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.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Situation in Haiti and the DNS - .HT domain continues to function by Kim Davies
http://blog.icann.org/2010/01/haiti/

Surge of new Haiti domain names registered as experts warn potential donors of aid scam risks [AP]
http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-haiti-avoiding-scams,0,3155367.story

FBI Warns of Domain Name Scammers Following Haiti Earthquake
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10082

Trung Nguyen says its name misused on Australian web domain
http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/?catid=2&newsid=54677

Trung Nguyen coffee domain name row rumbles on
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/ITTelecom/201001/Trung-Nguyen-coffee-domain-name-row-rumbles-on-889466/

Bitter coffee row brewing following domain name spat
http://www.english.vietnamnet.vn/ITTelecom/201001/Bitter-coffee-row-brewing-following-domain-name-spat-889191/


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GOVERNANCE
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Internet Governance 2010: Future Of The IGF, Competition Among Institutions [sub req'd]
The future design of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the role of the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in internet governance and the ability of ICANN to resolve issues from new generic top-level domains to further internationalisation - these are the top policy issues in internet governance in 2010 and they are all linked to the question about how many governments and how much ?multi-stakeholderism? effective internet governance needs.
http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2010/01/15/internet-governance-2010-future-of-the-igf-competition-among-institutions/

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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Public Comment Requested on Draft 2010-2013 Strategic Plan
As the next element of consultation on the Strategic Plan, ICANN invites comments from the community on a first draft of the plan based on material presented to the community at the Seoul meeting. In particular, we are seeking the views of the community on the following issues:
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-01dec09-en.htm

Bulk Transfer of Hosting365 Inc. Domains to Blacknight Internet Solutions Ltd.
ICANN has authorized a bulk transfer of Hosting365 Inc.?s gTLD domain names to Blacknight Internet Solutions Ltd., due to a compliance action taken by ICANN that resulted in the de-accreditation of registrar Hosting365 Inc.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15jan10-en.htm

Call for Applicants for the Position of Volunteer Review Team Member
The Affirmation of Commitments calls for a periodic review of four key ICANN objectives, namely: 1. Ensuring accountability, transparency and the interests of global Internet users; 2. Preserving security, stability and resiliency of the DNS; 3. Promoting competition, consumer trust and consumer choice; 4. Whois policy.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-13jan10-en.htm

Debate swirls around ICANN plan to fast-track new top-level domains
A controversial plan to introduce hundreds of new top-level domains into the Internet has reached a crossroads: The plan will either be accelerated or delayed based on public comments due at the end of January.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011510-icann-domain.html
http://www.itworld.com/networking/92932/debate-swirls-around-icann-plan-fast-track-new-top-level-domains
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/01/15/debate-swirls-around-icann-plan-fast-track-new-top-level-domains
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=32F3DC89-1A64-6A71-CE227FEDD3F23F75
http://www.cio.com/article/516913/Debate_Swirls_Around_ICANN_Plan_to_Fast_Track_New_Top_Level_Domains

China, a Country which has turned into a Rogue State
The recent incidents that have indicated that the Chinese Government is behind attacks on the Indian Prime Minsiter?s Office, trying to steal sensitive information is yet another indication that China poses a serious risk to the Global order through its pursuance of the ?Cyber Super Power? doctrine. ... As a part of this strategy, India should move for isolation of China from Cyber Space by working thorugh ICANN so that China is prevented from tapping into any Internet data from outside its borders without surveillance from the global alliance.
http://www.bloggernews.net/123545

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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Situation in Haiti and the DNS - .HT domain continues to function by Kim Davies
We have received a lot of communication concerning the devastation in Haiti, particularly its impact on Internet function and the .HT top-level domain. Here are the basic facts:
http://blog.icann.org/2010/01/haiti/

.HT ccTLD Continues to Function Despite Impact of Earthquake
Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti this week telecommunication services have been hit hard, like all other aspects of infrastructure. However writing on the ICANN blog, Kim Davies says the .HT ccTLD has largely continued to function.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10099
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/01/16/ht-cctld-continues-to-function-despite-impact-of-haiti-earthquake/

Haiti Top Level Domain Mostly Functional
In the wake of earthquakes in Haiti, the country?s top level domain name remains functional with some limitations, ICANN reported on its blog today.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/01/14/haiti-top-level-domain-mostly-functional/

FCCN makes .PT more secure and is among the first ccTLDs in the world to use DNSSEC
At the very beginning of 2010, the FCCN (Foundation for National Scientific Computing), the entity that manages the DNS system for attributing domain names on the Internet under .PT, signed the .PT top-level domain using the DNSSEC standard, joining Portugal to the small group of countries that have adopted this standard for their top-level domains. The DNSSEC standard consists of security extensions to the DNS protocol, thereby introducing security mechanisms that enable a number of the main problems in this area to be resolved.
https://online.dns.pt/dns_2008/do?com=DS;2217917768;111;+PAGE(4000002)+K-NOTICIA(1022)

.PT Signed with DNSSEC
At the beginning of 2010, the FCCN signed the .PT ccTLD with DNSSEC and we would therefore like to inform all those whose domains are delegated under .PT about any possible impacts and potential consequences of this signing. The DNSSEC consists of a series of security extensions to the DNS protocol which now enable data in a DNS zone to have a digital signature, enabling the end customer to authenticate this data and its origin.
https://online.dns.pt/dns_2008/do?com=DS;2217917768;111;+PAGE(4000002)+K-NOTICIA(1021)

