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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Ahead Of ITU Summit, Google Wants You To Help Preserve A Free And Open Internet With New Campaign
http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/20/ahead-of-itu-summit-google-wants-you-to-help-preserve-a-free-internet-with-new-campaign/

Russians back down from leaked U.N. Internet proposal
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57552769-38/russians-back-down-from-leaked-u.n-internet-proposal/

New gTLD Prioritization Draw 2012 | Hilton LAX, Los Angeles | 17 December 2012
http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/prioritization-draw

ICANN Board Launches New Effort to Tackle gTLD Registration Data Challenges Based on Policy Review Team Report - Approved resolution also reconfirms full support for Enforcement of WHOIS policy and obligations
http://www.icann.org/en/news/press/releases/release-19nov12-en.pdf

Update on Protection of Red Cross, International Olympic Committee and Other Names in New gTLDs
https://www.myicann.org/news/topics/1197/page/1/articles/17409

At-Large White Paper on Future Challenges Entitled Making ICANN Relevant, Responsive and Respected
http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/at-large-r3-white-paper-20nov12-en.htm

ICANN asks: just what the hell is Whois for anyway?
http://domainincite.com/11083-icann-asks-just-what-the-hell-is-whois-for-anyway

Governments Object To Private Bodies Controlling Generic gTLD Terms
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/11/21/gac-object-private-bodies-controlling-gtlds/

Australia leads the charge as governments file 242 new gTLD warnings
http://domainincite.com/11099-australia-leads-the-charge-as-governments-file-242-new-gtld-warnings

LA Straw (Man) by Philip Corwin
http://internetcommerce.org/LA_Straw(Man)

ICANN?s 11th-Hour Domain Name Trademark Policy Negotiations: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly ? Dissecting the Strawman by Robin Gross
http://ipjustice.org/wp/2012/11/18/icanns-11th-hour-domain-name-trademark-policy-negotiations-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-dissecting-the-strawman/

Straw man proposed to settle trademark deadlock at secretive ICANN meeting
http://domainincite.com/11064-straw-man-proposed-to-settle-trademark-deadlock-at-secretive-icann-meeting


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GOVERNANCE
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Ahead Of ITU Summit, Google Wants You To Help Preserve A Free And Open Internet With New Campaign
Today, Google announced a new initiative to support an open and free Internet called ?Take Action.? The company has set up a website with materials to help educate you on what your rights are and what changes with laws could do to impact the freedoms you enjoy today on the Internet.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/20/ahead-of-itu-summit-google-wants-you-to-help-preserve-a-free-internet-with-new-campaign/

Google attacks UN's internet treaty conference
Google has warned that a forthcoming UN-organised conference threatens the "free and open internet".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20429625

Google rallies opposition to UN takeover of Internet governance
The world's leading search company has decided to come out swinging against an effort by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the telecommunications arm of the United Nations, to seize a larger role for itself in Internet governance.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/11/google-rallies-opposition-to-un-takeover-of-internet-governance/

Russians back down from leaked U.N. Internet proposal
The Russian Federation has revised a controversial proposal to turn Internet governance over to the U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union, CNET has learned.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57552769-38/russians-back-down-from-leaked-u.n-internet-proposal/

Domain names: expression that deserves protection
If we had to learn and reproduce long numbers or alphanumeric chains each time we wanted to access a website, the Internet wouldn't be what we've all come to know. Undoubtedly, having to write 173.194.42.19 to access Google or 72.21.214.128 for Amazon, for instance, would discourage most users and would be a threat to the logic of open access that characterizes the net. ... Another case is Canada, where registry administration is the responsibility of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), whose authorities are chose by the users themselves.
http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2012/11/20/domain-names-expression-that-deserves-protection/

Why Vint Cerf is Wrong by Wout de Natris
At the Internet Governance Forum in Baku, I made an intervention on behalf of NL IGF, reporting on the recommendations given by the participants of Workshop 87... I concluded that more regulatory and law enforcement bodies need to become part of the IGF discussions, as they are an integral part of governing the Internet from a safety and security perspective. Mr. Cerf responded with a one-liner: "I can't help observing, if we keep the regulatories confused, maybe they will leave us alone".
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121121_why_vint_cerf_is_wrong/

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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New gTLD Prioritization Draw 2012 | Hilton LAX, Los Angeles | 17 December 2012
A Prioritization Draw ("Draw") will be held on 17 December 2012 in Los Angeles to assign priority numbers to all new gTLD applications. Each application will be assigned a randomly-drawn priority number. These priority numbers will be used to determine the order in which initial evaluation results are released. Only those Applicants who purchase a ticket will be able to participate in the Draw.
http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/prioritization-draw

ICANN Board Launches New Effort to Tackle gTLD Registration Data Challenges Based on Policy Review Team Report - Approved resolution also reconfirms full support for Enforcement of WHOIS policy and obligations
The ICANN Board of Directors has directed the Chief Executive Officer to launch a new effort to re-examine the purpose of collecting, maintaining and providing access to gTLD registration data. The move follows the recommendations of a review team that examined implementation of WHOIS data policy.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/press/releases/release-19nov12-en.pdf

Update on Protection of Red Cross, International Olympic Committee and Other Names in New gTLDs
?At a Glance: The GNSO Council has initiated a Policy Developmenty Process (PDP) on the protection of names and acronyms of certain international organizations in the top and second levels of all gTLDs including, International Government Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations such as the Red Cross/Red Crescent (RCRC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
https://www.myicann.org/news/topics/1197/page/1/articles/17409

