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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The Accountability and Transparency Affirmation Review Team
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-02apr10-en.htm

Evaluate Continued Uncertainty by Milton Mueller
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/4/1/4495156.html

Has Anyone Really Thought Through Uniform Rapid Suspension?
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/02/has-anyone-really-thought-through-uniform-rapid-suspension/

.DE Becomes Number One ccTLD, Again
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10876

Report: Cybersecurity bigger than an IT problem
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100401_8588.php

DHS studying global response to Conficker botnet [IDG]
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/dhs-studying-global-response-conficker-botnet-127

Conficker Botnet 'Dead In the Water,' Researcher Says
http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability_management/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224201115


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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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The Accountability and Transparency Affirmation Review Team
ICANN publishes today the names of the Accountability and Transparency Review Team members selected by the two Affirmation-mandated Selectors: Peter Dengate Thrush, Chair of the ICANN Board, and Janis Karklins, Chair of the GAC.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-02apr10-en.htm

Evaluate Continued Uncertainty by Milton Mueller
On March 26, ICANN?s General Counsel, John O. Jittery, had a nervous breakdown. Internal observers speculated that the breakdown may have been caused by the stress and ignominy of losing the independent review challenge that concluded ICANN's denial of ICM Registry's application for a .xxx domain was unfair and discriminatory. Unfortunately for ICANN, the deranged lawyer managed to get links to the incoherent documents he produced posted on the organization?s front page as a request for public comment.
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/4/1/4495156.html

WIPO Letter of March 30, 2009 on February 2010 ICANN Trademark Clearinghouse
Further to previous comments of the Arbitration and Mediation Center of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO Center) on various proposals for a TMCH, including most recently on the STI Report, we submit the following. Fundamentally, the presently envisaged scope of use for information held in the TMCH database seems constrained; expanding such scope could see a more adequate degree of protection for existing trademark rights while also minimizing burdens on registration interests.
http://wipo.int/export/sites/www/amc/en/docs/icann300310tmch.pdf

WIPO Letter of March 30, 2009 on February 2010 ICANN Uniform Rapid Suspension System
Further to the earlier proposal of April 3, 2009 of the Arbitration and Mediation Center of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO Center), and its subsequent comments on various URS proposals, including most recently on the STI Report, we submit the following. We continue to believe that adjustments to the present design of the URS would better protect existing trademark rights while also minimizing burdens on registration interests. The present URS does not optimally complement or interoperate with the existing UDRP, nor does it produce a substantially more time and cost efficient enforcement option.
http://wipo.int/export/sites/www/amc/en/docs/icann300310urs.pdf

Has Anyone Really Thought Through Uniform Rapid Suspension?
Yesterday the comment period for Uniform Rapid Suspension closed at ICANN. URS is a cheaper and (supposedly) faster version of UDRP, with a few twists.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/02/has-anyone-really-thought-through-uniform-rapid-suspension/

?No Porn!? Shout Families to ICANN
If ICANN is supposed to include the thoughts of the greater internet community, it is certainly getting its wish.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/02/no-porn-shout-families-to-icann/

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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the .CO domain registry announces unprecedented rights protections for brand owners on eve of .CO sunrise
In an open letter to brand owners, .CO Internet S.A.S., the new registry operator for the .CO top-level domain, today announced its plan to ensure that the rights of brand owners will be respected and protected in connection with the launch of the .CO domain. The full letter to brand owners can be found at www.cointernet.co/domain/launch/global-sunrise/.
http://www.cointernet.co/registry/media/co-domain-registry-announces-unprecedented-rights-protections-brand-owners-eve-co-sun

400,000 .CO Domain Registrations Expected in Relaunch's First Year
NameAction visited Colombia recently to examine the registration process for the relaunched .CO recently. Juan Diego Calle (General Manager), Eduardo Santoyo (Vice-president of Corporate affairs) and Nicolai Bezsonoff (Vice-president of Operations) of NIC Colombia showed NameAction staff around and answered their questions.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/04/01/400000-co-domain-registrations-expected-in-relaunchs-first-year/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/400000-.co-domain-registrations-expected-in-relaunch-s-first-year.html

.DE Becomes Number One ccTLD, Again
In a major readjustment of the total number of .CN (China) domain name registrations, .DE (Germany) has once again become the number one ccTLD.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10876
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/04/04/de-becomes-number-one-cctld-again/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/de-again-becomes-number-one-cctld.html

