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 and the Universal Postal Union Conclude Negotiation for .POST http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-20oct09-en.htm Accountability missing in ICANN's new autonomy http://www.zdnetasia.com/blogs/tech-podium/0,3800022495,63014406,00.htm President Obama on Cyber Security Awareness http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/10/president_obama_on_cyber_secur.html Domain Names as Property Subject to Creditor Claims - Bosh v. Zavala by Venkat Balasubramani http://www.circleid.com/posts/20091021_domain_names_as_property_subject_to_creditor_claims/ North American ISPs grab more IPv6 addresses than ever, IPv4 demand slows http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/101909-ipv6-growth.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN and the Universal Postal Union Conclude Negotiation for .POST ICANN and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) have reached an agreement in principle for the UPU sponsorship of the .POST Top-Level Domain. Final approval of the agreement is subject to ICANN's public comment process (which will commence after ICANN concludes its meeting in Seoul on 30 October 2009), and consideration by the Board of Directors. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-20oct09-en.htm Seoul public forum topics and times The public forum in Seoul will take place on Thursday 29 October. You can find the latest information on the session webpage at http://sel.icann.org/public-forum. http://blog.icann.org/2009/10/seoul-public-forum-topics-and-times/ Update on website revamp Just before the Sydney meeting in June we announced we were running a usability study on the main ICANN website at icann.org and opened a survey to the community to provide their feedback. This is an update on that process just prior to the next meeting in Seoul, starting on Monday. http://blog.icann.org/2009/10/update-on-website-revamp/ Can you believe it, UPU and ICANN reach agreement on .POST! Well this one's unexpected! ICANN has just announced that it has finally come to some sort of agreement with the UN's Universal Postal Union over .POST. This is the final (if you exclude the still very much in dispute .XXX) suffix that was okayed by ICANN as part of its 2003 limited round of new gTLD applications. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/281-Can-you-believe-it,-UPU-and-ICANN-reach-agreement-on-.POST!.html ICANN and the Universal Postal Union Conclude Negotiation for .POST The not-for-profit body responsible for the assignment of domain names and IP addresses has reached an agreement with the Universal Postal Union (www.upu.int) on its sponsorship of the .POST top-level domain. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/102109_ICANN_and_the_Universal_Postal_Union_Conclude_Negotiation_for_POST Accountability missing in ICANN's new autonomy Before introducing the next guest blogger for Tech Podium, I thought I'd help set the stage a little to explain why this issue is relevant to the underlying infrastructure that supports the World Wide Web today. I've been closely following the debate over whether ICANN should remain under the purview of the U.S. government or be handed over to an international entity. http://www.zdnetasia.com/blogs/tech-podium/0,3800022495,63014406,00.htm Getting a Handle on IDNs by R. Shawn Gunnarson Internationalized Domain Names or IDNs are back in the news. ICANN recently released a document entitled "Proposed Final Implementation for IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process"... In a nutshell, ICANN has now offered a path toward authorizing the adoption of ccTLDs in many countries' native languages. This marks a welcome advance for millions of Internet users who do not speak English or who do not use another language covered by ASCII. But with this advance comes some concerns. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20091021_getting_a_handle_on_idns/ ICANN Web Site Overhaul Moves Forward For an organization that?s at the center of the internet, ICANN?s web site is outdated and difficult to use. Over the summer it asked for feedback on the current web site and is working through the process of redesigning its web site. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/21/icann-web-site-overhaul-moves-forward/ Get your own URL in Arabic [Daily News Egypt] The most important organization that no one knows about is, this year, forging ahead with a plan that will fundamentally reshape the way you use the internet. http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20091022063349/Get%20your%20own%20URL%20in%20Arabic ... new gTLDS: trade mark owners: make noise before 22 November 2009 The period to comment on the ICANN's proposals to protect trade mark owners' rights under the new generic TLD regime (opening of the TLD system) closes 22 November 2009, so trade mark owners wishing to let their voices heard should start drafting. http://www.marques.org/class46/default.asp?D_A=20091019 http://www.marques.org/class46/default.asp?D_A=20091020 Action urged over gTLD expansion plans [reg req'd] Trademark owners have just over one month left to make their voices heard in the debate over ICANN?s plans for new generic top level domains, they were warned last week http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2318729 Scams & Shams: the Trouble with Social Networks ... He points to the online market Tweexchange as a prime example of how trading in social network names is a growing business. Unlike domain names, however, social networks have no central authority like ICANN or established processes for reclaiming brand names from cybersquatters. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/342446/Scams_Spams_Shams http://www.cio.com/article/505333/ http://www.cio.de/news/cio_worldnews/2211574/ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/10/19/urnidgns002570F3005978D885257654005BB88A.DTL http://www.cio.com/article/505333/Scams_Shams_the_Trouble_with_Social_Networks http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/scams-amp-shams-trouble-social-networks-510 http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=6DC25AA9-1A64-67EA-E41C8D73758EB28C http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/101909-scams--shams-the-trouble.html http://www.techworld.com.au/article/322716/ http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/322716/ http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/322716/ An Update on Icann's Process For Introducing New gTLDS [reg req'd] ICANN oversees the domain name system. Presently, there are 21 generic top level domains including the .com, .net, .biz and .org. There are also country code top level domains (ccTLDs); for example, .ca is the ccTLD for Canada and is administered by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority. http://www.linexlegal.com/content.php?content_id=123729 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** .ae Domain Administration confirms technical readiness to support the Arabic domain name .emarat (.??????) As part of its strategy to support and enhance Arabic content on the Internet, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has announced its plan to launch .emarat (.??????). This step has been made under the new directions of ICANN, the international corporation responsible for managing the assignment of domain names and IP addresses, which allows the use of languages other than English as an equivalent to the domain names for countries. http://tra.gov.ae/news_.ae_Domain_Administration_confirms_technical_readiness_to_support_the_Arabic_domain_name_.emarat_%28.%26%231575%3B%26%231605%3B%26%231575%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231575%3B%26%231578%3B%29-102-1.php TRA to launch .emarat as domain name The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has announced its plan to launch .emarat as part of its strategy to support and enhance Arabic content on the internet http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/10/Pages/19102009/10202009_95e2570729a6467c89522c7bed9c88cd.aspx TRA to launch .emarat as UAE domain name The Telecommunications Regulatory AuthorityTRA, as part of its strategy to support and enhance Arabic content on the Internet, has announced its plan to launch .emarat as the UAE domain name. http://www.tradearabia.com/news/newsdetails.asp?Sn=MEDIA&artid=169073 DENIC Softens its Registration Rules DENIC, the dot DE registry has recently decided to alleviate registration rules for the dot DE domain names. This move appears to be a direct consequence of Frankfort?s Final Court of Appeal?s ruling in April 2008 against DENIC and in favor of the registration of the domain name vw.de by Volkswagen. http://www.mailclub.info/article.php3?id_article=1196 Claim 1, 2 & 3-Character.de Domains! Sedo is hosting a Pre-Auction for 1, 2, and 3- character .de domains from Friday, Oct. 16th through Thursday, Oct. 22nd. Don?t hesitate to participate, since these newly released domains are expected to go fast! http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2514 .GAY On the Way, Thanks to Joe Dolce Early next year, ICANN will begin accepting applications for new, and maybe even unconventional, top-level doman addresses besides .com, .org and .net. Not only will they be recieving one from the city of New York for a ".NYC" address, but also from the Dot Gay Alliance, for .GAY. http://www.observer.com/2009/media/gay-way-thanks-joe-dolce Dot Gay Alliance Announces Plans for .GAY TLD, Profits to Fund LGBT Civil Rights The Dot Gay Alliance has announced plans to create the .GAY top-level domain (TLD) that also aims to become a source of funding for the LGBT civil rights groups in the US and abroad. http://www.circleid.com/posts/dot_gay_alliance_tld_plans_profits_to_fund_lgbt/ SIDN Sides with Dot NL Registrants The dot NL registry (SIDN) steps up the procedures allowing for the protection of registrants of domain names under the dot NL extension. It now provides for penalties against registrars who do not respect by the quarantine period. http://www.mailclub.info/article.php3?id_article=1194 Russian Police And Internet Registry Accused Of Aiding Cybercrime Internet registry RIPE NCC turned a blind eye to cybercrime, and Russian police corruption helped the perpetrators get away with it, according to the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/russian-police-and-internet-registry-accused-of-aiding-cybercrime-2165 Documents from the Independent Review of .XXX TLD Bid Held Last Month are Available Online An independent review of the .XXX Top-Level Domain application by ICM Reegistry was held in Washington DC last month, September 2009. All the documents from the hearing have now been posted online. http://www.circleid.com/posts/documents_from_the_independent_review_of_xxx_domain/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Microsoft OneCare was 'good enough' Eugene Kaspersky once told a competitor to his face: "I will eat you." The co-founder and CEO of Kaspersky Lab was certainly not into cannibalism, but was clearly hell-bent on winning over the majority market share his competitor had in the company's base in Russia. http://www.zdnetasia.com/insight/security/0,39044829,62058697,00.htm Commerce aide: Cybersecurity bill moving Legislation to help the government and private sector better prepare for and respond to high-tech attacks against communications infrastructure has a shot at Senate passage this year despite the crowded calendar and potential turf wars, a top Senate aide said today. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091019_4371.php President Obama on Cyber Security Awareness President Obama this week issued a short video address discussing the importance of cyber security awareness. The three-minute clip offers little in the way of startling revelation or news. But it is probably the most the president has had to say publicly about the topic since May, when he delivered a 16-minute speech saying he planned to create a new cyber security office at the White House that would be led by an as-yet-unappointed coordinator. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/10/president_obama_on_cyber_secur.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIIY9AQSqbY ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Domain Names as Property Subject to Creditor Claims - Bosh v. Zavala by Venkat Balasubramani Most people take it for granted that domain names are property. As such, there shouldn't be much dispute that domain names are subject to the claims of judgment creditors. But I've seen enough resistance to this position that I thought a recent case was worth a quick mention. This recent case (Bosh v. Zavala (08-CV-04851-FMC-MANx) (C.D. Cal. Sept. 24, 2009)) also raises some interesting questions about the mechanics of trying to use a domain name to satisfy a judgment. For more perspectives, see Marc Randazza's post on this case here; see also NYT; Domain Name News; Deadspin. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20091021_domain_names_as_property_subject_to_creditor_claims/ Kentucky online gambling case hits high court Online gambling proponents say Gov. Steve Beshear is moving against a national tide with his effort to block Kentuckians from visiting Internet casinos. http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20091021/NEWS0108/310200033/ InternetX Reseller Problem Turned on Domain Registrants Domain registrar asks domain registrants to pay up after reseller doesn?t pay the bill. A reseller of domain name registrar InternetX didn?t pay for its customers? registrations, and now the registrar is asking domain registrants to foot the bill. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/19/internetx-reseller-problem-turned-on-domain-registrants/ Verizon Files Another Cybersquatting Lawsuit Verizon is suing 2Cool Guys.LLC (sic), Warren Weitzman, Arnold Trebach, and several John Does for trademark infringement. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/19/verizon-files-another-cybersquatting-lawsuit/ UDRP milestone points to fresh challenges A revision of the global scheme for settling domain name disputes must account for the growth and mounting complexity of the domain name system (DNS) and friction with other IP Rights, Dr Francis Gurry has warned. Speaking this week to mark the 10th anniversary of the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), the director of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) said that addressing these challenges is vital for the scheme's future success. http://www.cpaglobal.com/ip-review-online/4193/udrp_milestone_points_fresh_ch ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** North American ISPs grab more IPv6 addresses than ever, IPv4 demand slows U.S. ISPs are requesting more IPv6 addresses and fewer IPv4 addresses than ever before -- a sign that carriers are investing in the future amidst one of the deepest recessions in modern history. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/101909-ipv6-growth.html http://www.itworld.com/networking/81543/isps-grab-more-ipv6-addresses-ever http://www.infoworld.com/d/networking/ipv6-addresses-north-american-isps-are-now-grabbing-them-over-ipv4-582 http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/10/19/isps-grab-more-ipv6-addresses-ever Gartner: Don't sweat move to IPv6 The future of communications calls for a focus on unified communications and collaboration, workforce mobility, IP telephony and network virtualization. But moving from IPv4 to IPv6? Don't worry about it yet, Gartner analysts say. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/102009-gartner-ipv6.html http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/10/20/urnidgns002570F3005978D80025765500561228.DTL http://www.infoworld.com/d/networking/gartner-dont-sweat-move-ipv6-687 http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/10/20/gartner-dont-sweat-move-ipv6 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Google Penalizing .GB.COM Domains? There is a really long thread at Google Webmaster Help on the topic of the .GB.COM TLD. Some are of the belief that Google is penalizing or banning these domains. http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/020971.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Why Are Generic Domains Valuable? Netfleet have just put together a document outlining the benefits of generic domain names. We felt this could be a useful tool for anyone looking to sell a domain - particularly to an 'end-user' that may not intuitively understand the value of premium names to their business. http://www.netfleet.com.au/index.php?a=news&id=54 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Twitter and Status Updating, Fall 2009 Overview: Some 19% of internet users now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves, or to see updates about others. This represents a significant increase over previous surveys in December 2008 and April 2009, when 11% of internet users said they use a status-update service. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/17-Twitter-and-Status-Updating-Fall-2009.aspx ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** England & Wales' Lord Judge calls for jury system that caters for computer generation The jury system is threatened by the internet generation, who no longer get their information from listening to people speaking, the Lord Chief Justice warned yesterday. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6882947.ece The jury's still out on whether internet use affects the brain Advances in technology have revealed that our brains are far more altered by experience or training than was thought possible. The memory-storing hippocampus region of the brain in London taxi drivers is bigger, and the auditory areas of musicians more developed, than average. Even learning to juggle can result in a certain amount of rewiring of the brain. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6883007.ece Worldwide ebb: Now that everybody and his mother is on Facebook, is it time to look for the next big thing in social networking? Five years from now, will Internet historians signpost the Facebook movie, due out in 2010, as the beginning of the site's end? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/18/AR2009101802327.html Study: U.S. Broadband in Middle of Pack The United States is in the middle of the global pack on broadband infrastructure and is forging a very different upgrade path than the rest of the world, according to a new report (PDF) by Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. The report was commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission, as part of its mandate under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to create a new plan for national broadband access and improvement. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/173918/.html http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/101909-study-us-broadband-in-middle.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Eight billion minutes spent on Facebook daily More than 8 billion minutes are spent on Facebook every day, Facebook executive Mike Schroepfer said in a talk Wednesday at the Web 2.0 Summit here. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10380427-36.html Survey Finds Nearly 20 Percent of Online Americans Tweet A new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project claims that 19 percent, or nearly 1 in 5, Americans who use the Internet also use Twitter or some other social networking status update service to keep in touch and share information about themselves with others. The bigger news is that this figure is almost double what it was in a previous survey in December of 2008. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/102209-survey-finds-nearly-20-percent.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/174107/.html More Internet users sharing status updates: report [AFP] Sharing status updates on online services such as Twitter or Facebook is becoming increasingly popular among Americans, according to a survey released on Wednesday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/more-internet-users-sharing-status-updates-report-20091022-h9mg.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/more-internet-users-sharing-status-updates-report-20091022-h9mg.html Hollywood film stars banned from Twitter Hollywood film stars including Cameron Diaz and Mike Myers are being banned from using Twitter because bosses think "tweets" are damaging the industry. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/6369889/Hollywood-film-stars-banned-from-Twitter.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Battle of the clouds: the fight to dominate cloud computing will increase competition and innovation There is nothing the computer industry likes better than a big new idea?followed by a big fight, as different firms compete to exploit it. ?Cloud computing? is the latest example, and companies large and small are already joining the fray. The idea is that computing will increasingly be delivered as a service, over the internet, from vast warehouses of shared machines. Documents, e-mails and other data will be stored online, or ?in the cloud?, making them accessible from any PC or mobile device. Many things work this way already, from e-mail and photo albums to calendars and shared documents. http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14644393 Clash of the clouds The launch of Windows 7 marks the end of an era in computing?and the beginning of an epic battle between Microsoft, Google, Apple and others http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14637206 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Without Honour and Humanity: Japan's Yakuza deals in child pornography [ABC TV Foreign Correspondent Report] Reporting on the Yakuza is a deadly dangerous endeavour. Japan?s 80,000 strong criminal class don?t take kindly to nosey reporters and uncomfortable questions. Nevertheless North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy has managed to pry open a window on this highly secretive society to examine the Yakuza?s power and place in contemporary Japan. http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2009/s2715335.htm Old-style Yakuza regret child pornography push [audio and text] For decades the Japanese mafia - the Yakuza - has specialised in prostitution, protection, drugs and extortion. But now, for the first time, the country's leading police agency is acknowledging that some of these gangsters are delving into child pornography. http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2009/s2718553.htm Exposing Japan's insidious underbelly In the cosseted and closed world of Japanese journalism, Jake Adelstein is unique. For a start, as you've probably guessed, he's not even Japanese. But this mild-mannered Jewish boy from Missouri didn't let that stop him becoming the first foreigner to land a reporting job at the Yomiuri Shimbun. http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/australian-news/6334195/exposing-japans-insidious-underbelly/ United Nations offers advice on how to protect children online Child carers and regulators are slowly venturing into cyberspace to protect children from abuse. Since November 1989, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has been adopted by 193 countries. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/6373416/United-Nations-offers-advice-on-how-to-protect-children-online.html Parents, care groups venture into children's digital limbo [AFP] Twenty years after the international community expanded the frontiers of protection for children, child carers and officialdom are slowly venturing into uncharted territory: cyberspace. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/technology/10/21/09/parents-care-groups-venture-childrens-digital-limbo http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=5208624 http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091019/ts_alt_afp/internetitchildreneducationsocial_20091019173553 ACMA Annual Report tabled in Parliament [news release] The 2008-09 Annual Report of the Australian Communications and Media Authority was tabled in Federal Parliament today. ?The ACMA?s work continues across the widest geographic scale, from satellites in space to cables beneath the sea and from the most remote rural outpost to congested metropolitan areas,? said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA. ... The development and implementation of a national cybersafety education program was another significant ongoing project. Activities included internet safety presentations, a professional development program for teachers and the development of www.cybersmart.gov.au, a practical website that included a comprehensive area for schools ? the Schools Gateway. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311935 ACMA annual report 2008?09 The ACMA annual report 2008?09 was tabled in Parliament on 20 October 2009. The document is available online in PDF format. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311933 Adult games to be blocked by Internet filter? The Rudd Government?s proposed internet filtering system could have a big effect on online gaming in Australia. During a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra yesterday, Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, admitted that the lack of an R classification in Australia for computer and video games was "under policy consideration" in light of Internet filtering plans. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/323170/ Police take the fight to schoolyard cyber-bullies Schools around Australia are tackling online bullying following several teen suicides linked to social networking and depression, cyber-cop Susan McLean says. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26231565-15306,00.html Leaked paper sheds light on filtering failures A technology whitepaper by ISP Watchdog, which specialises in supplying filtered internet access, is pointing to several problems with official Net censorship trials in Australia and New Zealand. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/FD920FD4905B3CC3CC25765600826170 Prime Minister avoids questions on Internet filtering Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has largely avoided the debate on Internet filtering during a live Web chat, despite several direct questions and comments by participants. During a discussion dominated by climate change and bullying, the topic of Internet filtering raised strong opinions in the final minutes. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/323231/ au: Conroy will 'shortly' release filter report Communications Minister Stephen Conroy late yesterday said he had received the report from Enex Testlabs into trials of ISP-based internet filtering technology, and would release it "shortly" as part of a public consultation process. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Conroy-will-shortly-release-filter-report/0,130061744,339299118,00.htm Conroy commits to public consultation on filtering Government will release the Enex Testlab report on internet filtering "in full" at the same time it issues a discussion paper on policy options, and has committed to a public consultation on the controversial issue before it proceeds further. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/28624/53/ Conroy to release filtering report and discussion paper Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has promised to release a discussion paper alongside Enex TestLab's government commissioned report into ISP-level filtering. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/158588,conroy-to-release-filtering-report-and-discussion-paper.aspx au: IIA 'Family Friendly' internet filter list updated The latest IIA Family Friendly Internet Filter list has been published. Is your chosen product included? http://www.itwire.com/content/view/28683/53/ au: Crackdown on child cyber-groomers Police launch a crackdown on child cyber-groomers, with extra investigators to catch offenders and a new online safety campaign to help parents stop predators preying on their children. http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/crackdown-on-child-cyber-groomers/ au: Bullying killed my boy, mother told police On the morning that Justine Kelly discovered her 14-year-old son's body in the family garage, she told police that school bullies were responsible for his death, an inquest has heard. http://www.smh.com.au/national/bullying-killed-my-boy-mother-told-police-20091019-h4zh.html http://nqr.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/bullying-killed-my-boy-mother-told-police/1653846.aspx http://www.qt.com.au/story/2009/10/20/bullies-killed-my-son/ http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2009/10/20/bullies-killed-my-son/ http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2009/10/20/bullies-killed-my-son/ http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/bullying-killed-my-boy-mother-told-police-20091019-h4zh.html Inquest into Alex Wildman's death to examine bullying The mother of a NSW high school student who committed suicide after being beaten and bullied says she hopes an inquest into his death will help protect other families from experiencing similar heartache. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,26233438-952,00.html Teen was bullied before suicide The mother of a NSW high school student who committed suicide after being bullied says she hopes an inquest into his death will help protect other families. http://bigpondnews.com/articles/National/2009/10/20/Teen_was_bullied_before_suicide_384719.html Teen was beaten and bullied before suicide Deputy NSW Coroner Malcolm MacPherson said his examination of the circumstances surrounding 14-year-old Alex Wildman's death on July 25, 2008 could prove to be harrowing. http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2009/10/19/teen-suicide-inquest-alex-wildman1/ ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** MySpace abandons race with Facebook The new chief executive of MySpace has told the Financial Times that the company is no longer interested in competing with Facebook, effectively conceding defeat in the race to become the largest online social network. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/79054d72-be73-11de-b4ab-00144feab49a.html Facebook and Google Expected to Offer Music Music fans are about to get two new ways to find and sample songs on the Web, as Google and Facebook introduce new features on their services. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/technology/internet/22google.html Google, Facebook to Offer Music Sales [IDG] Facebook plans to let users buy music and other virtual products on its Web site, the company said Wednesday, expanding its sources of revenue as the company seeks to turn its huge popularity into fiscal profit. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/174112/.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** EU ready for wireless broadband on GSM frequencies The path has been cleared today for a new generation of mobile services in Europe with the publication in the EU's Official Journal of new measures that allow 3G phones to use GSM frequencies. This follows the European Parliament and Council of Ministers' agreement, in July ( IP/09/1192 ), to modernise European legislation ? the GSM Directive ? on the use of the radio spectrum needed for mobile services. The new EU measures will foster stronger competition on Europe's telecoms market and make it easier for operators to provide faster, pan-European services such as mobile internet alongside today's GSM services. They will also boost the roll-out of wireless broadband services, one of the drivers of the EU's economic recovery. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1545 ********************** SPAM ********************** Australian consumers speak out over spam Australian consumers are fighting back against bank scams, dodgy lottery wins, cheap erectile dysfunction sprays and other unwanted offers, lodging a record 3947 complaints about spam last financial year with regulator the Australian Communications and Media Authority. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,26239168-7582,00.html http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,26240043-15306,00.html http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,26240308-951,00.html ACMA Annual Report tabled in Parliament [news release] The 2008-09 Annual Report of the Australian Communications and Media Authority was tabled in Federal Parliament today. ?The ACMA?s work continues across the widest geographic scale, from satellites in space to cables beneath the sea and from the most remote rural outpost to congested metropolitan areas,? said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA. ... In 2008?09, the ACMA received 3,947 complaints about spam, a 31 per cent increase from last year. This increase, in part, is attributed to media coverage of enforcement action and increasing awareness of SMS spam. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311935 ACMA annual report 2008?09 The ACMA annual report 2008?09 was tabled in Parliament on 20 October 2009. The document is available online in PDF format. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311933 ACMA cracks down on SMS spam Australia's media watchdog has used the tabling of its annual report to Parliament to put SMS marketers on notice that it will crack down on the rising tide of mobile spam in the year ahead. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/158696,acma-cracks-down-on-sms-spam.aspx http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/158696,acma-cracks-down-on-sms-spam.aspx Canada's Tories pulling back on plans for spam loopholes [Canwest News] The Conservative government is pulling back on a plan to water down its anti-spam legislation after proposing loopholes earlier this month to make it easier for some marketers to continue to send unsolicited e-mails. http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2121006 http://www.canada.com/business/Tories+pulling+back+plans+spam+loopholes/2120918/story.html Prediction on spam-filled YouTube fulfilled A prediction two years ago by IT security solutions firm Kaspersky Lab on the possible use of YouTube as a medium for disseminating spam has finally been fulfilled. http://computerworld.com.ph/prediction-on-spam-filled-youtube-fulfilled/ http://www.pcworld.com/article/173851/.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Survey: Singaporean Web users unable to spot phishing Eighty-three per cent of Web users in Singapore are at risk from online fraud because they can't identify the prevalent forms of phishing, according to a YouGov survey. http://mis-asia.com/news/articles/83-per-cent-of-singaporean-web-users-unable-to-spot-phishing-scams-survey http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/102109-survey-singaporean-web-users-unable.html Millions tricked by 'scareware' Online criminals are making millions of pounds by convincing computer users to download fake anti-virus software, internet security experts claim. Symantec says more than 40 million people have fallen victim to the "scareware" scam in the past 12 months. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8313678.stm Millions fooled by 'scareware' scams on the web, says Symantec report Millions of people have been tricked into installing fake anti-virus software on their computers that actually makes them more vulnerable to fraud and identity theft, a leading report into online crime revealed yesterday. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6880746.ece Fake security software in millions of computers: Symantec Tens of millions of U.S. computers are loaded with scam security software that their owners may have paid for but which only makes the machines more vulnerable, according to a new Symantec report on cybercrime. http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE59I0A520091019 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-43254120091019 http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE59I09X20091019 Cybercriminals Use Fear and Anxiety to Convince Users to Buy Rogue Security Software [news release] Symantec Corp. today announced the findings of its Report on Rogue Security Software. The study?s findings, based on data obtained during the 12-month period of July 2008 to June 2009, reveal that cybercriminals are employing increasingly persuasive online scare tactics to convince users to purchase rogue security software. Rogue security software, or ?scareware,? is software that pretends to be legitimate security software. These rogue applications provide little or no value and may even install malicious code or reduce the overall security of the computer. http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20091019_01 Facebook, Twitter users beware: Crooks are a mouse click away If you're on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site, you could be the next victim. That's because more cyberthieves are targeting increasingly popular social networking sites that provide a gold mine of personal information, according to the FBI. Since 2006, nearly 3,200 account hijacking cases have been reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership between the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/19/social.networking.crimes/index.html au: Internet fingerprint scans backed, Unisys poll shows [Courier-Mail] More Australians would be happy to offer their fingerprints to prove their identity as concerns over internet security rise, a poll shows. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,26237315-421,00.html Cyber attacks smite atheist websites Australian atheists are under attack, with the websites of both the Atheist Foundation of Australia and the Global Atheist Convention knocked offline in a major cyber attack yesterday afternoon. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/cyber-attacks-smite-atheist-websites-20091021-h7ul.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/2986946/ http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/cyber-attacks-smite-atheist-websites-20091021-h7ul.html Experts see forecast worsen for cybercrime [IDG] Law enforcement agencies can count a few recent victories against cybercriminals, but agents say the battle against them isn't getting any easier. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/323092/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/102109-experts-see-forecast-worsen-for.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/323092/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/174038/.html Coffins in the mail are a trick of the cybercrime trade There's never been a better time to get involved in cybercrime. That's the tongue-in-cheek assessment of Uri Rivner, RSA's head of new technologies for identity protection and verification, who gave a presentation at the RSA security conference in London on Wednesday. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/323071/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/102109-coffins-in-the-mail-are.