prominent users of Twitter and Facebook won't be exempt from controversial new Federal Trade Commission guidelines that keep tabs on blogger freebies and giveaways, according to Richard Cleland, associate director for the FTC's advertising division. The agency absolutely plans to keep tabs on social networks as well as blogs in accordance with revised regulations that could see violators fined up to $11,000, he said. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10368064-36.html FTC to bloggers: Fess up or pay up A fine of up to $11,000 awaits bloggers who don't reveal paid reviews or free products, in the first revision to the FTC's disclosure guidelines in three decades. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10367464-93.html FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials [news release] The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it has approved final revisions to the guidance it gives to advertisers on how to keep their endorsement and testimonial ads in line with the FTC Act. http://ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm Big tobacco infiltrates social network sites There are concerns big tobacco companies are using social networking sites like Facebook to sell more cigarettes. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/07/2706919.htm Roxon orders Facebook tobacco probe Health Minister Nicola Roxon says her department is investigating reports big tobacco companies are using social networking sites like Facebook to hook young people onto cigarettes. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/07/2707492.htm Future conflicts 'to be fought on internet' Like many Iranians, Mehran Mortezai turned to the internet for news about the violence that swept thriough Tehran after his birth country's national election earlier this year. Mr Mortezai lives and studies in Sydney, but new media platforms gave him direct access to protesters in Tehran. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/07/2707180.htm Microsoft vs Google Internet war to benefit media: AP chief [AFP] Microsoft's Internet search engine war with Google will revitalise the ailing media industry by helping it profit more from online news, the head of US news agency the Associated Press said Tuesday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/microsoft-vs-google-internet-war-to-benefit-media-ap-chief-20091007-glk2.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Australian Government looks at e-waste recycling scheme Mountains of old televisions and computers will finally be diverted from the local tip if the federal government agrees to a new electronic waste recycling scheme to be unveiled next month. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26169526-15306,00.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Japan hit over child porn - UNICEF head says lack of curbs online spreads menace abroad The head of UNICEF on Tuesday condemned Japan's laws on child pornography, saying the country is falling behind global standards and is guilty of spreading illegal material abroad. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20091007a5.html UN unveils child online protection guide [AFP] The UN telecoms agency on Wednesday launched a blueprint for online child protection, as experts warned that children must be accompanied on the internet in the same way as they are in the real world. http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-world/un-unveils-child-online-protection-guide-20091008-gnhi.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/un-unveils-child-online-protection-guide-20091008-gnhi.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/un-unveils-child-online-protection-guide-20091008-gnhi.html nz: Netsafe broadens security warnings as threats morph Netsafe executive director Martin Cocker says a diagnostic tool has not yet been produced that will recognise all the signs of a security threat and still be comprehended by a typical home user. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/704E5D39B2E51097CC2576470070ABE1 Blacklists should be given to vendors, not ISPs The testing company that conducted the Federal Government?s controversial ISP filtering trial claims any blacklists should be kept away from ISPs. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/319498/ ISP filtering trial company confident it will silence the critics Enex Testlabs is confident the findings of its report on the Federal Government?s controversial ISP filtering scheme will silence the trial?s critics. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/319654/ au: Our net nannies need direction In the far-flung little country town of Canberra, the biggest bunch of interfering, do-gooding nannies you'd never want to be seated among at a dinner party are ploughing ahead with their Quixotic mission to muzzle, blinker and hobble Australia's http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/our-net-nannies-need-direction/story-e6frfhqf-1225783064962 au: 'You seem mature': claims Jetstar attendant stalked teen on Facebook A male flight attendant accused of stealing the personal details of a 15-year-old girl from a Jetstar flight manifest and contacting her via Facebook repeatedly asked for her mobile phone number and address, it has been revealed. http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/you-seem-mature-claims-jetstar-attendant-stalked-teen-on-facebook-20091007-gm1x.html http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/you-seem-mature-claims-jetstar-attendant-stalked-teen-on-facebook-20091007-gm1x.html Teen 'stalking' Jetstar attendant stood down A male flight attendant accused of contacting a 15-year-old girl via Facebook has been stood down. Jetstar head of corporate relations Simon Westaway this morning said airline senior management had spoken with the cabin crew employee on his rostered day off yesterday and it had been decided he should remain off duty until an investigation was concluded. http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/teen-stalking-jetstar-attendant-stood-down-20091008-gnsb.html Jetstar staffer stood down over passenger contact A male Jetstar flight attendant accused of tracking down a teenage passenger on Facebook has been stood down while the airline investigates the matter. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/08/2708533.htm au: Jetstar probes alleged cyber-stalking [AAP] A teenage girl on a flight from the Sunshine Coast has been contacted by a Jetstar attendant after he accessed her private information on the flight manifest, it is alleged. http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2009/10/07/jetstar-invetsigates-alleged-cyber-stalking/ http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2009/10/07/jetstar-invetsigates-alleged-cyber-stalking/ Parental Guidance on Web Video for Children If you still need convincing that the digital future has arrived, consider this: By the time you finish this article, at least 10 more hours of new video will be uploaded to YouTube. Combine this with a young child?s curiosity and pocket-size video players, and you get the perfect recipe for parental distress. After all, what youngster would not want a million channels of TV? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/technology/personaltech/08basics.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Pirates v the English Premier League: a war on the web England's match in Ukraine this weekend is a major landmark in the history of sports broadcasting: as many as a million fans will subscribe to Britain's first high-profile football match available exclusively online. It is of course entirely legal: Kentaro, a European agency that deals in sports broadcasting right, set up the deal with the Ukraine's FA when traditional broadcasters showed little interest. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/pirates-v-the-premier-league-a-war-on-the-web-1798224.html iiNet says no laws were breached IiNet yesterday told the NSW Federal Court that movie studios accusing it of sanctioning illegal file sharing on the internet had vastly exaggerated the extent of copyright infringement carried out on its service. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26181537-15306,00.html iiNet says piracy claim exaggerated In the movie industry's landmark case over illegal film downloads, internet service provider iiNet has launched its counter-attack calling the movie studios' claims of tens of thousands of copyright infringements over its network ''highly exaggerated'' and ''out of kilter''. http://www.theage.com.au/business/iinet-says-piracy-claim-exaggerated-20091007-gn8j.html AFACT director to take the stand in civil case against iiNet The civil action between the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) and ISP iiNet continues today, with AFACT?s executive director, Neil Gane, likely to take the stand as the first witness. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/321429/ iiNet: AFACT?s 94,942 figure artificially inflated Legal representatives for Internet Service Provider, iiNet, have claimed copyright infringement figures presented to the Federal Court of Australia by Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) in the civil case between the parties were ?artificially inflated?. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/321298/ Australian ISP in court for not disconnecting users Australia's third-largest ISP finally found itself in court this week after film companies last year sued iiNet for not disconnecting Internet users on their say-so. The case will be a major test of Australia's "safe harbor" copyright law that provides immunity to Internet service providers?but only those that "reasonably implement" a user termination policy for "repeat infringers." http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/10/australian-isp-in-court-for-not-disconnecting-users.ars iiNet case could set piracy precedent A trial in Sydney could determine whether internet service providers (ISPs) can be held responsible for their users' pirated content. One of Australia's largest ISPs, the Perth-based iiNet, is being sued by a consortium of film distribution companies. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/06/2706449.htm First shots fired in the internet movie download wars The opening salvo of the landmark case by Australian and US film studios against internet service provider iiNet over illegal movie downloads featured gunshots in the Federal Court yesterday as lawyers showed a bank robbery from Batman's Dark Knight to illustrate the copyright piracy the company is alleged to allow its customers. Tony Bannon, SC, for the 34 claimants which include studios such as Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, Village Roadshow and Kerry Stokes' Seven Network, said in his opening submission that a year of investigations into iiNet showed 94,942 instances where users made unauthorised copies of titles such as Harry Potter and the Batman movies available, using file-sharing software such as BitTorrent. http://www.theage.com.au/business/first-shots-fired-in-the-internet-movie-download-wars-20091006-glei.