Saudi Arabia: 300,000 Requests to Block Websites Annually
Dammam, Asharq Al-Awsat- There are between 700 and 1000 requests from internet users to block websites in Saudi Arabia per day, a source at the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) told Asharq Al-Awsat. An average of 850 requests per day means that there are 300,000 requests annually. The same source confirmed that over 93 percent of blocked websites are pornographic.
http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=7&id=19528

Shaping the future of .uk - update
Following your feedback on the consultation on shaping the future of .uk, we are today presenting a number of proposed changes to our constitution in the form of draft formal resolutions. We are seeking comments on the draft resolutions until 25 January after which we will present the final resolutions to our Members.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=7016

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 - DNS SECURITY
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How Do We Respond to Chinese Cyber Aggression?
... US can take its own action as it deems fit. However India should move ICANN along with US and other countries to declare China as a ?Rogue Cyber Country? and ?Banish China from Cyber Space.?
http://www.bloggernews.net/123537

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Surge of new Haiti domain names registered as experts warn potential donors of aid scam risks [AP]
Scammers emerge as predictably as earthquake aftershocks following natural disasters, making it imperative for consumers to be wary of unsolicited appeals to aid victims in Haiti.
http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-haiti-avoiding-scams,0,3155367.story
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/nationworld/sns-ap-us-haiti-avoiding-scams,0,3181911.story

FBI Warns of Domain Name Scammers Following Haiti Earthquake
Domain name scammers who register domain names to take advantage of disasters and misfortune around the world have been quick to take advantage of the misery in Haiti with the FBI issuing a Haitian earthquake relief fraud alert.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10082
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/01/15/fbi-warns-of-domain-name-scammers-following-haiti-earthquake/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/fbi-warns-of-domain-name-scammers-following-haiti-earthquake.html

Swiss Federal Railways Domain Case is One Big Train Wreck
Swiss Federal Railways has lost its case at World Intellectual Property Organization to get the domain name SBB.com.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/01/14/swiss-federal-railways-domain-case-is-one-big-train-wreck/

Trung Nguyen says its name misused on Australian web domain
Vietnam?s top coffee processor has said a different company is confusing customers by using its name for an internet domain in Australia.
http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/?catid=2&newsid=54677

Trung Nguyen coffee domain name row rumbles on
The dispute over the domain name of Trung Nguyen coffee domain in Australia has got even more complicated. The latest development sees the owner of trungnguyen.com.au display evidence of its status as the official distributor of Trung Nguyen coffee in Australia.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/ITTelecom/201001/Trung-Nguyen-coffee-domain-name-row-rumbles-on-889466/

Bitter coffee row brewing following domain name spat
The Trung Nguyen Coffee Company has accused Viet Thai International JS Company of stealing a domain name. It follows the discovery that the website trungnguyen.com.au now includes information about rivals Viet Thai?s Highlands Coffee product. When it registered the trungngueyn domain name in Australia, Trung Nguyen Coffee Company discovered that the Hinchliffe Trust Company had already registered the domain. This domain leads to a website distributing Highland Coffee products by Vietnam-based Viet Thai International Company.
http://www.english.vietnamnet.vn/ITTelecom/201001/Bitter-coffee-row-brewing-following-domain-name-spat-889191/

Forbes Russia Wins Domain Name and $300,000 Award
Forbes Media and Axel Springer Russia, the group that publishes the Forbes magazine and Forbes Online in Russia under license from Forbes Media, have won a case against a cybersquatter for the domain Forbes.ru. Not only did the plaintiffs pick up the domain name, but the court also awarded it a $300,000 fine from the defendant, travel company Landmark VIP Service.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/01/15/forbes-russia-wins-domain-name-and-300000-award/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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ENUM: Dragging telephone numbers into the Internet Age
E-mail, IM, Facebook, phones?what if all of these ways to reach you over a network could be condensed into a single, unique number? The ENUM proposal aims to do just that, by giving everyone a single phone number that maps to all of their identifiers. Here's how it works, and why it isn't already widely used.
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2010/01/enum-dragging-telephone-numbers-into-the-internet-age.ars

Dutch government buys thegoatisbeingmilked.nl and other bizarre domain names by Michel van Eeten
The Dutch Ministry of the Interior has been preemptively buying domain names. Several hundreds of them. Some of them are outright bizarre, such as degeitwordtgemolken.nl ('thegoatisbeingmilked.nl') or hetbrooddesemiszuur.nl ('thesourdoughbreadissour.nl'). What is going on?
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/1/15/4429071.html

Minds and Machines Launch New City TLD Site
Minds and Machines have launched a new site targetted at prospective candidates for "city TLDs".
http://www.newtldguide.com/2010/01/minds-and-machines-launch-new-city-tld-site.html

WHOIS Privacy Considered ?Material Falsification?: A recent decision by the Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
A recent decision by the Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has determined that using WHOIS privacy on domains may be considered ?material falsification? under federal law. The defendants in US v. Kilbride (9th Cir., 2009) were convicted under the CAN-SPAM Act in a case that involved criminal charges of intentional email spamming. Enacted by the US Congress in 2003, the CAN-SPAM Act prohibits false or misleading transmission information, deceptive headers, and requires email solicitations to give an easy opt-out method and be labeled as an advertisement, including the senders physical post address. Commercial emails that use false or misleading headers, or violate other CAN-SPAM provisions, such as falsified registration information, are subject to fines of up to $11,000 for each unsolicited email sent.
http://www.sedo.com/links/showlinks.php3?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&Id=2575

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Latona?s Auction Platform is ready for TRAFFIC Las Vegas auction next week [news release]
Latona?s Domain Brokerage & Auction House announced that as of 14 January their new auction platform is ready and willing for their upcoming auction at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Las Vegas. 
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/01/15/latonas-auction-platform-is-ready-for-traffic-las-vegas-auction-next-week/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/latonas-auction-platform-is-ready-for-traffic-las-vegas-auction-next-week.html