At-Large White Paper on Future Challenges Entitled Making ICANN Relevant, Responsive and Respected
Purpose (Brief): The At-Large White Paper on "Making ICANN Relevant, Responsive and Respected" (R3 White Paper) seeks to address the questions that are now being raised about whether the present ecosystem of Internet governance, including ICANN, is able to adapt to recent changes in the ecosystem that have taken place, and more specifically, within the following four areas:
http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/at-large-r3-white-paper-20nov12-en.htm

Consultation on Internet Number Resources Performance Standards
Purpose (Brief): A consultation on developing performance standards for Internet Number Resources management
http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/iana-kpis-20nov12-en.htm

IDN ccTLD Request From Sudan Successfully Passes String Evaluation
ICANN is pleased to announce the successful completion of String Evaluation on proposed IDN ccTLD string for Sudan.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-19nov12-en.htm

ICANN asks: just what the hell is Whois for anyway?
It?s back to basics time at ICANN, with the launch today of a massive effort to take a fresh look at Whois. This could be a biggie.
http://domainincite.com/11083-icann-asks-just-what-the-hell-is-whois-for-anyway

ICANN To Examine Role Of Whois
ICANN is to examine the role of Whois, the listing of domain registrants and their contact information, with the board directing the CEO "to launch a new effort to re-examine the purpose of collecting, maintaining and providing access to gTLD registration data."
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=19258
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/11/20/icann-to-examine-role-of-whois/

ICANN to review internet 'WHOIS' query
THE organisation that overseas the internet's naming convention will review the "WHOIS" register that identifies webpages.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/icann-to-review-internet-whois-query/story-e6frg6n6-1226520889123

Icann to rethink gTLD ownership policy
Icann is planning to re-examine the way it handles the registration and ownership for new gTLDs. The corporation said that its board of directors has asked chief executive Fadi Chehad? to form a working group aimed at re-examining the way is issues the "WHOIS" policy for tracking the ownership and management of domain names.
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2225868/icann-to-rethink-gtld-ownership-policy

ICANN threatens registrar for failing to respond to UDRP requests
ICANN has sent a notice of breach to Grand Cayman domain name registrar Bargin Register, Inc., for failing to respond to UDRP verification requests.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/11/20/icann-threatens-registrar-for-failing-to-respond-to-udrp-requests/

Why is ICANN?s Ombudsman trying to take down a drink-drive mugshot?
ICANN?s independent Ombudsman, Chris LaHatte, seems to be getting involved in content-related arguments between netizens and web site operators, according to a new case report posted on his blog.
http://domainincite.com/11072-why-is-icanns-ombudsman-trying-to-take-down-a-drink-drive-mugshot

Watch ICANN?s new TLD lottery online
ICANN will hold its new TLD lottery ?prioritization draw? on December 17 in Los Angeles.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/11/21/watch-icann-online-new-tld/

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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.CA Breaks 2 Million Domain Registrations, .CZ breaks 1 Million
As per a tweet from the .CA registry, the registry passed the 2 Million domain mark yesterday.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/registries/ca-breaks-2-million-domain-registrations-cz-breaks-1-million/22004

Millionth internet site with Czech .cz domain name registered
The Czech internet reached a significant milestone this week, when the one millionth website with the country domain name ending of .cz was registered.
http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/millionth-internet-site-with-czech-cz-domain-name-registered

The .CZ Domain Is Now a Millionaire
Today at 5:24 pm, domain name number 1,000,000 appeared in the register of the Czech national domain .CZ maintained by the CZ. NIC Association.
http://www.nic.cz/page/1257/the-.cz-domain-is-now-a-millionaire-/

New .za domains on the way
The establishment of the .ZA Central Registry will see other 2LDs, such as .net.za and .web.za added to the portfolio of domains administered by the registry, which will also include the well-known .co.za and .org.za domain names.
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/65138-new-za-domains-on-the-way.html

ICM Registry Makes New Allegations Against Manwin
ICM Registry has amended its countersuit against Manwin to make new allegations of unfair competition involving one of Manwin's newly acquired divisions, Reality Kings.
http://newswire.xbiz.com/view.php?id=156791

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 - NEW TLDS
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Governments Object To Private Bodies Controlling Generic gTLD Terms
The Australian government is the top objector to new gTLD applications with a total of 129 objections. Other top complainants are DCA Trust being the top applicant, with their application for .africa receiving 17 objections from governments while .hotel, with multiple applications for the string, receiving 21 objections.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=19272
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/11/21/gac-object-private-bodies-controlling-gtlds/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/governments-object-to-private-bodies-controlling-generic-gtld-terms.html

Australia leads the charge as governments file 242 new gTLD warnings
Governments of the world have filed 242 warnings on new gTLD applications, more than half of which came from Australia.
http://domainincite.com/11099-australia-leads-the-charge-as-governments-file-242-new-gtld-warnings

Governments? Early Warning Notes Issued On New Internet Domains
No exclusive ?.baby? TLD for Johnson and Johnson, no exclusive ?.blog? for Google, nor ?.antivir? for Symantec or ?.epost? for the German Postal Service.
http://www.ip-watch.org/2012/11/21/governments-early-warning-notes-issued-on-new-internet-domains/

New internet name objections filed by government panel
More than 250 "early" objections to proposed new internet address endings have been filed by a panel representing about 50 of the world's governments.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20425982

