[DNS] domain name news - 7 November

From: David Goldstein <david> Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2011 15:50:37 +1100 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:11 UTC

Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news.

And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings.

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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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India presses for new global Internet governance mechanism
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/internet/article2604526.ece

Letter from Nairobi by Chris Disspain
http://blog.auda.org.au/2011/11/04/letter-from-nairobi/

Former ICANN Chairs Voice Concern With Domain Name Plan
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/11/former-icann-chairs-voice-conc.php

ICANN: The Stakes in Registrar Accreditation by Wendy Seltzer
http://www.circleid.com/posts/icann_the_stakes_in_registrar_accreditation/

DENIC Celebrates .DE's Silver Jubilee
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/11/03/denic-celebrates-des-silver-jubilee/

ICANN?s Brain-Dead Plan to Punish New gTLD Registries for No Good Reason
http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2011/10/icanns-brain-dead-plan-to-punish-new-gtld-registries-for-no-good-reason/

First joint EU-US cyber security exercise conducted today, 3rd Nov. 2011 [news release]
http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/first-joint-eu-us-cyber-security-exercise-conducted-today-3rd-nov.-2011

China Singled Out for Cyberspying in US Intelligence Report; Russia Also Named
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577015540198801540.html

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GOVERNANCE
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India presses for new global Internet governance mechanism
As the next step in its push for a new global Internet governance mechanism, India recently presented to the United Nations a proposal for the establishment of a Committee for Internet-Related Policies (CIRP).
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/internet/article2604526.ece

Letter from Nairobi by Chris Disspain
Over the past few months, there?s been a sense that the IGF has been running out of steam, and that the whole concept of multi-stakeholder governance has had its day. What a difference a week makes.
http://blog.auda.org.au/2011/11/04/letter-from-nairobi/

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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ATRT Recommendation 5: Board Compensation - Independent Valuation Expert's Report Available for Viewing
ICANN has received a report from Towers Watson, the Independent Valuation Expert retained to give advice on consideration for compensating ICANN's Board of Directors.
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-3-04nov11-en.htm

.ASIA One and Two Character Allocation Proposal
DotAsia is proposing to amend its 2006 agreement to allow the introduction of one- and two-character .ASIA domains to the marketplace. The community is encouraged to comment on this proposal until 21 December 2011.
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-04nov11-en.htm

Former ICANN Chairs Voice Concern With Domain Name Plan
Two key former officials with the nonprofit group that manages the Internet's domain name system are raising concerns with its plan to allow an unlimited number of generic Internet addresses, the TLD suffixes that come after the dot like .com or .org.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/11/former-icann-chairs-voice-conc.php

ICANN: The Stakes in Registrar Accreditation by Wendy Seltzer
Law enforcement demands to domain name registrars were a recurring theme of the 42d ICANN public meeting, concluded last week in Dakar. The GAC took every opportunity at its public meetings with GNSO and Board, and in its Communique to express dismay, disappointment, and demands for urgent action to "reduce the risk of criminal abuse of the domain name system."
http://www.circleid.com/posts/icann_the_stakes_in_registrar_accreditation/

ASO AC Call for Nominations for Seat 9 on the ICANN Board
Consistent with the ASO Memorandum of Understanding and ICANN Bylaws, the Address Supporting Organization Address Council (ASO AC) calls for nominations for Seat Number 9 on the ICANN Board.
http://www.nro.net/news/aso-ac-call-for-nominations-for-seat-9-on-the-icann-board

Independent Review of ICANN ASO - Share Your Views
ITEMS International (Paris) is conducting an independent review of the ICANN Address Supporting Organisation (ASO). It is very important for reviewers to gather the views and opinions of the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) communities, particularly concerning Global Policies.
http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/industry-developments/independent-review-of-icann-aso-share-your-views

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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DENIC Celebrates .DE's Silver Jubilee
On 5 November DENIC is celebrating the 25th birthday of the .DE country code, which is the largest ccTLD and second largest TLD with 14.6 million active registrations.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=16274
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/11/03/denic-celebrates-des-silver-jubilee/

Internet silver jubilee ? .de zone online since 25 years
About 100,000 times per second an Internet address ending with .de is called up from somewhere in the world. Today, there are more than 14.6 million such addresses, and about 3,000 new ones are added every day. Dimensions that go beyond the imagination of even the most visionary Internet pioneer and that have fundamentally changed social and economic communication habits within only a quarter of a century.
http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialogue/press-releases/press/3329.html