One to Four Character Domains and One-word ccTLDs Featured in Snapnames Showcase Auction
The current SnapNames Showcase Auction features one to four character domains and one-word ccTLDs. The auction ends on Tuesday January 19 at 3:15 EST (USA).
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/01/15/one-to-four-character-domains-and-one-word-cctlds-featured-in-snapnames-showcase-auction/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/one-to-four-character-domains-and-one-word-cctlds-featured-in-snapnames-showcase-auction.html

CookingGames.com Serves Up $350,000 Sale at NoktaDomains as 2009 Domain Sales Season Comes to a Close
The final week of the 2009 domain sales season saw the kind of light overall activity you expect over the holidays but it still produced a pair of impressive six-figure sales. Setting the pace was a $350,000 deal for CookingGames.com at NoktaDomains. Nokta had a second entry in the first five on our new all extension Top 20 Sales Chart, scoring again with #4 ValentinesDayGifts.com at $31,000.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2009/20100113.htm


China's online population swells to 384 million [AFP]
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chinas-online-population-swells-to-384-million-20100115-mccv.html

Jury clears British 'Pirate Bay' operator of fraud charge
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/15/file-sharing-oink-website-acquittal

Haitian Earthquake Relief Fraud Alert [news release]
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel10/earthquake011310.htm

German government warns against using MS Explorer
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8463516.stm

Australian Defence on a cyber war footing
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/defence-on-a-cyber-war-footing/story-e6frg6nf-1225820171172

Internet scammers hit Kiwis [NZPA]
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3235088/

Why is China so terrified of dissent?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/17/china-terrified-dissent-dissident-chinese

Google's commercial retreat from China shows the freedom of the web has limits, after all
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/17/google-commercial-retreat-china-freedom

Chinese Site Criticizes Investor for Its Google Support
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/world/asia/17google.html

Yahoo criticised by Alibaba for 'reckless' China stance
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8463413.stm

Taking Down China?s ?Great Firewall?- Why Google's stand is a public-relations win and a solid blow to Beijing's policy of censorship.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/230820

Far-Ranging Support for Google?s China Move
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/world/asia/15china.html

Google sends a shockwave through Chinese internet
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/13/google-china-internet-shockwave

Google and China: Flowers for a funeral
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15267915

China responds to Google hacking claims
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/china-google-hacking-response-dissidents

How internet giant Google turned on gatekeepers of China's Great Firewall
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/google-china-internet-blog-announcement

China set to ignore Google demands for end to censorship
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6987377.ece


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RESEARCH PAPERS
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International Mobile Roaming Charging in the OECD Area
While the wireless industry has witnessed spectacular developments in recent years, with increasing competition in domestic markets, there is a widespread perception among many stakeholders, including some within the industry itself, that international mobile roaming service (IMRS) prices are unreasonable and inefficiently high. This report represents the first part of a two-phase OECD project on IMRS. It provides analysis on market developments and pricing in IMRS and sets out the nature of the perceived problem together with analysis on why IMRS pricing takes the form it does.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/41/40/44381810.pdf

OECD: Indicators of broadband coverage
Comparing data on broadband coverage across OECD countries still faces some challenges because of the use of different metrics across countries. This report aims at providing information on the advantages and pitfalls of existing indicators used to measure broadband coverage, considering coverage related to different types of technologies (e.g. xDSL, cable modem, FTTH/B, 3G, satellite, WiMAX). Every technology capable of providing high speed Internet access involves specific issues when measuring availability.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/41/39/44381795.pdf

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INTERNET USE
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China's online population swells to 384 million [AFP]
The number of Internet users in China, already the largest in the world, rose to 384 million by the end of 2009, a government-linked industry body said Friday.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chinas-online-population-swells-to-384-million-20100115-mccv.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chinas-online-population-swells-to-384-million-20100115-mccv.html

Burst of Mobile Giving by Americans Adds Millions in Relief Funds
Old-fashioned television telethons can stretch on for hours. But the latest charity appeal is short enough for Twitter: ?Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to §RedCross relief.?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/technology/15mobile.html

US Study: Broadband does indeed help local economies [IDG]
U.S. broadband policy in recent months has been driven by a widely held assumption that the availability of broadband in an area will help improve the economy. A study released Wednesday puts some scholarship behind that assumption, with the author saying that broadband indeed has economic benefits.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/332429/

Five million now online as web access grows in South Africa
The number of internet users in South Africa has passed 5 million and continues to enjoy strong growth, research shows. But internet penetration in Africa's ?economic powerhouse is only 10%, still far behind developed countries in the west.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/14/internet-five-million-south-africa

Violent video games are worse than pornography, says Ron Jeremy
Ron Jeremy, a high profile figure in the adult entertainment industry, believes that violent video games have a 'bigger negative influence' on children than pornography
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/6980993/Violent-video-games-are-worse-than-pornography-says-Ron-Jeremy.html

'Beware Internet use', Malaysia warns [AFP]
The Malaysian government has warned against excessive use of micro-blogging sites like Facebook and Twitter, arguing that they could erode the country's culture, a report said Sunday.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/beware-internet-use-malaysia-warns-20100117-mee4.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/beware-internet-use-malaysia-warns-20100117-mee4.html

