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 *************************************************** European Union to outline Internet freedom strategy http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/12/09/oukin-uk-eu-internet-idUKTRE7B812G20111209 Clinton Warns Against Restricting Internet Access http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/world/at-hague-hillary-rodham-clinton-urges-countries-not-to-restrict-internet.html U.S. Government Strongly Affirms ICANN Model and New gTLDs http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2011/12/u-s-government-strongly-affirms-icann-model-and-new-gtlds/ au: 'Defensive' rush over .xxx domain but juliagillard.xxx off limits http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/defensive-rush-over-xxx-domain-but-juliagillardxxx-off-limits-20111209-1omd7.html nz: New .xxx suffix too tempting to ignore http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6121200/New-xxx-suffix-too-tempting-to-ignore Senators, critics question ICANN's generic TLD plan [IDG] http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/120811-senators-critics-question-icanns-generic-253908.html Senate Implores ICANN to Slow Its Roll But Admits It Can't Do Anything to Stop It http://adage.com/article/digital/senate-implores-icann-slow-roll/231478/ US says it will not block the new gTLD program http://domainincite.com/us-says-it-will-not-block-the-new-gtld-program/ Senators warn Web group to tread carefully with new domain names http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/198181-senators-warn-web-group-to-tread-carefully-with-domain-name-plan us: Should the feds have more power to seize domain names? http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2011/12/should-the-feds-have-more-power-to-seize-domain-names.html Senator Wyden wants answers from DHS over domain name seizures http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/12/wyden-domain-seizure/ New Zealand IPv6 Task Force presents Government sector report and conference http://www.ipv6.org.nz/2011/12/12/new-zealand-ipv6-task-force-presents-government-sector-report-and-conference/ ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Facilitating Expansion of Cross-Border E-Commerce-Developing a Global Online Dispute Resolution System (Lessons Derived from Existing ODR Systems - Work of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) by Louis F. Del Duca, Colin Rule & Zbynek Loebl [The Pennsylvania State University Legal Studies Research Paper] Abstract: This article examines the growing need for online dispute resolution (ODR). It traces the birth of the internet, expansion of e-commerce, and the resulting evolution of ODR systems in the past two decades. To facilitate development of a global ODR system, it looks at the structure and operation of existing and proposed ODR systems such as eBay, Concilianet, ICANN, the proposed Organization of American States (OAS) ? ODR initiative, and the E-Commerce Redress Interchange (ECRI) and NGO proposals for Fast Track Substantive Principles and Common ODR Data Standards. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1970613 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** European Union to outline Internet freedom strategy The European Union will outline a strategy on Monday to support activists living under repressive governments who are using technology to organise, mobilise and exercise their rights, European Commissioner Neelie Kroes said on Friday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/09/us-eu-internet-idUSTRE7B81HL20111209 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/12/09/oukin-uk-eu-internet-idUKTRE7B812G20111209 Clinton Warns Against Restricting Internet Access Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other international leaders urged countries and private businesses on Thursday to fight increasing efforts to restrict access to the Internet by repressive governments and even some democratic ones. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/world/at-hague-hillary-rodham-clinton-urges-countries-not-to-restrict-internet.html U.S. Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton Warns Tech Business Not To Help Tyrants U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is warning Internet and software companies to beware what they sell to autocratic governments. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/08/hillary-clinton-tech_n_1137582.html Clinton Urges Technology Companies to Beware Repressive Regimes Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on technology companies to make ?good decisions? about how and even whether to do business involving nations that may use the equipment or software against their citizens. ... When these countries negotiate at standards-setting bodies -- such as ICANN, and the International Telecommunication Union -- they often use the word ?sovereignty? as a shorthand for domestic control of the Internet. In public pronouncements, for example, the Chinese government refers to ?China?s Internet,? rather than ?the Internet.? http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-08/clinton-urges-technology-companies-to-beware-repressive-regimes.