[DNS] domain name news - 22 March

[DNS] domain name news - 22 March

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au>
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:52:26 -0700 (PDT)
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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Cerf on internet without borders
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/cerf-on-internet-without-borders-20100318-qhjk.html

The clever ICANN board by Milton Mueller
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/3/19/4484595.html

Announcing the Birth of the Dot.africa Generation
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Announcing the birth of the dot africa generation /-/2560/883240/-/11o2qf0z/-/index.html

au: New domain drop process to commence on 18 April 2010
http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-14032010/

.ORG, The Public Interest Registry Celebrates Its 25th Year With 8 Million Registrations
http://pir.org/news/pr/2010/25years

To fight scammers, Russia cracks down on .ru domain [IDG]
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9173778/To_fight_scammers_Russia_cracks_down_on_.ru_domain

Kentucky Supreme Court Reverses Ruling Challenging Domain Name Seizures, Tells Registrants to Try Again
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/kentucky-supreme-court-reverses-domain-name-ruling

Verizon Suits DirectNic and Sigmund Solares et al. for Cybersquatting ? Over $28.8 Million Dollars in Damage Sought
http://www.domainnamenews.com/legal-issues/verizon-suits-directnic-sigmund-solares-al-cybersquatting-288-million-dollars-damage-sought/7360


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GOVERNANCE
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Cerf on internet without borders
Vinton Cerf clearly recalls something billionaire investor George Soros told him in 1994: ''He said just because the internet is open now doesn't mean it will stay that way.'' That observation, Cerf says, holds as much today as it did in 1994, maybe even more so.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/cerf-on-internet-without-borders-20100318-qhjk.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/cerf-on-internet-without-borders-20100318-qhjk.html

Europe is called to team up with US, Russia and China over global web regulation
This week UK lawmakers called for developing global regulation the cyber space which is believed to ensure best security of the European Internet.
http://www.ecommerce-journal.com/node/27453

A NATO for cyberspace?
British lawmakers are trying to make a case that the current state of cyberspace security, which is under constant attack from criminals and government adversaries, requires an international consensus on global regulations to govern it.
http://fcw.com/blogs/quick-study/2010/03/cyberwar-cybersecurity-international-nato.aspx

1st Russian IGF: May 13-14, 2010
The first Russian Internet Governance forum will take place on May 13 and 14, 2010 at the Moscow Expo Center. It is organized by the .ru ccTLD Coordination Center, with support from the Ministry of Telecom and Mass communications.
http://blog.icann.org/2010/03/russianigf/

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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The clever ICANN board by Milton Mueller
I?ve been forced to rethink my initially dismissive assessment of the ICANN board?s Nairobi resolution on the separation of domain name registries and registrars. As you may recall, I called the resolution ?needlessly biased and poorly worded;? and while I recognized that it was ?an attempt to clarify things,? I asserted that it ?probably did the opposite.? Strange as it may seem, it is possible for both of those accusations to be true and for the resolution to be a stroke of political brilliance in moving toward the formation of a new policy regarding registry-registrar separation.
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/3/19/4484595.html

What ICANN needs to learn from the EOI collapse
... I, on the other hand, think that the decision is the reflection of a much bigger problem: ICANN doesn?t learn its own lessons. And if the organization as a whole doesn?t start reflecting on what it has learnt over 10 years of activity ? and start applying what it learns ? then it is going to continue to waste time and energy and resources, to the detriment of itself and the Internet.
http://kierenmccarthy.com/2010/03/18/what-icann-needs-to-learn-from-the-eoi-collapse/

SOCA welcomes ICANN report on domain name registration [news release]
SOCA has welcomed the publication of the ICANN 'Draft Report for the Study of the Accuracy of WHOIS* Registrant Contact Information'
http://www.soca.gov.uk/news/171-soca-welcomes-icann-report-on-domain-name-registration

Cybersecurity Needs Global Rules: British Lawmakers
Europe's online security would best be served by developing global cyber regulation, ending current "ad hoc" international efforts, British lawmakers said on Wednesday, echoing industry calls for worldwide rules.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62H2L620100318
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/03/18/technology/tech-us-security-cyberspace.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/18/AR2010031801192.html

Britain's SOCA Wants ICANN to Improve Whois Data Accuracy
Britain?s Serious Organised Crime Agency has welcomed a recent report that found more than three-quarters (77%) of all Whois records for five of the generic Top Level Domains (.COM, .ORG, .NET, .INFO and .BIZ) are filled with at least partially inaccurate information.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10683
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/03/18/britains-soca-wants-icann-to-improve-whois-data-accuracy/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/britain-s-soca-wants-improvements-to-whois-data-accuracy.html

Rod Beckstrom and Peter Dengate-Thrush Press Conference in Nairobi, Kenya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsKjvsoc35g

CADNA Heading To Congress To Get Laws Changed
"CADNA has refocused its efforts on working with members of Congress on these issues and working more diligently toward developing legislation to help resolve the problems. Long term solutions to the Internet?s systemic problems that are within ICANN?s control are unlikely to emerge from within the ICANN community, but rather from the governments and its agencies who are ultimately responsible for defending the public interest."
http://www.thedomains.com/2010/03/18/cadna-heading-to-congress-to-get-laws-changed/

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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Announcing the Birth of the Dot.africa Generation
Organisations and individuals operating in Africa will soon have a variety of Internet domain names to pick from, including ".africa."
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Announcing the birth of the dot africa generation /-/2560/883240/-/11o2qf0z/-/index.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/201003220017.html

au: New domain drop process to commence on 18 April 2010
Following a policy review last year, auDA has decided to change the way in which expired and deleted .au domain names drop from the registry.
http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-14032010/

