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 *************************************************** Leonard Kleinrock: Mr. Internet http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-morrison-use24-2009oct24,0,3095224.story Evaluators Selection for the New gTLD Program Continues http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-25oct09-en.htm Proposals Sought to Provide Costs and Feasibility to Conduct WHOIS Registrant Identification Studies http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-23oct09-en.htm au: Security incident involving .au domain names http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-22102009/ Initial Registration of New .de Domains Started Successfully http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialog/news/2432.html Competing Groups Press for a ?.Gay? Internet Suffix http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/competing-groups-press-for-a-gay-internet-suffix/ .nz Additional Search Functionality - Consultation http://dnc.org.nz/story/nz-additional-search-functionality-consultation Ripe counters Soca 'money laundering' claims http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2251838/ripe-counters-soca-claims China Expands Cyberspying in U.S., Report Says http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125616872684400273.html Ky. Supreme Court hears online gambling question [AP] http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/ky-supreme-court-hears-online-gambling-question-20091023-hbq5.html AusRegistry Adds .NR to its Stable http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/10/23/ausregistry-dotnr/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/ausregistry-adds-.nr-to-its-stable.html ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Cyberproperty and Judicial Dissonance: The Trouble with Domain Name Classification by Xuan-Thao Nguyen [George Mason Law Review] Abstract: The nature of cyberspace continues to be woven into the fabric of our daily existence. Not surprisingly, cyberspace and the expansion of e-commerce pose challenges to existing law, particularly the legal definition of cyberproperty domain names. The nature of cyberspace allows many e-companies to possess no traditional assets such as buildings and inventories. Some e-companies own few computers, often using service providers to maintain their web sites. In the virtual space that e-companies inhabit, the primary assets that e-companies own are intangibles such as domain names, customer information, and intellectual property that includes business method patents, copyrights, and trademarks... http://ssrn.com/abstract=1493482 Taxing the New Intellectual Property Right by Xuan-Thao Nguyen & Jeffrey A. Maine [Hastings Law Journal] Abstract: Imagine you are counsel for a company that would like to capitalize on the heightened interest in popular culture surrounding a new breed of man who is well-groomed, interested in fashion, and unafraid to express his emotions. He is the "metrosexual" - as reported by the New York Times.' In the literary genre this man is the counterpart to Bridget Jones from the best-selling book, Bridget Jones' Diary. Your CEO excitedly informs you that he has just bought the Internet domain name"men.com" for $1.3 million at an auction;2 and the company is going to build a Web site that will include tips on fashion and grooming, how-to advice, news, and literature, all for this new breed of man. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1493498 Commercial Law Collides with Cyberspace: The Trouble with Perfection - Insecurity Interests in the New Corporate Asset by Xuan-Thao Nguyen [Washington and Lee Law Review] Abstract: The recent downturn in the economy, particularly in the e-commerce sector, reveals many e-companies heading toward bankruptcy with cyberassets, such as domain names, as their most valuable corporate assets. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1493492 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Leonard Kleinrock: Mr. Internet Forty years ago, he was among a group of computer scientists who brought us what know today as the Internet. The Internet, like victory, has many fathers. One of the best known is Leonard Kleinrock, a computer science professor at UCLA. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-morrison-use24-2009oct24,0,3095224.story ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Evaluators Selection for the New gTLD Program Continues ICANN has received 12 responses to the call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for independent evaluators in the new generic top-level domain name (gTLD) program. The application period for organizations interested in evaluating applications for new gTLDs took place between 13 April and 15 September 2009. The respondents are well-qualified and respected organizations from Australia, Belgium, Iran, Jordan, United Kingdom, and the United States. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-25oct09-en.htm Proposals Sought to Provide Costs and Feasibility to Conduct WHOIS Registrant Identification Studies The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) is responsible for developing and recommending to the ICANN Board substantive policies relating to gTLDs. The GNSO Council is now exploring several extensive studies of WHOIS and has asked ICANN to estimate the cost and feasibility of conducting several studies proposed by members of the ICANN community and ICANN's Government Advisory Committee. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-23oct09-en.htm ICANN 36 Preview: What's 'On Sale' in Seoul by Jeremy Hitchcock Last time the ICANN faithful gathered in Sydney, there was a fair bit of unrest and some big unknowns. The Implementation Recommendation Taskforce (IRT) report on how Intellectual Property (IP) could be protected in the era of new Top-Level Domains (TLDs) stirred the pot (making for a great public comment session!) as did, to a lesser extent, the issue of Registry-Registrar separation in new TLDs. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20091023_icann_36_preview_whats_on_sale_in_seoul/ SPECIAL: Updates from the ICANN Meetings in Seoul In follow up to the last ICANN meetings in Sydney and Mexico City, CircleID in collaboration with the team from Dynamic Network Services (including Jeremy Hitchcock, CEO, Dyn Inc. & Graham Chynoweth, General Counsel, Dyn Inc.), will be bringing you video blogs and updates from the 36th ICANN meetings in Seoul (25-30 Oct 2009). http://www.circleid.com/posts/20091023_special_updates_from_the_icann_meetings_in_seoul/ Seoul ICANN Agenda packed by Milton Mueller A lot of interesting issues are simmering as we head to the Seoul ICANN meeting. For civil society activists, the highlight of the week comes when the Noncommercial Users Constituency meets with the ICANN Board in an attempt to resolve differences over how the new Noncommercial Stakeholders Group will be organized. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/10/20/4357034.html ICANN Requests Internal Working Group to Address Registrar Cybersquatting and Other RAA Areas of Concern Greetings from Seoul, an exciting and dynamic city that is a fascinating mix of the 21st century and traditional culture. Pre-meetings of ICANN?s policymaking GNSO commence tomorrow morning, where scores of jet-lagged ?community members? will attempt to stay alert and engage in coherent and productive discussions. http://www.internetcommerce.org/ICANN_Requests_Internal_Working_Group_to_Address_Cybersquatting AEP Keyper Helps ICANN Address Vulnerabilities During the summer of 2008, Dan Kaminsky discovered a serious vulnerability in the domain name system that lets attackers redirect network clients to alternate servers. Aptly coined the Kaminsky Attack, this flaw allows cyber miscreants to do such tasks as reassign Web addresses, reroute email, reset passwords, transfer money out of bank accounts, or just scramble the whole system. http://www.processor.