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 *************************************************** New Draft of the Applicant Guidebook for New gTLDs is Available for Public Comment http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-15apr11-en.htm GAC chair to ICANN Board: Less haste, more communication http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/04/15/gac-chair-response ICANN brings ?loser pays? to domain disputes http://domainincite.com/icann-brings-loser-pays-to-domain-disputes/ ICANN gives governments powers over new TLDs http://domainincite.com/icann-gives-governments-powers-over-new-tlds/ AFNIC CEO Discusses .FR Achieving 2 Million Registrations And Benefits New gTLDs Could Bring http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14330 .xxx domains go live http://domainincite.com/xxx-domains-go-live/ The FBI Fights Malware with More Lethal Malware http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/04/the-fbi-fights-malware-with-mo.php au: Cyber attack in Canberra http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/cyber-attack-in-canberra-20110415-1di3c.html FBI Seizes Domain Names In Online Gambling Crackdown http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14320 Do domain seizures keep streaming sites down? http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/do-domain-seizures-keep-streaming-sites-down.ars Key Turning Point in Asia Pacific IPv4 Exhaustion: IPv4 ?Final Stage? Begins Today - APNIC activates Final /8 Policy http://www.apnic.net/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/33246/Key-Turning-Point-in-Asia-Pacific-IPv4-Exhaustion_English.pdf IPv4 Depletion Reaches Critical New Phase As APNIC Rations Addresses http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14307 Asia out of IPv4 addresses http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/041411-apnic-ipv4-gone.html Asia Pacific region runs out of IPv4 Internet addresses http://www.ipv6.org.nz/2011/04/18/asia-pacific-region-runs-out-of-ipv4-internet-addresses/ ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Almost Free: An Analysis of ICANN's 'Affirmation of Commitments' by A. Michael Froomkin [University of Colorado at Boulder Journal on Telecommunications and High Technology Law] On September 30, 2009, the United States Department of Commerce (?DOC?) and ICANN signed an ?Affirmation of Commitments? (?Affirmation?) that purports to recast the public?private relationship at the heart of the management of the domain name system (?DNS?). ICANN trumpeted this document as a culmination of the move from public to private control of the DNS, one that ICANN said ?completes a transition that started 11 years ago? and ?places beyond doubt that the ICANN model is best equipped to coordinate? the DNS. ICANN?s CEO Rod Beckstrom summarized ICANN?s commitments in the Affirmation as follows: ?It commits ICANN to remaining a private not for profit organization. It declares ICANN is independent and is not controlled by any one entity. It commits ICANN to reviews performed BY THE COMMUNITY?a further recognition that the multi-stakeholder model is robust enough to review itself.? This article examines the legal and political effects of the Affirmation. It begins by asking what the Affirmation actually changes in light of the pre-existing ICANN?DOC relationship. It then asks what these changes tell us about ICANN?s current legal status and about its future. It concludes that even though the Affirmation has been overhyped, the agreement is nonetheless a significant milestone in the evolution of the management of the DNS?but more for its political than its legal import. As a legal matter, the DOC allowed one of its main agreements with ICANN to lapse, thus surrendering the most formal and visible legal control the DOC had over ICANN. In so doing, the DOC gave up its reversionary interests in contracts ICANN had with third parties?the DOC?s right to require ICANN to assign those contracts to someone else were the DOC ever to lose faith in ICANN. In exchange, ICANN promised to remain located in the U.S., thus remaining subject to U.S. jurisdiction. ICANN also committed itself to a lengthy round of accountability exercises, although whether these will amount to anything substantive is not obvious. Furthermore, ICANN again expanded the role of its Government Advisory Committee (?GAC?), a committee of government representatives open to every nation, which has a direct channel to the ICANN Board as well some agenda-setting powers. http://www.jthtl.org/content/articles/V9I1/JTHTLv9i1_Froomkin.PDF ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Statement by the Internet technical and academic community on the Commission on Science and Technology for Development Working Group (CSTD WG) on improvements to the IGF Representatives of the Internet technical and academic community today call for an extension to the mandate of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development Working Group (CSTD WG) on improvements to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). http://www.isoc.org/isoc/conferences/wsis/docs/tech-acadmc-statement_20110414.pdf Upcoming Event: Global Internet Governance: Research and Public Policy Challenges for the Next Decade The Internet?s status as a communication medium that is decentralized, scalable and global continues to pose challenging new problems in governance and regulation. GigaNet, an international scholarly community created in 2006, holds a two-day conference to explore issues such as IP address scarcity, ICANN accountability, the role of social media in toppling dictatorships, censorship, privacy online, and the tensions between national security and Internet freedom. Assistant Secretary for Commerce Larry Strickling (NTIA) will provide the keynote speech during lunch on Thursday, May 5. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/4/11/4793103.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** New Draft of the Applicant Guidebook for New gTLDs is Available for Public Comment ICANN has posted for public comment today the April 2011 Discussion Draft of the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-15apr11-en.htm Deployment of DNSSEC in the Root Zone: Impact Analysis In 2010 ICANN commissioned a study from DNS-OARC to examine the impact of DNSSEC deployment in the root zone, and in particular the effects on clients from the large DNS responses resulting from the use of a Deliberately Unvalidatable Root Zone (DURZ). http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-14apr11-en.htm IDN ccTLD Request From Yemen Successfully Passes String Evaluation ICANN is pleased to announce the successful completion of String Evaluation on proposed IDN ccTLD string for Yemen. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15apr11-en.htm GAC chair to ICANN Board: Less haste, more communication If the ICANN Board isn't able to approve the rules for new Internet extensions by its self-imposed deadline of 20 June, it will be its own fault rather than governments. That is our conclusion following a quick discussion with the chair of the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), Heather Dryden, about where the process currently stands. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/04/15/gac-chair-response ICA Comments on Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Report While not every ICANN policy issue generates as much controversy or notice as new gTLDs, many seemingly mundane matters can nonetheless have a substantial impact on domainers and other registrants. http://www.internetcommerce.org/ICA_Comments_on_Inter-Registrar_Transfer_Policy_Report ICANN Board Locks Down New gTLD Timeline, Approves .XXX Contract ICANN?s Board of Directors moved decisively toward final implementation of the new gTLD program with a unanimous vote in favor of setting a timeline that contemplates final approval of the Applicant Guidebook (AG) at the June 2011 ICANN meeting in Singapore. The Board also voted to move forward and sign a contract with ICM Registry to operate the controversial .XXX sponsored TLD for adult content, following a lengthy public debate in which numerous Board members laid out the reasoning for their votes on this long-simmering matter. http://www.internetcommerce.org/ICANN_Board_Locks_Down_New_gTLD_Timeline ICANN brings ?loser pays? to domain disputes ICANN has significantly strengthened brand-owner protections in new top-level domains by proposing, amongst other things, a new ?loser