TRA announces the date of GO Live and general availability for public registration on the Arabic domain name dotEMARAT (??????.)
In line with its efforts to support the use of the Arabic language on the Internet, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced the opening of registration in the Arabic domain name dotEMARAT (?????? .) on November 13th, 2011, to be the first day of the fourth phase of GO Live and general availability for public registration.
http://tra.gov.ae/news_TRA_announces_the_date_of_GO_Live_and_general_availability_for_public_registration_on_the_Arabic_domain_name_dotEMARAT_%28%26%231575%3B%26%231605%3B%26%231575%3B%26%231585%3B%26%231575%3B%26%231578%3B.%29-351-1.php

AFNIC launches SYRELI, the new Dispute Resolution System
The new dispute resolution system developed by AFNIC has just been approved by the French Minister of Electronic Communication and will be launched shortly
http://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/5262/show/afnic-launches-syreli-the-new-dispute-resolution-system-2.html

AFNIC publishes the accreditation application package for its registrars
AFNIC is launching an accreditation campaign for registrars and is hosting a chat on the subject on November 10.
http://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/5266/show/afnic-publishes-the-accreditation-application-package-for-its-registrars.html

is: New Domain Registration Rules
The .is registration rules (.is domain policy) have been reorganized and rewritten. No substantial changes have been made but the rule wording has been changed and modernized. The ISNIC's Rules now include a new section on Domain Dispute Lock, which is a new service. The new domain rules are in effect from November 1st 2011.
http://www.isnic.is/en/news/index.php

.my DOMAIN REGISTRY Launches Sensitive Names Dispute Resolution Policy ("SNDRP")
.my DOMAIN REGISTRY is pleased to launch the Sensitive Names Dispute Resolution Policy ("SNDRP"), Rules of the SNDRP and Supplemental Rules of the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration.
http://domainregistry.my/en/news.php?id=124

Case law on liability of internet intermediaries added to domjur.nl
Information about legal cases concerning the responsibilities of internet intermediaries has been added to domjur.nl, the website that publishes case law relating to Dutch domain name disputes.
https://www.sidn.nl/en/news/news/article/uitspraken-over-aansprakelijkheid-internettussenpersonen-op-domjurnl-1/

Do not phase out slettmeg.no
The service slettmeg.no (deleteme.no) is one of many puzzle parts that contributes to make the Internet safer and better, especially for children and youngsters. Services like this are important and should be strengthened.
http://www.norid.no/nytt/ikke-slettmeg.en.html

The new terms and conditions of domain names registration in domains .RU and .?? come into force on 11 november 2011
We draw attention of the administrators of domain names in domains .RU and .?? that the new uniform Terms and Conditions of domain names registration in these domains come into force from 11 November 2011.
http://cctld.ru/en/news/news_detail.php?ID=1989

Moscow Arbitration Court Satisfied RU-CENTER's Claim to FAMS
RU-CENTER has succeeded in cancelling the judgement by the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAMS), which last summer found the company guilty of violating the laws in effect concerning unfair competition, when starting its .?? domain registration on 11 November 2010.
http://www.nic.ru/news/en/2011/success.html

The court of arbitration held hearings on the case of registrar, Ru-center
On 1 November, the Moscow Court of Arbitration held a hearing on the petition of the Russian registrar, closed-end JSC ?Regionalniy Setevoi Informatsionniy Tsentr? (RU-Center), against the decision of the RF Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS).
http://cctld.ru/en/news/news_detail.php?ID=1990

uk: Nominet Registrant Renewal Research
We are currently researching how and why domain names are renewed. This research looks into the reasons why a domain name may or may not be renewed and explores the process by which the decision is arrived at.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=8754

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 - NEW TLDS
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ICANN?s Brain-Dead Plan to Punish New gTLD Registries for No Good Reason
ICANN?s current plan for a Continued Operations Instrument (COI) is a self-insurance scheme that asks registries to tie up a massive amount of cash, when much cheaper and more sensible options are available. The COI is a massive barrier to entry for all applicants, and one that hits smaller registries and those from developing countries with disproportionate weight.
http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2011/10/icanns-brain-dead-plan-to-punish-new-gtld-registries-for-no-good-reason/