Australian government tops list of internet domain name complaints
Australia's government is lodging more warnings than any other government in the world against TLD applications, reinforcing its reputation as an over-regulator of the internet.
http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/australian-government-tops-list-of-internet-domain-name-complaints-20121122-29r9b.html
http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/australian-government-tops-list-of-internet-domain-name-complaints-20121122-29r9b.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/7985227/Australia-tops-list-of-domain-name-complaints

Global government panel files web domain objections
Plans to introduce a string of new web domains ? including .islam and .movie ? have been hit by a further setback after a panel of governments raised more than 250 objections.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/nov/21/government-panel-web-domain-objections

Government objects to .tennis
The federal government has moved to shut down attempts by scores of companies and organisations, including three from Australia, to own and operate their own internet domains.
http://afr.com/p/technology/government_objects_to_tennis_4sf8xNcaPHurRMiTS6Ce0J

Government advisory agency files domain name protests
A panel representing over 50 governmental bodies has filed a list of over 250 objections to new domain name proposals.
http://www.zdnet.com/government-advisory-agency-files-domain-name-protests-7000007726/

us: Feds aim to kill .Army, other military domains
Among the hundreds of new gTLDs under consideration by ICANN -- everything from .Google to .music and .home -- one batch, not surprisingly, has caught the attention of the U.S. federal government: applications for .Airforce, .Navy and .Army.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57553331-93/feds-aim-to-kill-.army-other-military-domains/

So What Does A GAC Early Warning Really Mean & Where Do Applicants Go >From Here
... So what is the effect of receiving an GAC early warning and what happens from here, we look to the new gTLD Guidebook for answers:
http://www.thedomains.com/2012/11/21/so-what-does-a-gac-early-warning-really-mean-where-do-applicants-go-from-here/

First Insights from the GAC Early Warnings on New Top-Level Domains
Today, the national governments that constitute ICANN's GAC for the first time publicly voiced their concerns over specific new TLD applications in the form of Early Warnings. More than 240 individual GAC Early Warnings were issued in relation to 200 new TLD applications which account for 162 unique strings. By far the most prolific government to issue GAC Early Warnings was the Australian government with 129.
http://www.ariservices.com/blog/first-insights-from-the-gac-early-warnings-on-new-top-level-domains/

African Union Commission Formally Objects Through GAC to DotConnectAfrica's Application for .africa by Suresh Ramasubramanian
This is the African Union Commission's formal objection, through the ICANN GAC Early Warning Process, to the DotConnectAfrica Trust's amended application 1-1165-42560 for the .africa TLD. Here, it objects to the DCA .africa bid as not having the requisite government support for a Geographic name, and further characterizes DCA's bid as an "Unwarranted Interference and Intrusion"
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121121_african_union_commission_objects_through_gac_to_dotconnectafrica/

GAC Early Warnings confirmed for today. Here?s what I expect to see
ICANN?s Governmental Advisory Committee is ready to send out its Early Warnings on new gTLD applications today as scheduled, ICANN has confirmed.
http://domainincite.com/11091-gac-early-warnings-confirmed-for-today-heres-what-i-expect-to-see

Icann net address endings to face government objections
A panel representing about 50 of the world's governments is set to reveal to which of the proposed new internet name address endings it objects.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20407906

LA Straw (Man) by Philip Corwin
Last Thursday and Friday, November 15th & 16th, representatives from the various constituencies comprising ICANN?s GNSO met at ICANN headquarters in Los Angles to discuss various aspects of Trademark Clearinghouse TMCH) implementation as well as the eight recommendations for rights protection mechanism (RPM) ?enhancements? developed by the Business and Intellectual Property Constituencies.
http://internetcommerce.org/LA_Straw(Man)

ICANN?s 11th-Hour Domain Name Trademark Policy Negotiations: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly ? Dissecting the Strawman by Robin Gross
ICANN organized a meeting on 15-16 November 2012 in Los Angeles, the Trademark Clearinghouse policy negotiations, to consider the 8-point policy requests sent by the Intellectual Property and Business Constituencies (IPC-BC) to the ICANN board and senior staff in a letter of 16 October 2012. ICANN?s Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group (NCSG) sent a response to the IPC-BC letter on 1 November 2012.
http://ipjustice.org/wp/2012/11/18/icanns-11th-hour-domain-name-trademark-policy-negotiations-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-dissecting-the-strawman/

Statement of ICANN?s Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group on Proposals for Additional Trademark Rights Protection Measures for New Top-Level Domain Names
The Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group (NCSG) writes in response to the latest set of proposals to re-open well-settled matters related to trademark Rights Protection Mechanisms for new TLDs, specifically the 8-point letter sent by the Intellectual Property Constituency (IPC) and the Business Constituency (BC) on 17 October 2012 to ICANN.
http://ipjustice.org/wp/2012/11/01/statement-of-icann?s-non-commercial-stakeholders-group-ncsg-on-the-ipc-bc?s-proposal-for-additional-trademark-rights-protection-measures-rpms/

ICANN Meeting To Ease Concerns Over gTLDs
Representatives of around 50 countries will meet with ICANN to discuss the implications of some of the new gTLD names proposed this year.
http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/icann-meeting-to-ease-concerns-over-gtlds-99654

Straw man proposed to settle trademark deadlock at secretive ICANN meeting
Trademark interests seem to have scored significant concessions in their ongoing battle for stronger rights protection mechanisms in new gTLDs, following a second closed-doors ICANN meeting.
http://domainincite.com/11064-straw-man-proposed-to-settle-trademark-deadlock-at-secretive-icann-meeting