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/323071/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/174034/.html us/uk: FBI and Soca seek help from security teams The UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and the FBI have pledged to work more closely with each other, with law enforcers globally, and with the security teams on the frontline of cyber crime. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2251734/fbi-soca-ask-help-security ************************** PRIVACY ************************** UK MPs call for stricter regulation of behavioural advertising MPs and Lords have called for a change in the law to make it illegal to engage in behavioural advertising without an internet user's explicit consent. The Parliamentary group has also backed the creation of a privacy law. http://out-law.com/page-10456 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Google Books Settlement: The Chinese Chapter Google's troubles in China seem to have taken a new turn as a result of the company's plan to create a vast digital library of books. The China Written Works Copyright Society has called on Chinese writers to stand up for their legal rights in the face of Web search giant Google's proposed book settlement, according to a post published on the official website of Chinese Writers' Association. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinajournal/2009/10/20/google-books-settlement-the-chinese-chapter/ Calling America's bluff on Internet gambling The U.S. approach to Internet gambling, which is legal in much of the rest of the world, is absurd. The activity is unstoppable, so let's regulate it. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik19-2009oct19,0,1924643.column US telecom firms face net-neutrality defeat Facing a major regulatory issue that could be worth a fortune in future business, AT&T has unleashed the kind of lobbying blitz that makes it one of the grand corporate players of the great Washington game. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/21/AR2009102103944.html Hurdles remain as FCC ponders Internet data rules [AP] With Democrats in charge in Washington, supporters of so-called "net neutrality" rules seem poised to finally push through requirements that high-speed Internet providers give equal treatment to all data flowing over their networks. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/18/AR2009101801265.html Big names support net neutrality A group of the world's largest internet companies has written a letter of support to the US Federal Communications Commission. The letter is the latest in an ongoing debate about "network neutrality" - or how data is distributed on the web. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8315918.stm EU consumer groups, ISPs plead for net neutrality European consumer groups and ISPs are pressing EU politicians to pass legislation to guarantee users cannot be thrown off the internet. Over the past few days, both the European Consumers' Organisation (Beuc) and the European ISP Association (Eurispa) have pleaded for Amendment 138/46 to be passed into law, saying that cutting off broadband service would violate affected consumers' fundamental rights. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39820222,00.htm Web company CEOs call for net neutrality rules [IDG] Twenty-four top executives at e-commerce, social-networking and other Web companies have asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to move forward with its plan to create formal net neutrality rules, despite opposition voicedby several U.S. lawmakers, minority groups and telecom-related companies. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/101909-web-company-ceos-call-for.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/173894/.html Top tech firms back net-neutrality rules A number of Silicon Valley titans and early technologists of the Web on Monday urged the Federal Communications Commission to move forward with new rules to prevent Internet providers from favoring one application over another. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903575.html Nothing 'Neutral' About This Debate More than 20 CEOs and founders of major Internet and technology companies wrote to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski on Monday in support of his controversial plan to begin considering new rules aimed at preserving and promoting consumers' unfettered access to Web content. The letter from executives for Google, Facebook, Sony, Amazon, eBay, Twitter and other tech titans comes as the FCC prepares to vote Thursday on a proposal to expand and fortify its so-called neutrality regulations. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/10/nothing-neutral-about-this-deb.php CRTC to allow telecoms to throttle web traffic but with new rules [The Canadian Press] The federal regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, will continue to allow Canada's big telecommunications firms to restrict traffic on their Internet networks, but under new and potentially strict rules. http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/headline_news/article.jsp?content=b211792420 http://money.canoe.ca/News/Sectors/Media/2009/10/21/11478186-cp.html Canada: ISP traffic shaping should only be "last resort" The Canadian telecoms regulator has spoken at last: traffic shaping is a "last resort" measure to deal with Internet congestion, network investment is the "primary solution," but no "bright line" network neutrality rules will be forthcoming. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/10/canada-isp-traffic-shaping-should-only-be-last-resort.ars European Commission puts challenges of books digitisation for authors, libraries and consumers on EU's agenda The European Commission today adopted a Communication on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy aiming to tackle the important cultural and legal challenges of mass-scale digitisation and dissemination of books, in particular of European library collections. The Communication was jointly drawn up by Commissioners Charlie McCreevy and Viviane Reding. Digital libraries such as Europeana ( http//www.europeana.eu ) will provide researchers and consumers across Europe with new ways to gain access to knowledge. For this, however, the EU will need to find a solution for orphan works, whose uncertain copyright status means they often cannot be digitised. Improving the distribution and availability of works for persons with disabilities, particularly the visually impaired, is another cornerstone of the Communication. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1544 NZ Govt now accepting broadband proposals [NZPA] A process to seek private providers to work with the Government on its $1.5 billion broadband roll-out began today. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2985789/ NZ Govt calls for NBN partners The New Zealand Government has issued a call for participants to join its national fibre roll-out under which it hopes to raise NZ$1.5 billion from the private sector. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NZ-Govt-calls-for-NBN-partners/0,130061791,339299153,00.htm Tender invitation kicks off NZ Govt broadband project The Government has fired the starting gun on its billion-dollar broadband rollout which will see it soak up the commercial risk of the fibre network build. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10604634 ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Microsoft-Yahoo tie-up garners ad chief support The heads of the four largest advertising agencies came out on Monday in support of the proposed search engine alliance between Microsoft and Yahoo. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/06c89150-bcee-11de-a7ec-00144feab49a.html Yahoo's Profit Triples Despite Sales Decline For much of her tenure as chief executive of Yahoo, Carol Bartz warned investors to expect a steep decline in the company?s business. It has not been as bad as she predicted. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/technology/companies/21yahoo.html Yahoo celebrates as profits rise and stability returns after cuts After three years of faltering financials, the internet company Yahoo declared that its businesses have "stabilised" as deep cost cuts and a strategic overhaul yielded a 244% surge in quarterly profits. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/oct/21/yahoo-profits-rise-stability-returns Yahoo finally getting out of the woods [AP] Yahoo may finally be pulling out of a three-year slump that cast aside two CEOs and spurred a cost-cutting spree that led to about 2,000 layoffs. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/yahoo-finally-getting-out-of-the-woods-1806480.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** France Telecom suspends restructuring measures [AP] France Telecom SA said Tuesday it has put all corporate restructuring on hold until at least the end of the year, the company's latest response to a series of 25 suicides by employees in a year and a half. http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/oct/20/eu-france-france-telecom-102009/ Mexico adopts 3% telecoms tax The Mexican lower house's finance panel has adopted the reformed Law on Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS). The law includes the creation of a 3 percent excise tax on fixed phone and internet services, excluding mobile telephony. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=697862 Why East African Internet Costs Remain High Despite Seacom The East African Community has clarified that prices of broad band Internet connection will reduce on the Internet subscription as a result of connecting to the SEACOM undersea cable when other players come onto the market starting next month. http://www.busiweek.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2473&Itemid=1 http://allafrica.com/stories/200910190911.html NZ Telecom silent on separation speculation [The Dominion Post] Telecom spokesman Mark Watts would not comment on speculation by opposition communications spokeswoman Clare Curran that the structural separation of Telecom was on the agenda at a meeting between chief executive Paul Reynolds and Communications Minister Steven Joyce last week. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/2989447/ au: Broadband network 'won't be derailed' Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said opposition attempts to block his reforms, including a plan to force Telstra to separate, would be a blow to consumers but would not derail the government's $43 billion broadband network, reports The Australian. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26243815-5013404,00.html Keating backs Telstra split, takes swipe at Howard Paul Keating has thrown his support behind Communications Minister Stephen Conroy as his contentious plan to split Telstra faces a bumpy ride in the Senate. http://www.theage.com.au/national/keating-backs-telstra-split-takes-swipe-at-howard-20091021-h919.html 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://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/C695D331A612955DCC25765300653A5A au: Don't hold your breath for the NBN implementation study It is scheduled to be handed over to the Government in February next year, but by then the National Broadband Network implementation study's findings will have already become a moot point. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/322818/ HFC cable upgrade halt puts Telstra in for NBN role Telstra has put on ice an extension to the upgrade of a high-speed cable network that was touted as an alternative to the $43 billion national broadband network. http://www.theage.com.au/business/upgrade-halt-puts-telstra-in-for-nbn-role-20091020-h70h.html Conroy fuels a rural fibre fire The Federal Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, has thrown the debate over the $43 billion national broadband network into disarray by implying the Government will retain part of a copper network he has previously said is decaying by the day. http://www.smh.com.au/business/conroy-fuels-a-rural-fibre-fire-20091020-h6vs.html Etisalat aims to dominate Asian telecom market Emirates Telecommunication Corp (Etisalat), which bought Millicom's Sri Lankan mobile operations, said on Saturday it planned investments in the firm in an effort to dominate the Asian country's market. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/570774-etisalat-plans-investments-in-bid-to-dominate-asian-telecom-market ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** au: Child porn man gets jail VIEWING child pornography on the internet for over a year had ultimately cost Lloyd Richert his wife and family, his business, his reputation and, as of yesterday, his liberty. http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2009/10/20/child-porn-man-gets/ au: Child pornography arrest A man will face court over child pornography charges following his arrest on Sydney's Eastern Beaches yesterday. http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/child-pornography-arrest/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (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 Thu Oct 22 2009 - 03:10:58 UTC
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