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 Welcomes 100th Member to the Country Code Names Supporting Organization http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-08dec09-en.htm Announcement Regarding Implementation of Modification to Implementation Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-07dec09-en.htm Changes to the UDRP http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/9067-Changes-to-the-UDRP.htm Sophia Bekele endorses Dot Africa http://www.goodnewsethiopia.com/2009/12/07/sophia-bekele-endorses-dot-africa/ eco: On your marks, get set ... and prepare to go in the race to reach a new domain - Next year?s likely launch of .eco is causing great debate http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6946462.ece Cyberattacks against critical U.S. networks rising at a faster rate http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091208_4177.php IPv6 and VoIP - Friend or foe? http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120709-ipv6-voip.html 2010 tipped as IPv6 watershed year http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/329391/ au: NBN forum kicks off today http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/329217/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN Welcomes 100th Member to the Country Code Names Supporting Organization On 3 December, ICANN?s Country Code Name Supporting Organization (ccNSO) welcomed the Centro de Informatica da Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, operator of the country code .MZ (Mozambique), as its 100th member. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-08dec09-en.htm Announcement Regarding Implementation of Modification to Implementation Rules for Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy On 30 October 2009, the ICANN Board approved a modification to the Implementation Rules for the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (?Rules?). The modified Rules now require UDRP claimants and respondents to provide documents to UDRP Providers in electronic form. The modified Rules also change UDRP Provider obligations in forwarding hard copy notice to respondents in UDRP proceedings: the original Rules required Providers to forward a hard copy of the UDRP complaint; under the new Rules, Providers do not have to forward a hard copy of the entire complaint. Providers are now only required to forward a hard copy notice that a UDRP complaint has been filed. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-07dec09-en.htm Nick Ashton-Hart now Senior Director, Participation and Engagement I?m pleased to announce the appointment of Nick Ashton-Hart Senior Director, Participation and Engagement. This position incorporates the duties of General Manager for Public Participation previously performed by Kieren McCarthy, with some fine-tuning of focus and effort. http://blog.icann.org/2009/12/nick-ashton-hart-now-senior-director-participation-and-engagement/ Non-Latin Domain Names Bring Costs, Opportunities Companies with an international presence have always needed increased linguistic and cultural knowledge to target foreign markets, but a recent decision by ICANN will alter how companies approach their web presence by making domain name extensions available in non-Latin characters. http://www.inc.com/news/articles/2009/11/icann.html How ICANN Could Make Itself Useful ICANN has roused itself on the topic of Internet security with a comment that the practice of ?redirecting? a failed request to decode a URL into an IP address is inherently insecure. http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=561&doc_id=185496 Domainers urge Icann to halt fast-track UDRP WIPO and the Czech Arbitration Court have rejected criticisms of their proposed expedited UDRP processes made by the Internet Commerce Association http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2351201 Changes to the UDRP ICANN has announces that the amended UDRP will have effect on 01 March 2010. http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/9067-Changes-to-the-UDRP.htm UDRP to go (partially) Paperless as of March 1, 2010 According to an ICANN announcement published yesterday, all UDRP providers must accept electonic filings by UDRP claimants and respondents as of March 1st, 2010. http://www.domainnamenews.com/icann-policy/udrp-to-go-paperless-as-of-march-1-2010/6782 ICANN Welcomes 100th Member to the Country Code Names Supporting Organization ICANN's Country Code Name Supporting Organization (ccnso.icann.org) has welcomed its 100th member, Centro de Informatica da Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, operator of the Mozambique country code, .MZ. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/120909_ICANN_Welcomes_100th_Member_to_the_Country_Code_Names_Supporting_Organization Internet by the people, for the people, with the people Last month in China, President Barack Obama said that criticism on the Internet had made him a better president. There is no doubt that the Internet renders our decision makers more transparent and accountable than ever before. ... So what about the management of resources indispensable for the functioning of the Internet? What happens, for example, if a government or powerful corporation decides to cut off, slow down or otherwise to interfere with another country?s access to the Internet? Discussions about the so-called internationalisation of ICANN go in the right direction. Much more needs to be discussed and worked out. http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/12/08/internet-by-the-people-for-the-people-with-the-people/ ICANN seeks guidance on generic top-level domains Two advisory groups are set to be formed by ICANN, it has been announced. http://www.globalgold.co.uk/web-hosting-news/domains-news/icann-seeks-guidance-on-generic-toplevel-domains-19497679.html Web users can write in Arabic from next year Egypt has begun registrations for the first Arabic language Internet domain. http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/573178 8 TLDs I?ll Express an Interest In At $100 a pop, I?d submit an Expression of Interest for a bunch of new top level domain names. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/12/08/8-tlds-ill-express-an-interest-in/ ICANN saves some trees ICANN has announced that a revision of its UDRP will take effect as of 1 March 2010. http://www.marques.org/Class46/article.asp?XID=BHA1588 Why No Cybersecurity Coordinator? ... MELISSA HATHAWAY: There are more than 20 different international bodies that are designing and/or voting for the next generation standards for the technology. And principal to that is the UN International Telecommunications Union, and secondarily to that would be the ICANN Internet Governance Forum or the Internet Engineering Task Force. http://www.govinfosecurity.com/articles.php?art_id=1988 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Sophia Bekele endorses Dot Africa An initiative to create a new gTLD for Africa is gaining ground after the idea ?dotafrica? project, which has been reportedly introduced to most African countries by an Ethiopian led-consortium. http://www.goodnewsethiopia.com/2009/12/07/sophia-bekele-endorses-dot-africa/ eco: On your marks, get set ... and prepare to go in the race to reach a new domain - Next year?s likely launch of .eco is causing great debate Business is clamouring to be green. Companies boast of ?low emissions?, ?carbon neutrality? and ?sustainability?. This week?s United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen will confirm eco-business as the world?s most fashionable cause. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article6946462.ece SIDN wants to introduce DNSSEC in Aug [sub req'd] Dutch domain registrar SIDN wants to introduce .nl-zone, one month after the internet root servers using internet protocol DSSEC are "signed". Root manager ICANN said this was likely to happen in July 2010. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/ DotParis official website now open Yesterday, the City of Paris launched a PR and communications campaign to garner community support for .PARIS. A website (soon to be available in English) has been opened with a call for people to sign and show their support. Over the coming weeks, the site's content will be expanded with explanations of what .PARIS will be and who it will be aimed at. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/293-DotParis-official-website-now-open.html Telnic Wants to Release .Tel IDNs .Tel registry Telnic has sent a letter to ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom requesting permission to issue internationalized domain names (IDNs). The letter from Telnic CEO Khashayar Mahdavi requests ICANN authorization to release domains that contain hyphens in the third and fourth positions from the pool of reserved domains in the .tel registry agreement. This would enable IDNs. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/12/10/telnic-wants-to-release-tel-idns/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Cyberattacks against critical U.S. networks rising at a faster rate The number of cybersecurity attacks against computer networks that operate the nation's critical infrastructure such as transportation systems and water treatment and power plants, has increased dramatically, mostly because these industries rely on legacy technologies that don't protect systems from sophisticated attacks. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091208_4177.php China warns of Skype phishing, shuts offending domain [IDG] China's cyberthreat response group Monday warned local Skype users about phishing scams being carried out through the chat program, in a show of ongoing efforts to counter phishing in the country. http://www.pcworld.com/article/183875/.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/328887/ http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/328887/ ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Dubai firm loses domain name case What?s in a name? For Dubai law firm Bin Shabib & Associates, quite a lot, it seems. An arbitration hearing in November found that the firm had engaged in reverse domain name hijacking, after it failed an attempt to obtain the valuable domain name BSA.com from the owners, Hebei IT Shanghai. http://asia.legalbusinessonline.com/news/breaking-news/dubai-firm-loses-domain-name-case/39180 ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IPv6 and VoIP - Friend or foe? Whether enterprise users are ready or not, it appears that implementation of IPv6 is in the not-too-distant future. The need for enhanced addressing is needed, especially as everything from your PC to your toothbrush (so your dentist can immediately know whether you're really brushing after every meal) becomes IP-enabled. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120709-ipv6-voip.html http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9142010/IPv6_and_VoIP_Friend_or_foe_ http://www.infoworld.com/t/networking/ipv6-and-voip-?-friend-or-foe-556 http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/12/09/ipv6-and-voip-friend-or-foe 2010 tipped as IPv6 watershed year 2010 has been signposted as a watershed year for the migration to IPv6 by Australian ISPs, governments and enterprises. Speaking to Computerworld after the Australian IPv6 Summit 2009 held earlier this week in Melbourne, Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) director general Paul Wilson said the conversation had moved on from mere promotion to real world trials. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/329391/ http://www.infoworld.com/t/internet/2010-tipped-ipv6-watershed-year-741 http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/12/09/2010-tipped-ipv6-watershed-year http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/121009-2010-tipped-as-ipv6-watershed.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** au: NBN forum kicks off today The Federal Government will today kick off its Realising Our Broadband Future event at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Run over two days the event will hear from speakers like the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, communications minister Stephen Conroy, NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley, Google's vice president and chief internet evangelist Vinton G Cerf, Jeffrey Cole the director of USC Annenberg School; BHP Billiton Iron Ore CIO Brad Wearn, and Dr Paul Twomey the Senior President of ICANN. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/329217/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Made.com Makes it to Top of Sedo Sales Made.com was the biggest seller in the Sedo sales in the week to 7 December, selling for $130,000 with servcorp.com being the second biggest seller at $75,000. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/12/08/madecom-makes-it-to-top-of-weekly-sedo-sales/ There Are Many Ways to Become a Successful Domain Investor Believe it or not, DomainGang.com was right in its recap article on Monday. In separate posts, Brian discussed how domain investors should find end users for their domain sales, and I said that domain investors should continue selling to other domain investors. The reality is that both recommendations can work for different people, but most people do a little of both rather than one extreme or the other. http://www.elliotsblog.com/there-are-many-ways-to-become-a-successful-domain-investo-4235 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Internet access and use in 2009: One person in two in the EU27 uses the internet daily, While for young people the proportion is three quarters In the EU27 , 65% of households 1 had access to the internet during the first quarter of 2009, compared with 60% during the first quarter of 2008, and 56% had a broadband internet connection in 2009, compared with 49% in 2008. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=STAT/09/176 Europe's digital divide is north-south [IDG] A gaping geographical digital divide is emerging in the E.U., with countries in the south such as Greece, Bulgaria and Romania being left behind by more technology-savvy northern countries like Holland and Sweden, according to research published Tuesday. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120809-europes-digital-divide-is.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/184014/.html New project in scramble to save vanishing internet links What if, the next time you went on the internet, you clicked on a link and nothing happened? What if billions of internet links all stopped working at once? As 2010 approaches, this is exactly the problem that the internet is facing. So great is the concern that the Internet Archive in the United States has already begun what some people are calling one of the most important repair jobs in the web?s history. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6947344.ece Five Magazine and Newspaper Publishers Introduce Their Digital Newsstand Five major magazine and newspaper publishers on Tuesday announced plans to build an industry-standard platform to present their work on the Web, phones and e-readers in a richer, more flexible and more lucrative form than is possible today. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/five-major-magazine-and-newspaper-publishers-unveil-their-digital-newsstand/ Google Unveils News-by-Topic Service Google on Tuesday unveiled a new approach to presenting news online by topic, developed with The New York Times and The Washington Post, and said that if the experiment was successful, it would be made available to all publishers. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/technology/companies/09google.html Google, Washington Post and N.Y. Times create news tool Take the engineering mystique of Google, add the prestige of The Washington Post and New York Times, throw in the spice of secret meetings, and what have you got? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/08/AR2009120802319.html Google, publishers team to develop online news tool Google Inc. is looking to change the way you read news online. The online giant, whose Google News page is a major -- and conroversial -- news aggregator, has teamed up with The New York Times and the Washington Post to develop a new online tool that's designed to prioritize articles on major news stories as they develop. The feature, dubbed Living Stories, is designed to highlight new and feature articles along with regular updates of breaking stories. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141974/Google_publishers_team_to_develop_online_news_tool Google Adds Live Results From Twitter to Searches Google addressed the press at an event near its headquarters on Monday, talking about its advances in mobile, real-time and social search. It?s unveiling several new features that could influence how people search the Web. One big change, live results from Twitter and other sites mixed in with the standard Web search results, is rolling out over the next few days. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/google-charts-the-future-of-search/ Google Counters in Contest With Microsoft Google Inc. on Monday unveiled several new Internet-search advances, including ways to find information by taking a photo and results that stream on to a Web page continuously, as it attempts to fend off Microsoft Corp. and other new competitors. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703558004574581931679965354.html Google includes real-time data in search results Google has launched real-time search to give users access to up to the second information. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8400230.stm Google search goes real-time Google has moved to head off some of the threat from young rivals such as Twitter and Facebook by announcing plans to prominently display results from social networking sites in its search pages. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/07/google-realtime Google includes real-time search results Google has given users the ability to find out what the world is talking about with the universal launch of real-time search. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6948101.ece Opinion: The First Decade: Has the internet brought us together or driven us apart? Over the last 10 years, the internet has utterly transformed the world. But as we embrace this new-found connectedness, asks Johann Hari in the second of our essay series, are we losing our culture? http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/the-first-decade-has-the-internet-brought-us-together-or-driven-us-apart-1835994.html The internet's dirty carbon secret We've been told about the environmental costs of motoring, industrial farming, long-haul flights, big oil, deforestation in the Amazon and buying sweat-shop produced, throwaway fashion. Some of us have taken this advice on board, cycling more, flying less, choosing renewable energy schemes, and seeking out ethical, organic products. We can make these choices because appliances and cars are rated according to their energy consumption, and Fairtrade or organic products have prominently displayed certification logos. The information we need to assess whether a service or product is environmentally friendly is either accessible or it's just common sense ? hopping on an aeroplane every weekend is hardly sustainable, after all. But there's one particular aspect of most of our everyday lives whose environmental consequences are not so well explained: the internet and online activities. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/dec/06/internet-dirty-secret-emissions-data British government offers cash to get next one million online The UK government has pledged to get another one million people online by 2012 as it pushes ahead with moving the majority of its services onto the web. It has announced a ?30m cash injection for UK online centres, set up nine years ago to provide help for those without internet access. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8401196.stm The American Diet: 34 Gigabytes a Day A report published Wednesday by the University of California, San Diego, calculates that American households collectively consumed 3.6 zettabytes of information in 2008. The paper ? entitled ?How Much Information?? ? explores all forms of American communication and consumption and hopes to create a census of the information we consume. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/the-american-diet-34-gigabytes-a-day/ ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Balloon hunt boffins gave the web wings: Pentagon floats weather balloons to examine how social networking sites help people collaborate Yesterday morning 10 eight-foot red weather balloons went up across America, put up in secret locations throughout the country by Darpa, the research arm of the Pentagon and a real world version of James Bond?s Q. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/public_sector/article6946164.ece MIT team wins Darpa's treasure hunt in less than one day A $40,000 online challenge proposed by the US government has been won by a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - just hours after it was launched. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/dec/07/darpa-challenge MIT wins DARPA balloon challenge A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has won $40,000 from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for correctly finding the locations of 10 red balloons scattered across the U.S. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10410403-93.html Tweet while you work, urges Australian report [AFP] Blog, tweet, update Facebook -- that's the message the Australian government is sending its bureaucrats as part of a push to break down barriers between public servants and ordinary people. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/tweet-while-you-work-urges-australian-report-20091208-khgz.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/tweet-while-you-work-urges-australian-report-20091208-khgz.html Study: Facebook users willingly give out data Facebook users are too willing to give out their personal information, security firm Sophos has found. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10410257-2.html Facebook users have yet to learn privacy lessons, finds study Facebook users still give out their personal information far too readily two years on from a report which first came to that conclusion, according to security company Sophos. http://out-law.com/page-10588 Facebook users fall for rubber duck's friend request Facebook users haven't learned to keep their personal information private, a security researcher said today after his company conducted a test that sent randomly-selected people a friend request from bogus accounts. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141913/Facebook_users_fall_for_rubber_duck_s_friend_request http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/328938/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120709-facebook-users-fall-for-rubber.html http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/328938/ Facebook forms board to improve safety [IDG] Facebook is setting up a new advisory board to improve user safety on its social networking site, it said on Sunday. Online safety organizations Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, WiredSafety, Childnet International and The Family Online Safety Institute have all joined the Safety Advisory Board, according to Facebook. http://www.macworld.com/article/144791/2009/12/facebook.html New Facebook Advisory Board Targets Online Dangers Just days after news that it had helped identify and disable the accounts of more than 2,700 registered New York sex offenders, Facebook on Sunday announced that it has created an external advisory board on the topic of online safety. http://www.technewsworld.com/story/68829.html Facebook Forms New Safety Advisory Board Social networking site Facebook has just announced the formation of the "Facebook Safety Advisory Board," a group of five Internet safety organizations that will council the company on all issues related to online safety. The board members will review Facebook's current safety-related procedures and documentation as well as make suggestions regarding best practices and other procedures. Although the company has sought council from many of the participating organizations in the past, this new board formalizes those relationships so Facebook can gather even more feedback as to how they can improve safety on their site. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_forms_new_safety_advisory_board.php Facebook gives users more control of privacy Facebook is launching new privacy settings, designed to simplify the process for its 350 million users. It is the latest in a string of changes that have been made to its privacy policy this year. The site claims that only 15-20% of users have ever adjusted their settings. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8404284.stm Facebook privacy revamp draws fire Facebook, the world's No.1 Internet social network, took a step towards opening up parts of its site to outsiders on Wednesday by introducing a broad revision of its users' privacy settings. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5B906Q20091210 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-44597820091210 Facebook privacy changes draw mixed reviews [IDG] Facebook's revamped privacy settings will push more user data onto the Internet and, in some cases, make privacy protection harder for Facebook users, digital civil liberties experts said. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9142042/Facebook_privacy_changes_draw_mixed_reviews http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/184156/.html Facebook adopts new privacy settings Uh, about that status update on Facebook last night . . . you may want to make sure that information isn't available to more than just your friends. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/09/AR2009120904200.html Facebook Rolls Out New Privacy Settings Wednesday is privacy day for Facebook?s 350 million members. The company is asking users to review all their privacy settings. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/facebook-rolls-out-new-privacy-settings/ Facebook launches new privacy tool Facebook yesterday began an unprecedented effort to get its 350 million users to get a better grip on their online privacy. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6950993.ece Facebook details new privacy settings Facebook users are about to see an unfamiliar screen when they sign on to the service--a request to configure their privacy preferences. But it's not really a request. It's a requirement. http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10411418-238.html Facebook redraws privacy boundaries Facebook, the world's number one internet social network, has taken a step towards opening up parts of its site to outsiders by introducing more options for user's privacy settings. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/10/2767063.htm Facebook privacy changes rolled out Facebook users will be asked to adjust their privacy settings to ensure they are sharing photos and personal information only with the people they want to. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/6772825/Facebook-privacy-changes-rolled-out.html Facebook simplifies privacy options [IDG] Following through on plans announced a few months ago, Facebook is rolling out changes on Wednesday to its privacy settings intended to make them simpler to adjust and understand by its 350 million end users. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/329269/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/184123/.html Facebook in Vietnam: Social-networking blues Vietnam's access to Facebook has been intermittent at best for about a month. However, after two weeks here in Hanoi, I haven't been able to get an official answer as to whether the popular social-networking Web site is being blocked here. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10410034-93.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** IDC: 1 billion mobile devices will go online by 2013 The growing demand for online applications could push the number of mobile devices accessing the Internet past 1 billion by 2013, IDC said in a survey released today. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9142037/IDC_1_billion_mobile_devices_will_go_online_by_2013 http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/329304/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120909-idc-1-billion-mobile-devices.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/184127/.html Number of Mobile Devices Accessing the Internet Expected to Surpass One Billion by 2013, According to IDC [news release] There were more than 450 million mobile Internet users worldwide in 2009, a number that is expected to more than double by the end of 2013. Driven by the popularity and affordability of mobile phones, smartphones, and other wireless devices, IDC's Worldwide Digital Marketplace Model and Forecast (an IDC Database service) expects the number of mobile devices accessing the Internet to surpass the one billion mark over the next four years. http://idc.com/getdoc.jsp;jsessionid=BE20CPVBON3DCCQJAFDCFEYKBEAVAIWD?containerId=prUS22110509 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ uk: Internet safety for children targeted Lessons in using the internet safely are set to become a compulsory part of the curriculum for primary school children in England from 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8398763.stm Zip it, block it, flag it: code for online safety Children will be taught to "zip it, block it and flag it," under a new code for internet safety to be taught in every primary school in England from the age of five. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/dec/08/code-online-safety Internet safety rules will get tough on false pictures and privacy False pictures posted on social networking sites will have to be removed by host companies within 24 hours of a complaint under internet safety rules published today. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6948127.ece Facebook to install 'panic' button Facebook is among 140 websites that will install 'panic' buttons on their site, which allow children to report inappropriate content or acts of cyberbullying. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=3208234 Facebook Launches Safety Advisory Board Facebook announced it is creating a Facebook Safety Advisory Board to provide advice to the firm on online safety issues. The board will be made up of representatives from five Web safety groups: Childnet International, Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, the Family Online Safety Institute and WiredSafety. The board will meet "regularly" with Facebook to review existing safety resources provided to Facebook users and develop new safety tools. One of the first tasks the board will tackle is an overhaul of the safety content on Facebook's Help Center to provide a more "comprehensive resource with specific educational content for parents, teachers, and teens," Facebook said in a statement released Sunday. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/12/facebook-launches-safety-advis.php Facebook says forms board on online safety Social networking site Facebook said it has formed an advisory board comprising five Internet safety organizations to consult on issues related to online safety. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-44527920091207 ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Music price comparison site to challenge dominance of iTunes The dominance of Apple's iTunes store in the music downloads market could suffer a blow after the launch of a new price comparison site from TV consumer champion Martin Lewis. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/dec/07/music-price-comparison-challenge-itunes Music price comparison website to challenge iTunes' dominance Money-saving expert Martin Lewis has launched a service to cut the cost of song downloads, threatening Apple's iTunes dominance of online music. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/music-price-comparison-website-to-challenge-itunes-dominance-1836042.html Judge affirms $675,000 verdict in RIAA music piracy case A federal judge in Boston today formally signed off on a $675,000 fine that a jury assessed against Boston University doctoral student Joel Tenenbaum for illegally sharing 30 copyrighted songs. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141914/Update_Judge_affirms_675k_verdict_in_RIAA_music_piracy_case http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120709-judge-affirms-675000-verdict-in.html us: Lawyer in Tenenbaum music piracy case to seek retrial The Harvard Law School professor who defended a Boston University doctoral student in a music piracy case plans to seek a new trial. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141971/Lawyer_in_Tenenbaum_music_piracy_case_to_seek_retrial_ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/120809-lawyer-in-tenenbaum-music-piracy.html Song downloads: student fined a fortune must destroy files [AP] A graduate student who must pay four record labels a combined $US675,000 ($740,500) in damages for downloading and sharing songs online has been ordered to destroy his illegal music files - but a judge declined to force him to stop promoting the activity that got him in trouble. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/song-downloads-student-fined-a-fortune-must-destroy-files-20091208-kg4x.html How Team Tenenbaum missed a chance to shape P2P fair use law Federal judge Nancy Gertner today officially brought down the tent on the Joel Tenenbaum P2P Big Top World 'O Fun, all but admitting that she would have given Tenenbaum's arguments about "fair use" a truly sympathetic hearing were it not for the shoddy behavior of his legal team. What could have turned into a watershed case instead became another statutory crucifixion, with Gertner finally entering the jury's $675,000 verdict against the young file-swapper whose defense crashed down with an in-court admission that he had been lying all along. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/12/how-team-tenenbaum-missed-a-chance-to-shape-p2p-fair-use-law.ars Artists' lawsuit: major record labels are the real pirates Given how aggressively the recording industry likes to pursue file sharers, one would assume that the industry itself is in the clear when it comes to copyright infringement. But that assumption has been put to the test in Canada, where a massive infringement lawsuit is brewing against some major players. Members of the Canadian Recording Industry Association, including the Big Four (Warner Music Canada, Sony BMG Music Canada, EMI Music Canada, and Universal Music Canada), face the prospect of damages ranging from $50 million up to $60 billion due to their use of artists' music without permission. That's right: $60 billion. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/12/artists-lawsuit-major-record-labels-are-the-real-pirates.ars BT and Google in talks over creating video delivery network for ISPs BT is believed to be in talks with Google about an online tie-up that would deliver huge improvements in the quality of internet video programming. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/dec/07/bt-google-isp-digital-video ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Text Messages: Digital Lipstick on the Collar There is a question that has crossed the mind recently of anyone who has sent a cellphone text message while cheating on a spouse: What was I thinking? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/us/09text.html Research in Motion sets sights on China Research in Motion is launching a push to market its BlackBerry smartphones to millions of individual users in China with two new distribution deals in the largest mobile market by subscribers. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/05de4408-e361-11de-8d36-00144feab49a.html Telstra uses Hong Kong to test speedy Long Term Evolution Telstra's Hong Kong subsidiary CSL Limited is ready to flick the switch on a six-month trial of the super-fast Long Term Evolution 4G mobile standard, but the telco remains coy on a timeframe for the technology's introduction to local shores. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telstra-uses-hong-kong-to-test-speedy-long-term-evolution/story-e6frgakx-1225807904582 ACMA proposes to allow mobile calls on domestic flights The Australian Communications and Media Authority is proposing the establishment of radio communications licensing to allow airplane passengers to use their mobiles during flights. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/329038/ AT&T: Tighter Control of Cell Data Usage Ahead [AP] IPhone users who jam the airwaves by watching video on their devices will be put on tighter leashes, an AT&T Inc. executive said Wednesday. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/09/technology/AP-US-TEC-ATT-Data-Usage.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Brazil: The New Spam King China has long been the scapegoat of the cybersecurity world. But when it comes to junk e-mail, a new emerging market has taken the title of the world's most prolific spammer: Brazil. http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/08/spam-china-cisco-technology-cio-network-brazil.html au: Former employees 'created fake profiles' for accused spammers Former employees of a company accused of breaching the Spam Act have told the Federal Court in Brisbane they made up fake profiles on dating websites to obtain people's phone numbers. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/07/2764233.htm American woman sues Burger King over spam texts Is there some etiquette one should follow when receiving a spam text? Should one at least read it before erasing it? Should one even attempt a polite reply, even if it is in the negative? Or should one sue the rotten behind off the ungracious crasher who deigns to invade one's cell phone? http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10411983-71.