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 *************************************************** A crucial test of ICANN?s real commitment to openness http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/08/21/icann-didp-openness 2011 ANZIAs ? One week to go? by Paul Szyndler http://blog.auda.org.au/2011/08/23/2011-anzias-?-one-week-to-go?/ What?s in a Domain Name? by Esther Dyson http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/dyson35/English Former ICANN Chair Dyson Says New gTLDs "Will Create Jobs, But Little Extra Value" http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=15642 International trade in IP address blocks by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/8/24/4885505.html ********************** - ICANN ********************** Accountability & Transparency ? "ATRT" Activities Webinar ? Update Are you wondering how ICANN is progressing on its commitments to improve transparency and accountability, and how ATRT improvements will help you? Do you have an opinion to share on the changes made to date by ICANN's Board of Directors, Governmental Advisory Committee, Nominating Committee, and Staff? http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-25aug11-en.htm Appointment of Non-Voting Liaison to the Board by SSAC ... Notice is hereby given to the Secretary that the Security and Stability Advisory Committee appointed Ram Mohan as its non-voting liaison to ICANN Board to a term that begins at the conclusion of the 2011 annual meeting. http://www.icann.org/en/minutes/secretarys-notice-22aug11-en.pdf A crucial test of ICANN?s real commitment to openness Despite a frequently stated commitment to transparency and accountability, anyone who spends longer than a month following ICANN realizes that the organization appears to go out of its way to keep its inner workings, thought processes and decision-making as opaque as possible. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/08/21/icann-didp-openness ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** 2011 ANZIAs ? One week to go? by Paul Szyndler Given we haven?t blogged about them since May, I thought it was timely to provide a quick status update on the 2011 Australia and New Zealand Internet Awards (the ANZIAs). http://blog.auda.org.au/2011/08/23/2011-anzias-?-one-week-to-go?/ Canadian Domain Registry Embraces Video ccTLD registry managers have been ?upping their game? quite a bit over the last couple of years. Whether this was inevitable or is due to the oncoming ?threat? of new TLDs isn?t clear. In any case it?s a positive move. http://www.internetnews.me/2011/08/25/canadian-domain-registry-embraces-video/ SWITCH Junior Web Award 2012: young talents sought The website competition for school classes is starting for the sixth time today. SWITCH is looking for school classes from all over Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein who would like to explore the possibilities of the World Wide Web and design a website of their own, together with their teachers. http://www.switch.ch/about/news/2011/juniorwebaward2012.html Record number of entries for Dot ie Net Visionary Awards The Irish Internet Association (?IIA?) today announces the shortlist for this year?s Dot ie Net Visionary Awards and online voting is now open. It?s the start of award season and the fully refreshed IIA awards are the first off. With a new headline sponsor in IE Domain Registry Limited (?IEDR?), new categories, a stunning and original venue and a record number of entries, these awards are the ones to watch. http://www.iedr.ie/index.php/component/content/article/50-general/277-wednesday-17th-of-august-2011-record-number-of-entries-for-dot-ie-net-visionary-awards The court of appeal has dismissed an appeal lodged by ?Astrosoft? LLC regarding the case on illegality of procedures of priority registration of second-level domain names in domain .?? As previously reported, on 24 May 2011 the Moscow Court of Arbitration rendered a verdict denying a claim by ?AstraSoft Tehnologia? LLC, which contained a request to recognize illegal activities of ANO ?The Coordination Center for TLD RU? to determine the procedures of priority registration of second-level domain names in domain ??. http://cctld.ru/en/news/news_detail.php?ID=1680 WIPO Launches Dispute Resolution Services for .QA and ???. (Qatar) As of August 22, 2011, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center provides .domain name dispute resolution services for both QA and ???. (Qatar) in accordance with the Qatar Domains Registry Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (?Policy?) and Rules for Qatar Domains Registry Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (?Rules?), and WIPO Supplemental Rules for Qatar Domains Registry Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (?Supplemental Rules?). http://wipo.int/amc/en/new/qa.html http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/08/27/wipo-launches-dispute-resolution-services-for-qa-and-???