Marriott: we probably won?t use .hotel
That?s one view that emerged from a conference organized by the Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse discussing ICANN?s new gTLDs program earlier this week.
http://domainincite.com/marriott-we-probably-wont-use-hotel/

CADNA calls for second new gTLDs round in 2012
The Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse wants ICANN to name the date for its second new TLDs application round, and suggested that it could come as early as one year from now.
http://domainincite.com/cadna-calls-for-second-new-gtlds-round-in-2012/

Is Africa Ready for a dotAfrica gTLD Future? by Gideon Rop
It's approximately 2 months to go before the grand application process for the new gTLDs begins, ICANN the international internet body made a revolutionary announcement in June that is going to change the entire internet namespace. With the current 21 gTLDs, the world is bracing for a surge of close to 500 new applications. Among the domains of my interest is the .Africa gTLD.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/is_africa_ready_for_a_dotafrica_gtld_future/

Hindi domain name to bridge digital divide
India is preparing to launch the dot-Bharat domain name in Hindi in May with the aim of bridging the digital divide in the country. The move will enable organizations and individuals to register their website addresses in Hindi?and later more local languages?making them more accessible to a large proportion of Indians who aren?t familiar with English.
http://www.livemint.com/2011/11/04005330/Hindi-domain-name-to-bridge-di.html

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 - DNS SECURITY
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First joint EU-US cyber security exercise conducted today, 3rd Nov. 2011 [news release]
The first joint cyber security exercise between the EU and US is being held today (3rd Nov.) in Brussels, with the support of the EU?s cyber security Agency ENISA and the US Department of Homeland Security. The day-long table-top exercise, "Cyber Atlantic 2011", is using simulated cyber-crisis scenarios to explore how the EU and US would engage each other and cooperate in the event of cyber-attacks on their critical information infrastructures.
http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/first-joint-eu-us-cyber-security-exercise-conducted-today-3rd-nov.-2011

Digital Agenda: EU & US conduct readiness tests for cyber attacks in "Cyber Atlantic 2011"
The first test of trans-Atlantic responses to cyber incidents, including cyber attacks, took place in Brussels today. Experts from the US Government joined counterparts from EU Member States to simulate how cyber security authorities on both sides of the Atlantic would cooperate in response to attacks. Two hypothetical scenarios were tested: a cyber-attack which attempts to extract and publish online sensitive information from the EU's national cyber security agencies, and an attack on supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems in EU power generation equipment.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/1305

EU and US cybersecurity experts stress-test defences
EU and US cybersecurity officials have tested how they would co-ordinate their response to a hacking attack.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15579292

Simulated cyberattack unites EU and US security experts [IDG]
Almost 100 computer experts from 16 European countries jointly battled to hold off serious cyberattacks on the European Union's security agencies and power plants as part of a simulated exercise on Thursday.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/406300/simulated_cyberattack_unites_eu_us_security_experts/
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/243103/simulated_cyberattack_unites_eu_and_us_security_experts.html

EU and US team up for cybersecurity exercise
The European Union and the US have taken part in a day-long exercise to find out how well they would work together in reaction to cyberattacks on security agency systems and critical national infrastructures.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2011/11/03/eu-and-us-team-up-for-cybersecurity-exercise-40094358/

Ex-U.S. general urges frank talk on cyber weapons
The United States should be more open about its development of offensive cyber weapons and spell out when it will use them as it grapples with an increasing barrage of attacks by foreign hackers, the former No. 2 uniformed officer in the U.S. military said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/06/us-cyber-cartwright-idUSTRE7A514C20111106
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/06/oukin-uk-cyber-cartwright-idUKTRE7A514R20111106
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/06/idINIndia-60354120111106

To stop cybercrime we need to think like the criminals
Whenever William Hague, our esteemed foreign secretary, speaks on the subject of cyberspace, what comes to mind is Dr Johnson's celebrated comment about seeing a dog walking on its hind legs: one is surprised, not that the thing is done well, but that it is done at all. And there he was last Monday evening, hosting a reception in the Science Museum to launch the government's lavish talkfest, the London Conference on Cyberspace. The subject was, he told his agreeably lubricated audience, "a phenomenon that has dramatically shaped the way we live, work and interact". The conference was "the first international conference of its kind", and would facilitate all kinds of dialogue on the "threats and opportunities" of cyberspace.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/nov/06/cybercrime-psychology-young-criminals-networker