Canon first in line for its own .canon top-level domain
Canon announced yesterday that it intends to be the first company to say goodbye to .com and buy its own top-level domain, taking advantage of ICANN's decision to broadly widen the number of top-level names. If -- or rather when -- this starts happening, web address conventions may never be the same.
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-03/18/canon-first-in-line-for-its-own-canon-top-level-domain.aspx

.CO Domain Extension Offers Enterprises and Individuals New Global Branding Option Online
.CO Internet S.A.S., a new company formed by Arcelandia S.A., a wholly-owned Colombian company, and U.S. company Neustar, Inc., today announced the launch plan for the .CO domain name extension that offers enterprises and individuals a global, recognizable, and credible option in branding their Internet presence.
http://www.cointernet.co/registry/media/co-domain-extension-offers-enterprises-and-individuals-new-global-branding-option-onl

"First come, first served" Remains the Standard for the Registration of .de domains
The central Registry for .de domains, DENIC, remains free to carry out registrations of domains newly allowed to be registered, such as the one- and two-character domains and domains whose name is composed exclusively of numerals, as per a specific point in time with the exclusive applicable standard being the principle of priority or equal opportunities for everybody. The Regional Court of Munich I thus rejected the claim for registration of the br.de domain asserted by the Bavarian radio station "Bayerischer Rundfunk" on the grounds of anti-trust laws.
http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialog/news/2588.html?cHash=2eb8e308f0

EURid is now on YouTube
You can now follow EURid via its own channel on YouTube
http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eurid-now-youtube

AFNIC Consultative Committees Discuss the Directions Taken since its Appointment as official Registry for .fr Top Level Domain
The meetings of AFNIC?s consultative committees were held on 18th and 19th March, bringing together members from both the user and registrar communities.
http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/245/afnic-consultative-committees-discuss-the-directions-taken-since-its-appointment-as-official-registry-for-fr-top-level-domain

HKIRC welcomes the signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding and Designation Agreement with the Government of HKSAR to safeguard the interests of the community at large
Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) welcomed the signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Designation Agreement (DA) with the Government of HKSAR today. These documents will enhance the governance of .hk administration for the best interests of the community at large.
https://www2.hkirc.hk/company_info/pressrelease.jsp?item=197

nl: SIDN introduces new DNS check
The DNS check utility is a longstanding feature of SIDN?s website. The utility enables users to make sure that a delegated or undelegated domain name?s name servers are correctly configured and working properly by performing a series of technical checks. On March 16, the existing utility is being replaced by a new and altogether more sophisticated service. The new DNS check utility will offer full support for IPv6 and DNSSEC.
https://www.sidn.nl/en/recent/news/news/article/sidn-neemt-nieuwe-dns-check-in-gebruik-2/

.ORG, The Public Interest Registry Celebrates Its 25th Year With 8 Million Registrations
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the introduction of Internet domains, .ORG, The Public Interest Registry is pleased to announce that the trusted .ORG domain is now home to over 8 million registrations. With a growth of 8.4 percent in 2009, the domain has officially cemented its place as the world's third largest generic Top Level Domain (gTLD), according to the organization's bi-annual "Dashboard" report.
http://pir.org/news/pr/2010/25years

To fight scammers, Russia cracks down on .ru domain [IDG]
In a bid to cut down on fraud and inappropriate content, the organization responsible for administering Russia's .ru top-level domain names is tightening its procedures.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9173778/To_fight_scammers_Russia_cracks_down_on_.ru_domain
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/031910-to-fight-scammers-russia-cracks.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/191982/.html
http://www.itworld.com/internet/101713/fight-scammers-russia-cracks-down-ru-domain
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=7930F859-1A64-6A71-CE141E00F8A4ED29
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/03/19/fight-scammers-russia-cracks-down-ru-domain
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/340307/fight_scammers_russia_cracks_down_ru_domain/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Academic Paper in China Sets Off Cybersecurity Alarms in U.S.
It came as a surprise this month to Wang Jianwei, a graduate engineering student in Liaoning, China, that he had been described as a potential cyberwarrior before the United States Congress.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/world/asia/21grid.html

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Kentucky Supreme Court Reverses Ruling Challenging Domain Name Seizures, Tells Registrants to Try Again
Today, the Kentucky Supreme Court reversed a state court of appeals ruling blocking an attempt by the Commonwealth of Kentucky to seize 141 domain names allegedly tied to illegal gambling.
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/kentucky-supreme-court-reverses-domain-name-ruling

Kentucky Supreme Court Reverses The Appeals Court On The 141 Seized Domains
The Kentucky Supreme Court today reversed the Kentucky Appeals court?s decision that tossed out the seizure order issued on 141 gambling domain names.
http://www.thedomains.com/2010/03/18/kentucky-supreme-court-reverses-the-appeals-court-on-the-141-seized-domains/

Kentucky Supreme Court overturns online gambling ruling
The Kentucky Supreme Court Thursday ruled against the owners of 141 seized online gambling domain names, overturning an earlier decision by the Court of Appeals that said the domain names aren't gambling devices under Kentucky law.
http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article/kentucky-supreme-court-overturns-online-gambling-ruling-192914

Setback For Online Gambling Websites In Kentucky Supreme Court
Governor Steve Beshear and the state of Kentucky attempted to seize the domain names of 141 online gambling sites last year. They were denied by a Court of Appeals in the state, but on Thursday they were awarded a minor victory by the state Supreme Court.
http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gambling-news/gambling-law/setback_for_online_gambling_websites_in_kentucky_supreme_court_54021.html