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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The ego has landed: David Brent to star in US version of The Office
... On his blog, Gervais wrote: "As you may know I've stopped with Twitter. I just don't get it I'm afraid. I'm sure it's fun as a networking device for teenagers but there's something a bit undignified about adults using it. Particularly celebrities who seem to be showing off by talking to each other in public. If I want to tell a friend, famous or otherwise what I had to eat this morning, I'll text them. And since I don't need to make new virtual friends, it seemed a bit pointless to be honest."
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-ego-has-landed-david-brent-to-star-in-us-version-of-the-office-1869519.html

Down to business: new users tap into social media
TELSTRA was first to take the plunge, allowing its 40,000-plus workers to tweet (almost) at will. Myer, too, has jumped in online, thanking its 1932 Facebook fans for their patience during recent store renovations in Melbourne. Now Cricket Australia is dipping into online social media, launching a branded Facebook page and Twitter site for national vice-captain Michael Clarke.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/down-to-business-new-users-tap-into-social-media-20100116-mdj8.html

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Back in fashion: The return of the mainframe - The mother of all computers no longer looks that old
Geeks may roll their eyes at the news that Namibia is only now getting its first mainframe?a technology that most consider obsolete. Yet the First National Bank of Namibia, which bought the computer, is at the leading edge of a trend. Comeback is too strong a word, but mainframes no longer look that outdated.
http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15276714

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Pornography Filters in India Have Little Impact [IDG]
Search engines and other Web sites in India are required by law to filter pornographic content. But the opportunity for circumvention is so large, and government interest in prosecution so low, that the country is better off doing away with the laws, analysts said.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/186886/.html
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011410-pornography-filters-in-india-have.html

Protecting children online takes more than a filter
The Federal Government's planned internet filter has reignited the debate over how best to maintain civil liberties while simultaneously protecting children and other vulnerable members of the community from inappropriate and potentially harmful material.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/protecting-children-online-takes-more-than-a-filter-20100113-m6g8.html

Police warn parents and teens about mobile internet use [news release]
NSW Police are warning parents and teenagers to consider the possible dangers associated with the use of mobile internet technology.
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_releases?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmViaXoucG9saWNlLm5zdy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYSUyRjk2MTUuaHRtbCZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D
http://rouse-hill-times.whereilive.com.au/news/story/police-warn-parents-and-teens-about-mobile-internet-use/
http://express.whereilive.com.au/news/story/police-warn-parents-and-teens-about-mobile-internet-use/

uk: Paedophile ran teaching website
A convicted paedophile and former teacher was free to run a major UK education website, the BBC has learned.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8462650.stm

Swiss youth on the web
Do you know which internet forum your child visits on a regular basis? If not, then you are in the same position as the majority of parents. This is what is revealed by the latest survey conducted by SWITCH's Junior Web Barometer. The survey shows that 69 percent of the 13 to 20 year-olds questioned have unrestricted access to the entire contents of the web on their home computer.
http://www.switch.ch/about/news/2010/barometer.html

us: 'Sexting': Child porn or child's play? [AP]
The first criminal case involving "sexting" reached a US appeals court - a case that asks whether racy cell-phone photos of three girls amount to child pornography or child's play.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/3234967/

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Call for study of threat from "offline" filesharing
Policymakers urgently need better information on people's attitudes to copyright law, according to a report out today warning that friends swapping hard drives and memory sticks could pose as great a piracy threat to media companies as online filesharers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/15/offline-copyright-breaches-report

Jury clears British 'Pirate Bay' operator of fraud charge
The first person in the UK to be prosecuted for online music sharing has been acquitted of conspiracy to defraud, scuppering the music industry's hopes that it would have a homegrown equivalent of last year's high profile Pirate Bay case in Sweden with which to deter British music pirates.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/15/file-sharing-oink-website-acquittal

Music file-sharer 'Oink' cleared of fraud
A man who ran a music-sharing website with almost 200,000 members has been found not guilty of conspiracy to defraud at Teesside Crown Court. Alan Ellis, 26, was the first person in the UK to be prosecuted for illegal file-sharing. He operated the site, called Oink, from his flat in Middlesbrough from 2004 until it was closed down in a police raid in October 2007. In that time Oink facilitated the download of 21 million music files.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/8461879.stm

OiNK founder free after two-plus years of legal troubles
A UK court has acquitted the admin of music sharing site OiNK of the one and only charge brought against him: conspiracy to defraud copyright owners. Twenty-six-year-old Alan Ellis was unanimously found not guilty by a jury in a Teesside Crown Court Friday, despite efforts from the music industry to paint him as a "cunning" liar who made money off the hard work of others.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/01/oink-founder-free-after-two-plus-years-of-legal-troubles.ars

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Kodak launches lawsuit against iPhone and BlackBerry
Kodak has launched lawsuits alleging that the iPhone and BlackBerry - two of the world's most popular mobile phones - infringe its patents.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/kodak-apple-blackberry

Kodak sues Apple and RIM over iPhone and Blackberry
Camera maker Kodak has said it will sue Apple and Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of the iPhone and Blackberry, over technology used in their handsets. Kodak has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8460899.stm

The next challenges for mobile phones: find me and tell me who I am
Mobile phones could soon have improve tracking facilities that will remember the places we frequent and use the data to build a profile of what kind of person we are
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/next-challenges-mobile-phones

Forget Gum. Walking and Using Phone Is Risky.
On the day of the collision last month, visibility was good. The sidewalk was not under repair. As she walked, Tiffany Briggs, 25, was talking to her grandmother on her cellphone, lost in conversation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/technology/17distracted.html

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SPAM
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Spam grows from 8 to 90 per cent of global email in the last decade
The last 10 years has seen the average amount of spam in the collective organisational inbox go from eight per cent of all emails in 2000 to 90 per cent on average in 2009, according to Symantec?s Dermot Harnett.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/332492/