pays? model for some cybersquatting disputes. http://domainincite.com/icann-brings-loser-pays-to-domain-disputes/ ICANN gives governments powers over new TLDs ICANN has made some significant concessions to government demands in the newly published revision of its new top-level domains Applicant Guidebook. http://domainincite.com/icann-gives-governments-powers-over-new-tlds/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** SWITCH refuses to accept OFCOM ruling SWITCH is a private, independent foundation which supports the 250,000 employees and students of the Swiss universities with its internet services. SWITCH is unable to understand the conclusions drawn by the Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) and is thus considering contesting its ruling. http://www.switch.ch/about/news/2011/stellungnahme-switch-verfuegung-bakom.html CZ.NIC issues Domain Report for 2010 As of the end of 2010, the CZ.NIC Association had registered 748,801 .cz domains, representing an increase of almost 120,000 new domains compared to 2009. Males continue to make up the vast majority of domain holders at 86 percent, a one percent drop compared to a year ago. A similar negligible decrease was seen in the participation of companies, which held 49 percent of .cz domains in 2010. http://www.nic.cz/page/869/cz.nic-issues-domain-report-for-2010/ fr: The new legal framework for domain names: the things that will change on 1 July Pre-empting the change in the French legislative framework, on 15 April and 15 May respectively, WIPO and AFNIC will suspend the procedures set up to help resolve disputes involving .fr domain names. http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/280/the-new-legal-framework-for-domain-names-the-things-that-will-change-on-1-july ?.eu? gaining prominence Last week marked the fifth birthday of the .eu internet domain name. This domain has become the 9th biggest TLD on the Internet, the 5th most popular country code top-level domain worldwide and ranks in 4th place in Europe. http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=1108-51 AFNIC CEO Discusses .FR Achieving 2 Million Registrations And Benefits New gTLDs Could Bring The French country code .FR strode past the two million active registrations mark last week. Mathieu Weill , the CEO of the French registry, AFNIC, took some time to speak to the Goldstein Report to discuss the growth in .FR registrations, what is happening at AFNIC and the future. Looking at the future, Weill discusses how he thinks the new gTLDs will impact on the French registry and the benefits they could bring. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14330 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/04/17/afnic-ceo-fr-2-million-registrations-new-gtlds/ http://domainnews.com/en/afnic-ceo-discusses-.fr-achieving-2-million-registrations-and-benefits-new-gtlds-could-bring.html North Korean domain to change hands ICANN is set to redelegate .kp, the country-code top-level domain for North Korea, when its board of directors meets next week. http://domainincite.com/north-korean-domain-to-change-hands/ .Me Registry Waives Renewal Fees For Domains Held In Japan The recent devastating disasters in Japan have left many registrants without the ability to renew their domain names. The .ME Registry would like to alleviate concerns amongst Japanese .ME domain name holders by waiving renewal fees for one full year for all names that expire or will expire between March 11 and April 30, 2011. http://www.nic.me/news/news.php?&news=227 Norwegian domain names soon available for individuals As of June 2011 individuals will be able to register Norwegian domain names. - With your own domain you can have your own website and email address for the rest of your life, says Managing Director of Norid, Hilde M. Thunem. http://www.norid.no/nytt/pressemelding20110411.en.html nu: How the Pacific was won, by internet The Polynesian island of Niue has done good business in recent years selling .nu domain names. Now the rest of the Pacific is benefiting in deeper ways from the communications revolution of the internet. http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201104/3191854.htm Technical Audit to Be Conducted on the Auctioned .?? Domains Hosting Community Group of Companies has set forth at the session of the Coordination Center Council for TLD RU its own alternate solution of the problem around disputable .?? domains registered by RU-CENTER in the period of public registration. The proposals were approved by the Council?s voting. http://www.nic.ru/news/en/2011/problem_domain.html .SE: Internet Fund financing 14 new projects .SE financing 14 Internet projects to which .SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) has granted financial support. Altogether, the projects are sharing SEK 3.5 million from the Internet fund. http://www.iis.se/en/pressmeddelanden/se-internetfonden-finansierar-14-nya-projekt Nominet Releases 79 Uncontested Short Domains Nominet released 79 uncontested .UK short domains Wednesday following the close of the Unregistered Rights Sunrise this week. This release follows the closure of the IP rights validation period of the Registered Rights Sunrise phase on 31 January 2011 and 99 uncontested domains were registered on 7 February 2011. http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/04/14/nominet-releases-79-more-uncontested-short-domains/ http://domainnews.com/en/nominet-releases-another-79-uncontested-short-domains.html Six short .uk domains sold for $40,000 Nominet has auctioned off six one and two-letter .uk domain names for a total of almost ?24,000 ($40,000). http://domainincite.com/six-short-uk-domains-sold-for-40000/ Help us to Find Great UK Internet Projects Every year, we celebrate and recognise the achievements of individuals and organisations whose work has helped make the internet a safer, more inclusive and enjoyable space at the Nominet Internet Awards. http://blog.nominet.org.uk/insight/2011/04/help-us-to-find-great-uk-internet-projects/ Delegation of the .XXX top-level domain This report is being provided by ICANN, under its contract with the United States Government for performance of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (iana). Under the contract, the iana function includes receiving delegation and redelegation requests concerning tlds, investigating the circumstances pertinent to those requests, making its recommendations, and reporting actions undertaken in connection with processing such requests. http://www.iana.org/reports/2011/xxx-report-20110407.pdf .xxx domains go live That?s right. After ICM Registry?s almost 11 years of campaigning, and about $12 million in legal and other expenses, .xxx domain names are actually live in the domain name system. http://domainincite.com/xxx-domains-go-live/ XXX domain names go live The first .xxx web addresses have gone live on the internet, almost 11 years after the extension was first proposed. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/04/17/xxx_goes_live/ ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** New GTLD .skolkovo is set for registeration as soon as possible On 5 March 2011 the Skolkovo Foundation, dispatched a letter to ICANN wherein it expressed its intension to register gTLD .skolkovo. Mr. Rod Beckstrom, the ICANN CEO, answered the letter. Rod Beckstrom noted the Russian business community?s keen interest in the new gTLD implementation program, which provides for registration of new domain zones. While this program has not yet been approved by the ICANN, Rod Beckstrom expressed confidence that the decision regarding this program will be taken in the near future. http://cctld.ru/en/news/news_detail.php?ID=1387 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** The FBI Fights Malware with More Lethal Malware The U.S. government just went on the cyber-offensive in shooting down a network of malware-spewing servers. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/04/the-fbi-fights-malware-with-mo.php Cybercriminals Infected More Than Two Million Computers The Justice Department said Wednesday it took several steps to disable a network of computers infected by a virus that steals private and financial information from unsuspecting computer users. ... Law-enforcement officials said they have seized five "command and control" computer servers that remotely controlled hundreds of thousands of infected computers, as well as 29 Internet domain names used as part of the Coreflood network. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730104576261503496468030.html EU and US strengthen transatlantic cooperation in face of mounting global cyber-security and cyber-crime threats Today, as part of the EU-US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial in G?d?llo (Hungary), Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstr?m and Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano reiterated their shared commitment to deepening cooperation to address the increasing threats to global internet and digital networks. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/246 au: Cyber attack in Canberra SILENCE reigns in Canberra over the latest allegations of cyber espionage, with the government refusing to discuss claims foreign hacker-spies have stolen sensitive correspondence between ministers and resource companies operating in China. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/cyber-attack-in-canberra-20110415-1di3c.html ca: Phishing Attack Warning for Internet Users The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has received reports of a phishing scam, using images from the CIRA website, which is designed to collect personal information, including credit card numbers. This is a targeted phishing attack. CIRA is advising Internet users that CIRA does not ask for credit card information, as all registrations are performed through Registrars. http://www.cira.ca/phishing-attack-warning-for-internet-users/ The Distribution of Botnets Since Rustock Went Down by Terry Zink I pulled together some statistics on my collection of botnet statistics for the period of time between Rustock being shut down and Wednesday, April 6. I wanted to see the distribution of botnets per country - now that Rustock is down, which country has the most botnet infections (as measured by unique IP addresses that send us spam)? http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110415_the_distribution_of_botnets_since_rustock_went_down/ ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** FBI Seizes Domain Names In Online Gambling Crackdown The FBI has seized domain names for online gambling websites in what the New York Times has described as "an aggressive attack on Internet gambling." The charges against the operators of three of the most popular online poker sites by federal prosecutors include fraud and money laundering and saw eleven people charged. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14320 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/04/16/fbi-online-gambling-crackdown/ http://domainnews.com/en/fbi-seizes-domains-in-online-gambling-crackdown.html Feds seize billion-dollar poker domains Five domain names associated with online poker sites have been seized by the FBI as part of an investigation that has also seen 11 people indicted. http://domainincite.com/feds-seize-billion-dollar-poker-domains/ Do domain seizures keep streaming sites down? US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has caused tremendous controversy over the past year by seizing domain names belonging to sites that allegedly infringe copyright or sell counterfeit goods. This all sounds rather pointless?the actual servers aren't seized, and it's a simple matter of registering a similar site name with a non-US domain name registrar?but ICE insists it works. We decided to check. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/do-domain-seizures-keep-streaming-sites-down.ars Legal Brief - April 2011 Recent Case Interprets UDRP Policy in Favor of Domain Owners by Andrea Christensen :: Legal Staff, Sedo.com In the recent UDRP proceeding for Xbridge Limited (Complainant) v. Marchex Sales, Inc. (Respondent), a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) panel interpreted a Uniform Domain-Name Dispute -Resolution Policy (UDRP) rule in favor of domain owners! https://sedo.com/links/showlinks.php3?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&Id=2837 Plug-in works around seized domains Disgruntled coders have come up with a new Firefox plug-in to help people find piracy web sites after their domain names are seized by the authorities. http://domainincite.com/plug-in-works-around-seized-domains/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Key Turning Point in Asia Pacific IPv4 Exhaustion: IPv4 ?Final Stage? Begins Today - APNIC activates Final /8 Policy Today the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) reached the last block of Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses in its available pool, activating a major change in regional delegation policy. http://www.apnic.net/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/33246/Key-Turning-Point-in-Asia-Pacific-IPv4-Exhaustion_English.pdf IPv4 Depletion Reaches Critical New Phase As APNIC Rations Addresses One more step along the road to IPv4 depletion happened today when the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) reached the last block of Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses in its available pool, activating a major change in regional delegation policy. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=14307 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/04/15/ipv4-depletion-reaches-critical-new-phase-as-apnic-rations-addresses/ http://domainnews.com/en/ipv4-depletion-reaches-critical-new-phase-as-apnic-rations-addresses.html Small ISPs losers as APNIC exhausts IPv4 Developing economies and small ISPs are expected to be hardest hit by an Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address rationing policy enacted this week by the Asia Pacific regional registry. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/383408/small_isps_losers_apnic_exhausts_ipv4/ http://www.techworld.com.au/article/383408/small_isps_losers_apnic_exhausts_ipv4/ Whole of APAC put on IPv4 rations The Asia Pacific's regional internet registry APNIC has placed its members on stringent IPv4 address rations, conceding it was now unable to meet IPv4 demands in the region. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/254570,whole-of-apac-put-on-ipv4-rations.aspx http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/254570,whole-of-apac-put-on-ipv4-rations.aspx IPv6 readiness offers competitive edge Businesses need to start planning and preparing for IPv6 but should not focus only on the cost of supporting new Web addresses. Instead, they should look at how being IPv6-ready can give them a competitive advantage. http://www.zdnetasia.com/ipv6-readiness-offers-competitive-edge-62208394.htm Asia out of IPv4 addresses The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) has run out of all but a handful of IPv4 addresses that it is holding in reserve for start-up network operators. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/041411-apnic-ipv4-gone.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/225231/.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/383337/asia_ipv4_addresses/ http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=55C91761-1A64-6A71-CE61530BF12FE023 New Aussie ISPs only get 1024 IPv4 addresses The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre has just released its last block of IPv4 addresses. This means that any new ISP that wants to start up in Australia will only be issued with 1024 IPv4 addresses. I'd hope that any new players entering the market will have the foresight to start in IPv6. It just makes sense. http://www.zdnet.com.au/new-aussie-isps-only-get-1024-ipv4-addresses-339313292.htm Asia Pacific region runs out of IPv4 Internet addresses The organisation that manages Internet address allocation for the Asia Pacific region has announced that it has no more IPv4 Internet addresses available for general allocation. http://www.ipv6.org.nz/2011/04/18/asia-pacific-region-runs-out-of-ipv4-internet-addresses/ New Zealand struggling to be IPv6 ready The head of InternetNZ, Vikram Kumar, has called on the Government to take a lead in IPv6 adoption, saying that, in the absence of any Government funding to assist with the transition, industry groups are under increasing pressure. http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/strategy/46615-new-zealand-struggling-to-be-ipv6-ready APNIC Announces its IPv4 Address Pool Reaches Final /8 APNIC announced that as of Friday, 15 April 2011, its IPv4 address pool reached the Final /8 IPv4 address block, bringing the Asia Pacific region to the last Stage of IPv4 exhaustion. This is a very important milestone on the IPv4 exhaustion process at a global level. https://www.arin.net/announcements/2011/20110415.html Here's the actual sale agreement between Nortel and MSFT by Milton Mueller Over on the ARIN Public Policy Mailing List (PPML), a debate is raging about whether the Nortel-Microsoft sale of IPv4 addresses took place under ARIN's Specified Transfer Policy. We understand why ARIN's staff wants to spin it that way, but find it amazing that this debate has lasted more than a few minutes. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/4/16/4797025.html ARIN stumbles into the Nortel-Microsoft IP address deal by Milton Mueller Something extraordinary happened today in the Internet economy. It is now official: legacy IPv4 address holders - that is, organizations and companies who received their IP addresses before ARIN existed and are not under one of its Registration Services Agreement contracts - have property rights in their v4 address blocks. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/4/15/4796200.html Transitioning Protocols - Part 2 by Geoff Huston We can't assume that clients have the motivation, expertise and wherewithal to bypass their ISP and set up IPv6 access on their own, either through auto-tunnelling or through manually configured tunnels. The inference from this observation is that for as long as the mass market ISPs do not commit to IPv6 services, and for as long as they continue to stall in deploying services supporting dual access for their clients, then the entire IPv6 transition story remains effectively stalled. How can ISPs support IPv6 access for their clients? more... http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2011-03/transtools-part2.html Transitioning Protocols - Part 1 by Geoff Huston After some time of hearing dire warnings about the imminent exhaustion of the stocks of available IPv4 address space, we've now achieved the first milestone of address exhaustion, the depletion of the central pool of IANA-managed address space. The last 5 /8s were handed out from IANA to the RIRs on the 3rd February. After some years of industry-wide general inattention and inaction with IPv6 perhaps it's not unexpected to now see a panicked response along the lines of "Maybe we should do something now!" more... http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2011-02/transtools-part1.html Addressing 2010 by Geoff Huston It's January again, and being the start of another year, it's as good a time as any to look at the last 12 months and see what the Internet was up to in 2010. This is an update to the report prepared 12 months ago when looking at 2009, so lets see what has changed in the past 12 months in addressing the Internet, and look at how address allocation information can inform us of the changing nature of the network itself. http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2011-01/addresses-2010.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Pair of 6-Figure Transactions Including the Year's 2nd Biggest Sale Top This Week's Domain Sales Chart As we told you last week, AutoInsurance.org changed hands for $440,000 in a deal brokered by Andrew Rosener at MediaOptions.com. That sale was reported just as we were going to press and since there was an existing website on the domain we needed to find out whether the buyer - 360 Quote LLC - paid that amount for the domain or for a developed website. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2011/20110413.htm ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Sixteen, Sexting, and a Sex Offender: How Advances in Cell Phone Technology Have Led to Teenage Sex Offenders by Megan Sherman [Boston University Journal of Science & Technology Law] In 2007, a Florida state court prosecuted a sixteen-year-old girl, A.H., for electronically sending nude pictures of herself to her seventeen-year-old boyfriend. The court charged A.H. and her boyfriend with producing, directing, and promoting child pornography. Under Florida?s child pornography laws, A.H. faces a severe prison sentence and may be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of her life if convicted. ?Imagine in the year 2063, a 70-year-old woman having to post a notice that she is a registered sex offender because of a camera-phone picture she snapped of herself in 2009.? http://www.bu.edu/law/central/jd/organizations/journals/scitech/volume171/documents/Sherman_Web.pdf Extending Tort Liability To Creators Of Fake Profiles On Social Networking Websites by Bradley Kay [Chicago-Kent Journal of Intellectual Property] In today?s world, social media has become ubiquitous. While social media provides opportunities for networking, there are also opportunities for exploitation. Courts and legislatures have provided remedies for some wrongs that can occur on social networking websites. However one area remains neglected- false profiles made for real people. In present day tort law, using another person?s name or likeness can open the offender to liability for either misappropriation of name or likeness or a violation of right of publicity. This Note argues that these causes of action should be extended to false profiles made on social networking websites. This Note begins by discussing the two causes of action, how they are applied to actions over the Internet, how courts should apply the actions to false profiles, and possible defenses to the causes of action. http://jip.kentlaw.edu/art/Volume 10/10 Chi-Kent J Intell Prop 1.pdf This Book Will Self-Destruct In 26 Circulations by Richard Zemsky [Columbia Science and Technology Law Review] As eBooks proliferate, traditional print publishers are challenged to adapt to the changing market. The latest obstacle involves the role of eBooks in libraries. HarperCollins, one of six major U.S. publishers, recently announced changes in its eBook policy for libraries. The new policy, reported by Library Journal, limits each copy of an eBook to twenty-six checkouts. This means that a library must either discontinue an eBook?s circulation or purchase a new license after twenty-six checkouts. (Meanwhile, two other major publishers, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan, do not allow any of their eBooks to circulate in libraries.) http://www.stlr.org/2011/04/this-book-will-self-destruct-in-26-circulations/ The Right to Be Forgotten? by Conrad Coutinho [Columbia Science and Technology Law Review] Have you ever Googled your own name? Statistics say that you probably have. Egotism aside, in a world where potential employers, schools and even romantic partners are likely to Google you, it would be irresponsible not to be aware of what pops up when you search your name. Many experts (and this non-expert) even recommend setting up a Google alert in your name. http://www.stlr.org/2011/04/the-right-to-be-forgotten/ Wireless Efficiency Versus Net Neutrality by Charles L. Jackson [Federal Communications Law Journal] This Article first addresses congestion and congestion control in the Internet. It shows how congestion control has always depended upon altruistic behavior by end users. Equipment failures, malicious acts, or abandonment of altruistic behavior can lead to severe congestion within the Internet. Consumers benefit when network operators are able to control such congestion. http://www.law.indiana.edu/fclj/pubs/v63/no2/Vol.63-2_2011-Mar._Art.-05_Jackson.pdf The value of online friends: Networked resources via social network sites by Michael A. Stefanone, Kyounghee Kwon, Derek Lackaff [First Monday] Abstract: This study investigated the instrumental value of resources embedded in online social networks. 49 primary participants solicited a total of 588 secondary participants who were asked to complete a modest task. Approximately 16 per cent of all secondary participants responded (N = 98) to the request. 