.eu turns four: Seminar to mark fourth birthday
EURid will host a seminar on Wednesday, 7 April, to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the .eu top-level domain. The seminar, aimed at the media and other interested parties who want to learn about .eu and its registry, will be held at InfEuropa on Rond-Point Schuman. EURid CEO Marc Van Wesemael and External Relations Manager Giovanni Seppia will be available for interviews and to answer questions.
http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-turns-four

AFNIC Survey Finds Registrars Overwhelmingly Pleased With .FR
AFNIC, the registry for .FR domain names, has found 98 per cent of registrars are happy with the services they provide in their latest registrar satisfaction survey. This is up on the 77 per cent in the February 2009 survey.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/04/01/afnic-survey-finds-registrars-overwhelmingly-pleased-with-fr/

AFNIC customer satisfaction survey: The registrars are satisfied with the services of the .fr registry
AFNIC has carried out a registrars satisfaction survey to assess the quality of the services of the registry.
http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/247/afnic-customer-satisfaction-survey-the-registrars-are-satisfied-with-the-services-of-the-fr-registry

ru: Identification Procedure Effective April 1
From April 01, 2010 RU-CENTER clients who signed a Service Agreement before October 01, 2009 during domains registration in RU TLD will be required to submit document copies confirming Registrant's ID data.
http://www.nic.ru/news/en/2010/ident.html

.SE doubled the number of secure .se domain names last night
On the night of Wednesday, March 31, 2010, .SE?s Danish registrar GratisDNS.dk signed 2,100 .se domain names with a DNSSEC security extension, making the company the largest provider of .se domains with DNSSEC. Last night?s signing also means that the number of security-signed .se domains has doubled.
http://www.iis.se/en/2010/04/01/i-natt-fordubblade-se-antalet-sakra-se-domannamn/

uk: Bob Gilbert steps down as Nominet Chairman
Following the successful recent conclusion of Nominet's corporate governance review, Bob Gilbert is stepping down as a director of the Company and Chairman of the Board.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=7279

Removal of the .YU domain formerly representing Yugoslavia
The .YU domain delegation has been removed from the DNS root zone as the final step in the process to retire the domain from usage. ICANN staff provide this report to the community as information.
http://www.iana.org/reports/2010/yu-report-01apr2010.html

za: SA web becoming more patriotic
MORE businesses and private internet users in South Africa are showing support for the .za domain name as opposed to the generic top-level category dot-com, according to a market survey on local perceptions about domain names.
http://www.weekendpost.co.za/business/article.aspx?id=548511

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Report: Cybersecurity bigger than an IT problem
Companies that confine cybersecurity concerns to the information technology department put their bottom line at risk, according to a report released Wednesday by the Internet Security Alliance and the American National Standards Institute. The groups conducted the report in response to a request in the Obama administration's Cyberspace Policy Review that better financial metrics be placed on cybersecurity hazards.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100401_8588.php

DHS studying global response to Conficker botnet [IDG]
One year after the Conficker botnet was front-page news around the world, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is preparing a report looking at the worldwide effort to keep it in check.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/dhs-studying-global-response-conficker-botnet-127
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/040210-dhs-studying-global-response-to.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/193216/.html
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9174628/DHS_studying_global_response_to_Conficker_botnet

Conficker Botnet 'Dead In the Water,' Researcher Says
After over a year of waiting for the sleeping giant Conficker botnet to come to life, some security researchers are now starting to think it may just be dead rather than dormant: they say the original creators of the Conficker botnet appear to have abandoned ship, leaving the worm to merely spread on its own via unpatched Windows machines.
http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability_management/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224201115

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Estonia begins blocking online casinos
As part of a two-tier strategy designed to implement its new Gambling Act, the small Baltic nation of Estonia has started blocking access to leading online casino and poker sites including PartyPoker.com and PokerStars.com.
http://www.onlinecasinonews.com/ocnv2_1/article/article.asp?id=23700

Warning: YH.com Domain Name Stolen
The domain name YH.com has been hijacked from its owner and the thief is trying to sell it.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/02/warning-yh-com-domain-name-stolen/