U.S. Report Accuses China and Russia of Internet Spying
American intelligence agencies, in an unusually blunt public criticism of China and Russia, reported to Congress on Thursday that those two foreign governments steal valuable American technology over the Internet as a matter of national policy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/world/us-report-accuses-china-and-russia-of-internet-spying.html

U.S. blames China, Russia for cyber espionage
China and Russia are using cyber espionage to steal U.S. trade and technology secrets to bolster their own economic development, which poses a threat to U.S. prosperity and security, a U.S. intelligence report said on Thursday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/idINIndia-60306020111103

China Singled Out for Cyberspying in US Intelligence Report; Russia Also Named
The U.S. government accused the Chinese of being the world's "most active and persistent" perpetrators of economic spying, an unusual move designed to spur stronger U.S. and international action to combat rampant industrial espionage threatening U.S. economic growth.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577015540198801540.html

China is World?s Biggest Cyber Thief: U.S. Report
U.S. intelligence officials called China the world?s biggest perpetrator of economic espionage in a report that says the theft of sensitive data in cyberspace is accelerating.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-03/u-s-intelligence-report-calls-china-world-s-biggest-cyber-thief.html

NTIA: Extension of Comment Period Regarding the Illicit Use of Computer Equipment by Botnets and Related Malware
The Department of Commerce?s National Institute of Standards and Technology announces that the closing deadline for submission of comments responsive to the September 21, 2011, request for information on the requirements of, and possible approaches to, creating a voluntary industry code of conduct to address the detection, notification and mitigation of botnets, has been extended until 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on November 14, 2011.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/federal-register-notice/2011/extension-comment-period-regarding-illicit-use-computer-equipment-botne

Adidas websites go offline after hacking cyber-attack
Adidas has taken its website content offline after suffering what it described as a "sophisticated, criminal cyber-attack".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15614590

Rugby Site Mistaken for German Stock Market
Fans of a rugby team in southwestern France have fallen victim to a misguided cyber attack after German hackers apparently mistook their website for an offshoot of the German stock exchange and shut it down for two weeks. The fansite alledges it now has bigger traffic than the real DAX.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,795917,00.html

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Property rights in domain names
In August of this year, the Ontario Court of Appeal found that there can be property rights in a domain name in the decision Tucows.com Co. v. Lojas Renner S.A. This decision may have implications for clients who become involved in domain name disputes in the future, as this decision has the potential to allow parties to pick the forum in which they would like to have their dispute heard.
http://www.ahbl.ca/files/E-alert_Files/Property_Rights_in_Domain_Names.pdf
http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=2cc1a395-c424-4e9f-934d-107ac84cc810

Re-registration of domain name containing another?s trademark is not cybersquatting
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a California district court?s holding that re-registration of a domain name containing another?s trademark violated the Anti-Cyberqsuatting Consumer Protection Act. GoPets Ltd. v. Hise, No. 08-56110 (9th Cir., Sept. 22, 2011) (Fletcher, J.).
http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=a5643e31-a14b-4e65-9f7b-25478b04df41

When You Mean Facebook but Type Faecbook
Scammy websites that capitalize on misspellings are on the rise?and can draw hundreds of thousands of accidental visitors
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/when-you-mean-facebook-but-type-faecbook-11032011.html

Apple takes aim at porn sites using iPhone trademark
A new complaint from Apple has porn cybersquatters in its sights. In a filing with WIPO, which was picked up by Domain Name Wire, the iDevice and Mac maker takes aim at seven domain names that use Apple's trademarked term "iPhone".
http://asia.cnet.com/crave/apple-takes-aim-at-porn-sites-using-iphone-trademark-62211871.htm
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-57317757-248/apple-to-porn-name-squatters-knock-it-off/

iPhone-compatible porn sites targeted by Apple in domain name dispute
Apple has taken aim at a number of dot-com domain names featuring the word iPhone that sell pornography, including the website iphone4s.com.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/11/03/iphone_compatible_porn_sites_targeted_by_apple_in_domain_name_dispute.html