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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Haitian Earthquake Relief Fraud Alert [news release]
The FBI today reminds Internet users who receive appeals to donate money in the aftermath of Tuesday?s earthquake in Haiti to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before responding to those requests. Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization and/or a good cause.
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel10/earthquake011310.htm
http://www.ic3.gov/media/2010/100113.aspx

Haiti Earthquake: FTC Warns Consumers to Give Wisely
In the wake of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti, the Federal Trade Commission warns consumers to choose carefully when considering urgent appeals for aid in the news, online, and at social networking sites. The best way to provide immediate help is to donate money directly to established national relief organizations that have the experience and means to deliver aid.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2010/01/haitiquake.shtm

German government warns against using MS Explorer
The German government has warned web users to find an alternative browser to Internet Explorer to protect security. The warning from the Federal Office for Information Security comes after Microsoft admitted IE was the weak link in recent attacks on Google's systems.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8463516.stm

Germany Says Don?t Use Explorer Until Microsoft Patches Flaw [Bloomberg]
The German government recommended people avoid using Internet Explorer until Microsoft Corp. provides a patch to fix a ?critical? security flaw that allowed a cyber attack against Google Inc.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-16/germany-says-don-t-use-explorer-until-microsoft-patches-flaw.html

McAfee Says Microsoft Flaw Was a Factor in Cyberattacks
McAfee, the big security software maker, has been investigating the China-based cyberattacks that prompted Google to threaten to pull out of China altogether.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/mcafee-cites-microsoft-flaw-in-cyberattacks/

Business crime on the rise in Germany
As many as 37 percent of German companies were the victim of economic crime in the last three years, a new study has found. Internet fraud and the theft of business secrets have become a particular problem.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5124070,00.html

Welcome to DarkMarket ? global one-stop shop for cybercrime and banking fraud
To the casual observer, there was little to distinguish the Java Bean internet cafe in Wembley from the hundreds of others dotted around the capital. But to surveillance officers staking it out month after month, this unremarkable venue was the key to busting a remarkable and sophisticated network of cyber criminals.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/darkmarket-online-fraud-trial-wembley

DarkMarket: Credit card fraudster ran an ?online shop for criminals?
The founding member of a global criminal website responsible for tens of millions of pounds of credit card crime is facing a lengthy jail term.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6988450.ece

Australian Defence on a cyber war footing
Defence has launched a new centre to repel cyber attacks against Australia amid revelations there were 2400 assaults on the department's computer systems last year.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/defence-on-a-cyber-war-footing/story-e6frg6nf-1225820171172

Australian Defence repelled 2400 cyber attacks in 2009
Defence department computers sustained about 2400 cyber attacks last year, Defence Minister John Faulkner revealed today.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/defence-repelled-2400-cyber-attacks-in-2009/story-e6frg8yo-1225819966202

Australia responds to threats of internet war
Hackers are launching 200 attacks a month on the Defence Department's computer networks, the Defence Minister, John Faulkner, revealed as he unveiled a new centre to co-ordinate the nation's response to online threats.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-responds-to-threats-of-internet-war-20100115-mcgv.html

Federal Government unveils cyber warfare centre
The Federal Government has moved to step up its cyber warfare defence capabilities with the opening of the Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) announced as part of the Defence White Paper released last year.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/332658/

Internet scammers hit Kiwis [NZPA]
An international internet scam has caught several New Zealanders and cost them money. The fraudsters offer fake accommodation and trick victims into sending bond and rent money after targeting flat-finder websites worldwide. 
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3235088/

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Software Makers See A Market in Censorship
While China?s censorship policies are prompting Google to consider quitting its operations in the country, some technology companies see the restrictions as a golden business opportunity.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/16/technology/internet/16vpn.html

Why is China so terrified of dissent?
The last year has seen an escalation in the harassment of dissidents by the Chinese authorities, leading some to claim that there is less freedom than before the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/17/china-terrified-dissent-dissident-chinese

Google's commercial retreat from China shows the freedom of the web has limits, after all
Google's row with China is significant not as a sign that Beijing wants to exert control over the internet, but as proof that it can.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/17/google-commercial-retreat-china-freedom

China begins monitoring billions of text messages as censorship increases
China has started scanning text messages in the latest move in the country?s increasing censorship.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6996885/China-begins-monitoring-billions-of-text-messages-as-censorship-increases.html

China Restores Texting in Xinjiang
The Chinese government continued to ease a six-month-old communications blackout on the northwest region of Xinjiang by restoring some text messaging services on Sunday, the state media said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/world/asia/18china.html

Chinese Site Criticizes Investor for Its Google Support
In an unusual move, the Alibaba Group of China on Saturday criticized Yahoo, one of its largest shareholders, for siding with Google after a cyber attack on that company.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/world/asia/17google.html

Yahoo criticised by Alibaba for 'reckless' China stance
Yahoo's partner in China has called the US internet giant "reckless" for supporting Google in its stand-off with Beijing over alleged cyber-attacks. Yahoo said it was "aligned" with Google's position that the violation of internet privacy was deeply disturbing and something that had to be opposed. But an Alibaba Group spokesman said on Saturday it did not "share this view".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8463413.stm

Alibaba calls Yahoo's support of Google 'reckless' [IDG]
Alibaba Group, the owner of Yahoo China, rejected as "reckless" a Yahoo statement supporting Google's stance in the country, after Google said it was hit by cyberattacks from China and may cease business there.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9145518/Alibaba_calls_Yahoo_s_support_of_Google_reckless_
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/332775/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011610-alibaba-calls-yahoos-support-of.html