KY Supreme Court Rules in Favor of State in Domain Name Case
Five months after the Kentucky Supreme Court heard arguments in the longstanding case regarding the seizure of 141 online gambling domain names the Court issued a ruling in favor of the State Thursday morning. Those fearing the immediate seizure and closure of their favorite online poker rooms may not need to panic just yet though, as the court?s decision appears to be based more on a technicality rather than whether or not the Commonwealth of Kentucky has the authority to seize domain names.
http://news.bluffmagazine.com/ky-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-state-in-domain-name-case-9832/

Ky. Supreme Court rules in Internet gambling case [AP]
The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that the owners of Internet gambling operations need to show up in court if they don't want the state to seize the domain names of their Web sites.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EH72RO1.htm
http://www.cnbc.com/id/35934142

Verizon Suits DirectNic and Sigmund Solares et al. for Cybersquatting ? Over $28.8 Million Dollars in Damage Sought
Verizon has filed a cybersquatting complaint in Florida US District Court against several companies and individuals. The complaint alleges over 288 cybersquatting violations. Among those named in the case are domain name registrar DirectNic.com and Sigmund Solares, the CEO of Directnic.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/legal-issues/verizon-suits-directnic-sigmund-solares-al-cybersquatting-288-million-dollars-damage-sought/7360

Verizon Sues DirectNIC for Parking Expired Domain Names
Verizon has a filed a lawsuit (pdf) against domain name registrar DirectNIC and related companies, alleging that the defendants parked expired domain names infringing on Verizon?s trademarks in the period between expiration and deletion.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/03/20/verizon-sues-directnic-for-parking-expired-domain-names/

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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Comcast releases open source tool to help ISPs transfer to IPv6
Comcast and Internet Systems Consortium announced on Thursday the availability of open source software that will help carriers and enterprises migrate to IPv6, the long-anticipated upgrade to the Internet's main communications protocol.
http://news.techworld.com/networking/3217769/comcast-releases-open-source-tool-to-help-isps-transfer-to-ipv6/

The ITU IPv6 Group meeting by Milton Mueller
The first meeting of the IPv6 group of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) turned into a protracted and tedious confrontation between one government ? Syria ? and the combined weight of all the incumbent Internet institutions, the European Telecom Numbering Organization, equipment vendors and the governments of North America and Europe (plus Australia).
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/3/16/4482228.html

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Prevent another Parava By Mining Domain Registry Reports
It?s always a headache when an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar loses its accreditation. But often times that?s just the beginning, as customers of Parava Networks learned last year.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/03/18/prevent-another-parava-by-mining-domain-registry-reports/

Netcraft March 2010 Web Server Survey
In the March 2010 survey we received responses from 206,675,938 sites. This represents a slight fall in the number of hostnames seen since last month and consequently most of the major web servers experienced small losses in hostnames relative to the February 2010 survey: only lighttpd and Google gained hostnames, with increases of 560k and 275k respectively.
http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2010/03/17/march_2010_web_server_survey.html

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Descriptive Domain Names Maximize Results
In today's challenging economic environment, travel companies are exploring new and creative ways to gain new customers. With more consumers turning to the Internet for the best deals and the most convenient services, it isn't surprising to see these companies starting to invest in descriptive and generic domain names to draw in new business.
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=124221

Guns.com Gives Moniker Top Spot on This Week's Domain Sales Chart and #3 Position on YTD Leader Board
The $800,000 sale of Guns.com, handled via Moniker.com, easily claimed the #1 position on this week's Top 20 Sales Chart. That is also the biggest .com sale reported so far this year. The name of the buyer was not disclosed.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20100317.htm

Sex.com auction stalled by legal action
The tangled tale of the ownership of sex.com ? once thought to be the most valuable piece of internet virtual estate ? has taken another twist.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/18/sex-com-auction-postponed

Domain names: Will sex still sell?
Let's talks about sex.com. In a Manhattan auction room this morning what was once the internet's most valuable domain name goes under the hammer. Potential bidders won't be allowed in the room unless they have on them a certified cheque for $1m, the reserve price, but how much might the address actually go for?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/domain-names-will-sex-still-sell-1923101.html

Tune in to Sedo's .tv Auction April 1-8: Premium, targeted .tv names now available
TV has come a long way from the black and white cathode ray tubes of the 50?s. Now programs are streamed wirelessly to handheld smart phones and broadcast across the globe in pristine HD. While the delivery and viewing experience of TV has changed, the demand remains stronger than ever for finding and viewing quality content.
https://sedo.com/links/showlinks.php3?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&Id=2613

Sedo Collaborates with VeriSign to Host Its First .tv Domain Auction
Sedo, the leading online domain marketplace and monetization provider, today announced that it has teamed with VeriSign, the global registry operator for the .tv internet domain, to hold an exclusive auction for the entire available catalog of 115 premium .tv domain names at the standard registry renewal fee, which is a greatly reduced renewal price.
http://www.sedo.com/presse/presse.php?tracked=&partnerid=&language=e&id=308

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RESEARCH PAPERS
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OECD: Internet penetration - who?s online?
Access to broadband internet might once have been seen as a luxury, but increasingly it?s viewed as an economic necessity. As this OECD report (pdf) suggests, investment in fast access can bring returns all sorts of ways. These include allowing the creation of ?smart? electricity grids, which can lower power consumption; gathering and providing transport information, which can lower commuting time; and making greater use of the internet in education and healthcare, for instance by allowing doctors to monitor patients at a distance.
https://community.oecd.org/community/factblog/blog/2010/02/12/internet-penetration--who-s-online