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Distinguished Chinese Internet Expert Named ICANN Vice President for Asia Noted Internet expert Dr. Xiaodong Lee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been selected as ICANN?s Vice President for Asia. Rod Beckstrom, ICANN President and Chief Executive Officer called Lee?s appointment ?an important development for ICANN, for China and for all of Asia.? http://www.icann.org/en/news/releases/release-08dec11-en.pdf ICANN CEO Calls for Companies and Organizations Worldwide to Prepare for the Introduction of New Internet Domains ICANN?s President and Chief Executive Officer said today that with just over a month before the opening of the application period for new gTLDs, organizations worldwide need to prepare for their introduction. http://www.icann.org/en/news/releases/release-07dec11-en.pdf Remarks by Lawrence E. Strickling, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, NTIA, to the PLI/FCBA Telecommunications Policy & Regulation Institute ... Internet Policy: Next, let me turn to Internet policy. This year has been a very active one for NTIA in the area of Internet governance as well as in privacy policy. In fact, the Senate Commerce Committee had a hearing this morning on the new TLD program that ICANN will be starting in January. Our work at NTIA in this area has focused on how we can preserve and expand the marvelous economic and job creation engine that the Internet has become. As we address these issues, we are guided by two principles. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/speechtestimony/2011/remarks-assistant-secretary-strickling-practising-law-institutes-29th-annual-te U.S. Government Strongly Affirms ICANN Model and New gTLDs Larry Strickling, who runs the NTIA (the part of the U.S. Department of Commerce that handles ICANN), yesterday gave an important and remarkable speech to the Practicing Law Institute about Internet governance. His speech, timed to coincide with an orchestrated ICANN-bashing across town in the Senate, was a striking defense of the ICANN model and a repudiation of special pleading outside the process. http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2011/12/u-s-government-strongly-affirms-icann-model-and-new-gtlds/ US government saves ICANN's bacon For an organization that spends much of its time complaining about the overseeing role that the United States government has over it, ICANN has much to be grateful for today after the NTIA defended the organization not once but twice in front of Senators and key policy-makers. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/12/09/ntia-saves-icann-bacon ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** .at report: "Legal issues" Did you know that the number of disputes over .at domains is declining and that only 10-20% of them are taken to court? Did you ever think of domains being attachments in execution processes? And what happens to domains if they are implicated in insolvency proceedings? We have collected the answers to those questions in the new .at report. http://www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/nicat_news/news_view/article/81/at-report-registrarwelt-von-at/ Domain name otep??lasteaed.ee becomes 1,000th registered domain name with diacritics Today, almost 6 months after registration of domain names containing letters with diacritical marks became available, otep??lasteaed.ee has become the 1,000th registered .ee domain name with diacritics, with the total number of registered .ee domains surpassing 65,000. The procedure for registration of domain names with diacritics was introduced on 13 June, 2011. http://www.internet.ee/eng/news/1000-IDN-eng .eu Q3 2011 progress report available Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania have the highest volume of new .eu registrations of all European Union Member States, each growing by over 10% in Q3 2011, according to the latest quarterly progress report from EURid, the .eu TLD registry. http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-q3-2011-progress-report-available 1st review of the opening to Europe of the .fr, wf, .re, .yt, .pm, and .tf TLDs Tuesday, 6 Dec. marks the day when the .fr TLD and the other TLDs managed by AFNIC (.wf, .tf, .re, .pm and .yt) are opened to Europe. http://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/5442/show/1st-review-of-the-opening-to-europe-of-the-fr-wf-re-yt-pm-and-tf-tlds.html Voting opens for the best .INFO website of 2011 Afilias ... announced that the 2011 .INFO Awards ? celebrating the tenth anniversary of the .INFO domain -- are now open for public voting. http://www.afilias.info/news/2011/12/06/voting-opens-best-info-website-2011 Call for Nominations to the Public Interest Registry .ORG Advisory Council The .ORG Advisory Council has been a valuable global resource for the Public Interest Registry (PIR) management for providing advice on policy, outreach, and new services to improve registry operations and support the noncommercial .ORG community. http://pir.org/pr/2011/callforac Approximately one hundred players of the Ukrainian domain market participated in the UAdom conference It was that first time that about a hundred participants of the domain market got together in Ukraine to share experience and discuss issues and development prospects. The occasion for such an impressive gathering was the First All-Ukrainian Conference of Public Domain Registrars and Administrators UAdom, which was held on December 2 in Kyiv. http://hostmaster.ua/news/?pr20111206 au: 'Defensive' rush over .xxx domain but juliagillard.xxx off limits The internet's new red-light district is now open for business but URLs including names of politicians, celebrities and businesses cannot be registered lest they become hijacked by enterprising pornographers. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/defensive-rush-over-xxx-domain-but-juliagillardxxx-off-limits-20111209-1omd7.