Amazon Offers ?Amazon Pages? For Brands To Customize With Their Own URLs, And ?Amazon Posts? For Social Media Marketing
Just in time for the holiday shopping blitz, it looks like Amazon is opening a new chapter in its role as an online marketplace for third-parties to sell their goods. The company is quietly pushing a service called Amazon Pages, which lets companies set up their own pages on Amazon.com as ?custom destinations,? complete with www.amazon.com/brandname URLs and dynamic designs with large photos and social media links. Along with this, it is also offering Amazon Posts for companies to market themselves across Amazon and Facebook, and Amazon Analytics to measure how well all of the above is working. ... The fact that there are URLs involved here also gives another intriguing twist to the news from many months ago about Amazon filing for dozens of generic new TLD names like ?.buy?, ?.group?, ?.room? and ?.shop?.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/20/amazon-offers-amazon-pages-for-brands-to-customize-with-their-own-urls-and-amazon-posts-for-social-media-marketing/

New Reasons to Protect Trademarks Through Registration
Given the pro?posed re?lease of count?less new generic top level do?mains by ICANN (the gov?ern?ing board of the In?ter?net), hav?ing trade?mark reg?is?tra?tions not only in the United States, but in var?i?ous dif?fer?ent re?gions of the world, likely will greatly as?sist the brand owner in pro?tect?ing its rights in this new space.
http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-reasons-to-protect-trademarks-throug-41327/

Who really uses IDNs? by St?phane Van Gelder
Are Internationalised Domain Names really useful, or just a way for an ASCII-focused internet governance community to feel better about itself?
http://domainincite.com/11078-who-really-uses-idns-guest-post

A Navigation Aid or a Brand TLD? (Part 2 of 2) by Alexa Raad
So what are the characteristics of a "Brand TLD"? Please note that by "Brand TLD", I do not mean gTLDs applied for by brands. I mean TLDs whose registrants tend to use them as their primary site and identity. They have either created themselves as, or have become a brand in the eyes of their registrants. These TLDs tend to be in the minority.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121120_a_navigation_aid_or_a_brand_tld_part_2_of_2/

Protecting your brand in the Internet of the future -- Pre- and post-delegation rights protection mechanisms for gTLDs
As ICANN gears up to begin delegating up to 1,000 new gTLDs in little more than six months, brand owners are strategizing how to protect their brands in the journey toward the ?Internet of the Future,? or at least they should be.
http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/ip-protecting-your-brand-in-the-interne-22094/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Israeli Official: Anonymous' Massive Cyber Attack Campaign Has Been A Flop
A concerted effort of millions of attempts to cripple Israeli websites during the Gaza conflict has failed, Israel's finance minister said Monday, claiming that the only site that was successfully hacked was back up within minutes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/israel-anonymous-cyberattack_n_2161260.html

Israel comes under cyber-attack from multiple opponents
1337, H4x0rL1f3, ZombiE_KsA and Invectus are among the names used by attackers who yesterday (Monday) hacked the Israeli web sites of popular brands such as Coca Cola, Groupon and the BBC. The sites were defaced in order to spread anti-Israeli political statements. The attackers have been active for some time and have identified a new point of attack in the latest flare-up in the Middle East conflict.
http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Israel-comes-under-cyber-attack-from-multiple-opponents-1753285.html

Singapore's cybersecurity amendments opens questions on compliance
The government is proposing the word "cybersecurity" be included in the country's Computer Misuse Act. It will also harden the legislation to include pre-emptive actions.
http://www.zdnet.com/sg/singapores-cybersecurity-amendments-opens-questions-on-compliance-7000007565/

German government advocates security in the hands of users
Open Security The German government's Interior Ministry has issued a white paper that outlines the principles that should be applied when dealing with "Trusted Computing" and "Secure Boot", which has been welcomed by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE).
http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/German-government-advocates-security-in-the-hands-of-users-1753715.html

U.S. Government Hacked Into French Presidential Office, Spied on Senior Officials, Says a French News Report
According to the French magazine l'Express, American officials gained almost unlimited access to computers of senior officials in the final days of the Sarkozy administration.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/us-government-hacked-into-french-presidential-office-spied-on-senior-officials-says-a-french-news-report/265506/

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Woman Who Lost Lawsuit for Squatting on Man's Personal Name Forced to Pay Plaintiff's Legal Fees Too
A lot of people have had UDRPs filed against them or been sued for registering a domain based on a celebrity's name. However, under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), a person doesn't have to be a celebrity for you to get in trouble if you register their name as a domain, then try to sell it to them for a profit. Last Janauary attorney David Lin of Brooklyn based Lewis & Lin won an ACPA judgment for a New York real estate investor named Paul Bogoni against a woman named Vicdania Gomez who registered PaulBogoni.com and PaulBogoni.org then demanded Bogoni pay her $1 million each for the domain names.
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2012/dailyposts/20121120.htm

Cupid in legal fight for French domain name
THINGS have become heated in the world of internet dating as ambitious Edinburgh-based business Cupid has found itself embroiled in a ?1 million (?800,000) legal dispute over the way it has romanced French customers. According to legal papers seen by The Herald, Cupid has been challenged by continental rival Cupidon over the Scottish company's use of the Cupidon.com domain name it bought 18 months ago.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/company-news/cupid-in-legal-fight-for-french-domain-name.19440887