OECD: Wireless broadband indicator methodology
The OECD?s wireless broadband methodology is a new structure for measuring and comparing the number of wireless/mobile broadband subscriptions across countries. The methodology is the result of several rounds of contributions and discussions among member countries and telecommunication firms. The new indicator will assist in informing policy makers and other stakeholders in this increasingly important market segment.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/25/46/44833682.pdf

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INTERNET USE
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Sir Tim Berners-Lee: the quiet guru who invented the world wide web
He is the man who has changed the world more than anyone else in the past hundred years. Sir Tim Berners-Lee may be a mild-mannered academic who lives modestly in Boston, but as the inventor of the world wide web he is also a revolutionary. Along with Galileo, William Caxton and Sir Isaac Newton, he is a scientist who has altered the way people think as well as the way they live.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article7069241.ece

Prepare for a new internet revolution
It's official ? the social networking website Facebook is now bigger than search engine site Google, and it's happened - as if pre-ordained by some cyberspace god - as we rolled towards the 10th anniversary of the dotcom crash.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/prepare-for-a-new-internet-revolution-20100320-qn56.html

Nine in 10 young Britons turn to internet for help in solving personal problems
The vast majority of young people turn to the internet for help in solving personal problems, rather than asking their parents, a new study has shown.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/digital-media/7456633/Nine-in-10-of-young-people-turn-to-internet-for-help-in-solving-personal-problems.html

British youngsters prefer online advice to parents
Young people in Britain turn to the internet to look for help with personal problems rather than seek advice from their parents or friends, according to a survey released on Thursday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-47029720100318
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE62H2IJ20100318

London hospital to treat internet-addicted teens [AFP]
Teenagers who cannot tear themselves away from the internet, computer games or their mobile phone can get help from a new addiction service, a spokeswoman said Thursday.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/london-hospital-to-treat-internetaddicted-teens-20100319-qjii.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/london-hospital-to-treat-internetaddicted-teens-20100319-qjii.html

nz: Net porn not for us, thanks
Kiwis almost never look for pornography on the web, a survey partly conducted by AUT University has found.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10633358

Kiwis, not the biggest fan of online pornography [ANI]
If a new survey is to be believed, then New Zealanders almost never look for pornography on the web.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life/relationships/man-woman/Kiwis-not-the-biggest-fan-of-online-pornography/articleshow/5708492.cms
http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_kiwis-almost-never-look-for-pornography-on-web-survey_1361605
http://buzz7.com/science/kiwis-almost-never-look-for-pornography-on-web.html
http://www.topnews.in/kiwis-almost-never-look-pornography-web-2256873
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/365793.php
http://www.littleabout.com/news/82890,kiwis-pornography-web.html
http://www.sindhtoday.net/news/2/118939.htm
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/kiwis-almost-never-look-for-pornography-on-web_100337451.html
http://www.indiatalkies.com/2010/03/kiwis-pornography-web.html
http://news.oneindia.in/2010/03/21/kiwisalmost-never-look-for-pornography-onweb.html
http://sify.com/news/kiwis-almost-never-look-for-pornography-on-web-news-international-kdvqkpjijfd.html

Study: number of Kiwis accessing web via cellphone doubles
The NZ World Internet Project Survey of over 1200 New Zealanders has revealed that 83% are now using the Internet, up from 79% in 2007.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/study-number-kiwis-accessing-web-cellphone-doubles-120174

Internet threatens rare species, conservationists warn
The internet has emerged as one of the biggest threats to endangered species, according to conservationists who are meeting in Doha, Qatar.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8579310.stm

ChatRoulette takes the world by storm
ChatRoulette may be overrun with males and perverts but new figures show its popularity is skyrocketing, and many have come up with fun and amusing ways to use the new voyeuristic webcam chat service.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/chatroulette-takes-the-world-by-storm-20100319-qjdo.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3476666/ChatRoulette-takes-the-world-by-storm
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/chatroulette-takes-the-world-by-storm-20100319-qjdo.html

Microsoft Blasts Google's Ad Policies
Microsoft's deputy general counsel Wednesday chided rival Google, claiming the search giant's policies hurt advertisers by blocking them from being able to move their data to a competing platform.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/03/microsoft-blasts-googles-ad-po.php

Microsoft Choice screen boosts Opera browser
Web browser Opera says that downloads of its software have doubled since Microsoft introduced browser choice to Windows users on 1 March.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8574883.stm

Facebook Visitors Come Back Again and Again
A few weeks ago when I posted my blog entry about Facebook being the largest news reader I received a few comments and emails noting that visitors aren't as valuable if they don't come back. Advertisers and retailers need some assurance that visitors will return again and again.
http://weblogs.hitwise.com/us-heather-hopkins/2010/03/facebook_visitors_come_back_ag.html

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Twitter in trouble after setting Sarkozy rumour mill whirring
The claim was sensational and the impact global: Carla Bruni was having an extramarital affair with a songwriter, while President Sarkozy, her husband, was sleeping with one of his ministers. ... In the eyes of the law, however, it is a medium like any other and subject to the same rules of libel as newspapers and television.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article7069210.ece

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Child pornography in Japan: A belated attempt to curb a pernicious form of child pornography
In her high-school uniform, neatly brushed hair and sweet smile, the young girl represents the innocence of youth. Next she is naked, having sex and seeming to enjoy it. The manga, or comic book Puru-Mero (Jiggle-Melons), picked up at a convenience store, is meant to titillate. But although children are depicted sexually, the images are not illegal in Japan, because they are illustrations.
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15731382

us: Court Says Parents Can Block ?Sexting? Cases
In the first federal appeals court opinion dealing with ?sexting? ? the transmission of sexually explicit photographs by cellphone ? a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled Wednesday that parents could block the prosecution of their children on child pornography charges for appearing in photographs found on some classmates? cellphones.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/18/education/18sext.html