-qatar/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/wipo-launches-dispute-resolution-services-for-qa-and-qatar.html .SE?s Internet fund once more open for project applications ? now through an easy-to-use net portal Since being launched in 2004, the Internet fund has financed more than 170 development projects. Among the projects selected last spring were everything from DNS development to a solution for connecting reindeer herdsmen. Starting today and until 12 noon on 12 September it is again possible to apply for financing from the Internet fund. A portal for submitting applications, simplifying things for all parties, is also being launched. http://www.iis.se/en/pressmeddelanden/ses-internetfond-oppnar-ater Dot VN, Inc. Announces New Vietnamese Domain Names Popular with Rural Internet Users Dot announced that since it?s official launch of the Vietnamese Native Language Internationalized Domain Names (?Vietnamese IDN?) on April 28, 2011, registrations have exceeded 320,000 domain names and has had great popularity with internet users in rural areas of Vietnam. http://www.dotvn.com/downloads/NewsRelease/Aug2011/DotVNNewsRelease-Aug242011.pdf Trademark Holders Face an Explicit Problem With .XXX Web Domain The keepers of corporate trademarks in many a law department are going to need to have an unusual conversation in the next few weeks: "What should we do about the .xxx domain?" http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202512288484 ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** What?s in a Domain Name? by Esther Dyson A name is just a sound or sequence of letters. It carries no value or meaning other than as a pointer to something in people's minds ? a concept, a person, a brand, or a particular thing or individual. http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/dyson35/English http://www.slate.com/id/2302414/ http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/25/whats-in-a-domain-name/ http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/08/2011828730595666.html Former ICANN Chair Dyson Says New gTLDs "Will Create Jobs, But Little Extra Value" Esther Dyson, the inaugural ICANN chair from October 1998 to November 200, has come out again against new gTLDs saying in an article for the Project Syndicate that new gTLDs do not "actually create any new value." http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=15642 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/08/26/former-icann-chair-dyson-says-new-gtlds-will-create-jobs-but-little-extra-value/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/former-icann-chair-dyson-says-new-gtlds-qwill-create-jobs-but-little-extra-valueq.html The gTLD Metamorphosis The cocooned gTLD has started to spread its wings, and soon it will show its colors and become a butterfly. Its well-guarded fuzzy and slow progress has finally propelled it to a much-anticipated metamorphosis, but the world still waits for some flying maneuvers. Mother ICANN has worked very hard to coax it along to this stage. http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/The-gTLD-Metamorphosis-73155.html M+M surprised by .mumbai snub One of Minds + Machines? key TLD applications has been thrown into confusion after government support for its .mumbai bid was apparently revoked. http://domainincite.com/mm-surprised-by-mumbai-snub/ Left of the Dot Gives New Life to Importers.com B2B Marketplace Left of the Dot Media Inc. has announced that it has re-launched Importers.com, as an online B2B marketplace for businesses looking to trade with G20 partners. The project was started in 2003 but day-to-day growth and management of the business was ceased by its previous owners in 2007. http://www.leftofthedot.com/left-of-the-dot-gives-new-life-to-importers-com-b2b-marketplace/ Now you can outsource your whole gTLD It?s already common practice for domain name registries to outsource their technical operations to a back-end provider such as VeriSign or Afilias, but a new company hopes that new gTLD registries will want to go one step further. http://domainincite.com/now-you-can-outsource-your-whole-gtld/ New internet domain names ?will cost brands without adding marketing benefit? Proposals to expand the number of domain names available for internet addresses will burden brands with huge financial costs without providing any search or marketing benefit, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has claimed. http://dma.org.uk/news/new-internet-domain-names-?will-cost-brands-without-adding-marketing-benefit? New web domains 'will cost brands without adding marketing benefit' - DMA Proposals to increase the number of domain names available for internet addresses will burden brands with "huge financial costs without providing any search of marketing benefit", the Direct Marketing Association has claimed. http://www.thedrum.co.uk/news/2011/08/26/25328-new-web-domains-will-cost-brands-without-adding-marketing-benefit-dma/ Direct marketers join anti-gTLD bandwagon The UK Direct Marketing Association has added its voice to the collection of advertising trade groups that oppose ICANN?s new gTLDs program. http://domainincite.com/direct-marketers-join-anti-gtld-bandwagon/ Most new gTLDs will fail We?re going to see hundreds of new gTLDs over the coming years, but we?re also going to see potentially hundreds of failures. http://domainincite.com/most-new-gtlds-will-fail/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Chinese State TV Alludes to U.S. Website Attacks Chinese state television has broadcast footage of what two experts on the Chinese military say appears to be a military institute demonstrating software designed to attack websites in the U.S. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904009304576528363095538754.