Apple Fights for iPhone Porn Domain Names Including iphone4s.com
If you really want to piss off a large company, just put some porn up on domain names that include its brands.
http://domainnamewire.com/2011/11/03/apple-fights-for-iphone-porn-domain-names-including-iphone4s-com/

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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IPv4 Historical Imbalances and the Threat to IPv6 by Jay Daley
It is an open secret that the current state of IPv4 allocation contains many accidental historical imbalances and in particular developing countries who wish to use IPv4 are disadvantaged by the lack of addresses available through ordinary allocation and are forced into purchasing addresses on the open market. As most of the addresses for sale are held by organisations based in the developed world, this amounts to a transfer of wealth from the developing world to the developed world, on terms set by the developed world.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111106_ipv4_historical_imbalances_and_the_threat_to_ipv6/

Time To Embrace IPv6, Not To Run From It
By most any measure, the Internet has been wildly successful. From its beginnings over 40 years ago, the Internet has become a globe-spanning infrastructure upon which national economies now depend. However, that very success has led the Internet to a crossroads and the path the Internet takes moving forward will have an impact on how the network continues to grow and its openness to innovation.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2011/11/06/time-to-embrace-ipv6-not-to-run-from-it/

The spectrum auction's forgotten issue by Axel Pawlik
In all the talk about the 4G services that should come out of next year's spectrum auction, the question of IP addressing deserves serious attention, says Axel Pawlik.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2011/11/05/the-spectrum-auctions-forgotten-issue-40094325/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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RIPE Members Vote To Continue RPKI Work by Michele Neylon
RIPE 63 is on this week in Vienna, Austria. Yesterday evening saw the General Meeting where members were asked to vote on a number of motions. While some of the motions were more formalities than anything else, the votes on RPKI and the membership fee structure for 2012 provoked some emotive debate.
http://www.internetnews.me/2011/11/03/ripe-members-vote-to-continue-rpki-work/

Update from the RIPE NCC General Meeting
The RIPE NCC General Meeting (GM) began today, 2 November, and will conclude at 16:00 (UTC +1) tomorrow, 3 November, when the results of the voting on the GM resolutions will be announced.
http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/about-ripe-ncc-and-ripe/update-from-the-ripe-ncc-general-meeting

RIPE NCC General Meeting November 2011
The RIPE NCC General Meeting (GM) was held 2-3 November 2011 adjacent to the RIPE 63 Meeting in Vienna. There were 117 attendees, excluding RIPE NCC staff and observers from the other Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). There were six resolutions to be voted on at the GM.
http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/about-ripe-ncc-and-ripe/gm-november-2011

CoCCA Ploughs Ahead With Policy Changes
CoCCA is implementing a number of significant policy changes effective 7th November. The changes, which were only announced today, will impact registrations in several cctlds, namely: .af .cx .gs .gy .ht .ki .ms .nf .sb
http://www.internetnews.me/2011/10/30/cocca-ploughs-ahead-with-policy-changes/

APNIC Apster Bulletin Issue 9
Enjoy the latest edition of Apster Bulletin!
http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2011/apster-9

Left of the Dot Media Adds Two Industry Leaders to Board of Directors ? Xavier Buck and Slavik Viner
Left of the Dot Media Inc. announced today the appointment of Xavier Buck and Slavik Viner to the company?s Board of Directors. Both are well known in the Domain Industry and have extremely successful track records.
http://www.leftofthedot.com/left-of-the-dot-media-adds-two-industry-leaders-to-board-of-directors-?-xavier-buck-and-slavik-viner/

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Occupy Wall Street Pays $8,000 for a Home on the Web
Occupy Wall Street, seeking a more formal Web presence for the coterie of protesters who have set up camp in downtown Manhattan, is acquiring the domain name occupywallstreet.net for $8,000, according to parties on both sides of the transaction.
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/11/04/occupy-wall-street-pays-8000-for-a-home-on-the-web/

Sedo Spots Some Interesting Sales Trends in Their Latest Quarterly Domain Market Study
... Their latest Domain Market Study covering 3Q-2011 just came out Wednesday and, as always, it is packed with interesting information. In the latest quarter Sedo logged over 9,700 sales totaling more than $19 million - an average of $1,974 per sale. .Com domains continued to be the most frequently sold, with notable sales including Grid.com for $275,000 and Republic.com for $200,000.
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2011/dailyposts/20111103.htm