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles/P3126/13ap26/13ap26.asp&guid= Kirikos resigns from ICANN's Business Constituency ... One other note today, George Kirikos announced in a thread at the DomainState.com forum that he has resigned from ICANN's Business Constituency. Over the years Kirikos has done a remarkable job of examining what ICANN does and holding them publicly accountable for their actions. Some of the issues he brought to light helped stop or alter policies that would have cost domain registrants an untold amount of money had they sailed through uncontested. http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2009/dailyposts/20091023.htm ICANN Site Revamp Unveiled ICANN's website contains a LOT of information. Some of it is useful, some of it is fascinating, but it's all valuable (to someone). The problem with the current site is that has grown so much over time that it is practically unusable. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2009/10/21/icann-site-revamp-unveiled/ Canadian Internet Registration Authority CIO Appointed to the Country Code Names Supporting Organisation Incident Response Working Group Norm Ritchie, Chief Information Officer, Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has been appointed Chair of the Incident Response Working Group of ccNSO of ICANN. http://www.cira.ca/nr-CCNSO-appointed/ RegistryPro Announces Official Sponsorship of 36th ICANN International Meeting in Seoul, South Korea RegistryPro, the exclusive operator of the .PRO top-level domain on the Internet, announced today it will serve as an official sponsor of the 36th ICANN International meeting in Seoul, South Korea, October 25-30, 2009. The Seoul meeting is the second public ICANN meeting sponsorship for .PRO, the only TLD reserved exclusively for business and service professionals. http://registry.pro/press-releases/2009/1020.shtml ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** au: Security incident involving .au domain names On 1 October 2009, auDA was alerted by a registrar of the availability of non-financial customer information on the internet. The information was inadvertently listed on an ex-staff member?s website and included 537 domain names registered through a number of registrars. http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-22102009/ Register.bg Invites Applications for .BG Registrars On 15.10.2009 successfully completed the tests of the system developed by Register.BG for performing the REGISTRAR functions of Internet domain names in the .bg zone and the sub-zones via specialized interface to the registration system. Everyone who would like to become a REGISTRAR shall be offered a contract and given an Operating manual and access to the test system. https://www.register.bg/user/index_en.html Start of Registration Phase for New Domains ? Be Part of the Action via Online Monitoring On 23 October 2009 at 9:00 (CEST), the registration phase of the new domains will start. We expect great interest in the new domains. http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialog/news/2426.html Initial Registration of New .de Domains Started Successfully Great interest among Internet users: Since the start of the registration process for the new .de domains this morning at 09:00, DENIC has received 73998 applications by 14:00. http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialog/news/2432.html EURid joins ccNSO EURid is pleased to announce that it has been accepted into ICANN?s country code Names Support Organisation (ccNSO). This organisation is the policy development body within ICANN. It is responsible for a range of global issues related to country code top-level domains such as .eu. http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eurid-joins-ccnso Competing Groups Press for a ?.Gay? Internet Suffix Two for-profit groups are pushing for one. The Dot Gay Alliance (dotgay.org), out of New York City, is being led by a longtime gay activist. And dotGay (dotgay.com) is being spearheaded by a heterosexual German man in Riga, Latvia, who has incorporated a company in San Francisco. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/competing-groups-press-for-a-gay-internet-suffix/ Rival Groups Seek ?.Gay? Internet Suffix Should there be a .gay Internet suffix? Two for-profit groups are pushing for one. The Dot Gay Alliance (dotgay.org), out of New York City, is being led by a longtime gay activist. And dotGay (dotgay.com) is being spearheaded by a heterosexual German man in Riga, Latvia, who has incorporated a company in San Francisco. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/rival-groups-seek-gay-internet-suffix/ Big Apple seeks NYC web domain New York City government officials are seeking a qualified vendor to assist the city in applying for and obtaining the ?.nyc? TLD web address. If the city acquires the TLD, that vendor would work with the city on operating managing, maintaining and marketing .nyc. A TLD is the last part of an Internet address, such as .com, .gov or .edu. http://govpro.com/technology/telecommunications/content/New_York_web_1022/ The Battle for ".nyc": Is RFP the Answer? New York City government officials announced that they will be applying for the ".nyc" top-level domain (TLD) extension and are looking to choose a qualified vendor to operate the TLD on their behalf. http://www.circleid.com/posts/battle_for_nyc_domain_is_rfp_the_answer/ .nz Additional Search Functionality - Consultation Currently it is only possible to search .nz domain names by a specific domain name using the WHOIS search. Comments are sought on a proposal to expand the .nz search functionality to include a search by registrant and also a wildcard-type search of a domain name. It is proposed to limit the nature and eligibility of the searches as outlined below. http://dnc.org.nz/story/nz-additional-search-functionality-consultation .?? Poised to Be a Beast Today, Russian Internet Week opened in the Exhibition Center of Moscow. Starring is the first Cyrillic extension .??, which stands for .RF or Russian Federation. http://idnblog.com/2009/10/23/??-poised-to-be-a-beast/ se: Svenska IT Registret AB are warned .SE?s (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) attention have been called to the fact that Svenska IT Registret AB have published our logotype on their website, without our consent. It misleads consumers into believing that Svenska IT Registret AB is one of SE?s accredited registrars, which is not the case. http://www.iis.se/en/2009/10/20/svenska-it-registret-ab-varnas/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Ripe counters Soca 'money laundering' claims Regional internet registry Ripe has defended its dealings with notorious cyber crime organisation the Russian Business Network (RBN). Ripe was criticised yesterday at the RSA Conference Europe for allowing RBN to register domains that could have led web users down some very dangerous and illegal paths. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2251838/ripe-counters-soca-claims FBI and SOCA plot cybercrime smackdown: RSA Europe 2009 The FBI and the UK?s Serious and Organised Crime Agency have drawn up a program for dismantling and disrupting cybercrime operations. The effort relies on a better understanding of the business models of carders, malware authors and hacker groups which have increasingly come to resemble those of legitimate businesses. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/22/soca_fbi_cybercrime_strategy/ Soca: Russian cyber gang bribed police The Russian Business Network, an ISP that sheltered online criminal activity, bought off local police and judiciary, according to the Serious Organised Crime Agency. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39825939,00.htm China Expands Cyberspying in U.S., Report Says The Chinese government is ratcheting up its cyberspying operations against the U.S., a congressional advisory panel found, citing an example of a carefully orchestrated campaign against one U.S. company that appears to have been sponsored by Beijing. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125616872684400273.html China ready for cyberwar, espionage, report says Looking to gain the upper hand in any future cyber conflicts, China is probably spying on U.S. companies and government, according to a report commissioned by a Congressional advisory panel monitoring the security implications of trade with China. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139819/China_ready_for_cyberwar_espionage_report_says http://www.pcworld.com/article/174210/.html U.S. gov't cybersecurity spending to grow significantly, study says [IDG] U.S. government spending on cybersecurity will grow at a compound rate of 8.1 percent a year between 2009 and 2014, outpacing general IT spending, according to the government analyst firm Input. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139833/U.S._gov_t_cybersecurity_spending_to_grow_significantly_study_says_ http://www.pcworld.com/article/174241/.html DHS to get big boost in cybersecurity spending in 2010 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will likely have a substantially bigger cybersecurity budget in fiscal 2010 than it does now. The U.S. Senate yesterday passed legislation approving a budget of nearly $43 billion for the DHS for fiscal 2010. Of that, about $397 million is supposed to go toward improving cybersecurity within the agency. That's $84 million, or about 27%, more than the $313 million that was allocated for information security in fiscal 2009. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139785/DHS_to_get_big_boost_in_cybersecurity_spending_in_2010 China 'building cyberwarfare capability' US report claims China is building its cyberwarfare capabilities and appears to be using the growing technical abilities to collect US intelligence through a sophisticated and long-term computer attack campaign, according to an independent report. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6411250/China-building-cyberwarfare-capability-US-report-claims.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Ky. Supreme Court hears online gambling question [AP] The Kentucky Supreme Court is deciding whether the state has the power to seize Internet domain names involved in online gambling after hearing arguments Thursday from lawyers on both sides of the issue. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2009/10/22/ky_supreme_court_hears_online_gambling_question/ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/22/financial/f125421D29.DTL http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/ky-supreme-court-hears-online-gambling-question-20091023-hbq5.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/ky-supreme-court-hears-online-gambling-question-20091023-hbq5.html State Supreme court hears online gambling case Kentucky's effort to seize 141 Internet domain names of online gambling sites was without precedent and blatantly unconstitutional, lawyers representing online gambling interests told the state Supreme Court on Thursday. "It shows the intellectual dishonesty of the state," said Jon Fleischaker, a lawyer who represents Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association. "They made up the process." http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/story/988746.html Supreme Court hears arguments in online gambling case Kentucky?s effort to seize 141 Internet domain names of online gambling sites was without precedent and blatantly unconstitutional, lawyers representing online gambling interests told the state Supreme Court on Thursday. http://bluegrasspolitics.bloginky.com/2009/10/22/supreme-court-hears-arguments-in-internet-domain-case/ Full Tilt circumvents Kentucky case The Kentucky Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday on whether the Commonwealth of Kentucky has the right to seize online gambling domains because domains are "gambling devices" that violate gambling law. The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled earlier this year that online gambling domains were not "gambling devices" under Kentucky law, and therefore could not be seized. http://vinnarayanan.casinocitytimes.com/article/full-tilt-circumvents-kentucky-case-49846 Dow Jones Loses Marketwatch.net Domain Name Case Earlier today Domain Name Wire wrote about financial media company Bloomberg losing a domain name arbitration case for BloombergRealty.com. Apparently today isn?t a good day for financial media companies and domain names: Dow Jones just found itself on the losing end of a case for Marketwatch.net. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/23/dow-jones-loses-marketwatch-net-domain-name-case/ 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 WIPO Workshop for Mediators in Intellectual Property Disputes - WIPO, Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday and Friday, May 6 and 7, 2010 Overview: This Workshop will consist of an intensive two-day training course in the techniques of mediation. The Workshop will be based on simulated mediation exercises in the intellectual property field. Participants will be expected to take active part in the exercises, which will be carried out in small groups. http://wipo.int/amc/en/events/workshops/2010/mediation/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** us: Initial test specs for government IPv6 compliance released for public comment The first test specifications for IPv6 compliance, which will be required for government networking procurements beginning next July, have been released for public comment by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. http://www.gcn.com/Articles/2009/10/20/USGv6-test-specs-released.aspx ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** AusRegistry Adds .NR to its Stable AusRegistry International has added the .NR ccTLD to its stable following an agreement with the Government of Nauru to provide domain name registry services for the .NR country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD). http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/10/23/ausregistry-dotnr/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/ausregistry-adds-.nr-to-its-stable.html Continuing Cooperation - The NRO and Internet Governance The Number Resource Organization (NRO) has released "Continuing Cooperation - The NRO and Internet Governance", updating the original 2007 report on the NRO's activities in the field of Internet governance. The report illustrates the many efforts the Regional Internet Registries undertake in order to maintain and develop the Internet and its unique characteristics. http://nro.net/news/continuing-cooperation.html RIPE at 59! by Geoff Huston RIPE, or R?seaux IP Europ?ens, is a collaborative forum open to all parties interested in wide area IP networks in Europe and beyond. The objective of RIPE is to ensure the administrative and technical coordination necessary to enable the operation of a pan-European IP network. RIPE has been a feature of the European Internet landscape for some twenty years now, and it continues to be a progressive and engaged forum. http://www.circleid.com/posts/ripe_at_59/ ARIN: WHOIS Response to include Terms of Use Beginning early January 2010, ARIN will be adding text to all WHOIS responses to reference a new WHOIS Terms of Use. Historically, users of ARIN's WHOIS Service understood that its purpose was to identify the responsible contact for network administration or abuse issues for registered Number Resources. https://www.arin.net/announcements/2009/20091020.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Disaster.com Up For Grabs for $850K Minimum D&D Consulting, Ltd. has put the domain name disaster.com up for sale by silent auction with a minimum bid of US$850,000. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/10/23/disastercom-up-for-grabs-for-850k-minimum/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/disaster.com-for-sale-$850k-minimum.html Disaster.com for sale: $850K minimum bid D&D Consulting Ltd. said today it will sell its Internet domain, Disaster.com. The silent auction started today with a minimum bid of $850,000. It?s expected to conclude on Nov. 20. http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2009/10/19/daily41.html Autumn Gets Off to a Good Start With Three of the Year's Ten Biggest Sales Being Booked Over the Past Two Weeks Since I was away last week speaking at and covering the SedoPro Partners Forum in Key West, Florida, you'll be seeing double this week as we bring you up to speed on all of the notable domain sales reported since our last column two weeks ago. With 14 days worth of data to display, we've expanded our charts from 20 to 40 positions each. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2009/20091014.htm Rick Latona Auctions Adds More Names to Live New York Auction - Registration and Pre-Bidding Open [news release] More names have been added to the inventory in the Rick Latona Auctions live featured event in New York. The Featured Live Rick Latona Auctions T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York auction is on Tuesday, October 27. It will start at 4:30pm EDT and end at 7:00pm EDT. The Extended Rick Latona Silent Auction will begin on October 28 and go until November 5. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/10/23/rick-latona-auctions/ Oversee.net To Offer Exclusive One and Two-Character .BIZ Domain Names At Moniker.com Live Auction Event [news release] Oversee.net?, the leader in Internet Real Estate, announced today that it has been selected by Neustar, Inc., the global registry operator for the .BIZ Internet domain, to exclusively offer previously unreleased one and two-character .BIZ domain names at its Moniker.com? live auction to be held at the 2009 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York Conference. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/10/23/overseenet-one-two-character-biz-domains/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/oversee.net-offers-exclusive-one-and-two-character-.biz-domains.html TV.de Auction Ends Over $400,000 When .de registry DENIC starts releasing previously unavailable domain names tomorrow, you can bet a lot of Sedo?s partner registrars will be hammering the registry for TV.de. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/22/tv-de-auction-ends-over-400000/ Sedo Provides Stats Showing DDOS Attacks Thursday Did Not Materially Impact Sales Results from Their GreatDomains Auctions A lot of the blogs and forums today have been buzzing with comments about problems Thursday at Sedo.com's main website and their GreatDomains.com premium auction site. The issues came on a day when the company had a lot going on including pre-bidding for one, two and three character .de domains at Sedo and the close of bidding in their monthly online auction at GreatDomains. While unusually high traffic for these events slowed server response time the company said the bigger issue was an orchestrated distributed denial or service (DDOS) attack that began near the end of the GreatDomains auction and later reached a level that caused Sedo.com to go down. http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2009/dailyposts/20091023.htm .De Domain Name Auction Melts Sedo?s Servers Massive traffic for Sedo?s .de ?pre-auction? has taken the site down. A message on the site reads: http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/22/de-domain-name-auction-melts-sedos-servers/ Putting 2009 Domaining into Perspective I got an iPod this week. Yes, it?s my first iPod. I bought it because I got back into running and needed to get my own tunes rather than borrowing my wife?s iPod. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/10/22/putting-2009-domaining-into-perspective/ ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Piracy on the Internet: Accomodate it or Fight it? A Dynamic Approach by Ronald Peeters, Michael Yang & P. Jean-Jacques Herings Abstract: This paper uses a dynamic stochastic model to solve for the optimal pricing policy of the music recording companies in the presence of P2P file-sharing networks eroding their CD sales. We employ a policy iteration algorithm on a discretized state space to numerically compute the optimal price policy. The realistically calibrated model reflects the real-world figures we observe and provides estimates of figures we can not observe, such as changes in total welfare. The results suggest that, thanks to the existence of P2P networks, total welfare in 2008 in the U.S. is about $25.6 billion more per annum than in 1999 before P2P was introduced. Moreover, the results predict that the current trend of decreasing CD sales will continue until around the year 2020 when it will stabilize at around 231.2 million copies per year, comparing to the industry all-time high of 938.9 million in 1999. The comparative static analysis shows that full enforcement of intellectual property rights, although helpful for the industrial profit, may have adverse effect on total welfare. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1469564 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Leonard Kleinrock: Mr. Internet Forty years ago, he was among a group of computer scientists who brought us what know today as the Internet. The Internet, like victory, has many fathers. One of the best known is Leonard Kleinrock, a computer science professor at UCLA. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/sunday/commentary/la-oe-morrison-use24-2009oct24,0,3095224.story Google and Bing Race to Search Social Media Microsoft's Bing and Google's search service are preparing real-time searches of Twitter and Facebook posts. Targeted ads could follow http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2009/tc20091021_462863.htm Google CEO: Chinese language will dominate web [AP] A web where Chinese is the dominant language, and connections are so fast that distinctions between audio, video and text are blurred is perhaps just five years away, the head of Google said. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-ceo-chinese-language-will-dominate-web-1807034.html ABCe: Guardian.co.uk, Telegraph.co.uk and Mail Online top 30 million users Three British national newspaper websites attracted more than 30 million unique users for the first time in September, with the Guardian reclaiming top spot with a record figure just under 33 million. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/22/abce-guardian-telegraph-mail-online Windows 7 to break Amazon UK pre-sale records beating Harry Potter Windows 7 has become the biggest-grossing pre-order in Amazon's history ? worth even more than the most recent JK Rowling book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/oct/21/windows-7-launch The changing face of porn and the price we pay Robin Morgan, an American author, feminist, and child actor, made the following statement in her book, Theory and Practice: Pornography and Rape, in, The Word of a Woman, part 1, which which was written in 1974, but published 1992; http://children.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/10/22/the-changing-face-of-porn-and-the-price-we-pay/ Gmail's 'Got The Wrong Bob?' to prevent embarrassing e-mail lapses E-mails can be treacherous. All it takes is a momentary lapse in concentration, a small slip of the fingers, for sensitive messages to be sent to the wrong person. Angry rants about the boss end up in his inbox. Embarrassing secrets are revealed to strangers. The result can be cringeworthy, even dangerous. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6888051.ece Google launches system to stop email accidents Google has launched a new Gmail feature, 'Got The Wrong Bob?', to stop emails going to the wrong recipients in what has become a common but embarrassing workplace error. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/6422741/Google-launches-system-to-stop-email-accidents.html Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2009 This chapter focuses on the activities of radio and television organisations in Australia. It firstly provides information on the amount of time adults and children spend listening to the radio and watching television. It then gives details on some key economic indicators of radio and television broadcasters such as income earned, expenses and employment. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs§.nsf/Products/C70362C692CC06D1CA25765500140E50 http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs§.nsf/mf/4172.0 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** A Fifth of Internet Users Now Share Status Updates, Pew Says One out of five Internet users now say they use Twitter or some other service to share status updates about themselves, or to keep tabs on others, according to new data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/10/23/a-fifth-of-internet-users-now-share-status-updates-pew-says/ Betfair to target social networks to woo sports fans [The Times] Betfair, the online betting company, is to use social networks to try to boost business with sports fans. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,26259795-5017997,00.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Is It Safe to Post Children's Images on Online Photo Sites? For Jessica Gwozdz, a professional photographer and mother of two, Flickr was a blessing. It allowed her to share photos of her children, Grace and Henry, with distant, tech-averse relatives for whom a username and password would have been too great an obstacle. It even allowed potential clients to freely browse her gallery. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/fashion/25facebook.html ACS ISP Filtering Report: No Silver Bullet [news release] The ACS (Australian Computer Society) today released a report by leading cyber safety experts, which recommends the creation of an independent oversighting system and an annual auditing process for black lists if compulsory ISP filtering is introduced. Developed by the ACS E-Security Taskforce, the Report provides technical observations on the issues associated with ISP filtering and says education and oversight by parents is as crucial to addressing cyber safety concerns for children as any filtering mechanism. http://acs.org.au/index.cfm?action=load&temID=noticedetails¬ID=1003 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/ Aussie censors want to certify iPhone apps The Australian Classification Board has written to the Australian government 'expressing concern' that iPhone applications, espicially games, are being released through the iTunes store without being rated. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/323532/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/102309-aussie-censors-want-to-certify.html Aust filtering trial disrupts users' broadband A discussion paper posted, and then quickly removed, from the website of the company behind Australia's controversial ISP-level filtering trial suggests the pilot is not going smoothly. http://www.telecomasia.net/content/aust-filtering-trial-disrupts-users-broadband Enex TestLab Finds Australia?s Most Family Friendly Internet Filters Enex TestLab, one of the world?s premier technology testing laboratories, is putting leading Internet Content Filter (ICF) vendors products through their paces as part of the Australian Internet Industry Association?s (IIA) Family Friendly Internet Filter certification scheme. http://www.lifescientist.com.au/article/323529/enex_testlab_finds_australia_most_family_friendly_internet_filters au: Principals to assemble over cyber bullies School principals have been called to a conference on cyber-bullying with the Federal Government. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/principals-to-assemble-over-cyber-bullies-20091024-he0f.html us: FCC Opens Inquiry To Explore Digital Media's Impact On Youth [Dow Jones] The Federal Communications Commission on Friday opened a public inquiry to explore how to protect children from the rapid expansion and growth of digital media. http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200910231609dowjonesdjonline000718&title=fcc-opens-inquiry-to-explore-digital-medias-impact-on-youth FCC Seeks Input on Empowering Parents and Protecting Children in an Evolving Media Landscape http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-294197A1.doc http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-294197A1.pdf Halloween's Coming: Trick or Tweet from the FTC [news release] Just in time for Halloween: The Federal Trade Commission has 12 Tweets about protecting yourself, your kids, and your computer when online http://ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/halloween.shtm The 10 best educational websites If you bought a computer a few years ago, it would invariably come with a free CD-Rom encyclopedia. At the time it seemed like a life-changer, but after an hour or two spent looking at ancient wildlife clips and a timeline about the Romans, the excitement wore off. Today?s internet equivalents are bigger, faster and more interactive, whether you?re helping youngsters with their homework or cramming for the pub quiz. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6887649.ece ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Europe backs down on piracy plans The European Parliament has given the green light for member states to cut persistent file-sharers off from the net. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8322308.stm Pirate Bay back in the courtroom The founders of The Pirate Bay have been hit a with new order to remove links to copyright material. A Dutch court has ordered them to to remove all links to the material of a group of Netherlands-based music and film makers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8322098.stm France Approves Wide Crackdown on Net Piracy France thrust itself into the vanguard of the global battle against digital piracy on Thursday, approving a plan to deny Internet access to people who illegally copy music and movies. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/technology/23net.html France adopts three-strikes law for piracy France has adopted a strong antipiracy law, one that may mean those who chronically share unauthorized movies and music online will lose Web access for up to a year. http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-10381365-261.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62058823,00.htm No Internet for French Pirates After Constitutional Ruling [IDG] France's Constitutional Council has validated the so-called "three strikes" law, clearing the way for an accelerated judicial process that will cut off the access of Internet users accused three times of downloading copyright content without authorization. http://www.pcworld.com/article/174215/.html Dutch court orders Pirate Bay to remove links [AFP] A Dutch court Thursday ordered Sweden's The Pirate Bay filesharing website to remove links to works of members of a Netherlands-based music and film copyright protection group. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/dutch-court-orders-pirate-bay-to-remove-links-20091023-hbne.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/dutch-court-orders-pirate-bay-to-remove-links-20091023-hbne.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Long-term use of mobile phones 'may be linked to cancer' Long-term use of mobile phones may be linked to some cancers, a landmark international study will conclude later this year. ... A preliminary breakdown of the results found a ?significantly increased risk? of some brain tumours ?related to use of mobile phones for a period of 10 years or more? in some studies. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/mobile-phones/6420093/Long-term-use-of-mobile-phones-may-be-linked-to-cancer.html ITU approves universal phone charger A new mobile phone charger that will work with any handset has been approved by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations body. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8323018.stm Universal phone charger standard approved [news release] One-size-fits-all solution will dramatically cut waste and GHG emissions. "ICTs are an essential element of an effective Copenhagen climate agreement," says Secretary-General Hamadoun Tour? http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2009/49.html Inside the App Economy Beyond the goofy games is a world of useful programs that's making fortunes and changing the rules of business: It's easy to shrug off the kooky world of apps. The bite-size software programs people load onto their mobile phones or tap into on the Web seem mostly to be silly games and pointless novelties. But look past the beer-drinking apps and flatulence programs and you'll see something significant taking shape: a bustling app economy that's creating new fortunes for entrepreneurs and changing the way business gets done. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_44/b4153044881892.htm Striking It Rich: Is There An App For That? Seeking fortune and fame, entrepreneurs rushed to create programs for Apple's App Store. That's not always what they found: Steve Demeter seems like the perfect poster boy for Apple. Two years ago, the 30-year-old computer programmer became one of the first people to sell his product?a puzzle game called Trism?through Apple's App Store, a virtual marketplace where third-party software developers connect with customers wanting downloads for their iPhones. He pulled in $250,000 in just two months and quit his job writing code for ATMs. Demeter's success caught the eye of Apple's public-relations team, which profiled him in an inspirational video at Apple.com and gave him a shout out at its June 2009 World Wide Developers' Conference (WWDC). Media hailed the San Francisco resident an "App Store Millionaire" who would never have to work again?a happy financial reality that Demeter confirms. "Nine-to-five is no longer a concept for me," he tells NEWSWEEK. http://www.newsweek.com/id/216788 In Lawsuit, Nokia Says iPhone Infringes Its Patents Nokia, the world's largest cellphone maker, sued Apple on Thursday, claiming the iPhone violates 10 patents for wireless transmission technologies. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/23/technology/companies/23nokia.html Nokia sues Apple over iPhone patents Nokia, the world's biggest mobile-phone maker, on Thursday launched a legal challenge against alleged intellectual property abuse by Apple, opening a new front in its battle against a US rival that is transforming the industry. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/99a2c2ea-bf1c-11de-a696-00144feab49a.html Nokia suing Apple over the iPhone Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone maker, has said that it is suing its US rival Apple for infringing patents on mobile phone technology for the iPhone. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8321058.stm Nokia sues Apple over alleged breach of patent Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer, today launched a legal attack on Apple in the US courts, alleging the iPhone infringes 10 of its patents. The move could cost the Californian technology firm tens of millions of dollars. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/oct/22/telecoms-nokia Smart-phone rise brings on 'bill shock' for Australians The recent explosion in the number of smart phones and other mobile broadband devices has triggered a sharp rise in complaints to the industry ombudsman. http://www.theage.com.au/business/smartphone-rise-brings-on-bill-shock-20091023-hdge.html http://www.smh.com.au/business/smartphone-rise-brings-on-bill-shock-20091023-hdge.html The Future of 4G: LTE vs. WiMAX LTE, the 4G mobile broadband technology backed by major cellular network equipment providers and operators, casts a long shadow across the WiMAX landscape?even though LTE products are thin on the ground and no operator has launched commercial service using it. http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3845111 ********************** SPAM ********************** nz: Spam leaves bitter taste A businessman spammed letterboxes with unsolicited invoices for internet advertising is claiming an honest mistake - but complaints about his billing and sales tactics stretch back five years and across the Tasman. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10605345 Would-be spammers given $16m warning Australia's media and communications regulator says hefty fines should serve as a warning to anyone considering mobile phone spamming. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/24/2723162.htm Text spammers fined $16m Multi-million-dollar penalties have been dished out in a landmark court case in Brisbane about mobile phone spam. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/23/2722971.htm $15m fine for SMS scammers The operators of a mobile phone text scam that preyed on the desperate and dateless were slammed with $15.8 million in fines for breaching anti-spam laws in Queensland's Federal Court. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,26250790-15317,00.html http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26252641-5013404,00.html Million dollar penalties issued in first SMS spam case [news release] In a landmark decision today, the Federal Court in Brisbane imposed a total of $15.75 million in penalties for contraventions of the Spam Act 2003 (the Spam Act), following the Australian Communications and Media Authority?s first court action taken against unsolicited SMS messages. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311937 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Africa calling: mobile phone usage sees record rise after huge investment Africans are buying mobile phones at a world record rate, with take-up soaring by 550% in five years, research shows. "The mobile phone revolution continues," says a UN report charting the phenomenon that has transformed commerce, healthcare and social lives across the planet. Mobile subscriptions in Africa rose from 54m to almost 350m between 2003 and 2008, the quickest growth in the world. The global total reached 4bn at the end of last year and, although growth was down on the previous year, it remained close to 20%. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/oct/22/africa-mobile-phones-usage-rise Developing countries must boost broadband: U.N. Developing countries risk missing out on the benefits of information technology because of their lack of broadband infrastructure, a U.N. agency said. http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE59M1UI20091023 http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE59M1XF20091023 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Ripe counters Soca 'money laundering' claims Regional internet registry Ripe has defended its dealings with notorious cyber crime organisation the Russian Business Network (RBN). Ripe was criticised yesterday at the RSA Conference Europe for allowing RBN to register domains that could have led web users down some very dangerous and illegal paths. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2251838/ripe-counters-soca-claims FBI and SOCA plot cybercrime smackdown: RSA Europe 2009 The FBI and the UK?s Serious and Organised Crime Agency have drawn up a program for dismantling and disrupting cybercrime operations. The effort relies on a better understanding of the business models of carders, malware authors and hacker groups which have increasingly come to resemble those of legitimate businesses. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/22/soca_fbi_cybercrime_strategy/ Soca: Russian cyber gang bribed police The Russian Business Network, an ISP that sheltered online criminal activity, bought off local police and judiciary, according to the Serious Organised Crime Agency. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39825939,00.htm China Expands Cyberspying in U.S., Report Says The Chinese government is ratcheting up its cyberspying operations against the U.S., a congressional advisory panel found, citing an example of a carefully orchestrated campaign against one U.S. company that appears to have been sponsored by Beijing. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125616872684400273.html China ready for cyberwar, espionage, report says Looking to gain the upper hand in any future cyber conflicts, China is probably spying on U.S. companies and government, according to a report commissioned by a Congressional advisory panel monitoring the security implications of trade with China. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139819/China_ready_for_cyberwar_espionage_report_says http://www.pcworld.com/article/174210/.html U.S. gov't cybersecurity spending to grow significantly, study says [IDG] U.S. government spending on cybersecurity will grow at a compound rate of 8.1 percent a year between 2009 and 2014, outpacing general IT spending, according to the government analyst firm Input. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139833/U.S._gov_t_cybersecurity_spending_to_grow_significantly_study_says_ http://www.pcworld.com/article/174241/.html DHS to get big boost in cybersecurity spending in 2010 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will likely have a substantially bigger cybersecurity budget in fiscal 2010 than it does now. The U.S. Senate yesterday passed legislation approving a budget of nearly $43 billion for the DHS for fiscal 2010. Of that, about $397 million is supposed to go toward improving cybersecurity within the agency. That's $84 million, or about 27%, more than the $313 million that was allocated for information security in fiscal 2009. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139785/DHS_to_get_big_boost_in_cybersecurity_spending_in_2010 US Congressional commission focuses on China's cyberwar capability In war and possibly in peace, China will wage cyberwar to control the information flow and dominate the battle space, according to a new report compiled for a congressional commission. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10381621-42.html US report: China building cyberwarfare ability [AP] China is building its cyberwarfare capabilities and appears to be using the growing technical abilities to collect U.S. intelligence through a sophisticated and long-term computer attack campaign, according to an independent report. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/us-report-china-building-cyberwarfare-ability-20091023-hbso.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/us-report-china-building-cyberwarfare-ability-20091023-hbso.html China 'building cyberwarfare capability' US report claims China is building its cyberwarfare capabilities and appears to be using the growing technical abilities to collect US intelligence through a sophisticated and long-term computer attack campaign, according to an independent report. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6411250/China-building-cyberwarfare-capability-US-report-claims.html Internet giants join forces to beat Nigerian e-mail scams Dear Honourable Friend. Those generous Nigerians who e-mail you with promises of a fortune are themselves being targeted in a new drive to deter cyber criminals. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6889830.ece http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26259843-601,00.html Phishers Dangle Some Brand-New Bait In September 2009, some unlucky visitors at the New York Times Web site clicked on an ad that attempted to install malware. The advertisement displayed a popup window informing readers that their computer might be infected with a virus; only by purchasing a new antivirus product could they be sure of having a clean system. http://www.pcworld.com/article/174243/.html Judge throws out Craigslist prostitution lawsuit Online classifieds site Craigslist has claimed victory over its detractors after an American judge dismissed claims that the site was the largest source of prostitution in the United States. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/oct/23/craigslist 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 Nigeria's anti graft police shuts 800 scam websites [AFP] Nigeria's anti-corruption police said Friday they had shut down some 800 scam websites and busted 18 syndicates of email fraudsters in a drive to curb cyber-crime the country is notorious for. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/nigerias-anti-graft-police-shuts-800-scam-websites-20091023-hbn9.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/nigerias-anti-graft-police-shuts-800-scam-websites-20091023-hbn9.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** au: ACMA releases report on community attitudes to online personal information [news release] The Australian Communications and Media Authority today released a report that explores changing community attitudes and practices in dealing with their personal information online. Attitudes Towards Use of Personal Information Online was commissioned principally to help inform the ACMA?s development of education materials to assist people to protect their personal information on the internet, with a focus on adults. Recognising that the research may be of broader interest, the ACMA is making the report available on its website. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311936 Online advertising is threatened by Europe's cookie law EDITORIAL: Visitors to websites in Europe may soon face a barrage of pop-ups that seek their consent to internet cookies. Bizarrely, the plan to change current laws on cookies can be stopped only if politicians fail to resolve a file-sharing dispute. http://out-law.com/page-10475 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** it: Legal threat to web group that opposes Berlusconi The 20,000 members of a Facebook group called "Let's Kill Berlusconi" face an investigation after Rome magistrates said that the group could prompt an assassination attempt against the Italian Prime Minister. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/legal-threat-to-web-group-that-opposes-berlusconi-1807651.html Still No Internet or SMS Allowed in China's Muslim Region [IDG] Nearly four months after deadly ethnic riots in China's Muslim region led authorities to shut off the Internet there, local residents are still barred from sending text messages and getting online. http://www.pcworld.com/article/174208/.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Licence fragmentation is hindering pan-EU music market, say stakeholders Fragmented and complex publishing arrangements are hindering the growth of a European online music market and must be replaced with more open and transparent agreements, music industry groups and the European Commission have agreed. http://out-law.com/page-10467 Europe vows to liberate online shopping [AFP] It's the bane of online shoppers' lives -- searches dangling coveted brand-name gadgets, gear or gifts cheaper on websites from another country, but not being able to buy them. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/europe-vows-to-liberate-online-shopping-20091023-hbn1.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/europe-vows-to-liberate-online-shopping-20091023-hbn1.html Consumers: 60% of cross border internet shopping orders are refused, says new EU study [news release] There are widespread problems with refusals of orders for EU consumers trying to purchase goods online in another Member state, according to a new European Commission report on cross border consumer e-commerce published today. An extensive independent mystery shopping exercise was carried out for the Commission where shoppers across the EU tried to purchase a list of 100 popular products ?for example cameras, CDs, books, clothes - from a cross border provider. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1564 European Commission launches reflection on a Digital Single Market for Creative Content Online [news release] The European Commission today published a reflection paper on the challenge of creating a European Digital Single Market for creative content like books, music, films or video games. According to Commission studies, a truly Single Market without borders for Creative Online Content could allow retail revenues of the creative content sector to quadruple if clear and consumer-friendly measures are taken by industry and public authorities. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1563 Chinese writers seek redress on Google e-books A Chinese copyright group is demanding talks with Google over compensation for Chinese authors who have had their books scanned into the US company?s electronic library. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9f9e0462-bf4d-11de-a696-00144feab49a.html FCC to draft net neutrality rules, taking step toward Web regulation The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Thursday to begin crafting rules to prevent Internet providers from acting as gatekeepers over which services and content are delivered to their customers, the agency's surest step yet toward regulating the rules of the road online. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/22/AR2009102204462.html Net neutrality could lead to inexpensive, high-quality broadband services for businesses Federal Communication Commission net neutrality rules have the potential to save businesses money in ways that range from heading off potential new Internet access charges to opening up low-cost, high-bandwidth services distinguished by superior quality of service. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139830/Net_neutrality_could_lead_to_inexpensive_high_quality_broadband_services_for_businesses FCC Considers Internet Data Rules The Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether the Internet needs rules to stop large telecom companies from discriminating against their rivals. Telecom companies vigorously oppose what's called "net neutrality," saying unfettered access will clog their "pipes." Supporters say the telecoms have a track record of slowing and even blocking access to sites offering large files, such as video. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114029913 FCC sets Internet regulation in motion The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Thursday to get the ball rolling on creating regulation that will keep the Internet open. http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10381355-266.html Net Neutrality: Why the Internet will never be free. For anything. So get used to it Call it Net Neutrality if you want, but it doesn?t exist, nor is it required when you already have antitrust, regulatory and other local and state, and international law in place. Choice, innovation and open access are the principles in a free enterprise competitive market, not the halls of government. http://government.zdnet.com/?p=5676 European telecoms package problem must be solved in eight weeks or be ditched The European Parliament has until the end of the year to agree a new telecoms reform deal with the EU's Council of Ministers. It will announce tomorrow the start date for negotiations which can take no longer than eight weeks. http://out-law.com/default.aspx?page=10466 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Complaints against Australian telcos jump 54 per cent [AAP] Complaints against the telecommunications industry rose a whopping 54 per cent in the 2008/09 financial year, prompting the industry ombudsman to issue a warning to business and consumers. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/complaints-against-telcos-jump-54-per-cent-20091023-hckf.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/complaints-against-telcos-jump-54-per-cent-20091023-hckf.html Phone, internet complaints skyrocket Customer complaints about phone and internet companies have risen by more than 50 per cent over the last year. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/23/2722349.htm nz: Fibre plans put Telecom into corner Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce this week released the "Invitation to Participate" in the partner selection process for the Government's $1.5 billion ultra-fast broadband investment plan. Once again New Zealand's largest listed company, Telecom, is in the firing line. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/business/79317/fibre-plans-put-telecom-corner nz: Telecom among the players in the $1.5 broadband rollout Telecom didn?t know what to make of their unclear involvement in the government?s urban broadband initiative. Despite being assured that they are clearly going to be a player as planned, Telecom went on to go public with their apprehension of being excluded in the bid for the $1.5 billion broadband project. http://www.broadbandblogged.co.uk/home-broadband/fibre-optic-broadband/telecom-among-the-players-in-the-1-5-broadband-roll-out.html NZ govt seeks partners for broadband project The New Zealand government has released an invitation to participate in the partner selection process for the government's NZD 1.5 billion ultra-fast broadband investment initiative. The government is seeking private sector partners who will co-invest in the project. In September the government released its final proposal for the ultra-fast broadband initiative. http://www.broadband-europe.eu/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?ItemID=633 NZ Telecom broadband plan 'unusable' for gaming [The Dominion Post] Some Telecom Big Time customers say the all-you-can-eat broadband plan has left a sour taste in their mouths. Traffic from international websites in the past month or so has been woefully slow and made online gaming impossible, they say. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2998795/ India steps up telecoms licence criminal probe Indian government investigators yesterday raided the country's Department of Telecommunications as part of an investigation into alleged "serious irregularities" during the sale last year of telecom licences to domestic private sector operators. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e47ab0a2-bf6c-11de-a696-00144feab49a.html http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6755a60e-bf30-11de-a696-00144feab49a.html Indian Telecom Department Officials Face Charges [IDG] India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said Thursday that it is pursuing criminal charges against some officials of the country's Department of Telecommunications (DOT), private sector companies and some individuals, in connection with alleged irregularities related to the award of telecommunications licenses by the DOT. http://www.pcworld.com/article/174137/.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** au: Child porn images 'just came up' on internet A Brisbane father caught with more than 2000 child porn images on his home computer will spend Christmas behind bars. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/child-porn-images-just-came-up-on-internet-20091022-hban.html au: Extradition on pedophilia charges A North Queensland man allegedly caught with up to 140,000 images and 10,350 graphic videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children and babies has been extradited from Cambodia. http://www.smh.com.au/national/extradition-on-pedophilia-charges-20091023-hdd7.html Man had 150,000 images on computer, court told An Australian man charged with storing 150,000 child pornography images on his computer has been remanded in custody. http://www.smh.com.au/national/man-had-150000-images-on-computer-court-told-20091024-he09.html Man extradited over child porn charges [AAP] A 53-year-old man has been extradited from Cambodia to Australia after police allegedly found 150,000 child abuse images and videos in his home. http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-national/man-extradited-over-child-porn-charges-20091023-hcvm.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 Sun Oct 25 2009 - 19:42:56 UTC
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