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904009304576528363095538754.html?mod=WSJASIA_hps_MIDDLESeventhNews Chinese TV programme shows apparent cyber-attack on US website China's state broadcaster has screened footage that apparently shows army-labelled software for attacking US-based websites, security experts have said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/25/china-cyber-attack-tv-hacking Dangerous Cybercrime Treaty Pushes Surveillance and Secrecy Worldwide As part of an emerging international trend to try to ?civilize the Internet?, one of the world?s worst Internet law treaties--the highly controversial Council of Europe (CoE) Convention on Cybercrime--is back on the agenda. Canada and Australia are using the Treaty to introduce new invasive, online surveillance laws, many of which go far beyond the Convention?s intended levels of intrusiveness. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/08/cybercrime-treaty-pushes-surveillance-secrecy-worldwide ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Scariest IPv6 attack scenarios Experts are reporting a rise in the number of attacks that take advantage of known vulnerabilities of IPv6, a next-generation addressing scheme that is being adopted across the Internet. IPv6 replaces the Internet's main communications protocol, which is known as IPv4. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/082511-ipv6-attacks-250117.html http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9219510/Scariest_IPv6_attack_scenarios http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/238848/scariest_ipv6_attack_scenarios.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Why IP Addresses Alone Don't Identify Criminals This spring, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) executed a search warrant at the home of Nolan King and seized six computer hard drives in connection with a criminal investigation. The warrant was issued on the basis of an Internet Protocol (IP) address that traced back to an account connected to Mr. King's home, where he was operating a Tor exit relay. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/08/why-ip-addresses-alone-dont-identify-criminals PROTECT IP threatens the future of DNS security PROTECT IP threatens the future of DNS security PROTECT IP is the name of a bill which is working its way through the US Senate with a version also expected to be introduced in the House of Representatives next month. It would require the Attorney General's office to compile of list of domain names which DNS operators (in the US) will be required to block. http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2011/08/26/protect_ip_threatens_the_future_of_dns_security International trade in IP address blocks by Milton Mueller Here is more evidence of how the emergence of a private market for IPv4 addresses is creating concern at ARIN and driving policy change. Note that in my interview with private address broker Addrex, published here a week ago, its President Charles Lee noted that large ISPs in the Asia Pacific region were showing strong buyer interest in legacy address blocks currently sitting idle in North America. This poses a problem for the current RIR system. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/8/24/4885505.html GoDaddy Files Patents for Domain Appraisals and Domain Spinning Domain name registrar GoDaddy has filed four patent applications related to domain name appraisals and spinning. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/08/25/godaddy-files-patents-for-domain-appraisals-and-domain-spinning/ The design of the Domain Name System (Part III) - Name structure and delegation by John Levine The DNS gains considerable administrative flexibility from its delegation structure. Each zone cut, the place in the DNS name tree where one set of DNS servers hands off to another, offers the option to delegate the administration of a part of the DNS at the delegation point. But for the delegation to work well, the delegation structure has to match the name structure. http://jl.ly/Internet/dnsdesign3.html Judge Dismisses Many of Monte Cahn?s Claims Against Oversee.net Oversee.net got a big win today in a lawsuit filed by former employee Monte Cahn. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/08/26/judge-dismisses-monte-cahn-claims-oversee/ New E-Learning Videos on RIPE Database Now Available The RIPE NCC is pleased to announce the launch of five new RIPE Database videos as part of our E-Learning service. http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/about-ripe-ncc-and-ripe/new-e-learning-videos-on-ripe-database-available ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** An Especially Relevant Domain in Today's Economy - SelfEmployed.com - Leads This Week's Sales Chart With jobs few and far between in the current stagnant economy, a lot of people are now working for themselves (a career choice many in our industry made when they got into this business). That makes the highest reported domain sale of the past week - SelfEmployed.com at $58,000 via Sedo.com - an especially relevant domain for the times we live in. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2011/20110824.htm ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Opinion: The future may be online, but many will slip through the net As circulations plummet, digital seems the only future for newspapers. But supposed 'trends' create a very confused picture http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/aug/28/future-may-be-online-but-many-will-slip-through-the-net Yahoo Mail hits 100 million users Yahoo Mail has hit the milestone of 100 million users and 500,000 Facebook fans around the same time Yahoo has kicked off some layout changes to its popular e-mail platform. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20097209-93/yahoo-mail-hits-100-million-users/ Facebook had 1 trillion page views in June, according to Google Facebook hit 1-trillion page views in June, according to Google. But that staggering number on Facebook's traffic is just what's served up by Google's DoubleClick Ad Planner rankings, which compile data on Web traffic "from a variety of sources including anonymized, aggregated Google Toolbar data" and data from Google's DoubleClick ad management service. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/08/facebook-1-trillion-hits-google.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Half of America Is Using Social Networks For the first time, half of all adults in the United States said they use a social networking site, according to a survey released Friday by the Pew Research Center. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/half-of-america-is-using-social-networks/ Half of American Adults Use Social Networks, says Pew Survey Nearly two-thirds of online adults in the U.S. use social networking sites, and they're generally pleased with the experience, according to a new survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. And perhaps more telling of just how pervasive Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ (and, OK, Myspace too) have become in our day-to-day lives, half of all U.S. adults now use social networks. http://www.pcworld.com/article/238909/half_of_american_adults_use_social_networks_says_pew_survey.html 65% of online adults use social networking sites Overview: Fully 65% of adult internet users now say they use a social networking site like MySpace, Facebook or LinkedIn, up from 61% one year ago. This marks the first time in Pew Internet surveys that 50% of all adults use social networking sites. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Social-Networking-Sites.aspx Japan Internet Users Spend Most Time on Blogs Worldwide [news release] comScore Japan KK released a report on blog usage in Japan from its comScore Media Metrix service. The report found that in June 2011 more than 80 percent of the entire online population in Japan visited a blog site, as the number of visitors to the category rose 7 percent from the previous year. FC2 inc. led as the top blog destination with an audience of more than 46.7 million, followed by Livedoor - Blog and Ameblo.jp. http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2011/8/Japan_Internet_Users_Spend_Most_Time_on_Blogs_Worldwide In Britain, a Meeting on Limiting Social Media British officials and representatives of Twitter, Facebook and BlackBerry met Thursday to discuss voluntary ways to limit or restrict the use of social media to combat crime and periods of civil unrest, while trying to dodge charges of hypocrisy and censorship that trailed Prime Minister David Cameron?s call to restrict use of the networks after this month?s riots. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/world/europe/26social.html Social-networking sites resist calls to restrict use during unrest Social networking sites are expected to resist measures cracking down on their use during civil unrest at a summit between government ministers, police and industry leaders today. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/socialnetworking-sites-resist-calls-to-restrict-use-during-unrest-2343388.html Twitter study casts doubts on ministers' post-riots plan Analysis of more than 2.5m Twitter messages relating to the riots in England has cast doubt on the rationale behind government proposals to ban people from social networks or shut down their websites in times of civil unrest. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/24/twitter-study-post-riot-plans Riots thwarted by Blackberry and Twitter chat - police Police say they prevented attacks by rioters on the Olympic site and London's Oxford Street after picking up intelligence on social networks. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14542588 Social media talks about rioting 'constructive' The government and police have not sought any new powers to shut social networks, the Home Office said after a meeting with industry representatives. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14657456 Government backs down on plan to shut Twitter and Facebook in crises The government has climbed down on plans to ban suspected rioters from using social networking websites in times of civil unrest. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/aug/25/government-plan-shut-twitter-facebook Tories torn over regulating social media In a country without a written constitution, British politicians struggle to contend with Twitter, Facebook and other social media at a time of crisis. David Cameron, in the aftermath of the riots, asked "whether it would be right" to ban people from using Facebook, Twitter or their BlackBerrys "when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality". The backbench Conservative MP Louise Mensch went further, arguing that Twitter and Facebook should be taken down during "a major national emergency". http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/24/cameron-twitter-regulation Riots database of 2.5m tweets reveals complex picture of interaction When David Cameron addressed an emergency session of parliament convened in the aftermath of four consecutive nights of rioting and looting across England, he quickly turned to the supposed role played by social media. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/aug/24/riots-database-twitter-interaction Social media may make kids more likely to drink, smoke, do drugs, study says Have you heard? Social media is ruining our lives! Or maybe it?s making them better? Could there be, perchance, some mystical middle ground? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/social-media-makes-kids-more-likely-to-drink-do-drugs-study-says/2011/08/24/gIQAbzFZbJ_blog.html ********************************* CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY ********************************* Helping Keep Children Safe Online [news release] For all the benefits that smartphones, computers and the Web have to offer ? especially for young people who have embraced digital technology and use it every day ? there will always be those who misuse the technology to harass others, including their peers. http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/Features/2011/aug11/08-25cyberbullying.mspx Back to School: Stand Up to Cyberbullying September is synonymous with back-to-school for much of the world's youth ? getting back in the classroom, reconnecting with friends and teachers and sharing tales of summer fun. For some, however, back-to-school often means a return to cyberbullying. http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2011/08/25/back-to-school-stand-up-to-cyberbullying.aspx nz: Cyber-bullies 'damaging lives' Degrading gossip and malicious comments are being posted by Nelson students on anonymous gossip sites on Facebook, with "absolutely devastating impacts" on their victims, an online safety expert says. http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/5518267/Cyber-bullies-damaging-lives au: ACMA?s Cybersmart program presented to the largest ?classroom? in the world [news release] Fifty students from grades one to six came together online across a huge geographical area spanning northern Australia last week to learn about internet safety, delivered through the Katherine School of the Air. It?s the first time the Australian Communications and Media Authority?s Cybersmart program has used the famous Katherine-based school to teach children about staying safe online. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_410124 au: Cybersmart: Reaching out to bridge the digital divide [news release] The Australian Communications and Media Authority?s Cybersmart program to teach children online safety skills and equip parents to better deal with online issues has been reinforced by a recent Telstra study that found a third of Australian parents with kids aged 10-17 believe their lack of technological knowledge is getting in the way of keeping their kids safe online. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_410126 uk: Internet Watch Foundation publishes results of independent Hotline inspection The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) regularly invites experts from a range of relevant professional backgrounds to carry out an inspection of its Hotline process and staff support mechanisms against external policies with a view to providing independent reassurance to their Members, Government and parties with a particular interest in IWF affairs. http://www.iwf.org.uk/about-iwf/news/post/308-internet-watch-foundation-publishes-results-of-independent-hotline-inspection ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Steve Jobs's greatest legacy: persuading the world to pay for content Ten years is, of course, a long time in media. Ten years ago, if you wanted to download some music, your best bet was Napster or one of the filesharing systems such as LimeWire or KaZaA. There were legal services, but they were so dire they wouldn't pass much muster today: there was PressPlay and MusicNet (from rival groups of record companies), which required $15 a month subscriptions for low-quality streaming (when most people had dialup connections, not today's broadband). You couldn't burn to CD. They were stuffed with restrictive software to prevent you sharing the songs. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2011/aug/28/steve-jobs-legacy-apple-ceo ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Apple wins ban on Samsung Galaxy Tab sales in Germany Samsung has been banned from selling its Galaxy Tab tablet computers in Germany until at least 9 September following a successful injunction claim by Apple. The decision leaves the South Korean electronics giant in limbo during the giant IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin next week. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/26/apple-wins-ban-samsung-galaxy New Nielsen Data Reveals Who's Buying Tablets According to new research from Nielsen, the demographics of tablet, smartphone and ereader owners are changing to include more women and older users. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/26/new-nielsen-data-buying-tablets_n_938042.html Changing Demographics of Tablet and eReader Owners in the US In the U.S., as recently as last Summer, tablet and eReader owners tended to be male and on the younger side. But according to Nielsen?s latest, quarterly survey of mobile connected device owners, this is no longer the case. http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/?p=28695 Apple vs Samsung vs Google vs Microsoft... are patent wars about mutually assured destruction? The patent wars took a bizarre turn this week. Samsung, currently defending itself against a legal move by Apple to have four Samsung smartphones and tablets banned from America due to alleged patent infringement, pointed to tablet-style computers in Stanley Kubrick?s classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. http://theconversation.edu.au/apple-vs-samsung-vs-google-vs-microsoft-are-patent-wars-about-mutually-assured-destruction-3079 us: Wireless Phone Networks Stood Up Well to Hurricane Wireless phone networks held up well against Hurricane Irene despite widespread losses of power. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/us/29cell.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** africa.slow: The last continent without fast, easy and cheap internet access Sierra Leone's single largest link to the internet sits on a ridge in the west of the capital, Freetown. Behind a red wall topped with razor wire several satellite dishes point skyward. The surrounding district is called Wilberforce, after the 18th-century British politician who campaigned against the slave trade. However, the digital connection maintained by Airtel, a mobile-phone company, is not free: it costs $89,000 a month. http://www.economist.com/node/21526937 ********************** ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL ********************** Google to pay $500m over unlawful drug ads Google has agreed to a half-a-billion-dollar settlement with the US government for allowing online Canadian pharmacies to place adverts targeting American consumers that led to unlawful prescription drug imports. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/google-to-pay-500m-over-unlawful-drug-ads-2343357.html Google settles US drug advertising case for $500m Google has avoided a criminal prosecution in the US after agreeing to pay $500m (?305m) to settle a government investigation into its display of advertisements from Canadian pharmacies which illegally sold prescription and non-prescription drugs to American consumers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/24/google-settles-us-drug-advertising-case Google Reaches $500 Million Settlement With Government Google will pay $500 million to settle federal government charges that it has knowingly shown illegal ads for fraudulent Canadian pharmacies in the United States, the Justice Department announced on Wednesday. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/24/google-reaches-500-million-settlement-with-government/ Google Forks Over Settlement On Rx Ads In a rare public mea culpa, Google Inc. agreed to pay $500 million to avoid Justice Department prosecution on charges that it knowingly accepted illegal advertisements from Canadian online pharmacies for years. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904787404576528332418595052.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904787404576528332418595052.html?mod=WSJASIA_hps_sections_tech Google Forfeits $500 Million Generated by Online Ads & Prescription Drug Sales by Canadian Online Pharmacies [news release] Online search engine Google Inc. has agreed to forfeit $500 million for allowing online Canadian pharmacies to place advertisements through its AdWords program targeting consumers in the United States, resulting in the unlawful importation of controlled and non-controlled prescription drugs into the United States, announced Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole; Peter F. Neronha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island; and Kathleen Martin-Weis, Acting Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration?s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA/OCI). The forfeiture, one of the largest ever in the United States, represents the gross revenue received by Google as a result of Canadian pharmacies advertising through Google?s AdWords program, plus gross revenue made by Canadian pharmacies from their sales to U.S. consumers. http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/August/11-dag-1078.html Online defamation cases in England and Wales 'double' The number of court cases brought by people who say they have been defamed online has more than doubled in a year, experts have said. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14684620 Online defamation court cases double in the space of a year The number of court cases brought by people who say they have been defamed online has more than doubled in a year, as social networks become prime ground for the spread of defamatory information. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/online-defamation-court-cases-double-in-the-space-of-a-year-2344679.html Case of 8,000 Menacing Posts Tests Limits of Twitter Speech Even the Buddha of compassion might have been distressed to be on the receiving end of the diatribes that William Lawrence Cassidy is accused of posting on Twitter. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/technology/man-accused-of-stalking-via-twitter-claims-free-speech.html au: Victorians still falling for online scams The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has found that Victorians are still falling victim to internet scams, adding that a new defence is required to protect users from dating site scams. http://www.zdnet.com.au/victorians-still-falling-for-online-scams-339321301.htm au: AIC cyberfraud study highlights impact on victims [news release] Older people are much more vulnerable to cyberfraud scams, with the over 55 age group accounting for four out of 10 victims, a study released today by the Australian Institute of Criminology has found. http://aic.gov.au/en/media/2011/august/20110828.aspx http://www.ministerhomeaffairs.gov.au/www/ministers/oconnor.nsf/Page/MediaReleases_2011_ThirdQuarter_28August2011-AICcyberfraudstudyhighlightsimpactonvictims Why IP Addresses Alone Don't Identify Criminals This spring, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) executed a search warrant at the home of Nolan King and seized six computer hard drives in connection with a criminal investigation. The warrant was issued on the basis of an Internet Protocol (IP) address that traced back to an account connected to Mr. King's home, where he was operating a Tor exit relay. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/08/why-ip-addresses-alone-dont-identify-criminals ********************** SECURITY ********************** Chinese State TV Alludes to U.S. Website Attacks Chinese state television has broadcast footage of what two experts on the Chinese military say appears to be a military institute demonstrating software designed to attack websites in the U.S. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904009304576528363095538754.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904009304576528363095538754.html?mod=WSJASIA_hps_MIDDLESeventhNews Chinese TV programme shows apparent cyber-attack on US website China's state broadcaster has screened footage that apparently shows army-labelled software for attacking US-based websites, security experts have said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/25/china-cyber-attack-tv-hacking us: Governments hosted 146 new phishing sites in July Disclosures by groups including LulzSec, Anonymous and Wikileaks have highlighted that poor security is endemic throughout government websites. During July, Netcraft's anti-phishing toolbar blocked 146 new phishing attacks hosted on government websites. Nearly half of these used the gob.pe secondary TLD, making the government of Peru the phishiest in the world. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2011/08/19/governments-hosted-146-new-phishing-sites-in-july.html Symantec Announces August 2011 Symantec Intelligence Report [news release] Symantec Corp announced the results of the August 2011 Symantec Intelligence Report, now combining the best research and analysis from the Symantec.cloud MessageLabs Intelligence Report and the Symantec State of Spam & Phishing Report. This month?s analysis reveals that once more spammers are seeking to benefit from fluctuations in the turbulent financial markets, most notably by sending large volumes of spam relating to certain ?pink sheets? stocks in an attempt to ?pump? the value of these stocks before ?dumping? them at a profit. http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20110823_01 RSA still replacing tokens in Australian market RSA has admitted it is still a few months away from replacing all of its customers' SecureID tokens in the Australian market. The company also says that the March 2011 attack was by a nation state. ... When asked his thoughts on companies such as CA and Netsafe that also sell tokens targeting its customers with advertising campaigns, he acknowledged that it was a "commercial world" and other security companies had every right to do what they needed to in order to run a business. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/398884/rsa_still_replacing_tokens_australian_market/ http://www.cio.com.au/article/398884/rsa_still_replacing_tokens_australian_market/ ********************** PRIVACY ********************** Why German Privacy Officials Don?t Like Facebook?s ?like? Button Schleswig-Holstein is a small German state located at the very northern tip of the Federal Republic. It is home for enchanting cities such as Kiel and L?beck, long coastlines overlooking the Baltic See to the east and the North See to the west. Other than scenic landscape, rich culture and a border with Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein also has a dynamic privacy commissioner. Dr. Thilo Weichert heads the ULD, which translates as the SH?s Independent Center for Privacy Protection. His administration published last week a press release that has been attracting much attention since. http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/node/6717 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Google's Eric Schmidt criticises education in the UK Google chairman Eric Schmidt has said education in Britain is holding back the country's chances of success in the digital media economy. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14683133 Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google, condemns British education system The chairman of Google has delivered a devastating critique of the UK's education system and said the country had failed to capitalise on its record of innovation in science and engineering. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/26/eric-schmidt-chairman-google-education Google chief lambasts the UK for its technophobic 'luvvie' culture The executive chairman of Google has lambasted Britain as a society that favours "luvvies" over "boffins" and warned that unless it takes action to support science in education and business "the UK will continue to be where inventions are born ? but not bred for long-term success". http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-chief-lambasts-the-uk-for-its-technophobic-luvvie-culture-2344672.html Dangerous Cybercrime Treaty Pushes Surveillance and Secrecy Worldwide As part of an emerging international trend to try to ?civilize the Internet?, one of the world?s worst Internet law treaties--the highly controversial Council of Europe (CoE) Convention on Cybercrime--is back on the agenda. Canada and Australia are using the Treaty to introduce new invasive, online surveillance laws, many of which go far beyond the Convention?s intended levels of intrusiveness. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/08/cybercrime-treaty-pushes-surveillance-secrecy-worldwide Troubling Brazilian Cybercrime Law Makes a Comeback Some bad ideas just won't die. In 2008, the Brazilian Senate passed a cybercrime bill that would have limited freedom of expression and threatened privacy online. Strong public opposition, including a speech by then-President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva in which he denounced the bill, prevented it from ever becoming law. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/08/troubling-brazilian-cybercrime-law-makes-comeback ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* In France, Publisher and Google Reach Deal A second French publisher has reached a deal on digital books with Google to settle a copyright lawsuit in exchange for control over how its out-of-print, copyright-protected works are scanned and sold. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/26/technology/google-reaches-deal-with-2nd-french-publisher.html Aping IBM: HP needs to transform itself if it is to avoid becoming obsolete When the board of HP, the world?s largest computer-maker, unveiled plans to restructure, it expected the company?s shares to suffer; but not to crash by 20%. HP?s bosses thought investors would love their plan to spin off the firm?s low-margin personal-computer (PC) business, but be wary of their plan to buy Autonomy, a British software-maker, for a handsome $10.3 billion. In fact, they hated both ideas. On August 19th, the day after the announcement, they wiped $12 billion off HP?s market value. http://www.economist.com/node/21526920 Opinion: Why iPads in cockpits proves the future of PCs is up in the air With admirable aplomb, if not grammar, Michael Dell, the chief executive and founder of Dell Inc, tweeted last week: "Like Mark Twain, the reports of PC's death have been greatly exaggerated." His point (once you got past the dangling participle) being that he thinks the PC business is still alive and kicking. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/28/future-of-pcs-charles-arthur The political party that wants to ban PowerPoint Switzerland could become the first country to outlaw PowerPoint presentations if a new party runs in the October parliamentary elections. Matthias Poehm, founder of the Anti-PowerPoint Party, claims that ?350bn could be saved globally each year by ditching the scourge of public speaking. Poehm believes that the software takes people away from their work and teaches them little. "There is a solution," he says. "A flipchart." http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/28/powerpoint-party-switzerland-ban ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** uk: BT taskforce tackles cable theft Copper theft is a growing problem for the communication network in Northern Ireland, British Telelcom has said. In recent weeks, stolen cables have caused disruption to phone lines in south Tyrone and in Banbridge copper cable was cut at 16 junction boxes. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14675955 French mayors call for faster high-speed Internet roll-out According to a new survey, the mayors of rural France overwhelmingly want very high-speed Internet coverage made available to their towns long before the French government's current plans would allow. http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/french-mayors-call-faster-high-speed-internet-roll-news-507104 au: Fed Govt says more NBN demand needed to meet supply The Federal Government has tabled a report into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network (NBN), highlighting the need for initiatives to drive demand for services delivered by the high speed network. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/398598/fed_govt_says_more_nbn_demand_needed_meet_supply/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (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 Aug 28 2011 - 22:03:13 UTC
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