How goatse.cx went from shock site to webmail service
People from my Internet generation, those who came online in the mid-1990s, have rose-tinted memories of early Web "shock sites"?sites with unassuming URLs containing horrible pictures of awful things.
http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/11/how-goatse-cx-went-from-shock-site-to-webmail-service/

us: Court: 1st Amendment Protects Domain Names
A year and a half ago, we wrote about a lawsuit from a lawyer in Texas, John Gibson, who is an expert in workers' comp issues in the state. He -- quite reasonably -- set up a blog at the URL TexasWorkersCompLaw.com.
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/technology/yes-domain-name-can-be-protected-first-amendment

Woman Who Lost Lawsuit for Squatting on Man's Personal Name Forced to Pay Plaintiff's Legal Fees Too
A lot of people have had UDRPs filed against them or been sued for registering a domain based on a celebrity's name. However, under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), a person doesn't have to be a celebrity for you to get in trouble if you register their name as a domain, then try to sell it to them for a profit.
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2012/dailyposts/20121120.htm

ca: Registrant has legitimate interest if domain name is descriptive of goods? place of origin [registration]
http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=e062444f-ae6f-47c9-8f7c-c51980de4e68

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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German DPAs adopt resolutions on EU data protection and IPV6
On November 8, 2012, the 84th Conference of the German Data Protection Commissioners concluded in Frankfurt (Oder). This bi-annual conference provides a private forum for the 16 German state data protection authorities (?DPAs?) and the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Peter Schaar to share their views on current issues, discuss relevant cases and adopt Resolutions aimed at harmonizing how data protection law is applied across Germany.
http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=0b5f1f66-1b28-476b-907f-8cd587dbde3b

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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US lawmaker asks Reddit for ideas on website seizures [IDG]
A U.S. lawmaker has asked users of Reddit for their ideas about legislation to address the controversial recent practice by two U.S. agencies of seizing websites for alleged copyright infringement.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/442492/us_lawmaker_asks_reddit_ideas_website_seizures/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/111912-us-lawmaker-asks-reddit-for-264422.html

us: Congresswoman asks Reddit community to help write bill targeted at bogus copyright takedowns
California Representative Zoe Lofgren has asked Redditors to help draft legislation to protect domains from being erroneously seized for copyright infringement. Lofgren says she was inspired by Reddit's response to SOPA ? not only was Reddit one of the most prominent sites to black out in protest of the copyright enforcement bill, it attempted to crowdsource its own alternative. More recently, it launched the "Internet 2012 Bus" to lobby for tech issues.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/19/3667490/zoe-lofgren-reddit-domain-name-seizure-bill

us: Congresswoman turns to Reddit for domain name seizure bill
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) has asked users of the social media website Reddit to help crowdsource a bill regarding domain name seizures for copyright infringement.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/11/19/congresswoman-turns-to-reddit-for-domain-name-seizure-bill/

The Root Is Not a TLD by Jay Daley
It's a simple, straightforward fact that the root is not a TLD. However, the current policy around new gTLDs treats the root like a TLD registry and as anyone who runs a TLD registry knows, they have certain inescapable characteristics that may not be the best for the root. In almost every TLD, once a domain name has been registered, the registrant can use it commercially with few restrictions.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121121_the_root_is_not_a_tld/

New site collates registrar stats and pricing
Domain name registrar NameSilo has just launched a new web site that tracks domain registrar and TLD data.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/11/20/new-site-collates-registrars-stats-and-pricing/

**********************
 - WEBHOSTING
**********************
Russian Web Host RU-CENTER Adds BaseKit Website Builder
Website builder BaseKit announced on Thursday that Russian web host and domain registrar RU-CENTER will offer the BaseKit website builder to its customers.
http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/russian-web-host-ru-center-adds-basekit-website-builder

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
**********************
Twin 100K Sales at Sedo Spearhead Another Strong Week for Domains
The domain aftermarket's November rally continued this week, led by a pair $100,000 sales at Sedo and 31 others that reached five figures at various venues across the industry. Sedo's six-figure pacesetters were LAHotels.com and Paste.com.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2012/20121121.htm

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REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS
**********************
Could A Small Town in Romania bring Australia to its Cyber-knees? Not if They Accede to the EU Convention on Cybercrime by Angela Adrian
Abstract: On 30 April 2010, Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, announced Australia?s intention to accede to the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime. (Media Release, 2010) The Convention is the only binding international treaty on cybercrime. It serves as both a guide for nations developing comprehensive national legislation on cybercrime and as a framework for international co-operation between signatory countries. Cybercrime poses a significant challenge for our law enforcement and criminal justice system.
http://jiclt.com/index.php/jiclt/article/view/167

**********************
INTERNET USE
**********************
Why Is Belarus the Only Country Where Opera Is the Most Popular Browser?
Opera lives on in Belarus. Not the musical drama, but the world's fifth most popular web browser.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/why-is-belarus-the-only-country-where-opera-is-the-most-popular-browser/265406/

Statistics NZ survey finds data caps and speeds increasing
The number of New Zealand internet users with datacaps of 50 gigabytes (GB) or more increased by almost 800 percent compared with a year ago, an annual Statistics NZ survey of internet service providers has found. More than 50 percent of customers now have a datacap of 20 GB or more per month.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/statistics-nz-survey-finds-data-caps-and-speeds-increasing

High NZ internet usage figures disputed
Professor Jeffrey Cole, director of the World Internet Project (WIP) survey, visiting New Zealand from the US, praises this country for having the highest penetration rate of internet connection among the more than 30 countries surveyed by the organisation.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/high-nz-internet-usage-figures-disputed
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/internet/3412431/high-nz-internet-usage-figures-disputed/