Facebook rules out installing 'panic button'
Facebook says it will not install a "panic button" on its main pages for users to report suspected paedophiles, but will develop its existing system.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8574727.stm

Facebook 'no objection in principle to panic button' [Press Association]
Facebook has "no objection in principle" to installing an anti-paedophile panic button on its site, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said today.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-no-objection-in-principle-to-panic-button-1923495.html

Facebook backtracks on 'panic button'
Facebook has backtracked on plans to install a 'panic button' on the social network that would allow users to report abuse.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=3217757
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/031910-facebook-backtracks-on-panic.html
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/340236/facebook_backtracks_panic_button_/

Facebook has "no objection" to installing panic button
Social network Facebook has "no objection" to installing a 'panic button' on its site.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3217744&
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/031910-facebook-has-no-objection-to.html

Facebook rejects Johnson plea for ?sex predator? panic button
Facebook rejected demands from the Government and child protection groups last night to have a button for reporting suspected sexual predators throughout its site.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article7067934.ece

The Social Costs of Pornography
The Witherspoon Institute Presents Findings From The Social Cost of Pornography Project Consultation is the first multifaceted, multidisciplinary, scholarly exploration of pornography in the Internet age
http://www.earnedmedia.org/kkc0316.htm

Critics pick holes in child porn filter
A Government initiative to stop people viewing websites containing images of child sexual abuse has some concerned about its merits.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10633115

au: Open slather on websites as teachers targeted
Cyber-bullying has a new target. One in 10 children experience bullying on the internet but social networking sites such as Facebook are now being used by students to vent their opinions about school teachers.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/22/2852762.htm
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/australian-news/6964874/open-slather-on-websites-as-teachers-targeted/

au: Minors could be charged over 'sexting' [AAP]
Children engaged in "sexting" could be charged with child sex offences under laws set to pass federal parliament.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/minors-could-be-charged-over-sexting-20100318-qi6r.html

au: Gamers rejoice as R18+ roadblock steps down
The long-awaited introduction of an adults-only rating for video games in Australia could be a step closer after South Australia's Michael Atkinson yesterday resigned from his position as Attorney-General.
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/gamers-rejoice-as-r18-roadblock-steps-down-20100322-qous.html
http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/gamers-rejoice-as-r18-roadblock-steps-down-20100322-qous.html

Atkinson resignation no epic win for gamers
One of the country?s hardest violent video game critics, South Australian Attorney-General (AG), Michael Atkinson, has resigned to pave the way for new Labor blood.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/340339/atkinson_resignation_no_epic_win_gamers/

us: Rethinking Sex Offender Laws for Youth Texting
... In most states, teenagers who send or receive sexually explicit photographs by cellphone or computer ? known as ?sexting? ? have risked felony child pornography charges and being listed on a sex offender registry for decades to come.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/us/21sexting.html

us: Court: Cyberbullying Threats Are Not Protected Speech
A California appeals court ruled this week that threatening posts made by readers of a website are not protected free speech, allowing a case charging the posters with hate crimes and defamation to proceed.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/cyberbullying-not-protected

California Court Rules Cyber-Bullying Is Not Free Speech
Online threats of violence and acts of cyber-bullying are not protected free speech. That's according to a California appeals court that upheld a decision from a lower court, allowing a hate crimes and defamation suit (PDF) to continue. The case dates back to 2005, when a then 15-year-old student at a private high school in Los Angeles launched a personal Web page to promote his pursuit of a film and singing career.
http://www.switched.com/2010/03/19/california-court-rules-cyber-bullying-is-not-free-speech/

**********************
ONLINE TV & MUSIC
**********************
Net piracy puts 1.2m EU jobs in peril, study shows
A quarter of a million British jobs in the music, film, TV, software and other creative industries could be lost over the next five years if online piracy continues at its current rate, according to a study backed by European unions and the TUC.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/17/filesharing-music-creative-industries-jobs-eu

Viacom courted YouTube before launching $1bn piracy lawsuit
American media conglomerate Viacom considered buying YouTube just months before it launched a $1bn (?655m) piracy lawsuit against the video sharing site, according to court documents.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/18/viacom-youtube-documents

Youtube accuse Viacom of 'secret uploads'
YouTube has accused media conglomerate Viacom of secretly uploading content to the video-sharing site whilst publicly complaining about its presence.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8575666.stm

Google, Viacom trade blows in YouTube copyright spat
Google and the US media giant Viacom have issued statements attacking each other after a judge released documents relating to Viacom's billion-dollar copyright infringement case against YouTube.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/intellectual-property/2010/03/19/google-viacom-trade-blows-in-youtube-copyright-spat-40088376/

Viacom and Google Trade Accusations: Documents Released in YouTube Copyright-Infringement Case Dredge Up Emails and Alleged Motives
Viacom Inc. and Google Inc. broke their silence Thursday in their legal battle, as Viacom claimed that Google's YouTube unit had sought to exploit copyrighted works for profit, while Google argued that Viacom itself had secretly uploaded copyrighted clips it later demanded YouTube remove.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704207504575129774043841544.html

Google Says Viacom Secretly Uploaded Clips to YouTube [Bloomberg]
Google Inc. said Viacom Inc., owner of MTV and Comedy Central, secretly uploaded clips to the Internet company?s YouTube video-sharing Web site while complaining about alleged copyright violations.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-18/youtube-says-viacom-secretly-uploaded-videos-to-the-site.html