Chinese hackers pose a growing threat to U.S. firms
The scale and sophistication of the cyber attacks on Google Inc. and other large U.S. corporations by hackers in China is raising national security concerns that the Asian superpower is escalating its industrial espionage efforts on the Internet.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-google-china15-2010jan15,0,7251525.story

Despite censorship, cracks widen in China's Great Firewall
Despite -- and sometimes because of -- increasingly aggressive government measures, China's Internet users are finding ways to evade the country's online restrictions.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china-firewall16-2010jan16,0,7290683.story

Google Users in China Fear Losing Important Tool
At the elite Tsinghua University here, some students were joking Friday that they had better download all the Internet information they wanted now in case Google left the country.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/world/asia/17china.html

China at Odds With Future in Internet Fight
At the elite Tsinghua University here, some students were joking Friday that they had better download all the Internet information they wanted now in case Google left the country.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/world/asia/17china.html

Google v. China: the larger issues by Milton Mueller
This comment from Professor Ron Deibert and Rafal Rohozinski about the wider implications of Google's clash with China deserves the widest possible circulation. As they put it, at issue here is whether "the once unified global Internet space will begin a process of disintegration as countries define their own sovereign clouds."
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/1/15/4429171.html

No Chance Against China - Google's defeat foretells the day when Beijing rules the world.
The blunt truth is that most Western forecasters have been wrong about China for the past 30 years. They have claimed that Chinese economic growth was exaggerated, that a big crisis was imminent, that state controls would fade away, and that exposure to global media, notably the Internet, would steadily undermine the Communist Party's authority. The reason why China forecasting has such a poor track record is that Westerners constantly invoke the model and experience of the West to explain China, and it is a false prophet. Until we start trying to understand China on its own terms, rather than as a Western-style nation in the making, we will continue to get it wrong.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/231130

Taking Down China?s ?Great Firewall?- Why Google's stand is a public-relations win and a solid blow to Beijing's policy of censorship.
To many in Silicon Valley, the world is divided into two kinds of people: those who "get it," and those who don't. The people who get it are the ones who understand that the Internet is the biggest thing that has ever happened in the history of the human race, a wave so huge and so powerful that the only way to cope with it is to jump on and hope to make money building a new world once the tsunami has laid waste to the old one.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/230820

CDT Statement on Google's New Approach to China
In reaction to Google's decision to take a new approach to its business operations in China, and in response to increasing government demands for censorship and the extremely serious revelation that Google and other companies have suffered a cyberattack that threatens advocates of human rights in China, the Center for Democracy & Technology issued the following statement from its President Leslie Harris:
http://www.cdt.org/pr_statement/cdt-statement-googles-new-approach-china

Google rebels against China?s Internet censors
Reporters Without Borders hails US Internet giant Google?s announcement yesterday that it will stop censoring the Chinese version of its search engine, Google.cn ? a move that could lead to Google.cn?s closure and Google?s withdrawal from the Chinese market. The company said it took the decision following sophisticated cyber-attacks on Gmail accounts coming from China.
http://www.rsf.org/Google-rebels-against-China-s.html

U.S. plans formal complaint over Google attacks
The U.S. government plans to ask China for a formal explanation regarding the cyberattacks against Google and other U.S. companies, according to a State Department spokesman.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10436018-265.html

U.S. to complain to Chinese about Google hacking [AP]
The State Department says it will lodge a formal complaint with Chinese officials next week about the hacking attacks on Google's e-mail service in China.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-google-complaint16-2010jan16,0,74887.story

Google attacks traced back to China, says US internet security firm
An American internet security firm says it has traced the sophisticated cyber-attack against Google and 30 other US companies back to the Chinese government "or its proxies". In its announcement that it might quit China, Google stopped short of accusing the Chinese government of responsibility for the attacks. However, the report from Verisign's iDefense Labs said the internet addresses "of the attack correspond to a single foreign entity consisting either of agents of the Chinese state or proxies thereof".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/google-attacks-traced-china-verisign

Follow the Law, China Tells Internet Companies
Two days after Google announced that it would quit China unless the nation?s censors eased their grip, the Chinese government offered an indirect but unambiguous response: Companies that do business in China must follow the laws of the land.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/world/asia/15beijing.html

Far-Ranging Support for Google?s China Move
Google?s surprising decision this week to abandon cooperation with Chinese government censors ? and, possibly, its four-year effort to do business here ? is galvanizing an unusually broad coalition of foreigners who hope for a fresh chance to rein in the conduct of an emerging great power.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/world/asia/15china.html

China denies Google hacking claims
Brushing aside Google's threat to pull out of the country as a triviality barely worth noticing, China stuck to its guns on its online censorship policy yesterday, saying foreign internet firms were welcome in China but only if they obeyed the law.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-denies-google-hacking-claims-1868599.html

Accounts invaded, computers infected ? human rights activists tell of cyber attacks
Well-known human rights advocates in China and a Tibetan rights activist in the United States have disclosed that their Gmail accounts have been compromised.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/14/china-human-rights-activists-cyber-attack

Opinion: Google vs. China
Seated in the cobwebbed little office of Liu Wei, a professor of business administration at Chongqing University in central China, listening to him document the city?s boom, I found my mind wandering as I gazed at his computer screen, open to a Google page.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/opinion/15iht-edcohen.html

Google sends a shockwave through Chinese internet
For years, security experts in the US and Europe have known that Chinese hackers sanctioned by its government have been probing the computer systems of important organisations ? whether aerospace companies, science laboratories or the British parliament, which was targeted at the end of 2005. Now Google has discovered that it, too, is among the targets of those attacks.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/13/google-china-internet-shockwave