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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Too Many Not Ready for IPv6, Lab Warns
IT product manufacturers and enterprises that have not prepared for the IPv6 transition may be in for a few unpleasant surprises, says an official for an independent testing laboratory that is offering IPv6 certification testing.
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=190066

Study Looks at the Amount of Spam Over IPv6
A study conducted by RIPE Labs indicates that about 1.89% of spam are received over IPv6. "With the increased deployment of IPv6, we were curious to see how much the amount of spam sent over IPv6 increases
http://www.circleid.com/posts/study_looks_at_the_amount_of_spam_over_ipv6/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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uk: Police back down over MyPolice.org domain name
The Government's police inspectorate has backed down after protests from social media activists over its choice of name for a new website.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8599701.stm

Police back down in row over 'mypolice' website name
The Government's police inspectorate backed down today after facing a furious online backlash over the choice of name for its new website
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/01/mypolice-row-resolved

English domain names disappearing
... According to a new website, lastwordsleft.com, there are only 35,000 one-word domain names still available that use English words and phrases.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/world/2010/04/01/13438281-qmi.html

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Apple iPad Domains Begging to be Sold
With the Apple iPad mania peaking as the device is about to go on sale, there are domain name speculators attempting to make money out of it.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10859
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/04/01/apple-ipad-domains-begging-to-be-sold/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/apple-ipad-domains-are-begging-to-be-sold.html

VeriSign Proposes Domain Name Exchange Service
VeriSign has filed papers with ICANN proposing a ?Domain Name Exchange? that would let .net domain name owners trade in their domains for others. The stated purpose of the exchange is to allow service providers that offer packages for less than a year to change in domains when customers are no longer using them:
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/05/verisign-proposes-domain-name-exchange-service/

SnapNames Completes One of the Year's 5 Biggest Sales - 2nd Biggest Non .Com gTLD Sale Also Reported Along With a Top 5 ccTLD Sale 
SnapNames auctioned off Screensavers.com in their Moniker/SnapNames March Showcase auction and the $335,000 deal was completed this week to take the pole position on our weekly all extension Top 20 Sales Chart. This sale also ranks as the fifth biggest sale reported so far in 2010.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20100331.htm

UK firm buys Top10.com domain in record ?1m deal
A UK price comparison company announced today that it has bought the domain name Top10.com from Idealab, the US-based company founded by Bill Gross and behind many successful technology companies including Picasa and GoTo.com.
http://www.netimperative.com/news/2010/april/uk-firm-buys-top10.com-domain-in-record-a31m-deal

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INTERNET USE
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Is the Financial Times the perfect digital model?
Last year, amid the greatest recession in the history of the financial system, the Financial Times turned a profit. How it did so in the wake of a downturn that has literally decimated the UK's 1m financial sector jobs ? plus many more in continental Europe, the US and Asia, where the FT sells about 70% of its 390,000-strong circulation ? is a question increasingly asked by an industry looking for answers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/apr/05/financial-times-digital-model

In Britain, a Laboratory for Newsprint's Future
Only days after News Corp. announced plans to start charging online readers of The Times of London and its Sunday sibling, a so-called pay wall came down last week at The Southern Reporter in Selkirk, Scotland.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/business/media/05iht-papers05.html

E-publish or perish: The iPad and its kind are both a boon and a bane for book publishers
John Grisham, a prolific author of legal thrillers, long refused to allow his books to be sold in electronic form. In a television interview last year, he lamented that e-books and heavy discounting of printed books by big retailers were ?a disaster in the long term? for the publishing industry. But last month Mr Grisham?s publisher announced that the author had had a change of heart: henceforth all of his books will be available in virtual form. His timing was impeccable. On April 3rd Apple is due to start shipping the first of its iPad tablet computers, which are expected to give a big boost to e-book sales.
http://www.economist.com/business-finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15819008

Internet will be giant force in UK election campaign, says Lord Gould
The internet will be "a giant autonomous force" in the general election campaign, and probably hold even more sway than in the US presidential campaign, Lord Gould, the Labour pollster, predicts today.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/apr/01/general-election-2010-labour

The web is a kid?s game and the big boys can?t have Chatroulette
Andrey Ternovskiy is at the centre of a bidding war. The 17-year-old Russian is sitting on one of the internet?s hottest properties since Facebook and wealthy investors are offering millions to buy the concept. But the teenager is not selling ? not yet, anyway.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article7087526.ece