8.5 per cent of weak ties responded and strong ties were about three times more likely to respond. Perceived reciprocity, contact frequency and a composite measure of tie strength were all positively related to enacted support. http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3314 The age of Web diplomacy: Exploration of international broadcasting online by Aziz Douai [First Monday] Abstract: This paper examines the Web sites of 10 international broadcasters targeting Arabic speaking audiences in the Middle East. Data from 2006 and 2009 are used to compare the formal features of the sites, mainly domain names, hyperlinks and type of news stories presented on the sites. The empirical analysis uncovers a rough typology of international broadcasters in the Middle East. The first category refers to international broadcasters that position their institutions as alternative media voices in the targeted regional media market. The second category of international broadcasters perceives their role as information sources about their sponsoring states, functioning like a ?tourist? pamphlet. The study charts future research prospects on international broadcasting in the age of the Internet, how these efforts could be harvested in public diplomacy enterprises. http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3247 Tweeting about TV: Sharing television viewing experiences via social media message streams by D. Yvette Wohn, Eun-Kyung Na [First Monday] Abstract: Through content analysis of messages posted on Twitter, we categorize the types of content into a matrix ? attention, emotion, information, and opinion. We use this matrix to analyze televised political and entertainment programs, finding that different types of messages are salient for different types of programs, and that the frequencies of the types correspond with program content. http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3368 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Google's UK ad revenue to overtake ITV Google's UK advertising business will this year eclipse ITV, Britain's biggest advertising earner, according to analysis by the Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/15/google-uk-ad-revenue-itv eu: Advertising trade body publishes behavioural tracking guidelines Internet users will be able to see which websites and adverts are tracking their behaviour under new guidelines published by a European advertising trade body. http://out-law.com/page-11871 New industry standards for Online Behavioural Advertising [news release] EASA released its EASA Best Practice Recommendation on Online Behavioural Advertising today. The recommendation provides for an industry-wide self-regulatory standard for online behavioural advertising, which will ensure consumer privacy protection across Europe. http://www.easa-alliance.org/News/News/page.aspx/46?xf_itemId=131&xf_selectionDatapartId=91 Google denies Panda hit on rival Google has defended recent changes to its search system that reduced the prominence of some popular websites. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13091708 Microsoft's Streetside cameras roaming London for Bing Maps Microsoft Corp. is taking Streetside, it's rival to Google Inc.'s Street View, to the streets of Europe. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-microsoft-streetside-20110414,0,4910780.story ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook looks to cash in on user data Profiles, status updates and messages all include a mother lode of voluntarily provided information. The social media site is using it to help advertisers find exactly who they want to reach. Privacy watchdogs are aghast. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-facebook-ads-20110417,0,1887797.story Social Networking: This Tech Bubble Is Different Tech bubbles happen, but we usually gain from the innovation left behind. This one?driven by social networking?could leave us empty-handed http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_17/b4225060960537.htm ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** 'Technology Can't Replace God': Pope Pope Benedict led Roman Catholics into Holy Week celebrations, telling a Palm Sunday crowd that man will pay the price for his pride if he believes technology can give him the powers of God. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/17/uk-pope-idUKTRE73G0FS20110417 http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2011/04/17/world/europe/international-us-pope.html PC sales 'have passed peak' The PC market is showing signs of having passed its peak. Weak demand by consumers for PCs, coupled with a switch to tablets such as Apple's iPad, meant that worldwide PC shipments fell compared with the same period in 2010, according to two leading research groups. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/14/pc-market-has-passed-its-peak ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ nz: Call for new strategy to cyber bullying It's being suggested new strategies are needed to deal with cyber bullying. http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=194663 nz: Taskforce to target cyberbullying A task force has been established to deal with the rising problem of cyber bullying. http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/taskforce-target-cyberbullying-4125209 nz: Netsafe helps employers form online policies Online safety watchdog Netsafe has started a website aimed at helping businesses develop or improve policies for staff use of technology in the workplace. http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/technology/internet/netsafe-helps-employers-form-online-policies-1.1057012 nz: Web predator's new victims An Auckland woman has been revealed as the internet predator grooming Christchurch boys for sex - and police fear she has spread her net much wider. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/new-zealand/news/article.cfm?l_id=71&objectid=10719885 nz: Cyber Bullying Task Force set up In the wake of Pink Shirt Day, a ?Cyber Bullying Task Force? has been set up to tackle bullying online. http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/2/article_10251.php sg: Keep Net bullies at bay INSTEAD of spending their time playing basketball, or sitting in front of the TV watching DVDs, 11 students decided to spend their holidays working on a school assignment. http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Science%2B%2526%2BTech/Story/A1Story20110418-274178.html uk: Incitement to racial hatred removed from IWF?s remit [news release] A new service for reporting all hate crimes online has been launched by the police. The website, called True Vision, is supported by all forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and can be accessed at report-it.org.uk. All reports of incitement to racial hatred content hosted in the UK previously reported to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) should now be reported directly to True Vision. http://www.iwf.org.uk/about-iwf/news/post/302-incitement-to-racial-hatred-removed-from-iwfs-remit us: Lawmakers to look at cyberbullying law [AP] Rhode Island lawmakers are considering creating a statewide standard to combat the growing problem of cyberbullying in schools. The Senate Judiciary Committee reviewed the proposal Thursday. http://www2.turnto10.com/news/2011/apr/14/ri-lawmakers-look-cyberbullying-law-ar-453895/ us: Rhode Island Considers Cyberbullying Law Rhode Island lawmakers are reviewing legislation creating a single statewide standard to address cyberbullying in schools. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2011/04/15/194753.htm ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Spotify cuts back on free music Online music service Spotify is halving the amount of free music that users can listen to. Users of its free service will be limited to 10 hours per month, half the time currently offered and will only be able to listen to tracks five times, from May. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13078302 Spotify's limits on free use will please the big record labels It's obvious, innit? Spotify's announcement that it is going to limit free use on its music streaming service (although not for users who pay) must mean one of three things: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/apr/14/spotify-trying-to-please-music-industry Spotify is forced to halve its free music allowance The music streaming website Spotify, which offers listeners unlimited free access, is to restrict the amount of songs that users can play without paying. From 1 May the service, which has six million users in Britain and Europe, will reduce the amount of free listening available from 20 hours a month to 10. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/spotify-is-forced-to-halve-its-free-music-allowance-2268080.html Belgacom Can?t Be Forced By National Court To Block Users Illegally Sharing Music Belgacom SA?s Internet-service provider Scarlet can?t be forced by a national court to block users from illegally sharing music and video files, an adviser to the European Union?s highest tribunal said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-15/belgacom-google-sears-neo-material-intellectual-property.html Belgian ISP does not have to filter out copyright-infringing traffic, says ECJ advisor Belgian ISP Scarlet should not have to filter copyright-infringing traffic from its service because to do so would invade users' privacy, an advisor to the EU's top court has said. http://out-law.com/page-11869 Google to sentence YouTube violators to 'copyright school' Google released a set of tougher copyright policies for YouTube online video users on Thursday, requiring violators to watch a copyright tutorial and pass a test before allowing them to continue using the service. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53178.html Has the web and reality TV popped soap's bubble? Video killed the radio star 30 years ago. Now Facebook and reality TV are poised to bump off another icon of US popular culture: the daytime soap. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/has-the-web-and-reality-tv-popped-soaps-bubble/story-e6frg8mf-1226040794087 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Do Cellphones Cause Brain Cancer? On Jan. 21, 1993, the television talk-show host Larry King featured an unexpected guest on his program. It was the evening after Inauguration Day in Washington, and the television audience tuned in expecting political commentary. But King turned, instead, to a young man from Florida, David Reynard, who had filed a tort claim against the cellphone manufacturer NEC and the carrier GTE Mobilnet, claiming that radiation from their phones caused or accelerated the growth of a brain tumor in his wife. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17cellphones-t.html Keep Your Thumbs Still When I?m Talking to You You are at a party and the person in front of you is not really listening to you. Yes, she is murmuring occasional assent to your remarks, or nodding at appropriate junctures, but for the most part she is looking beyond you, scanning in search of something or someone more compelling. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/fashion/17TEXT.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** U.S. Cracks Down on Online Gambling In an aggressive attack on Internet gambling, federal prosecutors on Friday unsealed fraud and money laundering charges against operators of three of the most popular online poker sites. The government also seized the Internet addresses of the sites, a new enforcement tactic that effectively shuttered their doors. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/16/technology/16poker.html FBI shuts down Internet poker sites Major online gambling sites are shut down and their founders charged with bank fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors are seeking to recover $3 billion from the Internet poker sites. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-poker-busts-20110416,0,308055.story Full Tilt Poker defends itself and its CEO amid FBI crackdown After the indictment of its chief executive in a federal crackdown on Internet poker sites, Full Tilt Poker defended its business as a legal and harmless game enjoyed by players around the world. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/04/full-tilt-poker-fbi.html FBI charges 11 internet poker kingpins Australian internet whiz Daniel Tzvetkoff, who has become a prized FBI informant in a bid to avoid a 75 year jail sentence in the US, may have brought down the multi-billion dollar American online poker industry. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/fbi-charges-11-internet-poker-kingpins-20110416-1difk.html Fallen Aussie tycoon aces poker giants for FBI to beat life behind bars Australian poker players are rushing to pull their money out of the world's biggest poker sites following a major "black Friday" FBI sting that was facilitated by an Australian tech tycoon. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/fallen-aussie-tycoon-aces-poker-giants-for-fbi-to-beat-life-behind-bars-20110418-1dkkr.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/fallen-aussie-tycoon-aces-poker-giants-for-fbi-to-beat-life-behind-bars-20110418-1dkkr.html 11 charged in NYC with bank fraud, illegal gambling in bust of 3 largest Internet poker houses [AP] Federal authorities busted the three largest online poker websites in the United States on Friday with charges of bank fraud and illegal gambling against 11 people, accusing them of manipulating banks to process billions of dollars in illegal revenue. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/11-charged-in-nyc-with-bank-fraud-illegal-gambling-in-bust-of-3-largest-internet-poker-houses/2011/04/15/AFFLXGkD_story.html Special report - In cyberspy vs. cyberspy, China has the edge As America and China grow more economically and financially intertwined, the two nations have also stepped up spying on each other. Today, most of that is done electronically, with computers rather than listening devices in chandeliers or human moles in tuxedos. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/oukin-uk-china-usa-cyber-idUKTRE73D2P320110414 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/idINIndia-56330020110414 The FBI Fights Malware with More Lethal Malware The U.S. government just went on the cyber-offensive in shooting down a network of malware-spewing servers. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/04/the-fbi-fights-malware-with-mo.php FBI closes in on zombie PC gang US crime-fighters are closing in on a gang behind a huge botnet after taking control of the criminals' servers. It is the first time FBI investigators have used such a method. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13078297 The FBI Fights Malware with More Lethal Malware The U.S. government just went on the cyber-offensive in shooting down a network of malware-spewing servers. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/04/the-fbi-fights-malware-with-mo.php Cybercriminals Infected More Than Two Million Computers The Justice Department said Wednesday it took several steps to disable a network of computers infected by a virus that steals private and financial information from unsuspecting computer users. ... Law-enforcement officials said they have seized five "command and control" computer servers that remotely controlled hundreds of thousands of infected computers, as well as 29 Internet domain names used as part of the Coreflood network. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730104576261503496468030.html EU and US strengthen transatlantic cooperation in face of mounting global cyber-security and cyber-crime threats Today, as part of the EU-US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial in G?d?llo (Hungary), Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstr?m and Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano reiterated their shared commitment to deepening cooperation to address the increasing threats to global internet and digital networks. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/11/246 Is Google Cruising Towards a Legal Meltdown? Remember when the big financial companies were masters of the universe, making money hand-over-fist, and widely respected for their "innovation"? And then it all came crashing down in a financial crisis that exposed the fact that their profits were built on illegal or near-illegal shady dealings that were unsustainable -- and when those subprime antics were removed undermined their whole business structure? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-newman/is-google-cruising-toward_b_848657.html Special meeting of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) At the invitation of the Council of Europe, the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) will hold a special meeting on the theme of prevention of terrorism from 19 to 21 April 2011 at the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg, France. http://www.coe.int/t/dc/files/events/2011_terrorisme_onu/default_en.asp us: Woman sues dating site, says man assaulted her [AP] A California woman has sued popular website Match.com, saying she was sexually assaulted by a man she met through the online dating service. http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/woman-sues-dating-site-909191.html White House Rolls Out Strategy for Trusted IDs in Cyberspace The Center for Democracy & Technology issued the following statement on today's release by the Administration of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC): http://cdt.org/pr_statement/white-house-rolls-out-strategy-trusted-ids-cyberspace Facebook's legal cases: As one legal battle over Facebook fades, another moves forward Just when it looked as though the fuss over Facebook?s early days might be about to die down, the long-running legal soap opera over the rightful ownership of the online social network has sprung another surprise. On April 11th Paul Ceglia?who last year filed a lawsuit claiming entitlement to half of the stake held by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook?s youthful co-founder?submitted an amended complaint complete with e-mails that he claimed would support his case for a share in the company. http://www.economist.com/node/18560677 Arianna Huffington says Huff Po writer's lawsuit is 'utterly without merit' Arianna Huffington fired back Thursday morning at a lawsuit filed by former Huffington Post writer Jonathan Tasini's that seeks to give himself and other unpaid contributors a slice of the $315 million AOL paid for her news website. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/04/arianna-huffington-on-jonathan-tasini-writer-lawsuit-there-are-no-mertis-to-the-case.html Aussie organised crime hasn't gone online Australia's organised crime groups are not responsible for high-tech crime, with most attacks still coming from overseas, according to the Australian Crime Commission. http://www.zdnet.com.au/aussie-organised-crime-hasn-t-gone-online-339313309.htm Iran accuses Siemens of helping launch Stuxnet cyber-attack Iran has accused the German engineering firm Siemens of helping Israel and the US launch a computer worm designed to sabotage its nuclear facilities. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/17/iran-siemens-stuxnet-cyber-attack ************************** PRIVACY ************************** New rules to let Europe web users turn off cookies People surfing European websites will be able to turn off the cookies used to spy on their Internet habits under rules hammered out by the region's online advertisers, an industry body said on Thursday. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/idINIndia-56342520110414 Apple, Comcast, Others Dissed Over Government Privacy Apple, Comcast, MySpace, Skype and Verizon are most willing to throw users under the bus when it comes to privacy, says the Electronic Frontier Foundation. http://techland.time.com/2011/04/14/apple-comcast-others-dissed-over-government-privacy/ Well-Meaning "Privacy Bill of Rights" Wouldn't Stop Online Tracking On Tuesday, Senators John McCain and John Kerry introduced the long-awaited Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights, a sweeping bill that covers online and offline data collection, retention, use, and dissemination practices. Unfortunately, the bill may fall short of what?s needed to protect our privacy. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/04/well-meaning-privacy-bill-rights-could-codify au: Senate Committee report on online privacy On 8 April 2011, the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee published a report entitled The Adequacy of protections for the privacy of Australians online. http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=745baa1d-75e0-4b9b-8895-2f6f6d6f6e5a ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Russia looks abroad for web laws, including to China Russia is looking to the experience of other countries, including China, to "regulate" Internet use, though Moscow has no plans to broaden web censorship, a government spokesman said on Saturday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/16/oukin-uk-russia-internet-idUKTRE73F1OB20110416 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/16/idINIndia-56381720110416 When AK-47s meet mobile phones - Syria's web activists In Tunisia and Egypt, "Facebook" vied with "Down with the regime" on graffiti-filled walls -- so central were social media to mobilising mass protests that overthrew their authoritarian rulers. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/14/idINIndia-56339220110414 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/04/15/uk-syria-protests-activists-idUKTRE73D5XP20110415 Censorship in South Korea: A liberal, free-market democracy has some curious rules and regulations Over 700,000 South Korean children own smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone or a local rival by Samsung Electronics called the Galaxy S. Many use them so much for mobile online gaming that some 50 parental associations have called for an imminent night-time curfew for under-16s playing online computer games to be extended to mobile phones. http://www.economist.com/node/18561127 http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=18561127 Should countries' Internet censorship regimes be challenged in WTO? by Brenden Kuerbis The European think-tank ECIPE has released a provocative new report, Digital Authoritarianism: Human Rights, Geopolitics and Commerce, that explores the ties between Internet censorship and human rights, commerce, national security and foreign relations. Looking at China in particular, it suggests generally that countries should be taken to the WTO for elements of their censorship regimes that violate economic rights: http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/4/14/4795243.html Can the Internet Tame Governments? - Part I: Egypt?s government pulled a kill-switch on its internet, yet protesters? resilience endured by James Cowie For years, the internet community has monitored the evolution of online communication restrictions imposed by governments such as Iran and China. On 28 January, Egypt raised the bar on censorship with its ?kill-switch? strategy, eliminating internet connectivity and suppressing data communications nationwide for five days. Against such a strategy, traditional circumventions such as mirror sites, proxy servers and encryption were useless. Egyptian internet users, about 20 percent of the population, were left with few options, turning to antiquated dialup modems, ham radio or satellite phones to reconstruct a few painful connections to the outside world. http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/can-internet-tame-governments-part-i Can the Internet Tame Governments? - Part II: China?s fast-expanding internet and media development pose new challenges to authoritarian party rule by Borje Ljunggren While the world is transfixed by the Tahrir Square struggle in Cairo and the role of new media, China quietly removed ?Egypt? as a searchable term on its web. Egypt has brought to the fore the challenges China?s next generation of leaders, no less concerned about the way forward, confront. http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/can-internet-tame-governments-part-ii Online Technology Challenges Censors - Part I: China risks destabilization and its reputation by censoring growing ranks of internet users by Johan Lagerkvist Censorship by the Chinese government, its technological filtering and blocking of internet content, often make headlines across the world. This year, a series of remarkable events have led to increasing debate about media control, both abroad and in the Chinese Twitter-sphere virtually located outside China. http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/online-technology-challenges-censors-part-i Online Technology Challenges Censors - Part II: Popular Kindle and other ebook readers can store forbidden books and foil censors by Bruce Judson Emerging as a popular option for readers, ebooks are the latest marriage of technology and media and pose new challenges for authoritarian regimes and censorship. http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/online-technology-challenges-censors-part-ii ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** EU to probe online data traffic management Regulators are to launch the first pan-European investigation into telecoms companies? controversial data traffic management practices, in an attempt to safeguard so-called net neutrality principles. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/12186550-6925-11e0-9040-00144feab49a.html 2 Korean Search Engines File a Complaint Against Google The two biggest Internet search engines in South Korea filed a complaint on Friday with the Fair Trade Commission, charging that Google was blocking the installation of their services on smartphones preloaded with Google?s Android operating system. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/16/technology/16google.html Google Faces Antitrust Complaints in Korea on Android Popularity Google Inc., the largest Internet- search company, is facing antitrust complaints in South Korea as mobile phones using its Android software gain dominance, adding to global scrutiny of the company?s businesses. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-15/nhn-files-complaints-against-google-to-south-korean-regulator.html http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-LJO6KF6KLVRC01-33CPCEPBQHA5BRO3M8JMP158OU S.Korean portals file competition complaint against Google South Korea's top internet portals filed a complaint on Friday with antitrust regulators against Google Inc, alleging the search giant was unfairly stifling competition in the domestic mobile internet search market. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/04/15/idINIndia-56348220110415 Web blocking could be illegal, says top EU legal adviser ISPs blocking and filtering internet traffic to prevent unauthorised downloads of software, music and films may be illegal, one of Europe's top legal advisers has said. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/intellectual-property/2011/04/15/web-blocking-could-be-illegal-says-top-eu-legal-adviser-40092533/ Europe's "fundamental rights" trump judge-ordered Internet filters European national courts in several countries have ordered Internet providers to block certain websites or to filter all traffic passing across their networks in order to reduce copyright infringement. But a new legal opinion from one of Europe's top lawyers says that such orders are not allowed, and that they violate various European ?fundamental rights.? http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/europes-fundamental-rights-trump-judge-ordered-internet-filters.ars Google facing hurdles in bid to provide email service to governments More than a year after the city of L.A. awarded Google a contract to provide email for its employees, the city controller has launched an inquiry over delays. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-google-email-20110414,0,6531667.story Net piracy: prove innocence or face fine People who breach copyright through illegal file-sharing could be fined up to $15,000 or have their internet connection cut off - and the onus will be on them to prove they are not guilty. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10719372 ISP says new copyright law effectively useless New Zealand Internet Service Provider EOL has said that the new copyright bill is effectively useless and does not take into account several issues. http://nbr.co.nz/article/isp-says-new-copyright-law-effectively-useless-aw-90936 Three strikes file sharing bill passed in New Zealand The Australian entertainment industry may still be in talks with internet service providers (ISPs) about movie privacy but in New Zealand, some groups are celebrating the passing of an illegal file sharing bill. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/383413/three_strikes_file_sharing_bill_passed_new_zealand/ New Zealand outlaws Internet file-sharing [AFP] New Zealand passed a law against online piracy on Thursday which outlaws file-sharing and threatens repeat offenders with having their Internet access cut off. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/new-zealand-outlaws-internet-filesharing-20110414-1dg65.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/new-zealand-outlaws-internet-filesharing-20110414-1dg65.html New Zealand passes 'three strikes' copyright law Internet protests have started in New Zealand after its government passed a controversial "three strikes" filesharing bill under urgency. http://www.zdnetasia.com/new-zealand-passes-three-strikes-copyright-law-62208409.htm New Zealand outlaws internet file-sharing [sub req'd] New Zealand has passed a law against online piracy which outlaws file-sharing and threatens repeat offenders with having their Internet access cut off. http://www.afr.com/p/business/technology/new_zealand_outlaws_internet_file_Fgv2ddSHSoipq7G7N5ICwK ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Google sees a sharp rise in first-quarter earnings Internet giant Google has reported a sharp rise in first-quarter earnings, the first figures with co-founder Larry Page back at the helm as boss. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13086985 Google Profit Misses Estimates on Hiring, Marketing Costs; Shares Decline Google Inc., the largest Internet- search company, reported profit that missed estimates after spending more on hiring and marketing amid mounting competition with Facebook Inc. and Apple Inc. The shares fell 5.2 percent. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-14/google-s-profit-misses-estimates-as-employee-costs-climb-shares-decline.html High Costs Slow Google's Profit: Spending on Salaries, Expansion Sends Expenses Up 54%, Outpacing Sales Gains Larry Page, Google Inc.'s new leader, has said he wants the company to be nimble. That is turning out to be expensive. The Internet search giant on Thursday reported an 18% profit increase and a 27% jump in revenue, as money continued to flow into Internet advertising. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703983104576263223613052368.html Google: A universal library? by Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne Scholars have long dreamt of a universal library containing everything that has ever been written. Then, in 2004, Google announced that it would begin digitally scanning all the books held by five major research libraries. Suddenly, the library of utopia seemed within reach. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/singer73/English http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/04/2011414112947284656.html nz: Computer Society shakes off "stuffy" label Computer Society shakes off Part one of the Q and A with New Zealand Computer Society president Ray Delany http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/computer-society-shakes-off-stuffy-label ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Australia global 'test bed' for broadband The United Nations official overseeing telecommunications has given the national broadband network project a tick of approval. http://www.theage.com.au/business/uns-communication-agency-backs-nbn-20110417-1djoo.html http://www.smh.com.au/business/australia-test-bed-for-broadband-20110417-1djqm.html Australia might need the NBN, but the OECD data is meaningless No, please no, not another argument about whose position the OECD broadband data supports. This happens every time there's an OECD data release, or even when there's no release, but merely a statement about the last data. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/04/14/oecd_data_broadband_australia/ nz: Joyce to change telecommunications bill The Government will make a concession to critics of the Telecommunications Amendment Bill by insisting companies that build the ultrafast broadband network provide access to tens of thousands of kilometres of fibre-optic cable to all-comers on the exact same terms from 2019. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/4898601/Joyce-to-change-telecommunications-bill nz: Fibre ready homes 'anything but' Some new homes built in areas marketed as "fibre ready" do not have the wiring to support ultra-fast broadband, says an industry standards group. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10719644 nz: State of telco nation - heated debate on new networks The telecommunications industry is on the cusp of massive change due to government intervention in the form of the Rural Broadband Initiative and Ultra Fast Broadband. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/state-of-telco-nation-heated-debate-on-new-networks Obama On Oval Office Tech: Where Are The 'Cool Phones'? Turns out President Barack Obama would like a phone upgrade. The president, in an unscripted moment with donors in Chicago, was talking about the need to innovate in technology. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/15/obama-cool-phones-oval-office_n_849606.html Australians still pay too much for broadband [news release] The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today said new statistics released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) further highlight the critical need for the National Broadband Network (NBN). http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2011/157 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (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 Sun Apr 17 2011 - 21:15:27 UTC
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