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** FTC Warns World Cup Soccer Fans: Watch Out for Ticket Scams [news release] In conjunction with the organizers of the World Cup, the Federal Trade Commission is warning soccer fans that they could become victims of scams. In some cases, Web sites that offer tickets for sale are run by con artists who don?t really have tickets. In other cases, consumers buy ?tickets? and travel to the World Soccer Cup site only to learn that the tickets they purchased are counterfeit. Other Web sites may offer packages that provide hotels, transportation and tickets - but they don?t actually have the tickets, at all. http://ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/fifa.shtm Australian ISPs urged to increase security responsibility The founder of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre (AHTCC) has called on Internet service providers (ISPs) to cooperate with each other and government to fight cyber crime. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/328842/ Australia's internet, phone and mail fraud grows Australian Payments Clearing Association (APCA) data released this week shows online fraud continues to grow despite the overall rate remaining steady. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/329307/ Cyberattacks against critical U.S. networks rising at a faster rate The number of cybersecurity attacks against computer networks that operate the nation's critical infrastructure such as transportation systems and water treatment and power plants, has increased dramatically, mostly because these industries rely on legacy technologies that don't protect systems from sophisticated attacks. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091208_4177.php China warns of Skype phishing, shuts offending domain [IDG] China's cyberthreat response group Monday warned local Skype users about phishing scams being carried out through the chat program, in a show of ongoing efforts to counter phishing in the country. http://www.pcworld.com/article/183875/.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/328887/ http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/328887/ Google sues work-from-home scammers The Google-branded ads promised ?up to $978 a day working from home?, but all job seekers got in return for their application was a recurring bill on their credit cards. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/google-sues-workfromhome-scammers-20091209-kizn.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/google-sues-workfromhome-scammers-20091209-kizn.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3144491/ How fake sites trick search engines to hit the top [AP] Even search engines can get suckered by Internet scams. With a little sleight of hand, con artists can dupe them into giving top billing to fraudulent Web sites that prey on consumers, making unwitting accomplices of companies such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/08/financial/f121017S43.DTL http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13953544 uk: Newspaper thwarts libel claim with E-Commerce Regulations defence A newspaper publisher was not liable for user comments posted after an online article and will not have to pay out libel damages, the High Court has ruled. http://out-law.com/page-10585 nz: Hawkes Bay people may be unaware of their wireless Internet traffic Netsafe says people may be unaware their wireless Internet connection is being hacked. http://www.hawkesbay.co.nz/index.php/200912097680/Locals/Local-News/Netsafe-says-Hawkes-Bay-people-may-be-unaware-of-their-Internet-traffic.html nz: TradeMe warns of Christmas scams [NZPA] 'Tis the season to be scammed, with New Zealand's leading online auction site warning people not to trust any requests for instant international cash transactions from online traders. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3148732/ ************************** PRIVACY ************************** FTC to consider stricter online privacy rules [IDG] The U.S. Federal Trade Commission plans to take a hard look at how it enforces consumer privacy standards in the coming months, with new rules for online companies possibly on the way, the agency's chairman said on Monday. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9141911/FTC_to_consider_stricter_online_privacy_rules http://www.pcworld.com/article/183910/.html FTC Officials Urge Action On Privacy FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz and his colleague, independent member Pamela Jones Harbour, told a privacy workshop Monday that the time is ripe for action to improve consumer data privacy both online and offline. "I'd argue that we're at another watershed moment in privacy, and that the time is ripe for the commission to build on the February behavioral targeting principles and to take a broader look at privacy writ large," Leibowitz said in his written comments at the start of the FTC's workshop. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/12/ftc-officials-urge-action-on-p.php Yahoo adds privacy tool, in time for FTC meetings Yahoo announced on Monday a new consumer tool called "Ad Interest Manager." http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10410266-93.html Yahoo Launches New Privacy Tool Yahoo Monday announced a new tool aimed at giving consumers more control over Internet ads targeted at their interests. Ad Interest Manager will give visitors to Yahoo a summary of their online activity. In addition, it allows users to view the interests Yahoo believes they have, edit or change those listed interests, and turn off "interest-based ads," the Internet firm said in a statement. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/12/yahoo-launches-new-privacy-too.php FTC To Host Privacy Roundtable WHAT: The Federal Trade Commission will host the first of three public Roundtables to explore the privacy challenges posed by technology and business practices that collect and use consumer data. This first roundtable will focus on the benefits and risks of information-sharing practices, consumer expectations regarding such practices, behavioral advertising, information brokers, and the adequacy of existing legal and self-regulatory frameworks. http://ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/privacyrt.shtm ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Iran powerless to stop revolution by proxy Six months on from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed election victory, reports of gunfire and beatings are still coming out of Tehran almost weekly. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/08/2765153.htm Aliens vs. Predator banned in Australia: the Classification Board explains its decision Last Friday, Sega announced that its hotly anticipated Aliens Vs. Predator video game had been refused classification by the Classification Operations Board. This means that the game cannot be played by Australians in its current state (pending a possible appeal). http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/329016/ China closes down more video sharing websites [Relax News] Chinese regulators have closed down hundreds of video sharing websites in a new push to control Internet content, reports said Monday. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/china-closes-down-more-video-sharing-websites-1836008.html China closes file-sharing sites in crackdown [AP] China has closed one of the country's largest file-sharing sites in what it says is a fight against copyright infringement, but could be seen as another measure aimed at controlling what content the country's Web users can find online. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-closes-filesharing-sites-in-crackdown-20091210-kkd1.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-closes-filesharing-sites-in-crackdown-20091210-kkd1.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** nz: Online suppression not a lost cause, seminar told Despite the legal maxim that the law should not spend effort on a futility, stopping the online release of suppressed information in should not be regarded as a lost cause, said Attorney-General Chris Finlayson, opening a seminar under the title ?R v the internet? in Wellington last week. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/newmedia/FB8CA650F1BCA60ACC2576850075B909 nz: Coalition focuses on secret ACTA treaty A coalition of interest groups has formed to launch a site dedicated to providing information about the controversial Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/A437B204334B4F20CC2576870019F4CF http://www.infoworld.com/t/intellectual-property/coalition-focuses-secret-acta-treaty-695 http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/12/09/coalition-focuses-secret-acta-treaty EU issues guidance on complex consumer protection laws Social networking sites and blogs can be governed by the European Union's Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, according to new guidance published by the European Commission. http://out-law.com/page-10583 OECD Debates E-Commerce Guidelines The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development kicked off an effort Tuesday that will likely lead to an update of the group's e-commerce consumer protection guidelines to reflect new challenges that have emerged since the guidelines were released a decade ago. Speaking at the start of the OECD's three-day conference in Washington on consumer protection in the Internet age, Michael Jenkin, chairman of the OECD's consumer policy committee, said the conference is the start of a long process aimed at updating the guidelines by 2011. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/12/oecd-debates-ecommerce-guideli.php All British phone lines to be taxed at ?6 a year to pay for fast broadband The government is pressing ahead with controversial plans to levy a ?6 a year tax on all phone lines in Britain in order to fund the introduction of next generation broadband networks, Alistair Darling, the chancellor, confirmed today. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/dec/09/six-pound-tax-on-all-phones ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* France's Sarkozy takes on Google in books dispute French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday he would not let his country's literary heritage be taken away by a "friendly" large American company, in a thinly veiled challenge to Google. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-44571420091208 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Commission endorses amended version of Austrian broadband access market definition The European Commission has given its green light to the amended definition of the wholesale broadband access market (WBA) notified by the Austrian regulator RTR (Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs GmbH). http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1888 Broadband to cut carbon emissions: Rudd The roll-out of nationwide fast broadband will reduce Australia's carbon emissions by five per cent, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says. http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-national/broadband-to-cut-carbon-emissions-rudd-20091210-kl0y.html au: NBN forum kicks off today The Federal Government will today kick off its Realising Our Broadband Future event at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Run over two days the event will hear from speakers like the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, communications minister Stephen Conroy, NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley, Google's vice president and chief internet evangelist Vinton G Cerf, Jeffrey Cole the director of USC Annenberg School; BHP Billiton Iron Ore CIO Brad Wearn, and Dr Paul Twomey the Senior President of ICANN. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/329217/ Australia's internet service ranked fourth [AAP] Australia's internet service has been ranked fourth in the world in a survey but many consumers want more investment in broadband infrastructure. http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/a/-/tech/6570652/australias-internet-service-ranked-fourth/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (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 __________________________________________________________________________________ See what's on at the movies in your area. Find out now: http://au.movies.yahoo.com/session-times/Received on Wed Dec 09 2009 - 22:01:36 UTC
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