China to dominate culture of internet
China will become the dominant cultural force influencing the look and feel of the internet, supplanting the US as the guiding light of the digital world, a global study suggests.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/china-to-dominate-culture-of-internet/story-e6frg996-1225849658423

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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German Minister Launches Attack on Facebook
Plans by Facebook to provide personal data to third parties without asking users for permission are being criticized by a prominent member of the German government. In an open letter to the social networking giant's CEO, Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner threatens to delete her profile if the California company doesn't do more to protect its members' privacy.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,687286,00.html

German minister pens open letter to Mark Zuckerberg, threatens to quit Facebook
German Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner has written an open letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, expressing her concerns about Facebook?s plans to further relax data protection regulations on the social networking site.
http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/04/05/german-minister-pens-open-letter-to-mark-zuckerberg-threatens-to-quit-facebook/

Most Twitter tweets originating overseas, study finds
Twitter might have started in the United States, but a recent study from Semiocast has found that the company's core user base is mostly overseas.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/03/twitter-tweets-us.html

Google rolls out privacy reset for Buzz social network
Google has said that it will begin to roll out a privacy reset for its controversial social network Buzz.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8603155.stm

The latest Facebook fracas: Your privacy vs. its profit
The signs of a new season surround us: Flowers are blooming, trees are budding, and another Facebook privacy fracas is brewing. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/02/AR2010040200762.html

Israel 'using Facebook to recruit Gaza collaborators'
In a busy internet cafe in the centre of Gaza City, lots of people, mostly young, are typing and clicking away.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8585775.stm

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Microsoft founders lead tributes to 'father of the PC'
The "father of the personal computer" who kick-started the careers of Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen has died at the age of 68.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8600493.stm

PC Pioneer Inspired Microsoft Founders
The January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics featured on its cover a box with switches and blinking lights called the Altair 8800, considered by many to be the first personal computer.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304871704575159680960424558.html

Netbook Sales Sag as the iPad Arrives
Apple's iPad is helping cool the computer industry's netbook fever. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs has made no secret of his disdain for the popular, inexpensive mini-notebooks. "Netbooks aren't better than anything. They're just cheap laptops," Jobs said at the Jan. 27 launch of the iPad tablet computer in San Francisco.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2010/tc20100326_964328.htm

Netbook Sales Sag as the iPad Arrives
Apple's iPad is helping cool the computer industry's netbook fever. Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs has made no secret of his disdain for the popular, inexpensive mini-notebooks. "Netbooks aren't better than anything. They're just cheap laptops," Jobs said at the Jan. 27 launch of the iPad tablet computer in San Francisco.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2010/tc2010041_600018.htm

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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How to Stop a Bully: Can laws address the real problem?
It reads like fiction, but it isn't: a 15-year-old girl moves with her family from Ireland to western Massachusetts. Other kids harass and taunt her, both to her face and through Facebook. One day, something is thrown at the girl's head as she's walking home. When she gets there, she hangs herself. The girl's name was Phoebe Prince, and several days ago District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel charged nine teenagers in connection with her January suicide.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/235784

A 'watershed' case in school bullying?
At first, it seemed like a morality play: school officials stand by as an innocent high school freshman, new in town, is harassed into suicide by a pack of older teens.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-04-04-bullying_N.htm

Japanese police boost efforts to tackle rise in child pornography cases
The National Police Agency stepped up efforts Thursday to tackle the spread of child pornography, assigning around 10 agency employees to analyze Internet images and to cooperate with foreign investigative authorities after the number of child porn cases in Japan hit a record high in 2009.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/police-boost-efforts-to-tackle-rise-in-child-pornography-cases

European Commission's child abuse web-blocking plans criticised
The European Commission wants countries to force Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block access to websites that contain material related to the sexual abuse of children. The move has been opposed by digital rights groups.
http://out-law.com/page-10896