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/biz-tech/illegal-downloads-case-gets-its-own-medicine-20091006-gldl.html iiNet 'allowed 100,000 dodgy downloads' The Federal Court has heard almost 100,000 illegal downloads of video and music files were detected during a 59-week investigation of the internet service provider iiNet. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/06/2706096.htm AFACT v iiNet - The bell sounds for round one 10.15 am. Court Room 18C. Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales Registry. October 6, 2009. Mark it down. It may just be one of the most important dates in Australian ICT and copyright history. It's the start of: Roadshow Films Pty Ltd ACN 100 746 870 & Ors v iiNet Ltd ACN 068 628 937. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/321015/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/100509-afact-v-iinet-the-bell.html YouTube Eases the Way to More Revenue YouTube appears to be mastering the art of turning video piracy into revenue for itself and its partners. For years, the clips of television shows, music videos and other copyrighted content that users uploaded to YouTube without permission were a source of tension between Google, which owns YouTube, and media companies, which owned the copyrights. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/technology/internet/07youtube.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** 4.6 billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2009 [news release] ITU's latest statistics, published in The World in 2009: ICT facts and figures, reveal rapid ICT growth in many world regions in everything from mobile cellular subscriptions to fixed and mobile broadband, and from TV to computer penetration - with mobile technology acting as a key driver. http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2009/39.html Mobile subscriptions at 4.6 billion by year-end - ITU Mobile subscriptions will rise to 4.6 billion by the end of this year, boosted by a continuing mobile phone boom in emerging economies, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5951WX20091006 Mobile broadband outstrips wired web, says UN [AP] More people are using cell phones and other portable devices for high-speed web access than are signing up for fixed line subscriptions to the net, according to UN figures. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10601731 http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/un-report-mobile-broadband-overtaking-fixed-line-20091007-glk5.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/un-report-mobile-broadband-overtaking-fixed-line-20091007-glk5.html Mobile phones ring in growth in emerging markets [AFP] Once just a simple telecommunications tool, the mobile telephone has in recent years become a driver of economic growth in emerging countries, experts said at one of the industry's biggest fairs. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/mobile-phones-ring-in-growth-in-emerging-markets-20091007-gmlz.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/mobile-phones-ring-in-growth-in-emerging-markets-20091007-gmlz.html Media organisations turn to mobile phone applications to raise revenue In the two years since it appeared the iPhone has transformed the mobile phone industry and now its effect is being felt in the media world. But it is not the device's successful introduction of the touchscreen into daily life, nor its stylish looks that have the media world in a spin. It is the fact that iPhone users are personalising their phones with applications ? 2bn so far ? and amid all the downloadable games, maps, pint-glass emulators and fart generators, some of the "apps" that are proving particularly popular are news. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/05/mobile-phone-applications http://www.theage.com.au/business/smartphones-put-paid-to-no-pay-news-20091005-gjgo.html Mobile broadband in the UK feels the strain Researchers predict that more than one billion people around the world will be using mobile broadband by 2012. However some European mobile operators claim that current levels of use are already crippling their networks. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8281314.stm Opinion: Thumbs on the Wheel: How to Stop Texting and Driving President Obama has forbidden federal employees from texting while driving. The federal Transportation Department plans to do the same for commercial-truck and Interstate-bus drivers. And support is building in Congress for legislation that would require states to outlaw texting or e-mailing while driving. Such distractions cause tens of thousands of deaths each year. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/opinion/05silberschatz.html Microsoft launches Windows phones Mobiles sporting the latest release of the Windows Mobile operating system are now available for sale worldwide. Microsoft is also formally launching its application store, known as Windows Marketplace for Mobile. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8291808.stm Microsoft launches Windows Phone in swipe at rivals Microsoft is launching a full-frontal assault on Apple's iPhone and Google's embryonic mobile phone platform Android with a global advertising campaign to promote the launch of its new Windows Phone software that will run to "several hundred million dollars". http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/oct/06/windows-phone-mobile Telstra, Microsoft target iPhone market Microsoft, with a little help from telco buddy Telstra, began the long fight back against the iPhone today in the burgeoning smartphone applications market. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26177653-15306,00.html Half of French kids use mobiles in class: survey [AFP] Nearly half of French youths are using their mobile phones in class, with a majority saying they had answered calls during lessons, according to a survey published Tuesday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/half-of-french-kids-use-mobiles-in-class-survey-20091006-gl42.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/half-of-french-kids-use-mobiles-in-class-survey-20091006-gl42.html Toward a Wider Wireless World : AT& T, Verizon to Open Cellphone Networks Cellphone giants to federal regulators: We can hear you now. That appeared to be the message from AT&T and Verizon Wireless on Tuesday when the telecom giants announced separately that they would open their networks more widely to popular, and potentially rival, phone services. The twin policy decrees came as the Federal Communications Commission gets ready to take up rules that would prevent carriers from picking and choosing what services can access the Internet. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/06/AR2009100603691.html Asia Pacific leads world in WiMax adoption: Frost & Sullivan The Asia Pacific region continues to lead the world in WiMax innovation, as countries like Japan, India and Korea continue to invest in the technology, with maverick operators in neighboring countries following suit, industry analyst firm Frost & Sullivan reported recently. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/321420/ ********************** SPAM ********************** How Google Deals With Web Spam It?s up to Matt Cutts and his team at Google to keep search results as free as possible from Web spam, those pages full of Viagra ads or even malware. A 10-year veteran of the company, he got into this online underworld after working on the first version of Google?s family filter, SafeSearch. http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2009/10/matt_cutts_goog.html Canadian anti-spam bill far from a done deal by Michael Geist The introduction last spring of Bill C-27 ? the Electronic Commerce Protection Act ? represented the culmination of years of effort to address concerns that Canada is rapidly emerging as a spam haven. Industry Minister Tony Clement's anti-spam bill has steadily made its way through the legislative process, with the Standing Committee on Industry likely to conduct its final "clause by clause" review this week. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4430/135/ http://www.thestar.com/article/705294 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** In Rural Africa, a Fertile Market for Mobile Phones Laban Rutagumirwa charges his mobile phone with a car battery because his dirt-floor home deep in the remote, banana-covered hills of western Uganda does not have electricity. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/science/06uganda.html World Bank to help develop high-speed Internet in Africa [AFP] The World Bank said on Tuesday it would invest US$215 million (?146 million) to help develop high-speed Internet infrastructure in central Africa and make the service more accessible to people in the region. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/wb-to-help-develop-highspeed-internet-in-africa-20091007-glk6.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/wb-to-help-develop-highspeed-internet-in-africa-20091007-glk6.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** World War III could be fought on Internet, says ITU head [IDG] Threats of cyberwar and a story of real violence rubbed shoulders at a news conference to mark the opening of the ITU Telecom World exhibition and forum in Geneva on Monday. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/320993/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/100509-world-war-iii-could-be.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/173115/ http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/320993/ Next world war in cyberspace: UN [AFP] The next world war could take place in cyberspace, the UN telecommunications agency chief warned on Tuesday as experts called for action to stamp out cyber attacks. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/next-world-war-in-cyberspace-un-20091007-gll2.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/threat-of-next-world-war-may-be-in-cyberspace-un-20091007-glk8.html With no plan to respond to cyberattacks, U.S. risks reliving 9/11 In the wake of a widespread cyberattack, the United States could face the same lack of coordination and preparedness the nation experienced after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because the government has not developed clear policies for how to respond, a panel of current and former federal security officials said on Monday. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091005_7678.php The Real Cyber Czar In May, President Obama declared cyberspace a "strategic national asset," and an unacceptably vulnerable one. In a speech at the White House, he warned of unprecedented levels of online theft, pervasive electronic espionage and the increasing use of cyberattacks in conjunction with military operations. Then he pledged to appoint a national-level cybersecurity official to coordinate the government's responses to online threats, giving such efforts "the high-level focus and attention they deserve." http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091005_2168.php Key-logging behind web mail scam Victims of an industry-wide email scam could have been part of a so-called key-logging attack, according to one security expert. Amichai Shulman from security firm Imperva said the high numbers of victims suggested this type of attack. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8294714.stm Hotmail password breach blamed on phishing attack Microsoft has confirmed that the publication of thousands of Hotmail passwords was the result of a phishing attack against users of the popular email service. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/oct/06/hotmail-phishing Hotmail hacks easy as 123456 The Hotmail hack attack this week has laid bare the woeful password choices of web users, as reports emerged that up to 1 million web email accounts could have been compromised. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/hotmail-hacks-easy-as-123456-20091008-go3f.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/hotmail-hacks-easy-as-123456-20091008-go3f.html Google targeted in e-mail scam Google's web-based e-mail system, Gmail, has been targeted as part of an "industry-wide phishing scheme". The firm said that it had immediately safeguarded the affected accounts. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8292928.stm Gmail, AOL and Yahoo email logins posted online in phishing scam More than a quarter of a million email accounts on the biggest webmail services are believed to be at risk from online criminals after thousands of passwords belonging to users of the Yahoo, AOL and Gmail services were posted online. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/oct/06/gmail-yahoo-aol-phishing-scam Gmail, Yahoo Mail join Hotmail; passwords exposed Google's Gmail and Yahoo's Mail were also targeted by a large-scale phishing attack, perhaps the same one that harvested at least 10,000 passwords from Microsoft's Windows Live Hotmail, according to a report by the BBC. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139000/Gmail_Yahoo_Mail_join_Hotmail_passwords_exposed Tens Of Thousands of Email Usernames and Passwords Posted Online By Phishers Lists containing tens of thousands of stolen email account usernames and passwords have shown up online over the past few days in what researchers say likely came out of multiple phishing attacks. http://www.darkreading.com/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220301344 F.B.I. Indicts Dozens in Online Bank Fraud In what it is calling Operation Phish Phry, the F.B.I. on Wednesday began arresting 53 people on charges of conducting a vast financial fraud based on phishing ? the act of tricking Internet users into revealing their passwords and other information. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/technology/internet/08phish.html Operation Phish Phry Nets 100 Suspects United States and Egyptian authorities began rounding up 100 suspects indicted in connection with a two-year investigation dubbed "Operation Phish Phry." http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/173318/.html http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/100709-operation-phish-phry-nets-100.html Biggest cyber-crime investigation in US history: FBI smashes 'phishing' ring [AFP] Investigators in the United States and Egypt have smashed a computer "phishing" identity theft scam described as the biggest cyber-crime investigation in US history, officials said on Wednesday. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/biggest-cybercrime-investigation-in-us-history-fbi-smashes-phishing-ring-20091008-gngq.html OPERATION PHISH PHRY: Major Cyber Fraud Takedown [news release] Nearly 100 people were charged today in the U.S. and Egypt as part of Operation Phish Phry, one the largest cyber fraud phishing cases to date. It?s the latest action in what Director Robert Mueller described in a major address today as a ?cyber arms race,? where law enforcement and criminals compete to stay one step ahead of each other on the ever-expanding virtual frontier. http://www.fbi.gov/page2/oct09/phishphry_100709.html So Many Local Crimes, So Few Cybercops to Help Justin Feffer, a senior investigator at the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, drove to a suspect's house last December for a search relating to an identity-theft case. First, he did what cops normally do: took down the license number on the truck in the driveway, noted that surveillance cameras hung from the eaves and the windows were covered in paper. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125487044221969127.html S'pore firms lag in online protection Top organizations in the country are lagging behind their international peers in terms of protecting consumer interests and brand recognition online, according to a new report. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62058318,00.htm US court says software is owned, not licensed Software company Autodesk has failed in its bid to prevent the second-hand sale of its software. In a long-running legal battle it has not been able to convince a court that its software is merely licensed and not sold. http://out-law.com/page-10421 us: House Recognizes Cybersecurity Month House Homeland Security Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., on Tuesday introduced a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The Senate passed a similar resolution last week, which was sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Additionally President Obama issued a proclamation in honor of the month. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/10/house-recognizes-cybersecurity.php us: High Court Takes Up Copyright Case Publishing giants like Reed Elsevier, Dow Jones and the New York Times will face off against freelance authors Wednesday as the Supreme Court considers whether federal judges have the power to approve settlements in copyright fights, CongressDaily reports. The case stems from a New York court's approval of an $18 million settlement of a class-action brought by writers who argued their work was improperly reproduced for electronic distribution. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/10/high-court-takes-up-copyright.php I was cyberbullied: a virtual victim fights back The internet is seen as an 'anything goes' medium. But one woman went to court over a blog that was defaming her - and won. Fashion models' after-lives can take them to unexpected places, as Liskula Cohen found out. She made headlines in August after she sued Google for the email address of an anonymous author who slagged her off as "#1 skanky superstar" and "a psychotic, lying, whoring ... skank" on a Google-hosted blog. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/i-was-cyberbullied-a-virtual-victim-fights-back-1798539.html http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10602050 Wife bans FBI head from online banking No one is immune from cyberthreats, not even the head of the FBI. FBI Director Robert Mueller was banned by his wife from doing online banking after he nearly fell for a phishing scam, he said on Wednesday during a talk at the Commonwealth Club of California. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10370164-245.html Citing cybercrime, FBI director doesn't bank online [IDG] The head of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has stopped banking online after nearly falling for a phishing attempt. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139106/Citing_cybercrime_FBI_director_doesn_t_bank_online http://www.pcworld.com/article/173319/.html Online Banking Fraud in the UK Hits a New High [IDG] Online banking fraud in the U.K. has risen to the highest level in at least three years while card-related losses fell in most categories, according to industry figures released Wednesday. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/173267/.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** The OpenNet Initiative Presents New Findings in Africa The OpenNet Initiative (ONI) has released updated reports on Ethiopia and Zimbabwe and new reports on Uganda and Nigeria, where ONI tested for the first time in 2008 and 2009. http://opennet.net/blog/2009/10/the-opennet-initiative-presents-new-findings-africa ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Microsoft Tries to Quell European Complaints European antitrust regulators said Wednesday that they had tentatively accepted Microsoft?s concessions to settle two antitrust cases, which the company said left both organizations free to focus on the next generation of technology giants, including Google. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/technology/companies/08soft.html EU Hopes to Conclude Microsoft Case Before Year End The European Union signaled it would accept a settlement proposal outlined this summer by Microsoft Corp. that would end the bloc's pursuit of antitrust charges over the Internet Explorer Web browser, drawing the software giant closer to resolving nearly a decade of tussles with the regulator. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703298004574458693343173178.html Telecoms: Commission raises serious doubts about Austrian broadband market definition [news release] The European Commission has called on the Austrian telecoms regulator, Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs GmbH (RTR), to suspend the adoption of regulatory measures regarding the definition of the Austrian broadband access market, the so call bitstream access market. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1414 EU calls on Austria to suspend broadband measures European Union antitrust regulators urged the Austrian telecoms watchdog on Monday to suspend planned measures on the country's broadband access market, saying they may not comply with EU law. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5941BO20091005 au: COMMENT: Putting the fear into digital literacy! Last week I was all set to write a column about how the Australian government needed to match its commitment to industry intervention with industry promotion. I was going to argue that if Australia is going to emulate Singapore in building a government-directed national fibre-to-the-home network it should also arguably go the whole hog and re-constitute its regulatory arrangements in the same fashion?an Australian variant of a ?Singapore Infocomm Development Authority? as opposed to the current arrangements which are siloised into various consumer protection and technical regulation functions. http://www.commsday.com/node/574 au: Telcos warned about mobile, wireless internet speed advertising [news release] The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued an Information Paper to assist companies in complying with the consumer protection provisions in the Trade Practices Act 1974 when advertising mobile and wireless internet. http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/895118 ACCC calls for clarity on mobile internet speeds Telecommunication providers are being warned against advertising unrealistic mobile internet speeds. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued an information paper providing guidance around avoiding advertising "maximum", "up to" or "peak network" speeds, if they aren't achievable in the real world. http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/accc-calls-for-clarity-on-mobile-internet-speeds-20091005-gjdd.html http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/accc-calls-for-clarity-on-mobile-internet-speeds-20091005-gjdd.html au: Invoice overload: ACCC warns about questionable trade mark renewals [sub req'd] The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is reminding business owners to be vigilant after a spike in complaints about unsolicited letters that may appear to be trade mark renewal notices. http://www.linexlegal.com/content.php?content_id=117216 us: FCC seeks comment on broadband accessibility Americans with disabilities will be the focus of an October workshop on national broadband, Broadband Accessibility for People with Disabilities: Barriers, Opportunities, and Policy Recommendations, held by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the US communications Regulator. The workshop builds on a previous workshop, Broadband Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities, held in August 2009. ... The FCC approach is commendable for seeking the input of people with disabilities prior to the release of the national broadband plan. In Australia, neither ACMA, the comparable Australian regulator, nor the DBCDE, the Federal department of communications, has undertaken comparable consultation before deploying the national broadband network. http://mediaaccess.org.au/newmedia/new-media-news/643-fcc-seeks-comment-on-broadband-accessibility Why the Advocate General got Google AdWords wrong OPINION: We have been waiting for the formal opinion of an advisor to the European Court of Justice, in cases brought by three French companies against Google. Now that it has been published, we think the analysis is wrong. http://out-law.com/page-10426 French bill to open up online gambling market A French bill that would end a state monopoly on online gambling and allow privately owned websites to offer bets on poker, soccer and horse racing went under discussion in parliament on Wednesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5965CP20091007 ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* 'Masters of Light' Share Nobel in Physics Three scientists who harnessed the power of light in ways that turned the Internet into a global phenomenon and launched the digital-camera revolution were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125481670211367051.html Father of fiber-optics snags share of Nobel Physics Prize Charles Kao, whose work in the 1960s laid the foundation for today?s long-distance fiber-optic networks, has won a share of this year?s Nobel Prize in Physics. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9138995/Father_of_fiber_optics_snags_share_of_Nobel_Physics_Prize Google to Revise a Book Pact by Nov. 9 The parties to a Google book settlement that would allow the creation of a vast digital library outlined on Wednesday an aggressive timeline for modifying the agreement to satisfy objections from the Justice Department and others. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/technology/internet/08google.html Judge Sets Nov. 9 Deadline For Revised Google Book Settlement The federal judge who is responsible for reviewing the Google book settlement that would create a vast digital library has set Nov. 9 as the date by which Google and its partners must submit a revised settlement for the court?s preliminary approval. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/judge-sets-nov-9-deadline-for-revised-google-book-settlement/ Steve Ballmer: the future belongs to Microsoft Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft, and one of the richest businessmen in the world, punches the air with both arms and starts to bellow. ?Come on! These are going to be fun, fun years! I think about the next generation of what people are going to be doing in their homes. This is going to be the best three years for users in their home ? of all time.? http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6865045.ece ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** France Telecom executive resigns after employee suicide tally rises to 24 The deputy chief executive of France Telecom today resigned in the wake of a spate of staff suicides that unions have blamed on a bullying management style and brutal approach to restructuring. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/oct/05/telecoms-france Analysts want more submarine cables for Australia Australia needs to invest in more international submarine cable links to cater for continued growth in Internet traffic and to provide greater redundancy, according to two leading analysts. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/321263/ ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** us: Child-porn arrests: 'Shooting fish in a barrel' [AP] When a single Florida county arrested 45 men and boys from all walks of life last June on charges of downloading child pornography, some people worried the place had become a haven for deviants. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/childporn-arrests-shooting-fish-in-a-barrel-20091006-gjmk.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/childporn-arrests-shooting-fish-in-a-barrel-20091006-gjmk.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 Wed Oct 07 2009 - 23:55:26 UTC
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