**********************
SOCIAL MEDIA
**********************
Why Facebook's about to slow down (and that's probably good)
Bad news: Your Facebook page is likely about to slow down. Good news: The change will help keep online thieves away.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/19/tech/social-media/facebook-https/index.html

Facebook to roll out HTTPS by default to all users [IDG]
Facebook started encrypting the connections of its North American users by default last week as part of a plan to roll out always-on HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) to its entire global user base.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9233897/Facebook_to_roll_out_HTTPS_by_default_to_all_users
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2015185/facebook-moves-all-users-to-https-for-added-security.html

Facebook to share data with Instagram, loosen email rules
Facebook Inc is proposing to combine user data with that of recently acquired photo-sharing service Instagram, and will loosen restrictions on emails between members of the social network.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/11/21/uk-facebook-privacy-idUKBRE8AK17Z20121121

**********************
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
**********************
Apple a bit less green this year than last, Greenpeace finds
Apple saw its environmental friendliness slip a little over the last year, according to a new study from Greenpeace.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-57551814-54/apple-a-bit-less-green-this-year-than-last-greenpeace-finds/

Wipro beats outs Apple, HP as it tops Greenpeace?s green gadget guide
For the first time in the history of Greenpeace?s green gadget guide, an Indian electronics firm, Wipro, has taken the lead in the rankings ahead of American tech companies like Apple, HP and Dell. Greenpeace released its latest (18th) Guide to Greener Electronics on Monday and announced that Wipro topped the sustainability rankings out of 16 companies.
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/indian-giant-wipro-beats-outs-hp-apple-as-it-tops-greenpeaces-gadget-guide/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/indian-giant-wipro-beats-outs-hp-apple-as-it-tops-greenpeaces-gadget-guide/2012/11/19/62aeb8e0-3230-11e2-92f0-496af208bf23_story.html

Electronics companies can lead the way on clean energy - if you push them
Every day, you rely on your computer, mobile phone, or tablet to be more productive, or just to have fun. Gadgets can make our lives better, but the rate at which we collectively purchase and discard them is having a serious impact on our planet.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/electronics-companies-can-lead-the-way-on-cle/blog/43030/

Electronics companies still to eliminate dirty energy from supply chain - Greenpeace [news release]
Global electronic companies must do more to end the use of climate changing dirty energy in their manufacturing and supply chains, according to a report released today by Greenpeace International
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/press/releases/Electronics-companies-still-to-eliminate-dirty-energy-from-supply-chain/

*********************************
CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
*********************************
EU and US sign joint declaration to make the internet safer for kids [news release]
European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano have today signed a Joint Declaration in London, committing to make the Internet a safer and better place for children.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-12-881_en.htm

Pew study: Parents of teens online worry about ads, strangers
Parents are more worried about advertisers having access to their children's online data than about their children talking to strangers online, according to a report published today.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57552202-93/pew-study-parents-of-teens-online-worry-about-ads-strangers/

Pew: U.S. Parents Of Online Teens Worried About Reputational Damage Of Online Activity And What Advertisers Know About Their Kids
While European legislators are considering adding a ?right to be forgotten? to data privacy laws to give Internet users some control over who owns their data, U.S. parents are worried about the reputational damage of their teens? online activities and what advertisers are learning about them, according to a new report by the Pew Internet Project and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, called Parents, Teens and Online Privacy. The research found that many parents are also continuing to take steps to mitigate and monitor their children?s online activities.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/20/pew-u-s-parents-of-online-teens-worried-about-reputational-damage-of-online-activity-and-what-advertisers-know-about-their-kids/

us: Parents, Teens, and Online Privacy
Overview: Most parents of teenagers are concerned about what their teenage children do online and how their behavior could be monitored by others. Some parents are taking steps to observe, discuss, and check up on their children?s digital footprints, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center?s Internet & American Life Project.
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Teens-and-Privacy.aspx

us: Researchers Dispel Myths About Cyberbullying
A lot has been written about cyberbullying and I've seen some articles claiming that cyberbullying is more prevalent and more severe than in-person bullying. Some even refer to it as an "epidemic."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-magid/cyberbullying_b_2162759.html

au: Internet filter backflip is an opportunity lost
Deep inside the Australian Communications and Media Authority?s Sydney headquarters, behind frosted glass and a security door few staff can open, sit 10 people with the unenviable task of watching child abuse online.
http://www.afr.com/p/technology/internet_filter_backflip_is_an_opportunity_wcHhHkL6DhFBxUg2klH3zL

nl: Call for 'virtual' child pornography to be legalised [AFP]
A call by two Dutch sexologists for "virtual" child pornography to be legalised so as to assuage paedophiles' desires has sparked fierce debate in the Netherlands.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/call-for-virtual-child-pornography-to-be-legalised-20121120-29mxv.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/call-for-virtual-child-pornography-to-be-legalised-20121120-29mxv.html

nz: Here come the burglars - Pre-Christmas spike in break-ins
Holidaymakers are being warned to lock their windows and doors as burglars start eyeing potential targets. ... Netsafe's Sean Lyons says that though it's great to be able to share your adventures with friends, people need to be sensible.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/7976464/Here-come-the-burglars
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/7976502/Holiday-warning-Here-come-the-burglars

EU-Parlament fordert besseren Schutz von Kindern im Internet
Das EU-Parlament mahnt mit einer am Dienstag verabschiedeten Entschlie?ung gr??ere Anstrengungen zum Schutz von Kindern und Jugendlichen im Internet an.
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/EU-Parlament-fordert-besseren-Schutz-von-Kindern-im-Internet-1754602.html