Security experts say Google cyber-attack was routine
The cyber-attack that made Google consider pulling out of China was run of the mill, say security experts. Google revealed its move following attempts to hack Gmail accounts of human rights activists. The search giant said analysis showed that the series of attacks originated from inside China. "This wasn't in my opinion ground-breaking as an attack. We see this fairly regularly. said Mikko Hypponen, of security firm F-Secure. "Most companies just never go public," he added.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8458150.stm

Google, Yahoo, Adobe and who?
Yahoo and Adobe appear to be among the companies that suffered the sort of cyberattack that led Google to threaten to withdraw from China. In its original announcement, Google said that "at least 20 other large companies from a wide range of businesses ? including the internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors ? have been similarly targeted".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/google-yahoo-china-cyber-attack

Yahoo reportedly hit by China hackers
Yahoo was one of more than 30 companies hit by a sophisticated online attack from China, designed to steal intellectual property and collect information on Chinese dissidents, several news sources reported Thursday.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9144899/Yahoo_reportedly_hit_by_China_hackers
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/332600/

What Are Google's Real Motives in China?
Google this week has announced that it will no longer censor results returned by its Chinese search engine. The company even said it is willing to turn its back on the country if it has to. Many are applauding the move, but some German commentators wonder if there is an ulterior motive.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,671926,00.html

Chinese plead with Google not to quit
Google's threat to withdraw from China sent shockwaves through the country's internet users yesterday. Some pleaded with the search engine not to abandon them, while others applauded its tough stance after it uncovered cyber attacks on Chinese human rights activists.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/chinese-plead-with-google-not-to-quit-1867266.html

Google and China: Flowers for a funeral
?We're in this for the long haul,? wrote a Google executive four years ago when the company launched a self-censored version of its search engine for the China market. Now Google says it might have to pull out of the country because of alleged attacks by hackers in China on its e-mail service and a tightening of China?s restrictions on free speech on the internet. Its change of heart, as the company rightly points out, could have ?far-reaching consequences?.
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15267915

China responds to Google hacking claims
Google moved quickly to announce that it would stop censoring its Chinese service after realising dissidents were at risk from attempts to use the company's technology for political surveillance, according to a source with direct knowledge of the internet giant's most senior management.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/china-google-hacking-response-dissidents

Chinese Internet users praise Google's stand
Bouquets were laid in front of Google Inc.'s headquarters in China on Wednesday, a show of support for a company whose threat to exit the country rather than be party to more censorship is a dramatic shot across the bow of the Chinese Communist Party.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china-google14-2010jan14,0,3192892.story

Editorial: Google's China problem
When Google set up shop in China four years ago, it made a trade-off that threatened to run afoul of its "Don't be evil" motto. The company created a new version of its site -- Google.cn -- that would be operated from servers inside China, making it more accessible to Internet users there. But in deference to a government demand, Google agreed to suppress search results from Web pages disfavored by the government. It argued at the time that the new site would do more good than harm; as a company spokesman told a congressional panel in early 2006, "Even with content restrictions, a fast and reliable Google.cn is more likely to expand Chinese users' access to information."
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-google14-2010jan14,0,5293450.story

Google row: China warns internet companies to help 'guide' opinion
Internet companies in China must co-operate with the government in "guiding" opinion on the internet, a senior Chinese government spokesman has warned, as the US internet giant Google remained in negotiations over its threat to pull out of the world's biggest internet market.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6985835/Google-row-China-warns-internet-companies-to-help-guide-opinion.html

Google's move on Chinese censorship welcomed by human rights activists
Google's decision to reverse its censorship of search engine results in China received a warm welcome in Silicon Valley last night.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/google-praised-human-rights-activists

China gives first response to Google threat
China has said that foreign internet firms are welcome to do business "according to the law". he statement, from Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu, is Beijing's first response to Google's threat to stop filtering content in China.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8458462.stm

How internet giant Google turned on gatekeepers of China's Great Firewall
It was just a blog. Another post on a page filled with snippets about technology, advertising and new applications. But the 762 words that Google put online early this morning will reverberate throughout the corporate and political world for years.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/google-china-internet-blog-announcement

China set to ignore Google demands for end to censorship
China offered its first indication today that it will ignore an ultimatum from Google to relax internet censorship and reminded all companies they must strictly abide by state controls of the country?s cyberspace.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6987377.ece

Google acted on censorship amid China dissident fears
Google moved quickly to announce that it would stop censoring its Chinese ?service after realising dissidents were at risk from attempts to use the company's technology for political ?surveillance, according to a source with direct ?knowledge of the internet giant's most senior management.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/13/google-hacking-us-reaction

Google quits: Wake-up call or humiliating retreat?
While Chinese netizens laid wreaths outside the Google headquarters in Beijing today a short distance away the executives of Baidu, the biggest Chinese search engine, must have been thinking of popping champagne corks.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/13/google-censors-retreat

Google ultimatum shakes great firewall of China
China will be forced to decide on unfettered web access for 300 million people in a censorship clash that threatens to redraw the boundaries of the internet.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6987219.ece

In Google?s Rebuke of China, Focus Falls on Cybersecurity
Even before Google threatened to pull out of China in response to an attack on its computer systems, the company was notifying activists whose e-mail accounts might have been compromised by hackers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/technology/14google.html

Google Takes a Stand by Nicholas D. Kristof
It has been dispiriting to see America?s banks apparently stand for nothing more lofty than plunder. It has been demoralizing to see President Obama hiding from the Dalai Lama rather than offend China?s rulers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/opinion/14kristof.html