Biggest Numeric Domain Sale Ever Reported Reigns On This Week's Domain Sales Chart
A blockbuster $525,000 sale of 11.com, the largest numeric domain sale ever reported, crushed the aftermarket competition this week to lead our latest all extension Top 20 Sales Chart. The monster deal was brokered by MediaOptions.com (with help from Oliver Hoger) on behalf of seller T.J. Demas, a noted numeric domain name investor. The new owner is based in China.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2011/20111102.htm

Australian Domain Market Sees Volume from Yield Media Sales
The Australian domain name market is seeing some sales volume lately thanks to a 1,500 domain portfolio being put on the market.
http://domainnamewire.com/2011/11/04/australian-domain-market-sees-volume-from-yield-media-sales/

Special Auction of 100 Premium .CO Domain Names Kicks-Off Today!
Today at 12:00 Noon, EST, .CO Internet will kick off a Special (Re)Auction of 100 high value, premium domain names that were held over from the company?s original Landrush launch phase, including:
http://www.cointernet.co/media/press-releases/special-auction-100-premium-co-domain-names-kicks-today

Destination Domain Names Available In Current .Me Auction
Millions of people search the Web for information every day and a good domain name can make or break a website?s visibility. Entrepreneurs and domainers alike will have an opportunity to get their part of the Web in the .ME Registry?s current domain name auction. The auction is underway with Sedo, a domain name aftermarket service.
http://www.domain.me/destination-domain-names-available-in-current-me-auction

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REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS
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Google Versus the Law: Google?s Legal Adventures and Their Impact to the Evolution of European Information Law by Tatiana Synodinou
Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the major legal questions which emerge from Google? dynamic presence in the Web. It is divided in four parts. The first part deals with the privacy implications which are born by Google?s various activities, primarily by its main function as a search engine, but also by more sophisticated tools, such as the Google Street View service.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1951837

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INTERNET USE
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Facebook vs. Google: The battle for the future of the Web [Fortune]
... In the long history of tech rivalries, rarely has there been a battle as competitive as the raging war between the web's wonder twins. They will stop at nothing to win over whip-smart folks like Adams, amass eyeballs, and land ad dollars. There's no public trash talking ? la the Oracle vs. HP smackdown, nor are the battle lines drawn as clearly as they were when Microsoft took on Netscape, but the stakes are immense. These companies are fighting to see which of them will determine the future of the web -- and the outcome will affect the way we get information, communicate, and buy and sell.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/03/technology/facebook_google_fight.fortune/index.htm
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2011/11/21/toc.html

Google Changes Search Algorithm, Trying to Make Results More Timely
Acknowledging that some searches were giving people stale results, Google revised its methods on Thursday to make the answers timelier. It is one of the biggest tweaks to Google?s search algorithm, affecting about 35 percent of all searches.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/google-changes-search-algorithm-trying-to-make-results-more-timely/

Women bloggers call for a stop to 'hateful' trolling by misogynist men
Crude insults, aggressive threats and unstinting ridicule: it's business as usual in the world of website news commentary ? at least for the women who regularly contribute to the national debate.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/05/women-bloggers-hateful-trolling

Google Isn?t ?Dominant? in Internet Search, Schmidt Says
Google Inc., owner of the world?s most popular search engine, isn?t ?dominant? in Internet search and competes against companies such as Facebook Inc., Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp., Chairman Eric Schmidt said in a written response to lawmakers? questions.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-04/google-isn-t-dominant-in-internet-search-market-schmidt-says.html

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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us: Life Sentence for Possession of Child Pornography Spurs Debate Over Severity
Does downloading child pornography from the Internet deserve the same criminal punishment as first-degree murder?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/us/life-sentence-for-possession-of-child-pornography-spurs-debate.html

Anonymous collects, publishes IP addresses of alleged pedophiles
Following up on its takedown of a Tor-based child pornography host, a group within the Anonymous ?hacktivist? group has published the Internet addresses of 190 alleged pedophiles. To do so, they allegedly collaborated with members of the Mozilla Foundation to create a modified Tor browser plugin which collected forensic data about the users. Members of the group also claim that a member of Tor?s developer team is the operator of the hosting service that serves up several child pornography sites.
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2011/11/anonymous-collects-publishes-ip-addresses-of-alleged-pedophiles.ars