EU divided on ways to defeat online child pornography
The European Commission wants member states to filter out child porn from the Internet and impose harsher sentences on human trafficking, but the European Parliament has cast doubt as to whether new EU laws would be tough enough.
http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/eu-divided-ways-defeat-child-pornography-online-news-395487

us: FTC Reviewing COPPA Rules
The FTC is seeking comment on whether changes should be made to rules imposing certain requirements on Web sites directed at children, including a mandate that they obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under the age of 13.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/04/ftc-reviewing-coppa-rules.php

nz: Million child porn requests
More than one million requests to view hardcore child pornography have been picked up by an internet filter trialled by the Department of Internal Affairs.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10636071

nz: Appeal to parents over cyber bullying
Although the Secondary Principals' Association has told schools to get tough on pupils to prevent cyber bullying, two Hawke's Bay principals say more parental involvement is needed.
http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/appeal-to-parents-over-cyber-bullying/3912153/

Filter picks up 1m attempts to view child porn
Over one million requests to view hardcore child pornography have been picked up by an internet filter trialled by the Department of Internal Affairs.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/100177/filter-picks-1m-attempts-view-child-porn

Netsafe group says NZers must understand child pornography a serious problem as ISPs urged to use filters
An internet safety group is not convinced a new filter blocking access to child pornography will solve the problem.
http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=112871
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/group-unconvinced-child-porn-filter-3446336
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/7017044/big-isps-urged-to-use-filter/

nz: Filter trial reveals child porn numbers
3 News has obtained figures under the Official Information Act that offer a first glimpse at the extent of New Zealand's child pornography problem. The controversial internet filter has recently been trialled and the results have never been made public.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Filter-trial-reveals-child-porn-numbers/tabid/423/articleID/149342/Default.aspx

au: Elderly learn to beat euthanasia blacklist
Euthanasia groups hold computer seminars around Australia to teach people how they can defy the federal government?s proposed internet filter to obtain suicide information.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/elderly-learn-to-beat-euthanasia-blacklist-20100405-rn6i.html

au: No proof ISP filtering works: Abbott
Opposition leader Tony Abbott says there is insufficient evidence ISP filtering is effective enough to warrant his full support.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/no-proof-isp-filtering-works-abbott/story-e6frgakx-1225850260443

au: Research looks at predictors to help protect kids at cyber bully risk
Kids bullied in year 7 are more likely to cyber bully or be picked on themselves later, research has found.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/research-looks-at-predictors-to-help-protect-kids-at-cyber-bully-risk/story-e6frf7kx-1225849079430

au: Child experts want ban on soft porn magazines
More than 30 child experts are calling for a ban on the sale of pornographic magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse and other soft porn material from newsagents, milkbars, convenience stores, supermarkets and petrol stations. ... Julie Gale, director of the lobby group Kids Free 2B Kids, said easy access to the internet meant young people were experiencing unprecedented exposure to pornographic images, voluntarily or involuntarily. ''But allowing pornography and overtly sexualised images to be sold in the public arena with easy access for children and teens tells them that this is acceptable. It gives it public validation.''
http://www.smh.com.au/national/child-experts-want-ban-on-soft-porn-magazines-20100404-rlrz.html
http://www.theage.com.au/national/put-soft-porn-out-of-view-experts-20100404-rlnu.html

Australian lobby group calls for porn ban
Child experts in Australia are calling for a ban on the sale of pornographic magazines.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Australian-lobby-group-calls-for-porn-ban/tabid/423/articleID/149677/Default.aspx?ArticleID=149677

au: The keys to tackling cyber-bullying
The growing phenomenon of cyber-bullying is set to get much worse, according to a Perth expert at the forefront of the battle.
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/the-keys-to-tackling-cyberbullying-20100331-rer2.html

British teachers suffer cyberbullying by pupils and parents
More than one in seven teachers has been the victim of cyberbullying by pupils or parents, and almost half know a colleague who has been targeted, according to a survey published today.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/mar/30/teachers-bullied-online

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Spain finds that film piracy is a hard habit to break
It has been the setting for many a spaghetti western, but now Hollywood has warned that Spain could be facing high noon over its appalling record of movie piracy, with a future devoid of DVDs.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/31/spain-film-piracy-downloading-dvds

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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In the App Economy, Does the Mobile Browser Matter?
Mobile broadband consumption shows no signs of slowing, but the way people access the mobile Web could be changing. Market researcher Gartner has released a report called 10 Mobile Technologies to Watch in 2010.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2010/tc20100326_964328.htm

Gartner Outlines 10 Mobile Technologies to Watch in 2010 and 2011 [news release]
Gartner, Inc. has identified 10 mobile technologies that will evolve significantly through 2011 in ways that will impact short-term mobile strategies and policies. Investments in mobile applications and technologies will increase through 2011 as organizations emerge from the recession and ramp up both business-to-employee (B2E) and business-to-consumer (B2C) mobile spending.
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1328113