China Google cyberattack part of spying campaign: experts [Relax News]
The cyberattacks that prompted Google into defying Chinese censors appear to have been part of an ongoing campaign to steal precious source codes and track human rights activists, experts said on Wednesday.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/china-google-cyberattack-part-of-spying-campaign-experts-1867429.html

Google the latest victim of Chinese 'state-sponsored' cyberwar
Just over two years ago the head of MI5, Jonathan Evans, wrote to about 300 British firms warning them to be wary of Chinese hackers trying to monitor their systems or break into them remotely via the internet: Rolls-Royce, the jet engine maker, and Royal Dutch Shell had both fallen victim to computer intrusions. It was only part of an ongoing strategy of "information warfare" that China's government ? through its People's Liberation Army (PLA) ? is carrying out across the world.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/14/google-hacking-china-cyberwar

Google China cyberattack part of vast espionage campaign, experts say
Computer attacks on Google that the search giant said originated in China were part of a concerted political and corporate espionage effort that exploited security flaws in e-mail attachments to sneak into the networks of major financial, defense and technology companies and research institutions in the United States, security experts said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011300359.html

Will Google stand up to France and Italy, too? by Rebecca MacKinnon
Google's stand against Chinese censorship and surveillance ? triggered by suspicions that China had been trying to hack activists' ?accounts ? will be rightly lauded by defenders of human rights. But when it comes to upholding Google's vow not to "do evil" by its ?users, China is by no means the company's only headache. Before those of us in western democracies get too high on our horses about Google and China, we should remember that the Chinese are not the only ones putting pressure on Google in ways that are arguably harmful to freedom of expression, even when intentions are honorable. A growing number of governments ? many democratically elected ? share an attitude that internet companies should be expected to act as "net nannies" for their citizens.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/jan/13/google-china-western-internet-freedom

Bulgarians rally over planned snooping on Internet
Hundreds of Bulgarians protested on Thursday against planned legal amendments allowing mass monitoring of emails, electronic messages and phone calls to fight crime and corruption.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE60D3DO20100114

**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
FCC looks at ways to assert authority over Web access
The Federal Communications Commission is considering aggressive moves to stake out its authority to oversee consumer access to the Internet, as a recent court hearing and industry opposition have cast doubt on its power over Web service providers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/14/AR2010011404717.html

us: Net Neutrality Deadline Looms
Eagerly anticipated public comments on the FCC's plan to bolster its network neutrality rules are due Thursday, with many to be submitted to the agency later this afternoon, CongressDaily reported. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed in September that voluntary guidelines governing the Internet's openness be expanded to bar network operators from engaging in discriminatory behavior, require more disclosure about network management practices and subject violators to stepped up enforcement.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/01/net-neutrality-deadline-looms.php

China urges integration of various media platforms [AFP]
China's government on Wednesday called for the acceleration of a proposal to integrate the nation's Internet, telecommunications and broadcast media.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-urges-integration-of-various-media-platforms-20100114-m75t.html
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-urges-integration-of-various-media-platforms-20100114-m75t.html

*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
France Offers Google Its Books in Exchange for Tax
As France drags its cultural past and present into the digital future, it is coming around to the idea that the job will require support from a company often viewed with deep suspicion here: Google.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/technology/companies/15frenchtax.html

France, Grudgingly, Imagines Google as a Partner on Digital Media Projects
As France slowly brings its cultural past and present into digital form, it is realizing that the job will require support from a company often viewed with deep suspicion here: Google.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/business/global/15frenchtax.html

Google still linking to racist website
An Aboriginal man who asked Google to remove search results that linked to a racist website says the search engine can still be used to access the page.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/16/2793787.htm

Google agrees to take down racist site [AAP]
Google has agreed to take down links to a website that promotes racist views of indigenous Australians.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/google-agrees-to-take-down-racist-site-20100115-maxd.html

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
Haiti quake severely strains telecom services
Telecommunications providers in Haiti will continue through the weekend to try to accommodate the enormous demand for phone and broadband services as they struggle to overcome massive damage to the island's infrastructure from Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-01-14-haiti-phones-quake_N.htm

IT companies in Haiti rush to re-build
Days after a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti, collapsing buildings and killing more than 50,000 people, communications continues to be the main IT infrastructure concern, and companies are rushing to restore what can be salvaged from the rubble.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9145319/IT_companies_in_Haiti_rush_to_re_build_

au: Big three telcos pass industry muster
THE communications watchdog has given a "pass mark" to the nation's major telecom companies in its annual report card that benchmarks fault repairs, customer service guarantees and consumer protection obligations.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/big-three-telcos-pass-industry-muster/story-e6frg8zx-1225819442707

Major Firms Battle Google Over Net Rules
Telecommunications giants are demanding that Google and other companies that use their networks to deliver applications, content and services be subject to any expanded network neutrality rules adopted by the FCC, CongressDaily reported Friday. The push to include them is being led by AT&T in an apparent effort to stymie a proposal that would toughen voluntary guidelines governing the Internet's openness.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/01/major-firms-battle-google-over.php

US Spectrum Space Cleared For Wireless, Public Safety
The FCC adopted an order Friday that will clear the way for the deployment of the next generation of wireless devices and for the rollout of public safety communication services. The FCC's order bans the further distribution and sale of wireless microphone and other devices that operate in the 700 megahertz band of spectrum. The agency said these devices may interfere with the other services that will be operating in this band of spectrum.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/01/spectrum-space-cleared-for-wireless-public-safety.php
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100115_1025.php

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(c) David Goldstein 2010



 ---------


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


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