Viacom Says YouTube Ignored Copyrights
Pointing to internal YouTube e-mail messages, Viacom said in a court filing that the video site?s founders turned a blind eye when its users uploaded copyrighted clips so they could amass a large audience and sell the company quickly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/technology/19youtube.html

YouTube ?knew of copyright violations?
YouTube executives were aware early on in the video-sharing website?s history that large numbers of copyrighted videos were being uploaded to it, with even one of its founders ?blatantly stealing? videos from other sources, according to internal evidence unsealed by a US court on Thursday.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/56cacfc0-32c2-11df-a767-00144feabdc0.html

Viacom, YouTube air dirty laundry in legal battle
Viacom Inc. and Google Inc.'s YouTube site began airing each other's dirty laundry Thursday, providing a tantalizing peek at the wheeling and dealing that triggered a bitter battle over the copyright laws governing the Internet.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/18/AR2010031800676.html

Viacom, YouTube Battle Over Infringement Case
A federal court Thursday unsealed documents in Viacom's lawsuit against YouTube alleging the online video site has engaged in copyright infringement. The motion for summary judgment filed by Viacom includes e-mails from YouTube officials that Viacom says show YouTube officials knew copyrighted material was being posted on their site. YouTube maintains in its documents that it has acted within the law and that Viacom has used its site for promotional purposes.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/03/viacom-youtube-battle-over-inf.php

YouTube accuses Viacom of uploading infringing content
Remember that court case from 2007 in which Viacom sued Google for $1 billion in damages for hosting infringing content on YouTube? As of Thursday morning, several legal documents from that billion dollar case have been unsealed. Now, there're a few new twists to the case.
http://www.macworld.com/article/147195/2010/03/youtube_viacom.html
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/031810-youtube-accuses-viacom-of-uploading.html

Viacom, Google accuse other of YouTube hypocrisy
Viacom Inc accused Google Inc of turning a blind eye to illegal video clips on its YouTube site in a bid to attract viewers, according to court documents released on Thursday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE62H5NQ20100318

YouTube founder warned of pirate clips [AP]
YouTube co-founder Steve Chen once warned a fellow co-founder to stop posting pirated videos on their website, according to court documents unsealed this week as part of a 3-year-old copyright lawsuit against the online video leader.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10633002

Canada's Tories reject consumer fee on MP3 players [Canwest]
A consumer levy on blank tapes and compact discs to compensate musicians may be fine, but the Conservative government on Tuesday drew the line at extending the fee to iPods and other MP3 players.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/copying+levy+proposed+players/2688788/story.html

AFACT v iiNet: ISP files notice of contention
The legal battles in the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) v iiNet copyright court case continue. The internet service provider has served a notice of contention with the Federal Court of Australia on 14 grounds of Justice Cowdroy?s ruling.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/340062/afact_v_iinet_isp_files_notice_contention/

**********************
MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
Smart phone maker Palm facing fight for survival
After nearly two decades of putting cutting-edge personal electronic devices in the hands of consumers, Palm Inc.'s grip on survival may finally be slipping.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-palm-phones20-2010mar20,0,526605.story

**********************
SPAM
**********************
Spammers survive botnet shutdowns
Spam levels have not been dented by a series of strikes against controllers of networks of hijacked computers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8570993.stm

Trend Micro Threat Research Report: 9 Million ZeuS Attacks Blocked by Trend Micro in the Last 6 Months [news release]
Trend Micro has seen a recent rise in average of around 300 unique ZeuS samples per day, according to a recent threat report that examines the Eastern European criminal enterprise behind one of the world?s most prolific crimeware kits designed for wholesale monetary theft. Trend Micro witnessed more than 13,000 unique ZeuS samples within January 2010 alone.
http://www.trendmicro.com.au/au/about/news/pr/article/news_releases/20100310114249.html
http://trendmicro.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=788

Facebook Users Targeted in Massive Spam Run [IDG]
Facebook's 400 million users have been targeted by a spam run that could infect their computers with malicious software designed to steals passwords and other data, according to security researchers at McAfee.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/191847/.html
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/facebook-users-targeted-in-massive-spam-run-066

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
**********************
Nigerian web first-timers long to be 'part of the world'
The world has become smaller. The connections established by e-mail and websites have significantly shortened the distances between people. We can live in London and shop in Johannesburg; we can be based in Brussels and run a business out of Bombay. ... In January, I handed over two internet-enabled mobile phones to them. I returned a few weeks later to find out how they had progressed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8573346.stm

Cost of African Telecoms, Internet to Go Down
The cost of international telecommunications and internet connectivity is expected to drop significantly next July, this year, after the East African sub marine cable system (EASSY) becomes available.
http://dailynews.co.tz/business/?n=8294
http://allafrica.com/stories/201003190408.html

Low Internet Usage the Bane of Africa's Digital Media
Africa has the lowest number of internet users in the world, a problem that has prevented its inhabitants from enjoying the benefits of digital media.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/882528/-/vrrav7/-/index.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/201003190904.html

**************************
ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
Google ruling set to govern online trade mark use in Europe
Europe's top court, the Court of Justice of the European Union, will next week rule on whether or not Google can use trade marks to trigger ads when brands battle to reach online consumers.
http://out-law.com/page-10840

Academic Paper in China Sets Off Cybersecurity Alarms in U.S.
It came as a surprise this month to Wang Jianwei, a graduate engineering student in Liaoning, China, that he had been described as a potential cyberwarrior before the United States Congress.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/world/asia/21grid.html

Europe 'vulnerable to cyberattack'
European governments are not doing enough to improve online security ? leaving the entire continent vulnerable to cyberattack, according to a new parliamentary investigation.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/18/europe-vulnerable-to-cyberattack

UK internet security rated among Europe's best
Internet security around the UK's critical national infrastructure is among the best in Europe, a House of Lords committee has found.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-management/2010/03/18/uk-internet-security-rated-among-europes-best-40088362/

Dismantling of Saudi-CIA Web site illustrates need for clearer cyberwar policies
By early 2008, top U.S. military officials had become convinced that extremists planning attacks on American forces in Iraq were making use of a Web site set up by the Saudi government and the CIA to uncover terrorist plots in the kingdom.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/18/AR2010031805464.html

au: Dramatica owner refuses to remove 'racist' content
The American owner of a website that has been targeted by Australia's Human Rights Commission for racism says he will not remove the offensive content.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/18/2849731.htm

au: She will not be Apple's
Australian idiom for ?it will be alright? is ?she?ll be apples? but recently, Apple Inc found that she won?t. A recent decision by a Delegate of the Registrar of Trade Marks (Apple Inc v Wholesale Central Pty Ltd [2010] ATMO 7) has found against Apple Inc., and in favour of a small company dealing in digital device accessories to continue to use their ?DOPi? brand. On the face of it the decision appears fairly obvious considering the differences in the marks in question (?iPOD? vs ?DOPi?(stylised)) but the case does emphasise Apple?s litigation strategy to box-on regardless of the merits of a case.
http://www.australiantrademarkslawblog.com/2010/03/articles/opposition-proceedings/she-will-not-be-apples/

Cybercrooks take shine to Apple lineup
Mac geeks estimate that Apple presold 120,000 iPads on March 12, but it's not just aficionados who are gearing up for Cupertino's next big thing: The iPad is expected to be a target for credit-card thieves and online scammers of all types. Antivirus software company McAfee is already warning consumers not to fall for e-mails or ads promising a free or reduced-price iPad if they enter an address . . . and a credit card number.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/19/AR2010031905613.html

Google In Italy: Lessons from Tobago
As a student of the Yale Law School more than 40 years ago, I audited a course in conflicts of laws taught by the Israeli academic Avigdor Levontin. His course began with the 1808 English case of Buchanan v Rucker, in which the plaintiff sued a nonresident of Tobago in Tobago courts by posting a summons near the Tobago court house door.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e77a5ec2-320a-11df-a8d1-00144feabdc0.html

F.B.I. Faces New Setback in Computer Overhaul
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has suspended work on parts of its huge computer overhaul, dealing the agency the latest costly setback in a decade-long effort to develop a modernized information system to combat crime and terrorism.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/us/19fbi.html

us: Internet crime complaints on the rise - 2009 Internet Crime Report, Internet Crime Complaint Center [news release]
During 2009, did you receive an e-mail that claimed to be from the FBI and asked for money or personal information? If you did, you?re not alone?e-mail scams that misused the Bureau?s name represented the highest percentage (16.6) of complaint types submitted last year to the FBI?s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), according to its latest annual report.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/mar10/ic3_031710.html

18- to 24-year-olds most at risk for ID theft, survey finds
Ryan Thomas, an airman in the Air Force Honor Guard, bought some DVDs on the Internet using his debit card. It was a $20 payment made from his account, which had about $900.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/16/AR2010031604209.html

Village sleuth unmasks US internet predator behind suicide ?pacts?
Mark Drybrough received his final e-mail at 10.32am. It asked: ?Are you all right?? Seconds later he switched off his computer, walked upstairs to his bedroom and hanged himself from a decorator?s ladder.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7069144.ece

us: Sheriff: Man sold his wife for sex on Craigslist
A woman feared she'd never see her young child again unless she complied with her husband's scheme to sell her sexual services on Craigslist, authorities said Wednesday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/17/AR2010031703211.html

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PRIVACY
**************************
ca: Commissioner calls for creative approach to new privacy challenges [news release]
Emerging technologies are raising privacy challenges not specifically addressed by privacy legislation, making it critical for privacy professionals to take their thinking beyond merely the letter of the law, says the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
http://www.priv.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2010/nr-c_100316_e.cfm

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Venezuela's Chavez: "I'm pro-Internet"
President Hugo Chavez denied on Sunday that he planned to censor or limit the Internet in Venezuela, saying on the contrary Web use had shot up more than nine fold during his decade in power.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE62K1H320100321

China denounces Google 'US ties'
China's state media has attacked Google for having what it said were "intricate ties" with the US government.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8578968.stm

Chinese media slam Google as 'politicized'
Chinese state media criticized Google in an apparent coordinated effort Saturday as becoming a political tool--just days before the Web giant may announce its withdrawal from that country.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20000847-93.html

Google to leave China in April: reports
Google is reportedly preparing to pull out of China next month, shutting down all of its services there.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/19/2851253.htm

Report: Google to leave China on April 10
Google is expected to announce on Monday that it will withdraw from China on April 10, according to a report in a Beijing-based newspaper that cited an unidentified sales associate who works with the company.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20000757-93.html

China state media accuses Google of political agenda
China's state media on Sunday accused Google Inc of pushing a political agenda by "groundlessly accusing the Chinese government" of supporting hacker attacks and by trying to export its own culture, values and ideas.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE62K0AC20100321
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-47090220100321

Google May Leave China By April 10, Report Says
Google may make good on its threat to pull out of China and leave the Communist country by April 10, according to a Chinese language newspaper report. Citing anonymous sources, Shanghai-based China Business News says that Google may be ready to pull the plug on its China operations, and could announce its decision as early as Monday. If the rumors are true it would bring an end to a controversy that has been brewing ever since Google threatened to would shut down its business operations in China following a series of cyberattacks against Google and other U.S. companies. However, pulling out of the world's fastest growing economy and most populous nation may have serious consequences for the search giant.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/031910-google-may-leave-china-by.html

Google ponders leaving China: Western internet firms have found a big market in China, but few opportunities
Barring an unlikely reconciliation, it is all but certain that by the end of March Google will withdraw from China, a place where it has succeeded commercially but failed to convince the authorities that information wants to be free. The expected departure comes after several attempts to hack its e-mail system, ever stronger censorship of its searches, legal complaints tied to its digitisation of books, and?always a worrying sign in China?growing vitriol in the state-controlled press.
http://www.economist.com/business-finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15720595

Speculation grows on Google's future in China
Google?s legal structure in China will allow the company to continue operations in the country even if it closes its local search engine, local employees and industry and legal experts say.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa374b78-3350-11df-bc32-00144feabdc0.html

For Chinese people, loss of Google would mean 'nothing but darkness'
When Google announced that it would pull out of China if it had to continue censoring content, Zhao Hun went to the Internet giant's Beijing headquarters with a bouquet of flowers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/19/AR2010031900986.html

Beijing warned of business damage from text crackdown
Tencent, the world?s third-largest internet company by market capitalisation, said China?s crackdown on mobile text messaging was starting to hurt its business.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/38b7b408-31f5-11df-a8d1-00144feabdc0.html

Google may keep Chinese web services alive
Google is considering a plan to keep many of its operations in China, even though it is resigned to closing its flagship search engine over a censorship dispute with the Chinese authorities.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article7066351.ece

Iran?s Opposition Seeks More Help in Cyberwar With Government
At a time when the Obama administration is pressing for harsher sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program, democracy advocates in Iran have been celebrating the recent decision by the United States to lift sanctions on various online services, which they say only helped Tehran to suppress the opposition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/world/middleeast/19iran.html

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
Cerf on internet without borders
Vinton Cerf clearly recalls something billionaire investor George Soros told him in 1994: ''He said just because the internet is open now doesn't mean it will stay that way.'' That observation, Cerf says, holds as much today as it did in 1994, maybe even more so.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/cerf-on-internet-without-borders-20100318-qhjk.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/cerf-on-internet-without-borders-20100318-qhjk.html

Rush to pass British digital bill will 'sidestep democracy'
A group of senior public figures have called on the government to abandon its plan to push through controversial digital economy bill before the election, amid claims that the move could "sidestep" the democratic process.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/19/digital-bill-open-letter

Slow steps to America's high-speed broadband: the FCC's National Broadband Plan has the right goals, but can it reach them fast enough?
The National Broadband Plan that the Federal Communications Commission released Tuesday is ambitious in the right way, staking out such immodest national goals as building the most innovative and fastest wireless networks on the planet and vastly improving the wired infrastructure within a decade. But the commission moved so cautiously toward those goals, it's hard to see at this point how it's going to reach them.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-broadband17-2010mar17,0,7082633.story

Plans for America's broadband: Not what was asked for
A year ago, Congress asked for a plan that would provide affordable broadband service to all America?s citizens. On March 16th, the Federal Communications Commission responded with a non sequitur: a national wireless plan which is good in its way, but which largely fails to tackle the problem it was asked to solve.
http://www.economist.com/world/united-states/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15732610

nz: Anti-ACTA event to be held in Wellington
Critics of the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) will have their say in Wellington in a conference next month, two days ahead of the official political negotiations.
http://www.techday.co.nz/netguide/news/anti-acta-event-to-be-held-in-wellington/15939/

ACTA Wellington agenda and venue leaked
Preliminary documents for the ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) meeting in Wellington, to be held in the week beginning April 12, have been leaked, including the agenda and venue ? and several references to the fact that the documents are confidential and should not be publicly released.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/security/acta-wellington-agenda-and-venue-leaked

Leak reveals Wellington ACTA venue and agenda
The next round of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations will be hosted at the Intercontinental Hotel in Wellington from April 12 - 16, according to a leaked agenda document.
http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/feature/EE98082033314DFECC2576EE0001CDF1

FryUp: ACTA warmup
Stephen Fry on that new mobile operating system (whatever it's called) and bracing for ACTA in NZ
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/fryup/fryup-acta-warmup

New ACTA Leaks: Criminal Enforcement, Institutional Issues, and International Cooperation
New ACTA leaks have emerged this week that fill in the blanks about the remainder of the still-secret treaty. While earlier leaks provided extensive detail on the Internet and civil enforcement chapters, these latest leaks shed new light into the criminal enforcement section, the chapter on ACTA institutional issues, and international cooperation.
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4886/125/

Official ACTA Responses Begin To Mount
As public outrage over ACTA mounts, there have been a series of official responses to questions posed by legislators or raised through access to information requests. In addition to yesterday's statement from International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan's office confirming Canada's support of release of the ACTA text, recent documents or statements include:
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4881/125/

Brown pledges super-fast broadband for all Britons by 2020
Super-fast broadband will be available to every home in the UK by 2020, the prime minister is to promise later.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8579333.stm

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
Google's fast pipe to Asia almost ready
Google and a group of telecommunications companies are about ready to turn on a fast Internet cable running under the Pacific Ocean from the U.S. to Japan, increasing bandwidth by about 20 percent and giving Google its own connection to Asia.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20000715-265.html

Telstra to trial LTE in May
Telstra has announced that it is months away from testing 4G technology that could push the maximum capacity of its mobile broadband services up to 172Mbps within five years.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telstra-to-trial-lte-in-may/story-e6frgakx-1225842397175

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(c) David Goldstein 2010



 ---------


David Goldstein


email: goldstein_david&#167;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



      
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