Sprint's Bold Play on a 4G Network
Sprint Nextel, the nation's third-largest cell-phone carrier, is betting big on 4G. The company has spent several billion dollars in recent years to build wireless broadband service capacity to try to leapfrog larger rivals by offering consumers and businesses fast connections for smartphones, laptops, and other devices.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2010/tc20100329_721158.htm

UK Leads European Countries in Smartphone Adoption with 70% Growth in Past 12 Months [news release]
comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a study of the smartphone market in Europe showing that smartphone adoption in the EU5 (U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy) has grown 32 percent versus a year ago to 51.6 million subscribers. Whilst growth can be seen across the range of monthly subscription fees, the mid to low tier is growing faster than high tier subscriptions in each of the EU5 markets.
http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2010/3/UK_Leads_European_Countries_in_Smartphone_Adoption_with_70_Growth_in_Past_12_Months

International Mobile Roaming Services: Analysis and Policy Recommendations
In the context of work on international mobile roaming services (IMRS), a first report found prices to be unreasonably high, considering the underlying costs, and identified some of the causes for this price level. This report aims to examine and suggest possible solutions and policy options that may address the problem of high IMRS charges. It assesses their viability and possible side effects.
http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2009doc.nsf/LinkTo/dsti-iccp-cisp(2009)12-final

nz: Calls to cap mobile roaming charges
A telecommunications watchdog is calling for a cap on mobile global roaming charges after a New Zealand businessman was billed more than $10,000 for internet access in Australia.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10636145

How I stalked my girlfriend
For the past week I've been tracking my girlfriend through her mobile phone. I can see exactly where she is, at any time of day or night, within 150 yards, as long as her phone is on. It has been very interesting to find out about her day. Now I'm going to tell you how I did it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/feb/01/news.g2

Ofcom to reduce landline-to-mobile phone call charges
Telecommunication regulator Ofcom today announced plans to cut the cost of calling a mobile phone from a landline, which could save UK consumers and businesses almost ?800m a year from 2015.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/01/ofcom-landline-mobile-phone-charges

Mobile phone charges to fall under Ofcom plans
Callers to UK mobile phones could see cheaper bills from 2011 under plans announced by telecoms regulator Ofcom.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8598181.stm

Mass market 4G handsets only in 2012
4G long term evolution (LTE) mobile phones are unlikely to hit markets within this year or next, even as carriers rush to set up their LTE networks, according to market analysts.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/mass-market-4g-handsets-only-in-2012-62062409.htm

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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Cybercrime concerns grow in China
... Cybersecurity specialists say China, with the world?s biggest internet population with about 400m users, probably boasts the planet?s largest group of hackers.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/64a8554e-40ab-11df-94c2-00144feabdc0.html

New cyber security threats noted in Blue Note annual report
A new report on consumer online behaviour and criminal activities on the Internet noted that new security threats have recently emerged, prompting the implementation of a mix of security solutions to protect unsuspecting victims.
http://mis-asia.com/news/articles/new-cyber-security-threats-noted-in-blue-note-annual-report
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/040510-new-cyber-security-threats-noted.html

Report: Cybersecurity bigger than an IT problem
Companies that confine cybersecurity concerns to the information technology department put their bottom line at risk, according to a report released Wednesday by the Internet Security Alliance and the American National Standards Institute. The groups conducted the report in response to a request in the Obama administration's Cyberspace Policy Review that better financial metrics be placed on cybersecurity hazards.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100401_8588.php

DHS studying global response to Conficker botnet [IDG]
One year after the Conficker botnet was front-page news around the world, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is preparing a report looking at the worldwide effort to keep it in check.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/dhs-studying-global-response-conficker-botnet-127
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/040210-dhs-studying-global-response-to.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/193216/.html
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9174628/DHS_studying_global_response_to_Conficker_botnet

Conficker Botnet 'Dead In the Water,' Researcher Says
After over a year of waiting for the sleeping giant Conficker botnet to come to life, some security researchers are now starting to think it may just be dead rather than dormant: they say the original creators of the Conficker botnet appear to have abandoned ship, leaving the worm to merely spread on its own via unpatched Windows machines.
http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability_management/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224201115