Blog: IWF comment on criminally obscene adult content online
The vast majority of the IWF?s work concerns the removal of images of child sexual abuse from the internet, for which we have an international remit, but we also deal with criminally obscene adult material hosted in the UK.
http://www.iwf.org.uk/about-iwf/news/post/313-blog-iwf-comment-on-criminally-obscene-adult-content-online

au: Has Telstra made 84,000 reasons to filter?
... By all accounts, it's working; Telstra's filter, we learned recently, blocked over 84,000 requests for child porn sites in its first three months of operation. It's not clear how those requests relate to multiple queries by pages with multiple elements, or how many individual users they account for; they could be from just five or ten porn-obsessed customers, or they could represent a broader demographic within Telstra's user base.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/has-telstra-made-84000-reasons-to-filter-339325471.htm

nz: National to keep high-risk offenders in jail
National will introduce a law that keeps high-risk sexual or violent offenders in jail indefinitely if re-elected. ... The policy also includes: Increasing penalties for producing, trading or possessing child pornography.
http://tvnz.co.nz/election-2011/national-keep-high-risk-offenders-in-jail-4507488

nz: Facebook gun scare highlights rise of cyber-bullying
A Facebook threat posted by a Canterbury teenager that sparked an international police response has highlighted the serious effects of cyber bullying on young people, say experts.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10764318

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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uk: Arts groups tell BT to block access to The Pirate Bay
UK arts lobby groups have demanded BT block access to the BitTorrent file sharing website, The Pirate Bay.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15598438

British Telecom urged to block illegal filesharing hub
The music industry trade body, the BPI, has asked BT to block the world's largest illegal filesharing website, the Pirate Bay. BT was told to block another pirate website, Newzbin2, after Hollywood film companies won a high court test case. If BT, the UK's biggest internet service provider, does not block the site the BPI could seek a court order. The Pirate Bay is the world's largest BitTorrent site, enabling and encouraging the mass illegal distribution of copyrighted content, including music, movies and TV programmes. It is run on a commercial scale, paying no royalties, said the BPI. John Smith, general secretary of the Musicians' Union and deputy chair of the Creative Coalition Campaign, said: "Now that the high court has clarified the law, as a sector we need to keep up the pressure on these illegal sites.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/nov/04/british-telecom-block-illegal-filesharing-site

BT asked to block the Pirate Bay
BT has been asked to block access to the Pirate Bay file-sharing website, in a letter sent by a group of record labels, film studios and other copyright holders.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-management/2011/11/04/bt-asked-to-block-the-pirate-bay-40094367/

uk: Newzbin claims BT block 'not working'
BT has started blocking access to the controversial website Newzbin 2. But the group behind the site claims that its users are still able to access it via a workaround that it issued in September.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15572495

UK court ruling on ISP filtering: copyright victory or download defeat?
Last week, the English High Court ordered British Telecom (BT) to block access to a members-only website that offers links to pirated films.
http://theconversation.edu.au/uk-court-ruling-on-isp-filtering-copyright-victory-or-download-defeat-4040

Google Ponders Pay-TV Business - Pilot Project in Kansas City Would Rival Cable, Satellite
Google Inc. is considering a plan to offer paid cable-TV services to consumers, a move that could unleash a new wave of competition within the traditional TV business.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204621904577016352676478994.html

BT Vision is UK's fastest-growing pay-TV service
BT has outstripped BSkyB in the race for TV and broadband customers, and pledged to raise the stakes in its battle with the satellite broadcaster by accelerating the rollout of a superfast network that will boost its appeal in the multichannel market.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/nov/03/bt-vision-fastest-growing-pay-tv-service

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Smartphone scams: Owners warned over malware apps
A national computer security campaign is urging smartphone users to do more to protect themselves from unwittingly downloading malware applications.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15600697

EU Asks Tech Giants for Patent Details
The European Commission has requested information on patents from tech giants Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. which could lead to the opening of legal proceedings in a highly contentious area of patent law.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577017801278975164.html

European Commission investigating Samsung, Apple patent fight
The European Commission has confirmed that it's making antitrust inquiries with both Apple and Samsung in relation to their ongoing patent battle. The Commission itself declined to make further comment on the issue aside from stating that "requests for information are standard procedure in antitrust investigations," though Apple's legal filings in the US have indicated that the investigation is over Samsung's alleged abuse of "fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory" (FRAND) licensing agreements.
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/11/european-commission-confirms-investigation-into-samsung-apple-fight.ars

EU Commission probes Samsung, Apple over patents
EU regulators are investigating whether Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc may have breached EU antitrust laws with patent infringement claims in their global legal battle over the lucrative smartphone and tablet market.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/04/oukin-uk-apple-samsung-eu-idUKTRE7A32O820111104

Android now accounts for nearly 45% of U.S. smartphone users
More U.S. smartphone users turned to Android in the third quarter, accounting for nearly 44.8% of some 87 million users, ComScore reported Friday.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221518/Android_now_accounts_for_nearly_45_of_U.S._smartphone_users
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/110411-android-now-accounts-for-nearly-252800.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/243230/android_now_accounts_for_nearly_45_of_us_smartphone_users.html

comScore Reports September 2011 U.S. Mobile Subscriber Market Share - More Than 40 Percent of Subscribers Use Browsers and Applications
comScore ... released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the U.S. mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending September 2011. The study surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers and found Samsung to be the top handset manufacturer overall with 25.3 percent market share. Google Android continued to gain ground in the smartphone market reaching 44.8 percent market share.
http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2011/11/comScore_Reports_September_2011_U.S._Mobile_Subscriber_Market_Share

Pursuing a Piracy Claim Against Apple
David Gelernter is known for many things. As a pioneering computer scientist, he first earned renown by connecting computers together into collaborative networks. Then in 1993, he gained the kind of fame no one wants, as a victim of Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber, who mailed a pipe bomb to his office at Yale University that left him gravely injured.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/us/david-gelernter-discusses-patent-claim-against-apple.html

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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Software Finds Place in Posse: Firms Scramble to Cash In on Law-Enforcement Demand for Data-Sifting Programs
Law-enforcement and intelligence agencies are increasingly relying on information from the Web and electronic records to help solve crimes and evaluate threats, producing a stream of new business for companies that can help them crunch the data.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204621904577015924267518172.html

Microsoft offers temporary fix for Duqu malware exploit
Microsoft has released a temporary "fix" for a software vulnerability that left computer systems exposed to the Duqu infection.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15590126

Google removes 'paedophile' claim on review website
A business owner accused in a Google review of being a paedophile and a thief has said he is delighted that the search giant has removed the entry.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15575171

au: $1.7m Skype scam: telemarketers threaten to cut power [AAP]
Householders are being urged to beware of aggressive fake telemarketers who threaten to disconnect their power unless they buy an energy saving device.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/17m-skype-scam-telemarketers-threaten-to-cut-power-20111104-1mymj.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/17m-skype-scam-telemarketers-threaten-to-cut-power-20111104-1mymj.html

au: Surge in cyber crime prompts action [AAP]
The Australian 'she'll be right' attitude continues to be exploited by cyber criminals who may have surpassed the cost of the global drug trade, police say.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/406377/surge_cyber_crime_prompts_action/

Tech firms warn about global threat of digital protectionism
U.S. technology firms are urging the Obama administration to stop foreign countries from blocking global Internet commerce under the pretense of national security.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20111103_9717.php

Top U.S. companies urge new Internet trade rules
Google, Microsoft, Citigroup, IBM, GE and other top-tier American companies on Thursday urged the United States to fight for trade rules that protect the free flow of information over the Internet.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/oukin-uk-usa-trade-internet-idUKTRE7A274G20111103
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/03/idINIndia-60307420111103

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SECURITY
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First joint EU-US cyber security exercise conducted today, 3rd Nov. 2011 [news release]
The first joint cyber security exercise between the EU and US is being held today (3rd Nov.) in Brussels, with the support of the EU?s cyber security Agency ENISA and the US Department of Homeland Security. The day-long table-top exercise, "Cyber Atlantic 2011", is using simulated cyber-crisis scenarios to explore how the EU and US would engage each other and cooperate in the event of cyber-attacks on their critical information infrastructures.
http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/first-joint-eu-us-cyber-security-exercise-conducted-today-3rd-nov.-2011