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/defensive-rush-over-xxx-domain-but-juliagillardxxx-off-limits-20111209-1omd7.html nz: New .xxx suffix too tempting to ignore An adults-only, racy Trade Me? New Zealand companies are scrambling to buy up the new .xxx pornography version of their internet addresses, but not to create X-rated versions of their sites. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6121200/New-xxx-suffix-too-tempting-to-ignore Was .xxx?s launch disappointing? The weekend box office numbers are in, and .xxx didn?t put as many bums on seats as might have been expected. http://domainincite.com/was-xxxs-launch-disappointing/ ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** Senators, critics question ICANN's generic TLD plan [IDG] ICANN may be moving forward too fast on a plan to sell hundreds of new gTLDs starting early next year, several U.S. senators said Thursday. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222535/Senators_critics_question_ICANN_s_generic_TLD_plan http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/120811-senators-critics-question-icanns-generic-253908.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/245805/senators_critics_question_icanns_generic_tld_plan.html http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/120811-senators-critics-question-icanns-generic-253908.html Senate Implores ICANN to Slow Its Roll But Admits It Can't Do Anything to Stop It A little more than a month before ICANN plans to field applications for as many as 1,000 new TLDs, the organization's senior VP spent about an hour today listening as the program was portrayed as everything from a tax on the internet to a threat to businesses to an unnecessary headache for law enforcement officials. But ultimately, the opponents gathered at a Senate hearing can do little to stop ICANN from moving ahead. http://adage.com/article/digital/senate-implores-icann-slow-roll/231478/ US Senate Committee Holds Hearing on ICANN's New TLD Expansion As previously noted, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today held a full committee hearing on ICANN's expansion of TLDs. The hearing was held to examine the merits and implications of the program and ICANN's efforts to address concerns raised. ICANN will begin accepting applications for new TLDs on January 12, 2012. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111208_us_senate_committee_holds_hearing_on_icanns_new_tld_expansion/ Senate and House Hearings on New Top Level Domains Not Likely to Delay Launch by Elisa Cooper Yesterday, the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held hearings on ICANN's expansion of TLDs. Next week the House Energy and Commerce committee will also conduct their hearings on this same topic. https://www.markmonitor.com/mmblog/senate-and-house-hearings-on-new-top-level-domains-not-likely-to-delay-launch/ US says it will not block the new gTLD program NTIA boss Larry Strickling has come out in support of ICANN and its new TLDs program, warning that its opponents ?provide ammunition? to authoritarian regimes. http://domainincite.com/us-says-it-will-not-block-the-new-gtld-program/ Senators warn Web group to tread carefully with new domain names Senators urged ICANN to move carefully with its plan to open the Internet up to hundreds of new domain endings at a hearing on Thursday. http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/198181-senators-warn-web-group-to-tread-carefully-with-domain-name-plan Icann attacks opponents of new gTLDs at Senate hearing Icann ramped up its PR offensive on Thursday just a month away from the long-awaited opening of the application period for new gTLDs, but was forced to defend its actions in the US Senate after heavy lobbying against the project from the American Advertising Federation. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2131227/icann-attacks-opponents-gtlds-senate-hearing ICANN opens pepper-spray, fires in own face Having spent seven years putting together plans for the greatest expansion of the Internet, and with applications for potentially thousands of new extensions due to open in just over a month, ICANN should be riding high. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/12/08/icann-peppersprays-itself FTC chairman response on new gTLDs at Judiciary Committee hearing The following transcript comes from a hearing of the US House Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet Subcommittee. The hearing, held Wed 7 Dec 2011, concerned: 'Oversight of the Antitrust Enforcement Agencies' and had FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz and Assistant Attorney General of DoJ Antitrust Division, Sharis Pozen. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/12/07/leibowitz-on-gtlds Notes from the Senate new gTLDs hearing The US Senate?s Commerce Committee held a hearing into ICANN?s new gTLD program today, following pressure from the Association of National Advertisers. http://domainincite.com/notes-from-the-senate-new-gtlds-hearing/ Companies that both support and oppose new gTLDs NetChoice, which has spent the last few years publicly expressing a skeptical view of ICANN?s new TLDs program, has today come out explicitly in its support. http://domainincite.com/companies-that-both-support-and-oppose-new-gtlds/ Dot.chaos: Fears over costly new web domains If I had $185,000 (?118,000), I might consider becoming a .foley. Carmaker Ford, which does have $185,000, is considering becoming a .ford, but it is unhappy. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/dotchaos-fears-over-costly-new-web-domains-6275100.html ANA Tells Congress that ICANN's Program for an Unlimited Expansion of TLDs is a Reckless Experiment that Should be Delayed The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) told the Senate Commerce Committee today that ICANN's plan for an unlimited expansion of the gTLD program is a "reckless experiment" that would seriously threaten both businesses and consumers in the online marketplace. http://www.ana.net/content/show/id/22603 10 Reasons ICANN Should Be Stopped Now Simply put, ICANN's proposed expansion of gTLDs is the antithesis of a great Internet innovation. Thwarting this program is one of the most important items on the ANA?s agenda today. Here are 10 reasons ICANN should be stopped: http://www.ana.net/content/show/id/icann-topten ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Cyber attacks could wreck world oil supply Hackers are bombarding the world's computer controlled energy sector, conducting industrial espionage and threatening potential global havoc through oil supply disruption. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/12/08/cyber-attacks-could-wreck-world-oil-supp-idINDEE7B70F920111208 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/12/08/oukin-uk-cyber-attacks-oil-idUKTRE7B71EZ20111208 Developing countries most vulnerable to cyberattacks ? UN [news release] Developing countries are at higher risk of being the target of cyberattacks, a United Nations-led forum on cybersecurity heard today, where experts discussed ways to mitigate this phenomenon at the national and international levels. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40692 ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** us: Should the feds have more power to seize domain names? Before Congress gives the Justice Department more power to seize domain names, maybe it should consider what the government does with the power it already has. http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2011/12/should-the-feds-have-more-power-to-seize-domain-names.html Senator Wyden wants answers from DHS over domain name seizures Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) said Friday he would demand answers from the Department of Homeland Security about its domain seizure program known as Operation in Our Sites after it was revealed that the government kept a hip-hop music review site?s name for a year without affording the owner a chance to challenge the seizure. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/12/wyden-domain-seizure/ http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/senator-wyden-wants-answers-from-dhs-over-domain-name-seizures.ars US Immigration Services Blasted for Domain Seizures A sudden move last week to return a hip-hop site to its owner after it was seized and held by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for a year has renewed criticism of the agency's domain confiscation program called In Our Sites. http://www.pcworld.com/article/246010/us_immigration_services_blasted_for_domain_seizures.html DHS abruptly abandons copyright seizure of hip-hop blog A bizarre attempt by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to seize the domain name of a hip-hop blog accused of copyright infringement ended today with the government abruptly abandoning the lawsuit. http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57339569-281/dhs-abruptly-abandons-copyright-seizure-of-hip-hop-blog/ ICE admits year-long seizure of music blog was a mistake We've covered Operation In Our Sites, an ambitious project by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to seize the domains of dozens of websites allegedly used for copyright infringement, in great detail here at Ars. In a piece earlier this year, we noted the curious case of Dajaz1.com, a hip-hop music blog that didn't seem to fit the conventional definition of a "rogue site." When the domain was seized last year, the site's owner expressed confusion, showing the New York Times copies of e-mails documenting that some of the allegedly infringing songs on his site had been sent to him by artists and labels. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/ice-admits-months-long-seizure-of-music-blog-was-a-mistake.ars Cybersquatting and the Nuclear Option: What the Protect IP Act and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Means to Domainers Cybersquatting law addresses trademark infringement under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP Policy) and the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA). But a new law which will directly affect domainers is gaining traction in Washington, D.C. http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2011/12/cybersquatting-and-the-nuclear-option-what-the-protect-ip-act-and-stop-online-piracy-act-sopa-means-to-domainers.html The Case For Supporting SOPA And PROTECT IP by Steve Tepp, chief intellectual property counsel for the Global Intellectual Property Center at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Last month, 150 online illegal enterprises were shut down by the Department of Homeland Security?s Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of its ongoing ?Operation in Our Sites? campaign against theft of intellectual property. While the operators of these websites may be saying ?Bah Humbug!,? consumers and businesses alike are all the better for it, especially during this season of giving (and therefore, shopping). http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2011/12/08/the-case-for-supporting-sopa-and-protect-ip/ SOPA Alternative Bill Would Shift Piracy Cases to Trade Commission The U.S. International Trade Commission would be the court of first instance for disputes brought by parties claiming that a Web site hosted offshore is trafficking in its intellectual property, in a draft of a bi-partisan bill released today by Sen. Ron Wyden (D - Ore.) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R - Calif.). http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2011/12/sopa-alternative-bill-would-sh.php Got Evidence? California Milk Processor Board Finds Itself Udderly Without Simply put, not all domains are good candidates for a UDRP complaint. It is the duty of a Complainant and its counsel to both carefully research claims before filing and also to be prepared to alter their strategy if new facts come to light after filing. If these fundamentals are ignored and a Complainant is unable to provide the right evidence, it risks more than just a denial of its claim. Completely unsubstantiated complaints could be judged as an attempt at reverse domain name hijacking, a ruling that could be used against the Complainant in subsequent cases. http://www.domainnamestrategy.com/2011/12/09/got-evidence-california-milk-processor-board-finds-itself-udderly-without What a disgraceful UDRP decision UDRP mostly gets it right. It sometimes gets it wrong. Other times it gets it absolutely, disgracefully wrong. Consider the case of a Minnesota man who wants to set up a consulting firm. He comes up with the reasonable name Fresh Look Consulting, LLC. So he files for his company name with the state on October 3 of this year. Then he registers the domain name FreshLookConsultingLLC.net on October 7. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/12/08/what-a-disgraceful-udrp-decision/ Cash Converters Pty Ltd. v. Casheez Pty Ltd = Case No. DAU2011-0029 1. The Parties: The Complainant is Cash Converters Pty Ltd. of Perth, Australia represented by Wrays, Australia. The Respondent is Casheez Pty Ltd of Manly, Queensland, Australia represented by Cullens, Australia. 2. The Domain Names and Registrar: The disputed domain names <casheez.com.au> and <casheze.com.au> are registered with Netregistry Pty Ltd. ... 7. Decision: For all the foregoing reasons, the Complaint is denied. http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DAU2011-0029 ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** New Zealand IPv6 Task Force presents Government sector report and conference The New Zealand IPv6 Task Force is pleased to announce that New Zealand?s public sector is making steady progress towards greater adoption and usage of IPv6 ? the next generation Internet protocol. http://www.ipv6.org.nz/2011/12/12/new-zealand-ipv6-task-force-presents-government-sector-report-and-conference/ Usenix: Google deploys IPv6 for internal network [IDG] In a project that has taken longer than company engineers anticipated, Google is rolling out IPv6 across its entire internal employee network. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/409851/usenix_google_deploys_ipv6_internal_network/ http://www.techworld.com.au/article/409851/usenix_google_deploys_ipv6_internal_network ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** An Alternative to SOPA: An Open Process Befitting an Open Internet The truly frightening legislative proposals known as SOPA and PIPA continue to loom in Congress, promising to put a big lump of coal in the stocking of every Internet user. So we were glad to learn that a bipartisan group of congressional represenatives has come together to formulate a real alternative, called the OPEN Act, as well as a real process for including the Internet users and innovators it may affect. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/12/alternative-sopa-open-process-befitting-open-internet US Lawmakers To Release Draft Anti-Online Piracy Bill Two key lawmakers are expected to release draft legislation on Thursday that offers an alternative to two controversial bills cracking down on piracy and counterfeiting on foreign websites. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/12/issa-to-release-draft-antionli.php US Lawmakers Release Draft Alternative to Stop Online Piracy Act [IDG] Two U.S. lawmakers have released an alternative proposal to two controversial bills intended to crack down on online copyright infringement, and they're asking the Internet community to comment on and suggest changes to the draft bill. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/245790/lawmakers_release_draft_alternative_to_stop_online_piracy_act.html VeriSign releases DomainCountdown for expired domains DomainCountdown by VeriSignVeriSign has just released a beta of DomainCountdown, a source of data on expiring domain names. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/12/08/verisign-domain-countdown-expired-domains/ Delicious.com is Now Also D.ME Delicious.com, which helps people discover and collect the Web, is now easier to access and use thanks to their new .ME domain name, d.me. http://www.domain.me/deliciouscom-is-now-also-dme Netcraft December 2011 Web Server Survey In the December 2011 survey we received responses from 555,482,744 sites, giving a rise of 29.5 million (+5.6%) since last month. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2011/12/09/december-2011-web-server-survey.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** A $90,000 .Com and Eight ccTLDs Share the Spotlight on This Week's Domain Sales Chart If variety is the spice of life the past week was a very spicy one for the domain aftermarket as seven different TLDs earned places on our new all extension Top 20 Sales Chart. As is usually the case, the top spot went to a .com with this week's leader being Constant.com, a name that changed hands through the AfternicDLS for $90,000. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2011/20111130.htm ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Child Pornography Sentencing and Demographic Data: Reforming Through Research [Federal Sentencing Reporter/Saint Louis U. Legal Studies Research Paper] Abstract: This article examines demographic research on child pornography offenders and considers its utility for sentencing reform. It begins by tracing the history of the internet and federal possession law, detailing particularly how public and political panic about child pornography evolved within a growing fear of the internet itself. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1970321 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Internet poses increasing danger to Kremlin's authority The Internet has proven instrumental in challenging the Kremlin and mobilizing demonstrators to rally in protest of voting irregularities and accusing the government of election fraud. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15592315,00.html World Internet Project survey finds 86% of New Zealanders online The World Internet Project New Zealand has found the use of the Internet in New Zealand continued to rise this year with 86% of New Zealanders online. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/world-internet-project-survey-finds-86-new-zealanders-online-aw-106210 Broadband penetration in rural NZ at 72%, says WIPNZ report The penetration of broadband services in rural areas of New Zealand has risen significantly in the past four years, according to the third World Internet Project New Zealand (WIPNZ) survey. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/broadband-penetration-in-rural-nz-at-84-says-wipnz-report au: Online sellers 'bullied on price' Global brands and high-profile Australian retailers have tried to stop their wares being sold cheaper on the internet, "e-tailing" giant eBay has told the competition watchdog. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/online-sellers-bullied-on-price/story-e6frg6nf-1226219427293 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** uk: How Twitter was used to spread ? and knock down ? rumours during the riots Rumour is a pipe blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures, wrote Shakespeare. In the age of Twitter we can now add: and by the ease of clicking "retweet". http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/07/how-twitter-spread-rumours-riots Why BlackBerry Messenger was rioters' communication method of choice Hours after the riots in Tottenham on Saturday 6 August had finally abated and London's streets had returned to relative calm, a message pinged out, first on to a few phones, then dozens, then hundreds if not thousands across north London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/07/bbm-rioters-communication-method-choice Facebook played little role in planning riots, despite harsh sentences Facebook played little or no role in the organisation of the summer riots, and was mainly used by people to comment on what was happening, the Guardian and LSE's study has found. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/07/facebook-role-planning-riots-sentences How 2.6m tweets were analysed to understand reaction to the riots Social media data is of great value for researchers wishing to understand how people use platforms such as Twitter to react during events such as the August riots. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/07/how-tweets-analysed-understand-riots Twitter and the riots: how the news spread For many people, the England riots began with a flurry of curious Twitter messages shortly before 9pm on Saturday 6 August. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/07/twitter-riots-how-news-spread Facebook monopolises New Zealand's online social networking landscape Facebook has captured the hearts (and time) of Kiwis while MySpace has disappeared off our radars completely, as shown by results from the latest World Internet Project New Zealand survey, a study sponsored in part by InternetNZ. http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=9492 ********************************* CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY ********************************* nz: Paper offers remedies to harmful online behaviour Tougher laws should be enacted to stop the publication of intimate photographs, maliciously impersonating someone or inciting suicide on the internet, a new report says. http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/6124897/Paper-offers-remedies-to-harmful-online-behaviour http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6123820/Tough-laws-for-the-cyber-age-requested nz: Report proposes tough new laws on cyber bullying Victims of cyber bullying could strike back at their tormentors through a new, easily accessible internet enforcer capable of imposing fines, ordering apologies or even terminating the offender's internet account under a proposal revealed today. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10772670 nz: Victim's mum backs recommendations The mother of a Rotorua teenager who took her own life after being cyber-bullied has been calling for the Law Commission's proposed changes ever since. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10772669 nz: Social media minefield OPINION: Social media is a wonderful thing. Except when it's not. For years we've been merrily tweeting and texting and spending hours on Facebook and YouTube. And most of the time, social media is a lot of fun, a great way to keep in touch. http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/6123769/Social-media-minefield http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/6123769/Editorial-Social-media-minefield nz: Anonymous compliments online A website filled with anonymous compliments about Marlborough teenagers became so popular the schoolgirl who created put it on hold so she could finish her school work. http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/6113268/Anonymous-compliments-online nz: Laws need to change to halt online harassment NetSafe says laws need to change to tackle online harassment. The Law Commission has suggested law changes, so there's no doubt types of activities such as posting intimate photographs on the internet and online sexual harassment, are illegal online. http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=210872 ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** DHS abruptly abandons copyright seizure of hip-hop blog A bizarre attempt by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to seize the domain name of a hip-hop blog accused of copyright infringement ended today with the government abruptly abandoning the lawsuit. http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57339569-281/dhs-abruptly-abandons-copyright-seizure-of-hip-hop-blog/ ICE admits year-long seizure of music blog was a mistake We've covered Operation In Our Sites, an ambitious project by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to seize the domains of dozens of websites allegedly used for copyright infringement, in great detail here at Ars. In a piece earlier this year, we noted the curious case of Dajaz1.com, a hip-hop music blog that didn't seem to fit the conventional definition of a "rogue site." When the domain was seized last year, the site's owner expressed confusion, showing the New York Times copies of e-mails documenting that some of the allegedly infringing songs on his site had been sent to him by artists and labels. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/ice-admits-months-long-seizure-of-music-blog-was-a-mistake.ars au: Youth increasingly apathetic towards internet piracy Australian youth are becoming increasingly apathetic about internet piracy, a discussion forum held by the Australian Communications and Media Authority's has revealed. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/409812/youth_increasingly_apathetic_towards_internet_piracy/ ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** au: Apple loses bid to stop Samsung Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 is set to be in Australian stores in time for Christmas after Apple's legal bid to ban its sale here hit a dead end in the country's highest court. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/apple-loses-bid-to-stop-samsung/story-e6frgakx-1226218608291 au: Samsung slays Apple in tablet war Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be on sale "next week" after the High Court today denied Apple's request to appeal against an earlier decision overturning the ban on the device. http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/tablets/samsung-slays-apple-in-tablet-war-20111209-1omep.html http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/tablets/samsung-slays-apple-in-tablet-war-20111209-1omep.html Motorola wins Apple wireless patent fight in Germany A German court has ruled in Motorola Mobility's favour in a patents dispute with Apple. The Android smartphone maker had complained that Apple failed to license one of its wireless intellectual properties. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16112259 German court issues injunction against Apple products [IDG] A German court on Friday ruled that Apple's iPhone and iPad devices infringe a Motorola patent and issued an injunction against sales of the products in Germany, in the latest move in a long series of legal battles between the companies. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/409876/german_court_issues_injunction_against_apple_products/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/120911-german-court-issues-injunction-against-253953.html ********************** ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL ********************** uk: Arrests over ?1m student loan phishing scam Six people have been arrested over a ?1m online phishing scam in which money was stolen from the hacked bank accounts of hundreds of students. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/09/student-loan-phishing-scam ********************** SECURITY ********************** Cyber attacks could wreck world oil supply Hackers are bombarding the world's computer controlled energy sector, conducting industrial espionage and threatening potential global havoc through oil supply disruption. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/12/08/cyber-attacks-could-wreck-world-oil-supp-idINDEE7B70F920111208 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/12/08/oukin-uk-cyber-attacks-oil-idUKTRE7B71EZ20111208 Developing countries most vulnerable to cyberattacks ? UN [news release] Developing countries are at higher risk of being the target of cyberattacks, a United Nations-led forum on cybersecurity heard today, where experts discussed ways to mitigate this phenomenon at the national and international levels. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40692 ********************** PRIVACY ********************** Google, Microsoft teams work to keep pace with privacy laws [IDG] Executives from Microsoft and Google on Thursday gave a glimpse into the size of their privacy organizations, which are required for the companies to try to avoid running foul of complicated U.S. privacy regulations and prepare for changes coming to privacy laws around the globe. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/120811-google-microsoft-teams-work-to-253913.html http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9222536/Google_Microsoft_teams_work_to_keep_pace_with_privacy_laws Facebook and privacy: The giant social network is castigated for serious privacy failings Facebook has been playing with fire and has got its fingers burned, again. On November 29th America?s Federal Trade Commission announced that it had reached a draft settlement with the giant social network over allegations that it had misled people about its use of their personal data. http://www.economist.com/node/21541047 au: Private details exposed on web Telstra faces the wrath of the federal Privacy Commissioner after leaving details of potentially millions of customers exposed on the web, reportedly including their user names and passwords. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/private-details-exposed-on-web/story-e6frgakx-1226218584262 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Western Surveillance Technology in the Hands of Despots German companies play an important role in the market for surveillance technology used by Arab despots to spy on their people. In this industry worth billions, the companies also earn their money using methods that have been outlawed in their home country. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,802317,00.html Call for 'forecful' web controls in China [AFP] A top Chinese government official has urged authorities to be "more forceful" in the way they manage the web, state media said, as Beijing tries to tighten online controls over fears of social unrest. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/china-urged-to-adopt-forecful-web-controls/story-e6frgakx-1226219591466 India not interested in pre-screening online content [IDG] India never asked Internet companies to pre-screen objectionable content, a federal minister said in interviews with local TV channels. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/120911-india-not-interested-in-pre-screening-253947.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** An Alternative to SOPA: An Open Process Befitting an Open Internet The truly frightening legislative proposals known as SOPA and PIPA continue to loom in Congress, promising to put a big lump of coal in the stocking of every Internet user. So we were glad to learn that a bipartisan group of congressional represenatives has come together to formulate a real alternative, called the OPEN Act, as well as a real process for including the Internet users and innovators it may affect. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/12/alternative-sopa-open-process-befitting-open-internet US Lawmakers To Release Draft Anti-Online Piracy Bill Two key lawmakers are expected to release draft legislation on Thursday that offers an alternative to two controversial bills cracking down on piracy and counterfeiting on foreign websites. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/12/issa-to-release-draft-antionli.php US Lawmakers Release Draft Alternative to Stop Online Piracy Act [IDG] Two U.S. lawmakers have released an alternative proposal to two controversial bills intended to crack down on online copyright infringement, and they're asking the Internet community to comment on and suggest changes to the draft bill. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/245790/lawmakers_release_draft_alternative_to_stop_online_piracy_act.html Internet Providers Hit a Speed Trap Consumers shopping around for high-speed Internet service have two questions: How much, and how fast? The first part is easily answered, and there's a reminder with every monthly bill. To answer the second, service providers loudly promote their download speeds. But it's tough for consumers to know just how high-speed that Internet access really is. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203413304577088332871541336.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** The scramble for spectrum could reshape America?s telecoms industry Julius Genachowski, the head of America?s Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has called wireless spectrum ?the oxygen that sustains our mobile devices?. Yet unlike oxygen, the airwaves over which telecoms companies transmit their wireless signals are in ever shorter supply. According to the FCC?s calculations, America needs to make 300 megahertz (MHz) of additional spectrum available by 2014 to avoid a ?crunch? that drives up consumers? mobile-phone bills and holds back innovation. http://www.economist.com/node/21541415 Australians hunger for choice in communications [news release] Research released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority suggests that Australians continue to embrace multiple communication technologies, with the mobile phone, the rise of the smartphone and internet-based communications complementing traditional fixed-line telephony. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_410252 EU guide to broadband investment Final report of a study for an EU guide on models for investment for Public Authorities investing EU funds in NGA infrastructure. http://www.broadband-europe.eu/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?ItemID=908 Broadband penetration in rural NZ at 72%, says WIPNZ report The penetration of broadband services in rural areas of New Zealand has risen significantly in the past four years, according to the third World Internet Project New Zealand (WIPNZ) survey. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/broadband-penetration-in-rural-nz-at-84-says-wipnz-report +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2011 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david at yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim FlanneryReceived on Mon Dec 12 2011 - 01:25:51 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:11 UTC