Boat Race twins put Facebook legal action on hold to battle for Oxford
If you are reading this online, there will be a little logo in the top right-hand corner of the screen, a white letter "f" on a blue background that links guardian.co.uk to Facebook. If life had worked out alittle differently for Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, that logo would not be there. There would be a small "CU" in its place instead. If life had worked out a little differently, they would, at the age of 28, both be billionaires already.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/apr/02/winklevoss-twins-boat-race-facebook

Facebook claimants vow to continue legal action
The two Americans who were awarded millions of dollars after claiming they had come up with the idea for Facebook say their legal battle isn't over.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8596715.stm

U.S. appeals court rules for eBay in Tiffany spat
EBay Inc did not engage in trademark infringement and dilution by selling counterfeit Tiffany & Co goods on its website, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday, but it ordered further review of the jeweller's claim of false advertising.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6303N820100401
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-47393620100401

us: N.J. Supreme Court Rules Employers Can't Always Read Personal Email
In a ruling that could affect enterprises' privacy and security practices, the New Jersey Supreme Court last week ruled that an employer can not read email messages sent via a third-party email service provider -- even if the emails are accessed during work hours from a company PC. 
http://www.darkreading.com/insiderthreat/security/privacy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224201355

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PRIVACY
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Editorial: About That Webcam - A US School Spies on Students with School Issued Laptops
A Pennsylvania town has been roiled by a local high school using cameras in school-issued laptops to spy on students. Almost as shocking is the fact that the federal wiretap law that should prohibit this kind of surveillance does not cover spying done through photography and video in private settings.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/opinion/03sat3.html

us: Advocacy Groups, Companies Call for an Update of the Privacy Framework for Law Enforcement Access to Digital Information [news release]
A broad coalition of privacy groups, think tanks, technology companies and academics today issued principles for updating the key federal law that defines the rules for government access to email and private files stored in the Internet ?cloud.? The coalition cited the need to preserve traditional privacy rights in the face of technological change while also ensuring that law enforcement agents can carry out investigations and that industry has the clarity needed to innovate.
http://www.cdt.org/pr_statement/advocacy-groups-companies-call-update-privacy-framework-law-enforcement-access-digital-

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CENSORSHIP
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Google?s business in China starts to unravel
Google?s business in China showed signs of unravelling on Wednesday as search problems shook the confidence of advertisers and users.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/48ae3958-3cdc-11df-bbcf-00144feabdc0.html

How I became a target of China's war in cyberspace: Clifford Coonan, our man in Beijing, knew his email had been hacked when he found bad spelling
Logging on to my Yahoo email account this week, I was greeted with the message: "We've detected an issue with your account." My inquiries appeared to reveal that this was part of a sophisticated and co-ordinated hacking campaign against journalists, academics and rights activists based in China, or dealing with the China story elsewhere.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/how-i-became-a-target-of-chinas-war-in-cyberspace-1932760.html

China, Concubines and Google by Nicholas D. Kristof
Some 2,400 years ago, a Chinese king invited a legendary military strategist named Sun Tzu to give a demonstration in military training ? using women from the palace. ... That's the kind of historical tale that members of China's Politburo absorbed while growing up -- and reflect today. In battles over Google and the currency exchange rate, they model the hardheaded Sun Tzu, accepting that making omelets will require breaking eggs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/opinion/01kristof.html

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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Like it or lump it, net won't be free of regulation
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says the internet is "not so special" and therefore should be regulated. In the US, one of President Barack Obama's top communications advisers says there's a growing need for regulation -- because the internet is so special.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/like-it-or-lump-it-net-wont-be-free-of-regulation/story-e6frg9tf-1225849633454

us: Industry Groups Question Regulations in Cybersecurity Bill [IDG]
A U.S. Senate committee has dropped some of the most controversial pieces of a wide-ranging cybersecurity bill that had been stalled for nearly a year, but some tech industry groups still have concerns about new regulations that the legislation would create for some companies.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/193286/.html

Internet disruptions raise tensions for Google in China
Several Internet disruptions in Asia this week portend what could be a long standoff between China and foreign search giants.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/31/AR2010033104069.html