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ONLINE TV, MUSIC & PIRACY
**********************
uk: Fewer than a quarter of infringers would be put off by internet access suspension threat, Ofcom report says
Fewer than one in four UK internet users that engaged in copyright infringing activity during a three month period earlier this year said they would be put off from repeating the offence if they knew they would receive a letter to tell them that their internet access was to be suspended as a result of the behaviour, according to a new study commissioned by Ofcom.
http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/november/fewer-than-a-quarter-of-infringers-would-be-put-off-by-internet-access-suspension-threat-ofcom-report-says/

Half of internet users unsure if content is legal, but one in six believe they are accessing some illegal content [news release]
Nearly half of all internet users are unsure whether the content they are accessing online is legal, Ofcom research has found.
http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2012/11/20/half-of-internet-users-unsure-if-content-is-legal/

Ofcom finds 47% of Brits unsure about legality of online content
A new Ofcom report flags up the need for greater education on how to access legal content via the web. ... Ofcom's report comes in the wake of research from internet consultancy firm Envisional, published last year, which showed the number of illegally downloaded films in the UK rose by nearly 30 per cent in the five years to 2010.
http://www.cable.co.uk/news/ofcom-finds-47-of-brits-unsure-about-legality-of-online-content-801491907/

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
Apple and the Desire for Control
Apple did not invent the notion of using cellphones to play games and carry out small tasks, but it certainly made the concept its own. Its app store is the one all developers want to get into, despite the much larger market share claimed by Google?s Android. There are so many competing devices using Android that developers say they have a hard time optimizing their app for that system. Besides, customers are used to spending money for Apple apps, but they tend to want Android apps for free.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/apple-and-the-desire-for-control/

Microsoft vs. Google trial over patents finishes up
A Google expert witness testified on Tuesday that Microsoft will make roughly $94 billion in revenue through 2017 from its Xbox game console and Surface tablet that use Google's patented wireless technology.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/11/21/uk-microsoft-google-trial-idUKBRE8AK03D20121121
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/11/21/microsoft-google-trial-idINDEE8AK01820121121

**********************
ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
**********************
Google: Don?t Let Trolls Exploit Patent System Flaws
Abuse of our patent system is becoming a drag on innovation in the software and internet sectors, and it?s hurting consumers.
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2012/11/google/

**********************
SECURITY
**********************
Israeli Official: Anonymous' Massive Cyber Attack Campaign Has Been A Flop
A concerted effort of millions of attempts to cripple Israeli websites during the Gaza conflict has failed, Israel's finance minister said Monday, claiming that the only site that was successfully hacked was back up within minutes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/israel-anonymous-cyberattack_n_2161260.html

Israel comes under cyber-attack from multiple opponents
1337, H4x0rL1f3, ZombiE_KsA and Invectus are among the names used by attackers who yesterday (Monday) hacked the Israeli web sites of popular brands such as Coca Cola, Groupon and the BBC. The sites were defaced in order to spread anti-Israeli political statements. The attackers have been active for some time and have identified a new point of attack in the latest flare-up in the Middle East conflict.
http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Israel-comes-under-cyber-attack-from-multiple-opponents-1753285.html

Singapore's cybersecurity amendments opens questions on compliance
The government is proposing the word "cybersecurity" be included in the country's Computer Misuse Act. It will also harden the legislation to include pre-emptive actions.
http://www.zdnet.com/sg/singapores-cybersecurity-amendments-opens-questions-on-compliance-7000007565/

German government advocates security in the hands of users
Open Security The German government's Interior Ministry has issued a white paper that outlines the principles that should be applied when dealing with "Trusted Computing" and "Secure Boot", which has been welcomed by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE).
http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/German-government-advocates-security-in-the-hands-of-users-1753715.html

U.S. Government Hacked Into French Presidential Office, Spied on Senior Officials, Says a French News Report
According to the French magazine l'Express, American officials gained almost unlimited access to computers of senior officials in the final days of the Sarkozy administration.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/us-government-hacked-into-french-presidential-office-spied-on-senior-officials-says-a-french-news-report/265506/

**********************
PRIVACY
**********************
Guarding a 'Fundamental Right' of Privacy in Europe
Is it impolitic to ask the French privacy regulator a personal question about her Internet habits? Perhaps, but Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, head of the country?s data protection agency, is perfectly forthcoming in her answer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/technology/guarding-a-fundamental-right-of-privacy-in-europe.html

New Player in E.U. Data Privacy Battle
In the mid-1990s, Alan Shatter, a lawyer from South Dublin in the lower house of Parliament, played a role in bringing together diverse elements of society to lift a constitutional ban and legalize divorce.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/technology/new-player-in-eu-data-privacy-battle.html

Building an Iconography for Digital Privacy
Web site privacy policies are usually long, vague and notoriously neglected by most of us. Or as Alex Fowler, chief privacy officer at Mozilla, put it, ?We have long upheld that privacy policies suck.?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/building-an-iconography-for-digital-privacy/

New report by EU Agency ENISA, focussing on technical aspects of ?the right to be forgotten? [news release]
?The right to be forgotten? is one of the elements of the new proposed regulation (January 2012) on data protection of the European Commission. The right allows people to ask for digitally held personal information to be deleted.
http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/new-report-by-eu-agency-enisa-focussing-on-technical-aspects-of-the-right-to-be-forgotten

Make search engines filter 'forgotten' data, suggests EU agency [IDG]
Europe's top cybersecurity agency said on Tuesday that "a purely technical enforcement" of the proposed right to be forgotten is impossible.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/442545/make_search_engines_filter_forgotten_data_suggests_eu_agency/

Google destroys unauthorised NZ data
Unauthorised data collected from New Zealand wi-fi networks by Google Street View cars have finally been destroyed, the Privacy Commissioner has confirmed.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/google-destroys-unauthorised-nz-data

Google destroys NZ information
Google has destroyed all the information it illegally obtained from unsecured wifi connections during its street view filming in New Zealand four years ago.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/7974125/Google-destroys-NZ-information

US Senator has Not Caved on E-privacy, Aide Says [IDG]
The chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has not reversed course on email privacy and has not proposed to give U.S. agencies access to email and other electronic communications without search warrants, despite a news report to the contrary, an aide to Senator Patrick Leahy said Tuesday.
http://www.cio.com/article/722037/US_Senator_has_Not_Caved_on_E_privacy_Aide_Says

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Opinion: You Can?t Say That on the Internet
A bastion of openness and counterculture, Silicon Valley imagines itself as the un-Chick-fil-A. But its hyper-tolerant facade often masks deeply conservative, outdated norms that digital culture discreetly imposes on billions of technology users worldwide.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/18/opinion/sunday/you-cant-say-that-on-the-internet.html

**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
US lawmakers question FTC's antitrust investigation of Google [IDG]
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission may be headed toward an "unwarranted" power grab in its antitrust investigation of Google, two lawmakers from Silicon Valley have said.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/111912-us-lawmakers-question-ftcs-antitrust-264421.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2015165/us-lawmakers-question-ftcs-antitrust-investigation-of-google.html

Google's $22.5m privacy fine confirmed by US court despite consumer group's objections
A US court has confirmed an agreement forged between Google and a consumer protection regulator which will see the internet giant pay $22.5 million to settle privacy breach claims against it.
http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/november/googles-225m-privacy-fine-confirmed-by-us-court-despite-consumer-groups-objections/

Pakistan cybercrime bill faces delay, consensus not reached
Pakistan cybercrime bill faces delay after a parliamentary meeting failed to arrive at a consensus on critical clauses in the draft crafted by legal and industry experts.
http://www.zdnet.com/pakistan-cybercrime-bill-faces-delay-consensus-not-reached-7000007710/

au: Bradbury slaps Google, Apple over tax
Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury has accused multinationals including Google and Apple of using complex structures to avoid paying tax on their global profits and promised a Treasury crackdown.
http://www.afr.com/p/national/bradbury_slaps_google_apple_over_L8nWGScBSNCFr88ZWkF4FL

Bradbury says Google uses 'double Irish Dutch sandwich' to avoid tax
Multinational companies such as Google are exploiting different tax jurisdictions in Ireland and the Netherlands to pay minimal tax on the revenue they earn in Australia, says assistant treasurer David Bradbury.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/financial-services/bradbury-says-google-uses-double-irish-dutch-sandwich-to-avoid-tax/story-fn91wd6x-1226521960115

Knives sharpened to cut Google's sandwich
The federal government is determined to collect more tax from global e-commerce companies such as Google and Apple and will use a combination of beefed-up transfer pricing rules along with the launch of a think tank to review the loopholes.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/knives-sharpened-to-cut-googles-sandwich-20121122-29rxl.html
http://www.smh.com.au/business/knives-sharpened-to-cut-googles-sandwich-20121122-29rxl.html

au: Pirate Party appeals data retention censorship
The Pirate Party of Australia today confirmed it would continue fighting to have key documents associated with the Government?s controversial data retention and surveillance package released to the public, flagging plans to appeal a decision by the Federal Attorney-General?s Department to block the release of the documents under Freedom of Information laws.
http://delimiter.com.au/2012/11/20/pirate-party-appeals-data-retention-censorship/

us: Google competitor DuckDuckGo says it's getting shut out
Upstart Internet search engine DuckDuckGo, which promotes itself as a Google Inc rival which does not track users' personal information, says it is being hurt by the search giant which is being investigated by U.S. regulators.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/11/22/uk-google-duckduckgo-idUKBRE8AL00G20121122

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
nz: TV switch puts radio spectrum on the radar
OPINION: Radio spectrum is like air - it is largely invisible and we only really pay attention to it when it starts to become scarce. ... Again, there are some potential difficulties that would have to be overcome and InternetNZ has joined the 20/20 Communications Trust to look into these as the possibility of a remote school sharing its own broadband costs and services with its community is well worth exploring.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/7973561/TV-switch-puts-radio-spectrum-issues-on-the-radar
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/7973561/TV-switch-puts-radio-spectrum-on-the-radar
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/7973561/TV-switch-puts-radio-spectrum-on-the-radar

Methanol can power mobile networks when electricity is out, says Nokia Siemens [IDG]
Nokia Siemens Networks and Ballard Power Systems want methanol-powered fuel cells to keep mobile networks running in the event of an electricity outage and are working with NTT DoCoMo to test the technology.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/442447/methanol_can_power_mobile_networks_when_electricity_says_nokia_siemens/
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9233827/Methanol_can_power_mobile_networks_when_electricity_is_out_says_Nokia_Siemens

au: NBN rollout claims misleading: Turnbull
Minister for Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy and the national broadband network (NBN) are misleading Australians about the pace of the high-speed network's rollout, opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull says.
http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/nbn-rollout-claims-misleading-turnbull-20121121-29qhp.html

------
David Goldstein

 email: david at 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 Flannery