Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Proposed VeriSign .NET Agreement Allows For 10% Annual Increase http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/04/12/net-agreement/ VeriSign to offer different prices to different registrars? http://domainincite.com/verisign-to-offer-different-prices-to-different-registrars/ Why ICANN's CEO abstained on dot-xxx vote http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/04/11/icann-ceo-dot-xxx-explanation Will Blocking a TLD Fracture the Internet? http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2011/04/will-blocking-a-tld-fracture-the-internet/ Governments dig in over new TLD objections http://domainincite.com/governments-dig-in-over-new-tld-objections/ IPv6 - Pressure growing on industry to act http://internetnz.net.nz/news/media-releases/2011/IPv6-Pressure-growing-industry-act ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Public Comment: Proposal for Renewal of the .NET Registry Agreement ICANN is today posting a proposed draft renewal agreement for the operation of the .NET registry. The current .NET Registry Agreement is due to expire on 30 June 2011. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-11apr11-en.htm Proposed VeriSign .NET Agreement Allows For 10% Annual Increase ICANN has posted a proposed draft renewal agreement for the operation of the .NET registry that allows for an increase in the ?service fee? for each new .NET registration and each renewal of ten per cent each year for the life of the agreement. http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/04/12/net-agreement/ http://domainnews.com/en/proposed-verisign-.net-agreement-allows-for-10-annual-increase.html VeriSign to offer different prices to different registrars? VeriSign may be able to offer differential pricing for .net domain names under the just-published draft .net registry contract. http://domainincite.com/verisign-to-offer-different-prices-to-different-registrars/ VeriSign May Be Able to Continue Hiking .Net Prices 10% Per Year Proposed contract renewal allows for huge price increases on .net domain registrations. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/04/11/verisign-may-be-able-to-continue-hiking-net-prices-10-per-year/ Why ICANN's CEO abstained on dot-xxx vote In a classic case of Beware of the Leopard by ICANN, its CEO has explained why he abstained in the controversial vote to approve dot-xxx last month. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/04/11/icann-ceo-dot-xxx-explanation Why ICANN?s CEO did not vote on .xxx President and CEO Rod Beckstrom has explained his decision to abstain from voting on ICM Registry?s .xxx top-level domain when it came before the ICANN board last month. http://domainincite.com/why-icanns-ceo-did-not-vote-on-xxx/ Sorry Beckstrom, You Should Have Voted on .XXX During ICANN?s meeting in San Francisco last month a number of board members gave their rationale for or against .xxx. Some members abstained and stated their reason. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/04/11/sorry-beckstrom-you-should-have-voted-on-xxx/ CADNA Protests ICANN?s Intent to Continue to Run Core Functionality of Internet Unchecked CADNA is deeply concerned by recent comments made by ICANN indicating its intent to permanently seize full authority over the functions of critical Internet infrastructure and sever its ties to the U.S. Government. ICANN submitted these comments as part of the NTIA's public comment period to assess the status of the IANA functions contract. http://www.cadna.org/en/newsroom/press-release/cadna-protests-icann-intent-continue-run-core-functionality-internet-unchecked ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** DotAsia Announces the launch of .Asia Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) for the Global Chinese, Japanese and Korean Internet Community Asia is continuing its rapid growth as the world?s most populated Internet marketplace, with an expectation to expand to more than 2 billion Internet users in 2013. http://dot.asia/pressreleases/DotAsia-PR-IDN-Launch-2011-04-12.pdf Bakom moves to end Switchplus anti-competitive behaviour Swiss federal communications office Bakom has ordered Swiss domain name registry Switch to stop providing its commercial domain hosting services subsidiary Switchplus with preferential services that are not made available to other resellers, Netzwoche Ticker reports. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/bakom-moves-to-end-switchplus-anti-competitive-behaviour Number of '.eu' domain names doubles over five years The number of registered websites with the '.eu' top-level domain name has reached 3.4 million, according to figures from EURid, the non-profit organisation that manages it. http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/number-eu-domain-names-doubles-years-news-503856 CentralNIC says .la business as usual CentralNIC, which manages .la as a ?city top-level domain? for Los Angeles, says recent moves to ?reclaim? the domain for Laos will not affect its offerings. http://domainincite.com/centralnic-says-la-business-as-usual/ .ORG, The Public Interest Registry Waives Renewal Fees For Japanese Registrants Affected By The Recent Disaster In light of the recent disasters that have devastated Japan, .ORG, The Public Interest Registry (PIR) today announced a plan to waive renewal fees for Japanese domain name holders who are unable to renew their .ORG domain names. http://pir.org/news/pr/2011/japanrenew .uk short domain update Today 79 uncontested .uk short domains were registered following the close of the Unregistered Rights Sunrise. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=8335 Nominet gives away 79 more super-short .uk names Nominet has handed out more single and double-character .uk domain names to holders of intellectual property rights. http://domainincite.com/nominet-gives-away-79-more-super-short-uk-names/ ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** Will Blocking a TLD Fracture the Internet? In his eloquent dissent against approving .XXX, ICANN Board member George Sadowsky talked about blocking and filtering top-level domains. It?s a concise statement of a concern that has been identified by various people, including members of the GAC, as an impediment to the new gTLD program. It?s a thorough defense of a common point of view about blocking TLDs, but while no-one can disagree about the fact of blocking, what is the actual effect? http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2011/04/will-blocking-a-tld-fracture-the-internet/ Governments dig in over new TLD objections World governments have offered to compromise with ICANN on several disagreements relating to the new top-level domains program, but have dug their heels in on others. http://domainincite.com/governments-dig-in-over-new-tld-objections/ Dot triple X and your brand: protecting intellectual property in the rollout of the new .xxx top-level domain On March 31, 2011, ICANN, the gatekeeper of Internet domain names, signed a sponsored TLD (top-level domain) registry agreement with ICM Registry for the administration of the new ?.xxx? TLD. ?.xxx? is to be the new (though not exclusive) online home for adult entertainment websites. The signing marks the culmination of a 10-year effort by ICM Registry and follows a contentious vote by the ICANN board to approve the TLD at its meeting in San Francisco on March 18, 2011. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=8f69e0a2-f13b-4787-a932-0f78c36db037 New Company Joins Competition to Host Prestigious .africa Domain Competition among firms seeking to brand Africa on the Internet has heightened over the past few months. http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/New+company+joins+competition+to+host+prestigious+africa+domain/-/2558/1141544/-/dn1hjo/-/index.html http://allafrica.com/stories/201104111550.html Brand Grab: the ICANN gTLD expansion is coming later this year ? stake your claim before it's too late! At its latest series of public meetings concluding 18 March 2011, ICANN has announced its intention to implement the new gTLD program by 20 June 2011. http://www.mondaq.com/australia/article.asp?articleid=129266 uk: New TLDs make it into election manifesto Welsh nationalist Plaid Cymru has become possibly the first political party to make getting a new top-level domain an election manifesto promise. http://domainincite.com/new-tlds-make-it-into-election-manifesto/ Domain name changes offer unique branding chance Brand owners and marketers have a unique opportunity to benefit from changes to the internet?s domain naming system that will make it easier and more intuitive for consumers to find brands online, according to an expert. http://www.bandt.com.au/news/domain-name-changes-offer-unique-branding-chance Governments withhold IP comments on new gTLDs The latest Governmental Advisory Committees comments on new gTLDs policy said nothing about rights protections, which will be released in a separate paper on Friday at the earliest http://www.managingip.com/Article/2806969/Managing-Internet-IP-Archive/Governments-withhold-IP-comments-on-new-gTLDs.html ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** US needs cyber-emergency response, lawmaker says [IDG] The U.S. needs a cybersecurity emergency response capability to help businesses under major attacks, a U.S. senator said Monday. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/041111-us-needs-cyber-emergency-response-lawmaker.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/224874/.html Beyond the Top Level: DNSSEC Deployment at ICANN 40 by Ram Mohan I recently wrote about the encouraging level of DNSSEC adoption among top-level domain name registries, and noted that adoption at the second level and in applications is an important next step for adding more security to the DNS. The root and approximately 20 percent of the top level domains are now signed; it is time for registrars and recursive DNS servers operated by the ISPs to occupy center stage. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110412_beyond_the_top_level_dnssec_deployment_at_icann_40/ Dot-com domains still lack DNSSEC security It's been over two weeks since the DNSSEC system was turned on for .com domain names. This is an end stage for a process that will one day let surfers be 100 percent confident they're accessing the site they think they are, and have not been diverted by hackers. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/383222/dot-com_domains_still_lack_dnssec_security/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/225116/.html U.S. law enforcement agencies struggle to detect cyberattack sponsors Most computer crimes originate in Russia and other Eastern European countries, according to U.S. law enforcement officers, but officials do not have the capability to pinpoint whether such attacks are sponsored by criminal enterprises or nation states, they told Senate lawmakers on Tuesday. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110413_3265.php ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Czech Arbitration Court Issues Reverse Domain Name Hijacking Decision One of the smaller and lesser known UDRP providers has issued a finding of reverse domain name hijacking against a complainant. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/04/12/czech-arbitration-court-issues-reverse-domain-name-hijacking-decision/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IPv6 blacklisting: Will it be harder to fight spammers? The reason IPv6 is needed may cripple blacklisting. FUD or for real? Michael Kassner investigates the potential for harm that IPv6 could pose for fighting spam. http://www.zdnetasia.com/ipv6-blacklisting-will-it-be-harder-to-fight-spammers-62208348.htm IPv6 - Pressure growing on industry to act 2011 is turning into a crunch year for adopting the new standard for Internet addressing, called IPv6. At the same time, with zero Government funding, industry groups are under increasing pressure. The New Zealand IPv6 Task Force and InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) are stepping up to the challenge but are calling for more help. http://internetnz.net.nz/news/media-releases/2011/IPv6-Pressure-growing-industry-act ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Bing tipped to overtake Google in 2012 Google might still be the leading search engine in the US by a large margin, but over the last six months, searches powered by Microsoft Bing are increasing at an impressive rate. So impressive, in fact, that if the trend line continues, there will be a real contest between Bing and Google next year ? and Bing may just come out on top. http://mashable.com/2011/04/11/bing-search-growth/ http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/bing-tipped-to-overtake-google-in-2012-20110413-1dd36.html Microsoft's Bing took a 30% share of U.S. Web search market in March Bing, last month, elbowed its way to a 30% share of the U.S. Web search market, stealing a bit of ground from Google. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/04/microsofts-bing-took-30-share-of-us-web-search-market-in-march.html Google Has Largest Share of U.S. Searches as Microsoft Gains, Yahoo Slips Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. gained share in the U.S. online search market in March while that of Yahoo! Inc. declined, according to an analyst, citing data from ComScore Inc. (SCOR) http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-13/google-microsoft-s-bing-gain-share-in-march-u-s-online-search.html Bing.com share of searches increases 6 percent; Google monthly share of searches at 64 percent [news release] Experian Hitwise, a part of Experian Marketing Services, announced today that Google accounted for 64.42 percent of all U.S. searches conducted in the four weeks ending April 2, 2011. Bing-powered search comprised 30.01 percent of searcherpectively. The remaining 69 search engines1 in the Hitwise Search Engine Analysis report accounted for 5.58 percent of U.S. searches. http://www.hitwise.com/us/press-center/press-releases/experian-hitwise-reports-bing-powered-share-of-s/ Google and Bing gain as Yahoo! slips in search [AFP] Google and Bing gained ground in the US Internet search market in March at the expense of Ask, AOL, and Yahoo!, according to figures released Wednesday by industry tracker comScore. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/google-and-bing-gain-as-yahoo-slips-in-search-20110414-1dejn.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/google-and-bing-gain-as-yahoo-slips-in-search-20110414-1dejn.html comScore Releases March 2011 U.S. Search Engine Rankings [news release] comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its monthly comScore qSearch analysis of the U.S. search marketplace. Google Sites led the explicit core search market in March with 65.7 percent of search queries conducted. http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2011/4/comScore_Releases_March_2011_U.S._Search_Engine_Rankings How Technology Influences the New American Family A new Nielson report takes a look at how multicultural families across America are adapting to today's digital landscape. This new report ? pieced together with data from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Pew Research Center, and numerous other studies conducted by the global leader in data compilation ? paints a revealing and colorful portrait of how technology influences our everyday lives. http://techland.time.com/2011/04/13/how-technology-influences-the-new-american-family/ Google 'Panda' update downgrades UK tech sites - and Microsoft's Ciao A number of prominent UK technology news sites have seen their Google rankings drop substantially after the search engine rolled out its "Panda" update, intended to demote sites which scrape content from others, to the UK and other English-language Google users. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2011/apr/13/google-panda-uk-update-winners-losers Berners-Lee: Web access is a 'human right' Two decades after creating the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee says humans have become so reliant on it that access to the Web should now be considered a basic right. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/041211-mit-berners-lee.html Berners-Lee calls for higher purpose of Web Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the underpinnings of the World Wide Web, isn't just concerned about getting browsers on more mobile devices. Architects of the Web need to consider how it will affect all humanity as it evolves. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-20053249-76.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/berners-lee-calls-for-higher-purpose-of-web-62208363.htm International bandwidth demand grows as Japan stays online The latest report from international bandwidth market analyst firm TeleGeography has found a spike in investment into international submarine cable systems this year, but building redundancy into the networks remains the biggest challenge to cable operators. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/382946/international_bandwidth_demand_grows_japan_stays_online/ 'I have no idea what the internet is': scavenging pensioner facing prison over cable cut An elderly Georgian woman who allegedly shut off internet services in her country and neighbouring Armenia while scavenging for copper cable is facing charges that could lead to three years in prison. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/i-have-no-idea-what-the-internet-is-scavenging-pensioner-facing-prison-over-cable-cut-20110411-1d9ri.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/i-have-no-idea-what-the-internet-is-scavenging-pensioner-facing-prison-over-cable-cut-20110411-1d9ri.html Microsoft launches StreetView rival in Europe Microsoft is launching its own version of Google's StreetView - dubbed Streetside - across Europe. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13047454 U.S. Internet advertising revenue hits record high in 2010 U.S. Internet advertising revenue jumped 15 percent to $26 billion in 2010, setting a record high and proving that more companies are opening up their coffers to reach people online. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/idINIndia-56314420110413 US online ad revenue hits record $26 billion [AFP] US online advertising revenue rose 15 percent last year to a record $26 billion, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers said Wednesday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/us-online-ad-revenue-hits-record-26-billion-20110414-1dedd.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/us-online-ad-revenue-hits-record-26-billion-20110414-1dedd.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Ex-Channel 4 boss bets on resurrection for Bebo Bebo, once the UK's most popular social networking site, is relaunching with a new design and extra features that it hopes will reverse the decline in user numbers. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/exchannel-4-boss-bets-on-resurrection-for-bebo-2266556.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Nordic and Asian nations connected for growth, says WEF Sweden and Singapore are the most competitive countries in the digital economy, according to a study by the World Economic Forum (WEF). http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13053999 Sweden sees best impact from IT growth - WEF Sweden is better positioned to benefit economically from adopting new information technology than any other country, taking the top spot for the second year in a row, according to a report released on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/12/oukin-uk-economy-technology-idUKTRE73B5SI20110412 U.S. Lagging in Using Technology, Study Shows The United States continues to lag other nations in its use of computing and communications technology, according to an annual study issued Tuesday by the World Economic Forum. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/technology/13compute.html NZ 'not ready for fast broadband' A report claims Kiwis are getting more out of technology but the New Zealand Institute says ultra-fast broadband will be wasted on entertainment if there is not a drastic change in use. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10719139 The Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011 The Global Information Technology Report series celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The series has followed and tried to cast light on the evolution of information and communication technologies (ICT) over the last decade, as well as raising awareness about the importance of ICT diffusion and leveraging for increased development, growth, and better living conditions. The methodological framework of the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) has mapped out the enabling factors driving networked readiness, which is the capacity of countries to fully benefit from new technologies in their competitiveness strategies and their citizens? daily lives. The Index has allowed private and public stakeholders to monitor progress for an ever-increasing number of economies all over the globe, as well as to identify competitive strengths and weaknesses in national networked readiness landscapes. In doing so, the NRI and the series have grown into a unique policy tool in the discussion and design of national strategies to increase networked readiness and overall competitiveness. http://reports.weforum.org/global-information-technology-report/ Opinion: Journalism's new wave: the world in a tweet by Mark Colvin One steamy night in February 1974, I went with friends to hear the great blues guitarist B B King in concert at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion. ... This is not a column about the good old days. The last 30 years have seen a journalistic revolution in which technology has given us opportunities we've never had before. It's not a Utopian column either: there are plenty who haven't taken those opportunities, and there are proprietors who've used them to cut costs and reduce the quality of journalism. But the opportunities are there. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/14/3191027.htm ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ UN anti-crime chief calls for action to combat online abuse of children [news release] Online child abuse is growing rapidly as more people gain access to the Internet, a top United Nations official warned today, calling for concerted global action to combat one of the most common forms of cybercrime. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=38069 uk: University opens cyber-stalking research centre The University of Bedfordshire has opened the first national centre for research into cyber-stalking. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-13035602 Cyberstalkers Take To Social Networks Over Dating Sites: STUDY The Guardian reports that, according to a new study, cyberstalking has become more prevalent than real-world stalking. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/11/cyberstalking-study-social-network_n_847037.html au: Art school altercation puts new spin on cyberstalking IT'S a cyberstalking case with a difference - a senior Melbourne academic claiming she felt threatened by a well-known artist - and it has ended with an unlikely outcome: the ''victim'' has agreed not to visit the Facebook page of the ''offender'' for the next 20 years. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/art-school-altercation-puts-new-spin-on-cyberstalking-20110413-1de72.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/art-school-altercation-puts-new-spin-on-cyberstalking-20110413-1de72.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4888321/Altercation-puts-new-spin-on-cyberstalking http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/technology-news/art-school-altercation-puts-new-spin-on-cyberstalking-20110413-1de72.html ca: Most kids victims of cyber-bullying Chances are if you're under the age of 18 in Canada, you're the victim of cyberviolence. More than 85% of students in North America say they've been bullied via some sort of new media, 30% of those students are in grades one to four. http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/edmonton/2011/04/13/17983996.html us: Parents tame the web Evenings at the Svanascini home in Palos Heights, Illinois, Kathy, Mike and their two teenage sons are as likely to be huddled around their laptops as they are the television set. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/4885419/Parents-tame-the-web ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Study: More People Watch Music On YouTube Than Download It Here's some surprising good news for video aggregator YouTube: More Internet users watch music videos for free on YouTube than download music either through official sources like iTunes or even illegally. That discovery comes from Nielsen, who polled more than 25,000 users about their online music habits towards the end of last year. http://techland.time.com/2011/04/12/study-more-people-watch-music-on-youtube-than-download-it/ The Hyper-Fragmented World of Music This report is the latest in a series of four insights published in collaboration with MIDEM 2011. Referencing a survey of 26,644 online consumers in 53 markets across the globe conducted during September 2010, and building upon the previous insights into digital music consumption, music apps and streaming, and consumer willingness to pay, this report addresses some of the most fundamental issue facing the industry today: how to optimize marketing and how to maximize revenue generation. http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports-downloads/2011/hyper-fragmented-world-of-music.html Dutch government wants penalties for P2P downloads The Netherlands currently allows private users to download copyrighted songs and movies without penalty, so long as they are for personal use; uploading, however, counts as "distribution" and comes with penalties. This approach is unusual in Europe, and today the Dutch government announced plans to change course. Downloading unauthorized music and movies would become illegal under the new plan, but in return, citizens get some new benefits: no more levies on MP3 players and blank CDs, a new "fair use" right," and a pledge that the government won't pursue "criminalization" of end users. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/dutch-government-wants-penalties-for-p2p-downloads.ars ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Intel, on the Outside, Takes Aim at Smartphones With an ?Intel Inside? sticker affixed to their PCs, computer buyers in the 1990s could hardly avoid knowing whose microchip was making their machines work. The campaign made Intel one of the most recognizable brands and cemented its position in the PC industry. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/technology/companies/11chips.html Users asleep on smartphone security and data loss By 2015, nine in 10 mobile phone users in Australia will own a smartphone and security experts are concerned many users don't fully understand how to prevent data loss. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/users-asleep-on-smartphone-security-and-data-loss/story-e6frgakx-1226037450099 us: Address the Digital Divide in the Cost of Wireless Too often, broadband policy is talked about in terms of "access" to providers, as if making a broadband option available is enough. But in a speech at the Free Press conference, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn made it clear the issue has to include cost as well: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-newman/address-the-digital-divid_b_847516.html Angry Birds triumphs at Appy Awards Angry Birds and Facebook were amongst the winners at last night's (11 April) Appy Awards in London. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/13045709 Bieber, Angry Birds among Webby Awards nominees Pop sensation Justin Bieber, Grammy Award winner Arcade Fire and the Angry Birds mobile game are among the nominees for the Webby Awards, the leading international honour for web content. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/12/uk-media-webbys-idUKTRE73B58V20110412 HTC Phone Adds Video as Makers Go Past Apps For years, smartphone vendors have pushed the availability of apps as a major selling point. Now, some are altering that strategy to focus more on integrated content and services, in what is poised be the next phase in the mobile device wars. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704336504576258770615345908.html ly: Rebels Hijack Gadhafi's Phone Network A team led by a Libyan-American telecom executive has helped rebels hijack Col. Moammar Gadhafi's cellphone network and re-establish their own communications. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703841904576256512991215284.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Canada Passes Anti-Spam And Anti-Spyware Law Organizations that conduct business online should start preparing for Canada's new anti-spam and anti-spyware legislation, which was passed in mid-December and is expected to come into force later this year.1 As the Act is complex and the penalties for violating the new law can be severe, organizations should review and modify their online practices, where necessary, at an early opportunity. http://www.mondaq.com/canada/article.asp?articleid=125584 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** US authorities have launched their toughest action yet on cyber criminals, by dismantling a worldwide theft ring [AP] The FBI and the Justice Department began dismantling a ring of international computer thieves who stole hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide by infecting over 2.3 million computers with malicious software. It was the biggest such enforcement action U.S. authorities have ever taken against cyber criminals. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/us-authorities-have-launched-their-toughest-action-yet-on-cyber-criminals-by-dismantling-a-worldwide-theft-ring/story-e6frgakx-1226038957529 Computer Network Used in ?Massive? Crime Scheme Targeted by U.S. Agencies More than 2 million computers worldwide were infected with malicious software in a ?massive fraud scheme? that the U.S. disabled as part of a criminal investigation, the Justice Department said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-13/u-s-seeks-to-disable-harmful-international-computer-network.html U.S. shuts down massive cyber theft ring U.S. authorities claimed one of their biggest victories against cyber crime as they shut down a ring they said used malicious software to take control of more than 2 million PCs around the world, and may have led to theft of more than $100 million (61 million pounds). http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/oukin-uk-cybersecurity-coreflood-idUKTRE73C8FM20110413 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/idINIndia-56317320110413 U.S. shutters botnet, can disable malware remotely By seizing servers and domain names and getting permission to remotely turn off malware on compromised PCs, U.S. officials have disabled a botnet that steals data from infected computers. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20053708-245.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/us-shutters-botnet-can-disable-malware-remotely-62208387.htm DOJ gets court permission to attack botnet [IDG] The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation have obtained a temporary restraining order allowing them to disrupt a computer virus that created an international botnet controlling more than 2.3 million computers as of early 2010, the DOJ announced Wednesday. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9215801/DOJ_gets_court_permission_to_attack_botnet us: Department of Justice Takes Action to Disable International Botnet [news release] Today the Department of Justice and FBI announced the filing of a civil complaint, the execution of criminal seizure warrants, and the issuance of a temporary restraining order as part of the most complete and comprehensive enforcement action ever taken by U.S authorities to disable an international botnet. http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/April/11-crm-466.html U.S. law enforcement agencies struggle to detect cyberattack sponsors Most computer crimes originate in Russia and other Eastern European countries, according to U.S. law enforcement officers, but officials do not have the capability to pinpoint whether such attacks are sponsored by criminal enterprises or nation states, they told Senate lawmakers on Tuesday. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110413_3265.php Yahoo! Italia liable for searchable content The Court of Rome has issued what could prove to be a highly controversial decision on the liability of internet search engines. http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/detail.aspx?g=b803a14a-5614-432f-a3e8-56b597e814e0 Aussie users still duped by Facebook scams: Sophos A local security expert is dumbfounded by the ease in which a fake Twilight: Breaking Dawn game application has spread across Facebook, and has warned Australians to be less trusting when it came to approving applications on the social networking site. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/383044/aussie_users_still_duped_by_facebook_scams_sophos/ US Court Upholds Facebook Settlement With Twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, the Olympic rowers and identical twins who claimed that they, not Mark Zuckerberg, had the original idea for Facebook, have lost the latest chapter in their six-year legal feud. But it?s a loss that comes with a pretty nice consolation prize. And it may not be the end of the case. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/technology/12facebook.html Winklevoss twins must accept Facebook deal - court Mark Zuckerberg won a legal battle against former Harvard classmates who accuse him of stealing their idea for Facebook, but the feud made famous on the silver screen is not over yet. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/11/uk-facebook-winklevoss-idUKTRE73A5E120110411 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/11/idINIndia-56268920110411 Winklevoss Twins Can't Back Out of Deal on Facebook, Judge Says The Winklevoss twins must live with the settlement they struck with Facebook Inc., a U.S. appeals court ruled Monday. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704662604576257070922158998.html Man's email not creative enough for copyright protection, rules US judge A lawyer's email was not creative enough to be protected by copyright laws, a US court has ruled. http://out-law.com/page-11862 Facebook Claimant Says He Has Zuckerberg's E-Mails to Prove 50% Ownership E-mails allegedly written by Facebook Inc. co-founder Mark Zuckerberg are cited in a new court filing byPaul Ceglia as proof of his claim that a 2003 contract gave him 50 percent of the company. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-11/new-york-man-files-new-facebook-complaint-claiming-he-owns-50-percent.html N.Y. Man Says New Evidence Shows He Owns Big Facebook Stake Paul Ceglia, whose claims that a 2003 contract between him and Mark Zuckerberg entitles him to a large stake in Facebook have been met with skepticism in Silicon Valley, said on Monday that he had new evidence to prove his case. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/new-york-man-says-new-evidence-shows-he-owns-large-stake-in-facebook/ AOL, Huffington Post sued by unpaid blogger The Huffington Post unfairly pocketed more than $100 million (61 million pounds) from its unpaid bloggers when AOL Inc bought the influential news website in February, according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/12/oukin-uk-huffington-lawsuit-idUKTRE73B5I720110412 Huffington Post Is Target of Suit on Behalf of Bloggers The Huffington Post is the target of a multimillion dollar lawsuit filed in United States District Court in New York on Tuesday on behalf of thousands of uncompensated bloggers. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/huffington-post-is-target-of-suit-on-behalf-of-bloggers/ Winklevoss twins down for the count, but Mark Zuckerberg not off the hook While the Winklevoss twins hit a roadblock Monday in their pursuit of a larger settlement from Facebook, another man suing the social network has filed a ?whole boatload? of evidence to prove he owns half the company, according to Business Insider. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/winklevoss-twins-down-for-the-count-but-mark-zuckerberg-not-off-the-hook/2011/04/12/AF0ynpPD_blog.html US Police Increasingly Peeping at E-mail, Instant Messages [IDG] Law enforcement organizations are making tens of thousands of requests for private electronic information from companies such as Sprint, Facebook and AOL, but few detailed statistics are available, according to a privacy researcher. http://www.pcworld.com/article/224930/.html Singapore pledges to improve cybersecurity Over 300,000 pledges collected from online community, as well as public and private sectors, on country's first Cyber Security Awareness Day with promise to use better passwords. http://www.zdnetasia.com/singapore-pledges-to-improve-cybersecurity-62208371.htm nz: Schoolboys scammed by 'predatory' woman [ONE News] Christchurch police are investigating a "predatory" woman who uses Facebook to scam schoolboys. http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/schoolboys-scammed-predatory-woman-4121027 nz: Woman scams teen boys over Facebook Christchurch teenage boys are being targeted by a woman pretending to be a teen girl, in order to get their parents' credit card details. http://www.3news.co.nz/Woman-scams-teen-boys-over-Facebook/tabid/423/articleID/206900/Default.aspx nz: 'Predatory' woman scams boys A "predatory" woman who uses Facebook to scam Christchurch schoolboys is being investigated by police. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/4885244/Predatory-woman-scams-boys Don?t Be Fooled: Facebook Scammers On Prowl The first promises to track Facebookers who view your personal profile, and comes as an event invite from one of your friends entitled ?How to find your biggest fans", which gives you a java script code to copy and tells you to Paste it in your URL address bar and click enter/return. http://smarthouse.com.au/Content_And_Downloads/Industry/A2B3N2P8 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** uk: CPS under attack over BT and Phorm's covert online monitoring Privacy groups have attacked the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after it decided not to prosecute BT and Phorm for secretly tracking the online habits of 18,000 internet users. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/11/cps-bt-phorm-appeal Privacy activist to challenge BT, Phorm decision [IDG] A privacy activist plans to ask for a judicial review of British prosecutors' decision not to bring a case against BT and the online advertising company Phorm for running secret trials of a system that monitored peoples' Internet use without their consent. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/041311-privacy-activist-to-challenge-bt.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/225006/.html us: Stearns Privacy Bill Balances Consumer, Corporate Needs The congressional push to enact major online privacy legislation intensified Wednesday when Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., followed through on his pledge to introduce a comprehensive measure that he began crafting in the last congressional session. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/04/stearns-privacy-bill-balances.php ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Chinese editors, and a Web site, detail censors' hidden hand When fears of radiation spreading from Japan prompted a rush on iodized salt in China, a weekly business newspaper posted the story on its Web site under the headline: ?Panic buying in Guangdong, Shenzhen and Dongguan; iodized salt out of stock, nuclear panic in Japan spreads.? http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/chinese-editors-and-a-web-site-detail-censors-hidden-hand/2011/04/01/AFpMiRSD_story.html US warns of gov'ts trying to control the Internet [AP] The Obama administration warned Friday that governments around the world are extending their repression to the Internet, seeking to cut off their citizens' access to websites and other means of communication to stave off the types of revolutions that have wracked the Middle East. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9591919 Egypt Sentences Blogger to 3 Years An Egyptian blogger was sentenced Monday to three years in prison for criticizing the military in what human rights advocates called one of the more alarming violations of freedom of expression since a popular uprising led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak two months ago. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/world/middleeast/12egypt.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** McCain, Kerry introduce tough U.S. privacy bill Senators John Kerry and John McCain introduced a tough new privacy bill on Tuesday that would require companies to notify consumers in clear language whenever their data is being collected, and obligate companies to keep that information safe from hackers. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/12/oukin-uk-congress-privacy-idUKTRE73B5H020110412 Sens. Kerry and McCain introduced online privacy bill [IDG] Two high-profile U.S. senators have introduced legislation designed to give consumers more control over what information about them is collected online, but privacy advocates said the bill will do little to curb wide-spread data-collection practices now in place. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9215755/Sens._Kerry_and_McCain_introduced_online_privacy_bill http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/224969/.html Kerry, McCain offer bill to protect Web users? privacy rights Senate lawmakers introduced an Internet privacy bill on Tuesday that would create first-time rules for Facebook, Google and other Web firms that thrive by collecting information about users. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/kerry-mccain-offer-bill-to-protect-web-users-privacy-rights/2011/04/12/AF8ATlSD_story.html 'Privacy Bill Of Rights' Introduced By Senators John Kerry, John McCain Senators John Kerry and John McCain have introduced proposed legislation for a "Privacy Bill of Rights" to prevent data collectors from misusing Americans' private information. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/12/privacy-bill-of-rights_n_848275.html nz: File-sharing Bill passed into law In a wide-ranging debate under urgency, Parliament brought the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill to the brink of passage at midnight last night when the Speaker suspended debate. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/file-sharing-bill-passed-into-law nz: Controversial internet file-sharing law passed A bill that could see internet users have their access cut off if they repeatedly share copyright material has been passed by Parliament. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4885041/Controversial-internet-file-sharing-law-passed Copyright law: Net parodists target Nat MPs >From political grandstanding to internet laughing stock. It was a short step as MPs who lined up to praise the new bill fell prey to online gags. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/4887073/Copyright-law-Net-parodists-target-Nat-MPs Kiwi file-sharing crackdown sparks howls of protest A bill that could see internet users have their access cut off if they repeatedly share copyright material has been passed by New Zealand's parliament. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/kiwi-filesharing-crackdown-sparks-howls-of-protest-20110414-1df6u.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/kiwi-filesharing-crackdown-sparks-howls-of-protest-20110414-1df6u.html nz: Internet file sharing bill under urgency The second reading of the bill has passed 111 to 11, with the Greens and independent MP Hone Harawira voting against the legislation. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/internet-file-sharing-bill-under-urgency-ck-90750 Labour defends support for file sharing bill The Labour Party has defended its support for the controversial Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill, saying otherwise New Zealanders could have had their internet disconnected for file sharing. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10719275 nz: File-sharing law to pass tonight The National Government's compromise solution to the controversial Section 92A illegal file sharing legislation is to pass into law this evening. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10719055 Dented democracy The only changes to the Bill that came out of the latest Select Committee process was a fix to poor drafting (section 122MA) and timing changes. It was as if everything else disappeared into a political black hole. No submission, research or logic seems to have penetrated. http://internetnz.net.nz/news/blog/2011/Dented-democracy Guilty until proven innocent: New Zealand rushes ahead with P2P bill New Zealand's last attempt at cutting off Internet access to alleged file-swappers generated so much opposition that the government had to back off and rethink its approach. Two years later, the tweaked idea is back, and it's being quickly pushed through under "urgency" rules. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/guilty-until-proven-innocent-new-zealand-rushes-ahead-with-p2p-bill.ars Pirate Party Outraged over Passed Anti-Filesharing Law [news release] The Pirate Party of New Zealand is disappointed that the Government used urgency to pass the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill after the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Bill. http://pirateparty.org.nz/2011/04/14/pirate-party-outraged-over-passed-anti-filesharing-law/ DC to offer Internet gambling, becomes first in US [AP] The District of Columbia is becoming the first U.S. jurisdiction to allow Internet gambling, trying to raise millions of dollars from the habits of online poker buffs and acting ahead of traditional gambling meccas like New Jersey and Nevada. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/dc-to-offer-internet-gambling-becomes-first-in-us-20110413-1dcz5.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/dc-to-offer-internet-gambling-becomes-first-in-us-20110413-1dcz5.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Lawrence Lessig to keynote NZ Internet conference InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) has announced that Harvard University Professor of Law, Lawrence Lessig - widely known as vocal proponent of reduced legal restrictions on digital copyright - will deliver the keynote address at its NetHui 2011 conference in July. http://www.itwire.com/business-it-news/networking/46512-lawrence-lessig-to-keynote-nz-internet-conference Survey: Singapore leads hybrid cloud adoption Compared to European and U.S. counterparts, Singapore enterprises moving faster to implement cloud infrastructure services and adopting cloud due to low cost of entry and improved reliability, new survey shows. http://www.zdnetasia.com/survey-singapore-leads-hybrid-cloud-adoption-62208378.htm ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** nz: Criticism of UFB bill 'inaccurate' says Joyce Labour communications spokeswoman Clare Curran says she will take up an offer of a meeting with Communications Minister Steven Joyce, who dismissed renewed criticism of law changes paving the way for the ultrafast broadband scheme as inaccurate. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/4874354/Criticism-of-UFB-bill-inaccurate-says-Joyce Telcos, consumer groups oppose fast broadband plan [ONE News] New Zealand's leading telecommunications companies and consumer groups have united against the government's ultra-fast broadband (UFB) proposals. http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/telcos-consumer-groups-oppose-fast-broadband-plan-4115669 Ultra-fast broadband is close Plans to roll out ultra-fast broadband in Hamilton are about a week away, although industry and consumer groups are pressing the Government for changes to the law which will govern the new service. http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/business/4877293/Ultra-fast-broadband-is-close Fujitsu offers UK fast rural broadband network Fujitsu is to create a superfast broadband network for rural parts of the UK, rivalling BT's service. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13060548 Fujitsu?s move surprises UK telecoms industry The Japanese group has taken much of the UK telecoms industry by surprise by announcing plans to build a high-speed broadband network that would reach 5m homes in rural Britain http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0a5ec7e8-6603-11e0-9d40-00144feab49a.html Fujitsu ?2bn broadband plan threatens BT Japanese IT group wants to build superfast internet network based on optical fibre, and hopes to have TalkTalk and Virgin Media as wholesale customers http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/69bf14a4-65ae-11e0-baee-00144feab49a.html Motorola Solutions and Huawei Settle Claims Over Intellectual Property Motorola Solutions and the Chinese company Huawei Technologies said Wednesday that they had agreed to settle a pair of lawsuits over intellectual property. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/technology/14huawei.html Motorola and Huawei settle trade secret dispute Motorola Solutions Inc and China's Huawei Technologies Co have settled a legal dispute over trade secrets, clearing the way for Motorola to complete the sale of one of its business units to Nokia Siemens Networks. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/oukin-uk-motorola-huawei-idUKTRE73C2X120110413 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/idINIndia-56306220110413 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2011 ------ David Goldstein email: david§goldsteinreport.com web: http://goldsteinreport.com/ http://davidgoldstein.tel/ 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 FlanneryReceived on Wed Apr 13 2011 - 22:17:32 UTC
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