Google fails to renew licence in China
Google has not renewed its licence to be an "internet content provider" in China, signalling the end of its ambition to provide search and other internet services inside the country's "Great Firewall" which filters out content deemed sensitive by its government.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/01/google-china-licence-expires

Call for 'fuller' debate on Digital Economy Bill
Opponents of the controversial Digital Economy Bill have urged MPs to give it "the debate it deserves" when it is discussed in the Commons later.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8603285.stm

Britain's Digital Economy Bill could block websites
The Government has reintroduced measures into the Digital Economy Bill that would allow politicians to block pirate websites without primary legislation
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/7540552/Digital-Economy-Bill-could-block-websites.html

New Zealand patent reform bill says no to software patents
New Zealand's parliament is preparing to vote on a major patent reform bill that will tighten the country's standards of patentability. One of the most significant changes in the proposed bill is a specific patentability exclusion for software. If the bill receives parliamentary approval in its current form, it will broadly eliminate conventional software patents in New Zealand.
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/04/new-zealand-patent-reform-bill-says-no-to-software-patents.ars

Submission criticises absence of evidence for ACTA approach
InternetNZ today released a submission responding to the Ministry of Economic Development?s consultation in advance of this month?s ACTA negotiations in Wellington.
http://blog.internetnz.net.nz/?p=315

ACTA treaty draws fire in NZ submissions
InternetNZ and the New Zealand Open Source Society have released their submissions to the Ministry of Economic Development?s consultation on this month?s ACTA negotiations, with the two organisations taking different, but equally critical tacks on the issue.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/acta-treaty-draws-fire-in-nz-submissions

Leaked ACTA Text Shows Possible Contradictions With National Laws
?No changes in domestic? law promised the partners currently negotiating the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. A leaked 56-page recent consolidated version of the much-discussed agreement shows that this might not be completely true. The draft version with a lot of bracketed text shows that some countries are more open about the potential need to change their domestic laws than others. 
http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2010/03/29/leaked-acta-text-shows-possible-contradictions-with-national-laws/

'No evidence ACTA is needed' ? InternetNZ
Internet New Zealand has strongly opposed the signing of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) by New Zealand in a submission to the Ministry of Economic Development.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3551187/No-evidence-ACTA-is-needed-InternetNZ

EU Demands Canada Completely Overhaul Its Intellectual Property Laws
Late last year, a draft of the European Union proposal for the intellectual property chapter of the Canada - EU Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement leaked online. The leak revealed that the EU was seeking some significant changes to Canadian IP laws. Negotiations have continued and I have now received an updated copy of the draft chapter, complete with proposals from both the EU and Canada. The breadth of the demands are stunning - the EU is demanding nothing less than a complete overhaul of Canadian IP laws including copyright, trademark, databases, patent, geographic indications, and even plant variety rights. 
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4914/125/

Estonia begins blocking online casinos
As part of a two-tier strategy designed to implement its new Gambling Act, the small Baltic nation of Estonia has started blocking access to leading online casino and poker sites including PartyPoker.com and PokerStars.com.
http://www.onlinecasinonews.com/ocnv2_1/article/article.asp?id=23700

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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Concerns as Telstra, NBN face split
Telecommunications companies will think twice about investing in their networks if they think the federal government's national broadband company will be given an unfair advantage, says a business group.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/concerns-as-telstra-nbn-face-split-20100404-rlma.html

European Phone Operators Keep to the Side as Bidding for Licenses Begins
A decade ago, mobile phone network operators in Europe rushed to spend billions for the chance to provide high-speed wireless connections for clients.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/technology/05iht-spectrum.html

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION
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au: Accused internet groomer remanded in custody
A Frankston man has been remanded in custody after appearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 42 charges related to using the internet to groom teens for sex.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/01/2862338.htm

au: Internet sites slow to shut down accused teen rapist
SOCIAL networking pages set up by a man accused of raping young girls after grooming them on the internet were still live yesterday.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/internet-sites-slow-to-shut-down-accused-teen-rapist-20100401-ri8d.html

au: Goldfields teacher on child sex charges
A Goldfields school teacher has been charged with possessing 30,000 images and more than 7000 videos of child pornography.
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/goldfields-teacher-on-child-sex-charges-20100401-rgd4.html

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(c) David Goldstein 2010


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David Goldstein


email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au
web:   http://davidgoldstein.tel/
http://goldsteinreport.com/


phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home


"Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery