*************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Will the internet end up controlled by big business and politicians? Its birth heralded a new age of intellectual freedom. Now the internet is under seige http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/23/internet-will-oligarchs-control-it ITU Phobia: Why WCIT was derailed by Milton Mueller http://www.internetgovernance.org/2012/12/18/itu-phobia-why-wcit-was-derailed/ Calling Stumps at WCIT: Win, Lose or Draw? by Geoff Huston http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2012-12/stumps.html Internet Governance Outlook 2013: "Cold Internet War" or "Peaceful Internet Coexistence"? by Wolfgang Kleinw?chter http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130103_internet_governance_outlook_2013/ Why we need pirates in cyberspace http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/new-economy/2013/0105/Why-we-need-pirates-in-cyberspace ICANN Going To Argentina In November 2013, Then Singapore, London, North America in 2014 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/12/22/icann-going-to-argentina/ Three ICANN staffers laid off in Aussie closure, other offices safe http://domainincite.com/11490-three-icann-staffers-laid-off-in-aussie-closure-other-offices-safe ICANN shutters Australian office, cans staff http://domainincite.com/11458-icann-shutters-australian-office-cans-staff auDA publishes updated Domain Name Policy Rules and Guidelines http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-18122012/ auDA publishes new Eligibility Policy for .au domains http://www.coopermills.com.au/wordpress/index.php/2012/12/auda-publishes-new-eligibility-policy-for-au-domains/ Conducting Business in Australia: Regulatory Bodies ... .au Domain Administration http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/213480/ gTLD Objector says .sex, .gay, .wtf are all okay http://domainincite.com/11406-gtld-objector-says-sex-gay-wtf-are-all-okay Dot-Brands Join Growing List of Withdrawn gTLD Applications http://isenbergondomains.com/2012/12/19/dot-brands-join-growing-list-of-withdrawn-gtld-applications/ Nearly Half of First 100 New gTLDs are Backed by Brands: Brand Owners Must Begin Planning gTLD Strategy, Says FairWinds Partners http://www.fairwindspartners.com/Our-Resources/Press-Releases/Nearly-Half-of-First-100-New-gTLDs-are-Backed-by-Brands-Brand-Owners-Must-Begin-Planning-gTLD-Strategy-Says-FairWinds-Partners/ Brand TLDs To Change Online Advertising, Marketing In 2013 http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/190085/brand-tlds-to-change-online-advertising-marketing.html Iran warns on 29 new gTLD bids http://domainincite.com/11397-iran-warns-on-29-new-gtld-bids IPv6 takes one step forward, IPv4 two steps back in 2012 http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/01/ipv6-takes-one-step-forward-ipv4-two-steps-back-in-2012/ New Year's Day Marks 30th Anniversary of Major Milestone for Global Internet http://www.internetsociety.org/news/new-years-day-marks-30th-anniversary-major-milestone-global-internet Vint Cerf Hails 30th Birthday of the Modern-Day Internet http://news.techworld.com/networking/3418167/vint-cerf-hails-30th-birthday-of-the-modern-day-internet/ ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Regulating the Internet infrastructure: A comparative appraisal of the legitimacy of ICANN, ITU, and the WSIS by Ingo Take Abstract: How to generate legitimate forms of governance beyond the nation state is often considered a central question in contemporary world politics. To proceed in theory-building, scholars need to systematically assign the theory-driven assumptions on legitimate forms of governance beyond the nation state with the various, already observable, forms of global governance. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-5991.2012.01151.x/abstract;jsessionid=44C783275AFA3A3F724CBDFD3B2983C3.d01t03 Reflections on the uniform domain name dispute resolution policy as it enters its second decade by Alpana Roy [International Journal of Technology Policy and Law] Abstract: On 24 October 1999, ICANN implemented the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) as a dispute resolution procedure for resolving domain name disputes. The UDRP has been a very popular method for resolving disputes, and since its inception the principal UDRP global dispute resolution provider ? the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, has administered over 20,000 proceedings under the UDRP (or UDRP?related policies). This article examines the core principles which have emerged in UDRP jurisprudence and practice, and outlines some of the major criticisms and suggestions for reform as the UDRP enters its second decade. http://inderscience.metapress.com/content/d3532780u2k5p318/ Internet Governance: The Role of Multistakeholder Organizations by Joe Waz & Phil Weiser [Journal of Telecommunications and High Technology Law] Abstract: With the increasing international focus on the future of the ITU and its role (or lack thereof) in Internet governance, there is greater attention being paid to the fact that much of the 'governance' of the Internet is in fact carried out by so-called 'multistakeholder ('MSH') organizations.' http://ssrn.com/abstract=2195167 ICANN: Observations from an Information Law Perspective by Urs Gasser, Herbert Burkert, Florent Thouvenin & Caroline Nolan [U. of St. Gallen Law & Economics Working Paper] Abstract: ICANN was conceptualized in 1997 during an effort by the US Government to create a ?private, non-profit corporation [...] to assume responsibility for the technical management of the Internet Domain Name and IP addressing systems.? http://ssrn.com/abstract=2196290 New gTLDs, New Problems by Amer Raja [American University Washington College of Law Journals - pdf] http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1074&context=ipbrief ICANN?s core principles and the expansion of generic top-level domain names by Catherine R. Easton [subscription] Abstract: ICANN is a self-regulatory body that oversees the registration of domain names and coordinates Internet protocol addresses. As a multi-stakeholder body with significant influence over the root of the Internet, ICANN?s role is crucial in order to maintain its stability and interoperability. http://ijlit.oxfordjournals.org/content/20/4/273 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/oup/inttec/2012/00000020/00000004/art00002 IP Addresses ? Just a Number? by Patrick Lundevall-Unger & Tommy Tranvik [subscription] Abstract: Should IP addresses be regulated as personal data under the European Union's Data Protection Directive? Where do we draw the line separating personal from anonymous data, and which means of identification should be taken into account when we make decisions about whether or not IP addresses can be related to an identifiable natural person? These are the questions raised and discussed in this article. http://ijlit.oxfordjournals.org/content/19/1/53 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Will the internet end up controlled by big business and politicians? Its birth heralded a new age of intellectual freedom. Now the internet is under seige It's all about control. Of course, nobody uses that particular term. The talk is always about "governance" or "regulation", but really it's about control. Ever since the internet burst into public consciousness in 1993, the big question has been whether the most disruptive communications technology since print would be captured by the established power structures ? nation states and giant corporations ? that dominate our world and shape its development. And since then, virtually every newsworthy event in the evolution of the network has really just been another skirmish in the ongoing war to control the internet. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/23/internet-will-oligarchs-control-it ITU Phobia: Why WCIT was derailed by Milton Mueller We now know more about what led to the impasse at the WCIT, and the scope of the fissure that it created. It is clear that nations will split 2 to 1 in favor of signing the ITR treaty. The majority of the signatories are the developing countries in Africa, Asia (including China), the Middle East, Latin America, and of course Russia. The refuseniks are primarily developed, western economies; they are concentrated in North America, Europe and Japan, although they were joined by India and some other developing countries. Though smaller in number, refuseniks account for probably two-thirds of the telecommunications and Internet economy. Politically, this is a troublesome bifurcation, although its implications for internet governance may not be all that bad. http://www.internetgovernance.org/2012/12/18/itu-phobia-why-wcit-was-derailed/ Calling Stumps at WCIT: Win, Lose or Draw? by Geoff Huston The problem with setting expectations is that when they are not fulfilled the fallout is generally considered to be a failure, and while everyone wants to claim parenthood of success, failure is an orphan. In that sense it looks like the WCIT meeting, and the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs) that were being revised at that conference this month are both looking a lot like orphans. There have been a number of reports of the outcome of the two week... Most of the blogs were quick to characterize the outcome as a loss for the dark forces that lurked somewhere in the closets of the ITU's headquarters in Geneva. But there is more to it than that. http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2012-12/stumps.html Internet Governance Outlook 2013: "Cold Internet War" or "Peaceful Internet Coexistence"? by Wolfgang Kleinw?chter Anyone who expected that with the end of the Dubai ITU WCIT in December 2012, the heated debate on the future regulation of the Internet will slow down should remember to fairytale of the battle of the knight with the seven-headed dragon. Hardly a head is cut off, another is growing. In 2013 the discussion on Internet freedom will likely gain in sharpness. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130103_internet_governance_outlook_2013/ After the WCIT and Beyond (third part) by Enrique A. Chaparro VIII. The new ITR: The possibility of consensus fell through, the new ITR was passed with the support of most of the Latin American countries (except for those that have Fair Trade Agreements with the U.S.), thereby breaking the informal CITEL (1) agreement. A number of local media notoriously at odds with the government (Clar?n, La Naci?n, La Voz del Interior) took advantage of the opportunity to shamelessly misinform, showing (as if more evidence were needed) their ignorance in these matters. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/01/02/wcit-and-its-relationship-to-the-internet-what-lies-ahead/ Let's All Take Responsibility for a Better Internet in 2013 by Larry Magid As I'm sure you noticed, no one "owns" the Internet. We all have a stake in it and it's time for all of us to take some personal responsibility when it comes to how we manage what we do on the net. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-magid/lets-all-take-responsibility_b_2393097.html NRO Observations on WCIT-12 process The Number Resource Organization, representing the world?s five Regional Internet address Registries, issues the following statement from Dubai, the site of the recent WCIT. The conference has clearly not met expectations of many ITU Member States, and with this unfortunate outcome now clear, we feel compelled to put the following observations on record. http://www.nro.net/news/nro-observations-on-wcit-12-process Internet's rise demands harder look at governance In December 2012 there was much discussion around the world concerning the meeting of the ITU, a United Nations agency that few members of the public have heard of. The ITU works to coordinate the worldwide use of radio spectrum and promotes international cooperation to improve telecommunications infrastructure by promoting the development of technical standards. http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/2013-01/04/content_27582646.htm Why we need pirates in cyberspace Whenever governments have tried to regulate new common areas ? from oceans to airwaves ? pirates have moved in. They remind us that some areas should be free. http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/new-economy/2013/0105/Why-we-need-pirates-in-cyberspace Attempt to update global Internet treaty reveals rift The International Telecommunication Union, the little-known but influential United Nations agency that oversees phone, radio and satellite communications, last week stopped short of fragmenting the Internet into national fiefdoms, as some had feared it would do through a new global treaty. http://www.chinapost.com.tw/business/company-focus/2012/12/25/365115/Attempt-to.htm in: Industry asks govt not to back UN agency?s bid to regulate web The Internet Service Providers Association of India said any UN body on internet governance, even if formed, should completely keep itself out of content-related matters. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/industry-asks-govt-not-to-back-un-agencys-bid-to-regulate-web/articleshow/17765264.cms World divided over future of internet Is the future of the internet as a free and equal forum in question? This month 144 countries met in Dubai at the WCIT to discuss bringing the web under the control of the United Nations, where effectively only governments and major international organisations would be able to influence policy and development. http://www.3news.co.nz/World-divided-over-future-of-internet/tabid/412/articleID/281424/Default.aspx Global split over telecom treaty The 2012 WCIT in Dubai collapsed on Friday, December 14 after the United States delegation walked out and refused to sign the new ITU treaty. Western allies including the UK, France, Germany, Australia and Canada joined the US. http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2012/12/28/wcit-d28.html The ITU and the Internet?s Titanic Moment by Patrick S. Ryan Try this: Mention the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to a few casual Internet users, Netizens, or even the most senior-level computer programmers and technology experts and gauge their reaction. Few are likely to know what you?re talking about. Most will likely think you?re referring to either a telecommunications labor union or some kind of international working group. Only the most informed will know that the ITU is one of the most influential (and in fact the oldest) technology-based standard-setting and treaty-making institutions in the world. http://stlr.stanford.edu/2012/07/the-itu-and-the-internets-titanic-moment/ WCIT ? Why the US And its Allies Walked Out THE recent WCIT 12 in Dubai on revising the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITR?s) ended quite acrimoniously, with 89 countries signing the new ITR's while the US, Canada, EU and Japan walking out. http://pd.cpim.org/2012/1230_pd/12302012_2.html After the WCIT and Beyond: Part 1 by Enrique A. Chaparro I. Preliminary remarks and necessity: We have long maintained that certain aspects of the Internet that require some form of regulation should be managed in a way that's minimalist, democratic and respectful of human rights. In keeping with this position, we believe that a significant intervention by the ITU would bring more harm than good. But that does not turn us ipso facto into defenders of ICANN, an organization that needs deep reform, democratization and reduced authority. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/12/27/wcit-and-its-relationship-to-the-internet/ After the WCIT and Beyond: Part 2 by Enrique A. Chaparro No one will be surprised if we say there are sectors (government and private) that see communication only or primarily as an opportunity to generate income; others for which the scope of communications should be subordinated to state politics, and then others, like us and other social organizations, who believe that the fundamental issue is public service and unrestricted access. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/12/31/wcit-and-its-relationship-to-the-internet-issues-and-challenges/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** New gTLD Weekly Update (21 December 2012) This will be the last new gTLD Weekly Update for 2012, so it seems appropriate to pause and take a look back at all we've accomplished this year. We've been incredibly busy, and with your help, we've accomplished a great deal and made significant progress moving the New gTLD Program forward. http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-21dec12-en New gTLD Applicant Group to Christine Willett Deadlines in New gTLD Program http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/ntag-to-willett-21dec12-en Amendments to Article XI, Section 2.3 of the ICANN Bylaws - DNS Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC) Purpose (Brief): The proposed amendments to Article XI, Section 2.3 of the ICANN Bylaws are intended to clarify the continuing purpose of the Root Server Advisory Committee (RSSAC) and are consequence of the organizational review of the RSSAC. The Community is invited to provide comments and input. http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/bylaws-03jan13-en.htm Prof. Dr. Ali M. Abbasov, Minister of Communications and Information Technologies, Republic of Azerbaijan, to Fadi Chehad? ICANN's Participation in the Internet Governance Forum http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/abbasov-to-chehade-18dec12-en New gTLD Video Update on CQs | 21 Dec 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8hQ-IFlgms Pre-Delegation Testing Services for the New gTLD Program - Selection of Provider ICANN is pleased to announce that it has selected Stiftelsen f?r Internetinfrastruktur (.SE) as the provider of Pre-Delegation Testing services for the new gTLD Program. The provider is the registry operator for the .se ccTLD (Sweden) with a long and proven track of technical capability, operations excellence, and significant experience in the industry. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-21dec12-en.htm ICANN has selected .SE as the provider of Pre-Delegation Testing services for the new gTLD Program ICANN has selected .SE as the provider of Pre-Delegation Testing services for the new gTLD Program. The purpose of the Pre-Delegation Testing is to verify that the applicant has met its commitment to establish registry operations in accordance with the technical and operational criteria described in the gTLD Applicant Guidebook (AGB). https://www.iis.se/english/news/se-provider-of-pre-delegation-testing-services-for-the-new-gtld-program/ DNS Industry CEO Roundtable Events by Fadi Chehad? To the ICANN Community, I believe The Domain Name System ? and the Industry that has grown up around it ? are at an inflection point. With the impending introduction of new gTLDs and the vertical integration of the DNS value chain, we, as leaders within the DNS ecosystem, must be ready to meet the challenges ahead. http://blog.icann.org/2012/12/dns-industry-ceo-roundtable-events/ Fellowship Program Brings Global Voices Together at ICANN | Fellows Announced for Beijing, People?s Republic of China Meeting 31 fellows from 23 countries have been selected to participate in ICANN's Fellowship program at the 46th Public Meeting in Beijing, People's Republic of China, 7-14 April 2013. Seventeen of the fellows are alumni from at least one of the past 17 programs, 10 are first-time attendees to an ICANN meeting, 4 have attended meetings in past but are fellows for the first time. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-21dec12-en.htm .CAT Cross-Ownership Removal Request Fundaci? puntCAT requests the removal of the cross-ownership restrictions reflected on the 23 September 2005 contract signed between ICANN and Fundaci? puntCAT. http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/cat-xo-removal-22dec12-en.htm .cat wants to ditch registrar ban PuntCAT, the .cat registry, has become the first gTLD operator to apply to ICANN for the right to dump the registrar ownership ban in its contract. http://domainincite.com/11427-cat-wants-to-ditch-registrar-ban ICANN Going To Argentina In November 2013, Then Singapore, London, North America in 2014 ICANN have announced they will be heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 17 to 21 November 2013 for the 48th of their thrice yearly meetings. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=19502 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/12/22/icann-going-to-argentina/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/icann-going-to-argentina-in-november-2013-then-singapore-london-north-america-in-2014.html ICANN finally coming to London ICANN is to visit the UK for the first time in its 15-year history, with one of its 2014 public meetings now confirmed for London. http://domainincite.com/11422-icann-finally-coming-to-london Three ICANN staffers laid off in Aussie closure, other offices safe ICANN has officially confirmed the closure of its Sydney, Australia office, but it appears that jobs at other satellite offices are safe. http://domainincite.com/11490-three-icann-staffers-laid-off-in-aussie-closure-other-offices-safe ICANN shutters Australian office, cans staff ICANN has closed its office in Australia, according to a few (so far officially unconfirmed) reports we?ve received today. http://domainincite.com/11458-icann-shutters-australian-office-cans-staff Vietnamese registrar on the ICANN naughty step ICANN has issued a broad breach notice against Vietnamese domain name registrar Mat Bao. http://domainincite.com/11419-vietnamese-registrar-on-the-icann-naughty-step Vietnamese Registrar Gets Slapped By ICANN Compliance Vietnamese registrar Mat Bao has been issued with a formal breach notice by ICANN Compliance. http://www.internetnews.me/2012/12/23/vietnamese-registrar-gets-slapped-by-icann-compliance/ ICANN Decides Where To Invest its $355 Cash Haul From New gTLD Program The ICANN Board adopted a New gTLD Funds Investment Policy selecting Bridgebay Investment Consultant Services to assist in the design of a specific investment policy for management the funds held for the New gTLD Program? http://www.thedomains.com/2012/12/22/icann-decides-where-to-invest-its-355-cash-haul-from-new-gtld-program/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** auDA publishes updated Domain Name Policy Rules and Guidelines auDA has published two updated policies: http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-18122012/ auDA publishes new Eligibility Policy for .au domains As a result of the 2010 Names Policy Panel Report, auDA has implemented some of the Panel?s recommendations with the introduction of the new 2012-04 Domain Name Eligibility and Allocation Policy Rules for the Open 2LDs and 2012-05 Guidelines on the Interpretation of Policy Rules for the Open 2LDs. http://www.coopermills.com.au/wordpress/index.php/2012/12/auda-publishes-new-eligibility-policy-for-au-domains/ Conducting Business in Australia: Regulatory Bodies ... .au Domain Administration auDA is a not-for-profit organisation which was formed in 1999 as the industry self-regulating body for the .au domain name. It has been formally recognised by the Federal Government and has the power to develop and implement domain name policy. http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/213480/ .CA Domain Will Support French Characters Starting Mid-January The Canadian Internet Registration Authority announced on Monday via its Facebook page that it will introduce support for the full range of French characters with .CA domain names. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/ca-domain-will-support-french-characters-starting-mid-january DOT-CA Domain Name Disputes: Top 12 Changes to the CDRP In 2002, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) launched the CIRA Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (CDRP). The CDRP addresses instances of bad faith registration of dot-ca domain names by way of a relatively quick, out-of-court arbitration at a low cost. CIRA, the Registry for dot-ca domain names, is the not-for-profit corporation that governs the dot-ca domain space. http://www.gowlingsondomains.com/news/news02.asp Continue to expect Internet restrictions in China ... The Chinese government is now proposing a new bill requiring people to use their real names when online. Under the Chinese system, bills like the one proposed are almost always put into law. http://asia.cnet.com/continue-to-expect-internet-restrictions-in-china-62219896.htm China's top legislature mulls Internet regulatory measures The top legislature on Monday began deliberating a draft decision that will strengthen the protection of personal information online by requiring Internet users to identify themselves to service providers. http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/752106.shtml .CO 2012 Growth Rate Outstrips TLD Average Domain registrations for the .CO ccTLD grew by almost a quarter (24.39%) in the year to the end of November 2012 the registry, .CO Internet S.A.S, announced on their blog recently, taking total registrations to around 1.4 million. http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/12/28/co-growth/ .CO Trends & Stats: Wrapping up 2012 As we prepare for a joyous Holiday Season, .CO wraps up the year with some great trends and statistics. .CO Domains Under Management: As of 30 Nov 2012, the .CO namespace has grown 24.39% from 2011 to 2012! This is a great indicator of all the startups, small businesses and individuals looking to have great web addresses on a short, memorable and SEO-friendly domain. http://www.cointernet.co/blog/co-trends-stats-wrapping-2012 .CO Growth Rate Outstrips TLD Average Domain registrations for the .CO ccTLD grew by almost a quarter (24.39%) in the year to the end of November 2012 the registry, .CO Internet S.A.S, announced on their blog recently, taking total registrations to around 1.4 million. http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/12/28/co-growth/ .co sees DUM grow by a quarter, renewals dip to 63% .CO Internet said that domains under management in its .co TLD has grown by 24.39% so far in 2012, standing at about 1.4 million at the end of November. http://domainincite.com/11416-co-sees-dum-grow-by-a-quarter-renewals-dip-to-63 NIC Costa Rica signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Germany, Brazil and Czech Republic We are pleased to inform you that on October 16th, 2012, Superior Domain Managers from Germany (.de), Brazil (.br) and Czech Republic (.cz) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NIC Costa Rica (.cr). http://www.nic.cr/niccr_publico/showSimpleNew.do?id=36 Indonesia?s ?.id? Domain Expected to be Southeast Asia?s Largest Next Year The Management of Indonesian Internet Domain Name ( PANDI ) said on Friday that the number of registered Indonesian domain names (.id) has a good chance to become the largest TLD among Southeast Asian countries, this according to a Kompas report. http://www.techinasia.com/news_ticker/indonesia-id-domain-largest/ http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/indonesia-id-domain-expected-southeast-031056005.html Mongolian government to regulate Internet comments [Xinhua] The Mongolian government said it has decided to set up a system to regulate Internet commenting. ... In addition, the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority is tasked with developing requirements for news websites and the issuance of domain names. http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/753996.shtml nl: Ministry of Economic Affairs and SIDN write to ICANN On 5 December 2012, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and SIDN wrote jointly to ICANN on the subject of last resort redelegation. The move is linked to contingency arrangements that the ministry and SIDN made in the 2008 Covenant on Safeguarding the .nl Domain, with a view to ensuring the continuity and stability of the .nl domain under all circumstances. https://www.sidn.nl/en/news/news/article/translate-to-english-brief-van-ministerie-van-ez-en-sidn-aan-icann/ nl: NLnet Labs and SIDN involved with new internet standard In September 2006, the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) published RFC 4641 on the implementation of DNSSEC. The document included advice and background information on matters such as the length of the necessary cryptographic keys. https://www.sidn.nl/en/news/news/article/nlnet-labs-and-sidn-involved-with-new-internet-standard/ ru: Further analysis options enabled for national domains with Russian Domains The Russian Domains stats portal now enables to compare the domain zones in a highly visual mode. Compare Data will prove useful for web analysts, media and other Internet community members as well as for the members of the domain industry. http://cctld.ru/en/news/news_detail.php?ID=4332 ru: Andrei Kolesnikov: "Half of the nation uses the Internet, we have options for further growth" On December 19, 2012, the Coordination Center for TLD RU/?? has hosted a press conference themed "Russian Domain Space 2012: the bottom line". The domaining experts spoke on the results of the year, as well as on the emerging future trends. http://cctld.ru/en/news/news_detail.php?ID=4319 FREE Mobile Website Hosting with Every New ?.SG/.COM.SG? Registration For three months starting from 3 Jan 2013 till 3 Apr 2013, all businesses and companies who register a ?.SG? or ?.COM.SG? domain name will be eligible for mobile web hosting at no charge for up to one (1) year. This initiative is made possible through the collaboration between SGNIC and IDA (Digital Concierge). http://nic.net.sg/news/free-mobile-website-hosting-every-new-?sgcomsg?-registration sg: Special Promotion for NewBies! Starting from 2 January 2013, all new businesses and companies registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) via its BizFile system on or after 5 October 2012, will save at least S$30 for the first year of registration for their first domain name (ending with ".com.sg" or ".sg"). http://nic.net.sg/sme2013 sg: Special names for a limited period! Grab it now! >From 1 January 2013 to 31 January 2013, a selected group of Premium Domain Names (?PDNs?) will be released for application at a base price ranging from $642 to $21,400 (including GST). If the name has multiple applications, it will be allocated to the applicant with the highest bid. http://nic.net.sg/news/special-names-limited-period-grab-it-now-6 We Think .TK Domains Are Screwing With Verisign?s Quarterly Domain Report Last week when Verisign released its 3rd Quarter Domain Name Industry Brief everyone focused in on the raw numbers 246 million domain names. However what if I was to tell you that one change made by Verisign has made a huge impact on the overall domain registration numbers. That change was including the .TK registry in the Domain Name Industry Brief. http://www.thedomains.com/2012/12/29/we-think-tk-domains-are-screwing-with-verisigns-quarterly-domain-report/ What's the fuss about a new UK domain? Don't miss out on your say Dave Thomas, head of Sedo UK and a member of Nominet's stakeholder committee, gives another take on Nominet's direct.uk consultation, assessing potential impact on UK business http://www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/media-network-blog/2012/dec/21/dave-thomas-nominet-directuk-consultation Direct.uk Consultation closes on 7 January ? Give us your views There are now less than three weeks left to have your say in our consultation on a potential new .uk domain name service. We would like to thank all those who have contributed so far, and outline the next steps. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/directuk-consultation-closes-7-january-?-give-us-your-views Dot VN, Inc. Co-Founder and President Lee JohnsonWrites to Shareholders, Noting Recent Company Achievements To Our Shareholders: During the last few months, our Company, Dot VN, has taken several steps toward reaching our calendar year 2013 goal to generate significant revenues and cash flow to cover our costs and operational expenses. http://www.dotvn.com/downloads/NewsRelease/Dec2012/2012-12-21_DotVN_Shareholders_Letter.pdf CcTLD Updates: .au, .cr, .id, .nl, .ru, .sg Following the 2010 Names Policy Panel, auDA, the .au policy and regulatory body, has announced they will be implementing some of the Panel?s recommendations. http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/01/03/cctld-updates-au-cr-id-nl-ru-sg/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/cctld-updates-au-cr-id-nl-ru-sg.html ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** gTLD Objector says .sex, .gay, .wtf are all okay The Independent Objector for ICANN?s new gTLD program has given a preliminary nod to applications for .sex, .gay, .wtf and six other potentially ?controversial? applied-for strings. http://domainincite.com/11406-gtld-objector-says-sex-gay-wtf-are-all-okay Dot-Brands Join Growing List of Withdrawn gTLD Applications Although far from a rush, the number of gTLD applications being withdrawn is growing. Three months after the first four applications were withdrawn, the list has now grown to 13. The newest additions (or rather, perhaps, subtractions) are: http://isenbergondomains.com/2012/12/19/dot-brands-join-growing-list-of-withdrawn-gtld-applications/ Nearly Half of First 100 New gTLDs are Backed by Brands: Brand Owners Must Begin Planning gTLD Strategy, Says FairWinds Partners ICANN's new gTLD Prioritization Draw held yesterday marks the definitive point of no return that new gTLDs are coming ? and brands may be leading the charge, with 47 of the first 100 non-IDN gTLD strings drawn backed by major brands. More importantly, according to FairWinds Partners, the leading domain name strategy consultancy, the Draw results have significant implications for the strategies brand owners use to adapt to new gTLDs. http://www.fairwindspartners.com/Our-Resources/Press-Releases/Nearly-Half-of-First-100-New-gTLDs-are-Backed-by-Brands-Brand-Owners-Must-Begin-Planning-gTLD-Strategy-Says-FairWinds-Partners/ New gTLD Prioritization Draw Underway The Prioritization Draw for new gTLDs is now well underway. Despite a bit of a rough start with the live stream of the Draw, ICANN has been steadily plugging away through the 1,766 applications that opted to participate. With 1,930 applications submitted, this figure represents 92 percent of applications ? meaning less than 200 applications chose to not participate in the Draw. http://www.gtldstrategy.com/policy-updates/new-gtld-prioritization-draw-underway And On to the Abstentions The fact that 1,766 new gTLD applications participated in ICANN?s Prioritization Draw held yesterday is interesting for two reasons: first, because such a high percentage (92%) chose to participate, and second, because some very interesting applications opted to not participate in the Draw. http://www.gtldstrategy.com/policy-updates/and-on-to-the-abstentions Brand TLDs To Change Online Advertising, Marketing In 2013 ICANN held a lottery in Los Angeles last week to decide on which of the proposed new TLDs will become the first to go live. Among the banks, media companies and Internet companies, Google applied for 101 and Amazon, 76. There were more than 900 applications for generic names like shop, news, music, and movies. The organization released the application list in June. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/190085/brand-tlds-to-change-online-advertising-marketing.html Cyberlaw Predictions: Protecting Trademark Interests in the New Domains For the past several years the domain name industry has trumpeted the economic benefits of new TLDs to anyone who would listen -- to ICANN, to investors, to the domain-consuming public, to the world's governments. Some of the rhetoric might have been a teeny tiny bit overstated. Think Ron Popeil selling Veg-o-Matics during the Yukon Gold Rush. The domain industry's marketers are right, of course. Everybody needs their vegetables chopped, and some people made a lot of money picking gold nuggets out of Bonanza Creek. http://www.bna.com/cyberlaw-predictions-protecting-b17179871706/ Protecting Authenticity and Fighting Counterfeiters With gTLDs There has been much controversy about what brands will actually do with their new gTLDs that's any different from how they currently use their .com domains. While many brands may have applied out of fear of failing to secure critical Internet real estate during a limited time offer, there are many strategies that will provide applicants a competitive advantage in an increasingly digital marketplace. Among these, the number one strategy is providing a greater level of brand authenticity and security to consumers and Internet users. http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2233491/protecting-authenticity-and-fighting-counterfeiters-with-gtlds The Dot-Com Era Finally Comes to an End ... The possibility of creating a business like the .COM registry of VeriSign, which boasts a $6 billion stock-market capitalization, animates guys like Jon Nevett, a co-founder of Bellevue, Wash.-based Donuts. Backed by over $100 million in venture capital, privately held Donuts has applied for 307 of the new TLDs, including .BABY, .CASINO and .PIZZA. http://online.barrons.com/article/SB50001424052748704723404578207761167965182.html Cyberlaw Predictions: ICANN's Brand New Day ICANN, after a very long, messy, seemingly ad hoc, and at-times troubled gestation period, is about to midwife a large number of new top-level internet domains. In all of this, ICANN has done (sort of) exactly what the U.S. Department of Commerce asked it to do in the 1998 Memorandum of Understanding: create new TLDs, bring competition to the domain name industry, and operate through a bottom-up, consensus-based process. If the new gTLD process plays out as designed, the domains that eventually emerge in 2013-14 will be those chosen by, and financed by, private industry -- not by ICANN or by a government agency. http://www.bna.com/cyberlaw-predictions-icanns-b17179871670/ Bloomberg Asks Online Experts What To Expect From New gTLD?s, ICANN IN 2013 Bloomberg issued its Electronic Commerce & Law Report where they asked asked several dozen leading attorneys and online experts ?for their views on the most important legal developments in online law during 2012 and on what policy areas they believed would be the most important to their practices in 2013 including our own Phil Corwin of the ICA. http://www.thedomains.com/2013/01/01/bloomberg-asks-online-experts-what-to-expect-from-new-gtlds-icann-in-2013/ FTC chief says most new gTLD bids are ?defensive? The US Federal Trade Commission is still ?looking at? ICANN?s new gTLD program amid concerns that most of the applicants applied defensively, it has emerged. http://domainincite.com/11494-ftc-chief-says-most-new-gtld-bids-are-defensive Private vs. ICANN Auction of Last Resort by Ray King As an applicant in this new gTLD round with quite a few overlapping strings, I've had a keen interest in the various proposed auction platforms. In the past six months the ideas behind private auction have matured significantly and I now see it as a strong mechanism for resolving contention. Following are my observations. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130102_private_vs_icann_auction_of_last_resort/ Iran warns on 29 new gTLD bids The Iranian government has filed late Early Warnings against 29 new gTLD applications, mostly on the basis that the applied-for strings are un-Islamic and ?unethical?. http://domainincite.com/11397-iran-warns-on-29-new-gtld-bids Iran: .Gay domain would spread hatred The government of Iran has filed an late warning to applicants for the .gay TLD. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/12/21/iran-gay-domain-would-spread-hatred/ Swedish registry wins new gTLD testing contract The registry operator for Sweden?s .se ccTLD has been picked to provide pre-delegation testing for new gTLDs. http://domainincite.com/11413-swedish-registry-wins-new-gtld-testing-contract So who are the winners in the gTLD lottery? So how important was a good draw from the lottery process? ICANN stated a few months ago that they anticipated being able to process up to twenty new applications from mid May 2013. With just over 1,800 non-IDN TLDs in the draw, the potential difference between being drawn first and last could be as long as 18 months, which as we all know is a lifetime in our digital world. http://www.netnames.com/blog/2012/12/so-who-are-the-winners-in-the-gtld-lottery/ New gTLD Applicant Group Blasts ICANN On ?Slippage Of Timelines? In Program New gTLD Applicant Group (NTAG) blasted ICANN on meeting its deadlines and time frames on various on the new gTLD program. http://www.thedomains.com/2012/12/22/new-gtld-applicant-group-blasts-icann-on-slippage-of-timelines-in-program/ Pool Shutting Down Registrar Threads: Refocusing From Drop Catching To New gTLD?s We just got this email from Pool.com this morning: ?The impending launch of new gTLDs has led Pool.com to refocus its business away from an emphasis on the secondary market and to a broader range of on-going services. ? http://www.thedomains.com/2012/12/21/pool-shutting-down-registrar-threads-switching-gears-from-drop-catching-to-new-gtlds/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Errant Google Domain Traced To CA's Mistakes Turns out the phony Google.com digital certificate that sounded alarms among browser vendors and security experts yesterday came out of a series of missteps by the Turkish certificate authority (CA) and may have only affected users at a Turkish government agency. http://www.darkreading.com/authentication/167901072/security/vulnerabilities/240145610/errant-google-domain-traced-to-ca-s-mistakes.html Turkish Registrar Enabled Phishers to Spoof Google Google and Microsoft today began warning users about active phishing attacks against Google?s online properties. The two companies said the attacks resulted from a fraudulent digital certificate that was mistakenly issued by a domain registrar run by a Turkish domain registrar. http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/01/turkish-registrar-enabled-phishers-to-spoof-google/ DNS Firewalls In Action - RPZ vs. Spam by Paul Vixie In general, a network firewall is just a traffic filter... Filtering rules can be anything from "allow my web server to hear and answer web requests but not other kinds of requests" to "let my users Ping the outside world but do not let outsiders Ping anything on my network." http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120103_dns_firewalls_in_action_rpz_vs_spam/ Fraudulent Certificate for Google Domains Found After Mistake by Turkish CA Google certificateGoogle has pushed out an update that blocks an intermediate digital certificate for *.google.com after discovering that a Turkish certificate authority had mistakenly issued intermediate certificates to two organizations that should only have gotten normal SSL certificates. http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/fraudulent-certificate-google-domains-found-after-mistake-turkish-ca-010313 Phony Google Digital Certificate Blocked By Browser Vendors Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla have decided to revoke trust in two digital certificates improperly issued by a Turkish certificate authority (CA). http://www.darkreading.com/authentication/167901072/security/attacks-breaches/240145512/phony-google-digital-certificate-blocked-by-browser-vendors.html Google finds unauthorized certificate for google.com domain, scrambles to protect users [IDG] Google has taken steps to close potential security holes created by a fraudulent certificate for its google.com domain, discovered in late December. http://www.cio.com/article/725229/Google_finds_unauthorized_certificate_for_google.com_domain_scrambles_to_protect_users ca: Protecting the Internet ? from an office in Montreal [Postmedia News] ... Those malicious actors online are getting better at what they do, Jaubert said, and infecting more websites as the number of webpages online continues to grow. For example, the .ca domain reached two million registered websites in November; it took 21 years to reach one million, and four years to double that number, according to the Canadian Internet Registration Authority. http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=7781773 http://www.canada.com/Protecting+Internet+from+office+Montreal/7781805/story.html http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/internet/Protecting+Internet+from+office+Montreal/7781773/story.html http://o.canada.com/2013/01/06/protecting-the-internet-from-an-office-in-montreal/ ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** The ?domain name baron? threatened to be sued Khoa has been known as a big domain name trader, who has got rich by speculating domain names and selling to the enterprises which have the demand for the domain names with the worlds relating to their brand names or enterprises? names. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/science-it/55734/the--domain-name-baron--threatened-to-be-sued.html Vietnamese Man Registers TM Domain, Points It To Porn; Company Agrees To Pay $50K & Calls Police Well not your typical domain story. A Vietnamese man Nguyen Trong Khoahas was summoned by police after a company, Eurowindow Holding accused him of buying four domain names related to the company and directing users of one of the sites to porn in ?order to pressure it to buy the domains at exorbitant prices?. http://www.thedomains.com/2012/12/28/vietnamese-man-registers-tm-domain-points-it-to-porn-company-agrees-to-pay-50k-calls-police/ WIPO Statistics Show Cybersquatting Decreases... In Proportion To Global Domain Registrations WIPO have published the total number of cybersquatting cases on their website for 2012. The number, 2879 is higher than any other year, up from 2764 in 2011 and is certain to result in a news release saying how difficult life is for brand owners. The increase equates to approximately 4.2 percent. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=19553 http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/01/04/wipo-cybersquatting-decreases/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/wipo-statistics-show-cybersquatting-decreases-in-proportion-to-global-domain-registrations.html WIPO received record number of cybersquatting cases in 2012 World Intellectual Property Organization received a record number of UDRP cases in 2012. http://domainnamewire.com/2013/01/03/wipo-received-record-number-of-cybersquatting-cases-in-2012/ Domain Name Hijacking [Podcast] Matt: I?m Matt Plessner and today?s show is sponsored by Traverse Domain Law. We?re going to be discussing domain hijacking, today, with Attorney-at-Law from Traverse City, Enrico Shaefer. http://blogs.lawyers.com/2013/01/domain-name-hijacking-podcast/ Take Zlat! Cheeky fan sets Ibrahimovic 12 bizarre challenges to win website in his name Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic may have finally met his match ? but not with another player ? instead with a cheeky fan who bought the internet domain name Zlatan.fr and set him a number of ridiculous challenges if he wants to win it off him. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2257533/Zlatan-Ibrahimovic-set-12-challenges-fan-win-internet-domain-name.html Squatter promises to hand over footballer?s domain ?if I can slap you in the face? A French squatter has nabbed zlatan.fr and promised to gift it to Sweden and Paris Saint-Germain footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic if he completes any of a series of bizarre challenges. http://domainincite.com/11505-squatter-promises-to-hand-over-footballers-domain-if-i-can-slap-you-in-the-face After Filing Over 500 UDRP?s & 15 Years, Lego Finally Wins Rights To Lego.net Anyone who follows UDRP files will tell you that the toy maker Lego is one of the most prolific filers of UDRP?s. http://www.thedomains.com/2013/01/06/after-filing-over-500-udrps-15-years-lego-finally-wins-rights-to-lego-net/ HSC.com domain name stolen ... The company, which is part of satellite company Hughes Communications, says its HSC.com domain name was stolen from its Go Daddy account around December 14. http://domainnamewire.com/2013/01/02/hsc-com-domain-name-stolen/ You?ve got to read this one: Marchex wins Reverse Domain Hijacking charge Marchex, with the help of domain name attorney John Berryhill, has won a charge of reverse domain name hijacking. http://domainnamewire.com/2013/01/03/youve-got-to-read-this-one-marchex-wins-reverse-domain-hijacking-charge/ ch: Pamp SA and MKS (Switzerland) SA v. Pampsuisse Ltd., Walter Muelli - Case No. DCH2012-0028 1. The Parties: The Claimants are Pamp SA of Castel San Pietro, Switzerland (Claimant 1) and MKS (Switzerland) SA of Geneva, Switzerland (Claimant 2), represented by Cabinet Griffes Consulting SA - Intellectual Property Counsel, Switzerland. The Respondent is Pampsuisse Ltd., Walter Muelli of Z?rich, Switzerland. 2. Domain Name: The dispute concerns the following domain name <pampsuisse.ch> which is registered with SWITCH, the ?.ch? and ?.li? registry. http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DCH2012-0028 ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Future Internet Protocols by Charles Petrie , Stanford University (emeritus) The Internet is based on a layered set of protocols ? the most basic of which is TCP/IP ? and the servers and routers that support them. This special issue addresses challenges to the Internet's basic protocols as our collective Internet usage increases in both magnitude and type and becomes increasingly crucial for our economy and culture. "Designing a Deployable Internet: The Locator/Identifier Separation Protocol" shows how to achieve better scalability for mobile devices by separating the location from the identification function of the IP addresses. "IPv6 Deployment and Spam Challenges" shows that IPv6 introduces new problems for fighting spam and denial-of-service attacks, and offers solutions. "All-Weather Transport Essentials" surveys current Internet protocols and principles for their revision to address known problems that can be expected to become more serious in the near future. http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/ic/2012/06/mic2012060011.html IPv6 Deployment and Spam Challenges by Hosnieh Rafiee, Martin von L?wis & Christoph Meinel Spam has posed a serious problem for users of email since its infancy. Today, automated strategies are required to deal with the massive amount of spam traffic. IPv4 networks offer a variety of solutions to reduce spam, but IPv6 networks' large address space and use of temporary addresses, both of which are particularly vulnerable to spam attacks, makes dealing with spam and the use of automated approaches much more difficult. IPv6 thus poses a unique security issue for ISPs because it's more difficult for them to differentiate between good IP addresses and those that are known to originate spam messages. http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/ic/2012/06/mic2012060022-abs.html Designing a Deployable Internet: The Locator/Identifier Separation Protocol by Damien Saucez, Luigi Iannone, Olivier Bonaventure & Dino Farinacci The Internet was designed to interconnect a few hundreds networks, but now has more than a billion hosts. The scalability issues associated with this growth have driven both academia and industry to review the current architecture in the light of the Locator/Identifier Split paradigm. However, changing the routing and addressing architecture of the Internet in an incrementally deployable manner imposes several constraints. The authors use the IETF's Locator/Identifier Separation Protocol (LISP) as a reference to describe different design choices necessary to achieve deployability, which is the ultimate goal of any future Internet architecture. http://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/ic/2012/06/mic2012060014-abs.html IPv6 takes one step forward, IPv4 two steps back in 2012 In hindsight, we reached peak IPv4 two years ago. The good news is that IPv6 is doing very well?but not nearly well enough. Is the IPv6 glass 1 percent full or 99 percent empty? http://arstechnica.com/business/2013/01/ipv6-takes-one-step-forward-ipv4-two-steps-back-in-2012/ IPv6 shift puts cash-strapped telcos in a fix India's much-delayed transition to the next-generation technology standard for internet communication-IPv6 - have put country's telecommunication and internet services providers in a quandary as they must now spend on technology to prepare for the change. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/internet/IPv6-shift-puts-cash-strapped-telcos-in-a-fix/articleshow/17778269.cms http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/telecom/shifting-to-new-internet-standard-ipv6-puts-pressure-on-cash-strapped-telecom-firms/articleshow/17775021.cms IPv6 Presents a Security Paradox for the Network by Danny McPherson The capabilities IPv6 provides will enhance online security, but the shift to the new Internet address scheme may also present risks if not properly managed. Previously, Internet security was largely an after-thought for the early Internet, as its primary purpose was to facilitate open, end-to-end, any-to-any communications and information exchange for bridging and accelerating research efforts. Today, we have a much more complex online ecosystem that spans billions of users across the globe and serves not only as an engine for e-commerce, but as an engine for all commerce. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20121227_ipv6_presents_a_security_paradox_for_the_network/ in: Delay in shift to new tech standard for web puts telcos, ISPs in a fix India's much-delayed transition to the next-generation technology standard for internet communication ? IPv6 ? has put the country's telecommunication and internet services providers in a quandary as they must now spend on technology to prepare for the change. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/software/delay-in-shift-to-new-tech-standard-for-web-puts-telcos-isps-in-a-fix/articleshow/17792731.cms Vietnam National IPv6 Task Force pays a working visit to Japan from 27th to 30th November 2012 (Dec 1st 2012) >From 27th to 30th November 2012, the delegation of Vietnam National IPv6 Task Force (IPv6TF), headed by Mr. Hoang Minh Cuong, Vice Chairman of IPv6TF and Director General of Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) together with representatives of Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) of Vietnam, paid a working visit to Japan to discuss the experiences of IPv6 deployment in two countries. http://vnnic.vn/node/937?lang=en ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Social Media & Brand Protection: Taking Action In addition to establishing your brand across social channels and keeping an eye out for those with malicious intent, you need to take appropriate action in order to protect your brand in social media. In the final installment of our series on integrating your social media and brand protection strategies, we?ll discuss a crucial component of mitigating the risks posed by impersonators and counterfeiters: enforcement. https://www.markmonitor.com/mmblog/social-media-brand-protection-taking-action-2/ New Year's Day Marks 30th Anniversary of Major Milestone for Global Internet Thirty years ago today on 1 January 1983, the ARPANET, a direct predecessor of today's Internet, implemented the TCP/IP protocol in a transition that required all connected computers to convert to the protocol simultaneously. The open TCP/IP protocol is now a foundational technology for the networks around the world that make up the global Internet and interconnect billions of devices. http://www.internetsociety.org/news/new-years-day-marks-30th-anniversary-major-milestone-global-internet The internet celebrates 30 years of TCP/IP dominance The start of 2013 marks a significant milestone for the internet, as it is 30 years ago that Arpanet, precursor of the modern day internet, was switched to running on the TCP/IP protocol stack, a move that paved the way for the global internet as we know it today. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/the-frontline-blog/2233373/the-internet-celebrates-30-years-of-tcp-ip-dominance Vint Cerf Hails 30th Birthday of the Modern-Day Internet The Internet, a global system of interconnected computer networks that has transformed the lives of billions of people across the world, turned 30 on Tuesday. http://news.techworld.com/networking/3418167/vint-cerf-hails-30th-birthday-of-the-modern-day-internet/ http://www.cio.com/article/725200/Vint_Cerf_Hails_30th_Birthday_of_the_Modern_Day_Internet http://www.itworld.com/networking/333044/vint-cerf-hails-30th-birthday-modern-day-internet Your Domain, My Name We talk a lot about domain name sales, but what about actual name sales? One Florida man decided to link the two by auctioning his last name off to the highest bidder for a full year. Jason Sadler, who owns and operates a successful marketing firm through which companies pay him to wear their names and logos on t-shirts, took personal branding one step further when he sold his last name to Headsets.com for $45,500 for the year. http://www.domainnamestrategy.com/2012/12/18/your-domain-my-name What us domain experts do for .fun While I?m staring at the French countryside, which is becoming increasingly hazy as the sun falls I start thinking about the peculiarities of domain names, an industry in which I landed unexpectedly 4 years ago. A simple industry, needlessly spoiled by complexity, over regulation and decentralisation. A profitable industry, profitable for the registries that are authorised to issue names (for a fee), profitable for the registrars that register these names on behalf of corporations and individuals alike, hugely profitable for those with a bit of money and a bit of imagination that buy domain names speculatively in the hope that the value of it will increase and that they can sell them at a profit and finally profitable a for fraudsters that buy brand targeted domains to dupe website visitors into thinking that they are selling legitimate products. http://www.netnames.com/blog/2012/12/what-us-domain-experts-do-for-fun/ CENTR December Monthly Roundup Available The December edtition of the CENTR Monthly Roundup magazine is now available. The newsletter gives a monthly snapshot of the CENTR membership of ccTLD Registries with a focus on news and statistics. This month includes; http://centr.org/news/roundup/12-28-2012/2503/december-monthly-roundup-available Art.sy Domain Name Changed To Artsy.Net As Syrian Conflict Escalates When Art.sy first launched, the site with the creative domain name received a "Rookie Disruptor Award" from TechCrunch for its admirable aim to make art more accessible. At the time, however, many weren't aware ".sy" was a suffix for the Syrian Arab Republic. Recently, the domain choice became a serious problem for the company as the Syrian conflict continues to escalate. Art.sy temporarily went offline early this month and today was revived as Artsy.net. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/04/artsy-domain-name-changed-syrian-conflict_n_2408791.html Me First Launching a new brand can be tricky, whether you're a new enterprise making your move onto the global stage or an established corporation looking to expand your offerings or broaden your image. One thing that can help ensure the success of a fledgling brand, though, is a great domain name to support it. In addition to providing a platform for the new brand, owning a great domain can reinforce the brand in the digital world. And in some cases, a great domain can become a great brand. http://www.gtldstrategy.com/marketing-strategies/me-first New Year?s Resolution: Renew Your Domain Name! (And Other Best Practices for Domain Name Management) As The Wall Street Journal reminded us during the holidays, even big companies make easy (but damaging) mistakes online: FreshDirect failed to renew its domain name, <freshdirect.com>. http://isenbergondomains.com/2013/01/02/new-years-resolution-renew-your-domain-name-and-other-best-practices-for-domain-name-management/ Fresh Out of Luck Last week, customers trying to order groceries from New York-based delivery service FreshDirect were met not with the usual homepage but with a stock website from Network Solutions LLC. FreshDirect had let its domain name, FreshDirect.com, expire, leading to a service outage that prevented customers from placing orders online, according to Bloomberg. http://www.domainnamestrategy.com/2013/01/03/fresh-out-luck ARIN Relying Party Agreement (RPA) Update ARIN has updated the Relying Party Agreement (RPA) for its Resource Certification (RPKI) services to explicitly allow for data to be used to produce summary and statistical reports. https://www.arin.net/announcements/2012/20121221.html Andy Linton reappointed to the ASO Address Council Andy Linton has been reappointed by the APNIC Executive Council as a member of the ASO Address Council for 2013. http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2012/andy-linton-reappointed-to-the-aso-address-council Andy Linton reappointed to the ASO Address Council APNIC is pleased to announce that Andy Linton has been reappointed by the APNIC Executive Council as a member of the ASO Address Council for 2013. http://www.nro.net/news/andy-linton-reappointed-to-the-aso-address-council Copyright Infringement and ccTLDs by Cedric Manara .tk was once designated as the riskiest ccTLD. .ru is often said to be, after .com, the most used in the content of spam messages. But is there a ccTLD that is a favorite destination for copyright infringement? The question is worth asking in view of the growing trend for .com domain names seizures related to copyright infringement. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130101_copyright_infringement_and_cctlds/ House Representative Drafting Bill To Stop ICE Domain Seizures Without Notice or Hearing According to jdsupra.com, a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif), is drafting legislation that would seek to increase judicial oversight ICE?s ability to seize domain names. http://www.thedomains.com/2012/12/31/house-representative-drafting-bill-to-stop-ice-domain-seizures-without-notice-or-hearing/ ********************** - WEBHOSTING ********************** Netcraft: Most Reliable Hosting Company Sites in December 2012 Serverstack had the most reliable hosting company site during December, responding to every request from our monitoring system. We have only been monitoring Serverstack for three months, but it has quickly established itself as one of the hosting company sites with the fewest failed requests over that period, despite being located in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2013/01/01/most-reliable-hosting-company-sites-in-december-2012.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** DomainNameSales Goes on a Tear With a Hand in EVERY ONE of This Week's 11 Biggest Domain Sales It should be a very Merry Christmas at DomainNameSales.com (DNS). The domain aftermarket sales platform founded by industry legend Frank Schilling simply shot the lights out this past week either solely or jointly ringing up ALL of the 11 biggest sales and 16 of 20 on our latest weekly all extension Top 20 Sales Chart. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2012/20121226.htm Alternative Methods For Linkbuilding Recent Google algorithm updates have left SEO professionals wondering whether or not the traditional principles of content creation and authority link-building still drive search rankings. Companies have been penalized for what were deemed to be false authoritative links built to their site. In other words the long standing practice of creating ancillary sites, blog networks, social bookmarking hubs or link wheels have had their effectiveness eliminated since 2010. http://www.name.com/blog/contentmarketing/2013/01/alternative-methods-for-linkbuilding/ Cities And SEO Titles ? A Potential Goldmine Search engine optimization (SEO) techniques are numerous. In its simplest terms, SEO refers to strategies used to gain attention from the search engines, which leads to increased hits, business, and notoriety online. Used hand-in-hand with blogs, social media sites, and more, bloggers, businesses, and others can unearth helpful benefits. http://www.name.com/blog/contentmarketing/2013/01/cities-and-seo-titles-a-potential-goldmine/ The Benefits Of SEO Vs. Paid Traffic The lifeblood of any business that markets its products and services on the Internet is getting visitors to come to its web page. In Internet marketing circles, this process is described simply as ?getting traffic.? http://www.name.com/blog/startmybiz/2013/01/the-benefits-of-seo-vs-paid-traffic/ DomainInvest Partners with Sedo to Park and Promote Portfolio of 70,000 Domains Sedo ... announced that DomainInvest and its Subsidiary Keyword Domains GmbH has chosen to monetize its portfolio of close to 70,000 domains with Sedo?s end-to-end services. https://sedo.com/presse/presse.php?tracked=&partnerid=&language=e&id=535 The Evolution of Domain Names 101 No one is likely to dispute that Frank Schilling is one smart cookie, but almost no where is this more evident to me than when one examines the evolution of the Domain Names 101 page on his flagship DomainNameSales.com website. http://www.domainanimal.com/the-evolution-of-domain-names-101/ ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** OECD: The Development and Diffusion of Digital Content Viewers are watching a growing share of video via Internet-based distribution systems. New digital content distribution services are having appreciable impacts on established media industries and network service providers in many OECD countries. The competitive landscape in media, already complex, will become even more multifaceted. Public policy frameworks in the media and telecommunications sector must be reviewed in light of these developments. This paper argues that convergence should be taken as the rule, rather than the exception. Careful application of best practices can address most policy concerns. http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/the-development-and-diffusion-of-digital-content_5k8x6kv51z0n-en The Italian Google-Case: Privacy, Freedom of Speech and Responsibility of Providers for User-Generated Contents by Giovanni Sartor & Mario Viola de Azevedo Cunha [International Journal of Law and Information Technology] In a recent decision of the Tribunal of Milan three Google executives were convicted for violating data protection law, in connection with the online posting of a video showing a disabled person being bullied and insulted. This paper, after illustrating the facts of the case and the reasoning of the judge, discusses the main issue at stake, namely, the role and responsibilities of providers of platforms for user-created contents with regard to violations of data privacy. http://ijlit.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/4/356.full Copyright Fraud in the Internet Age: Copyright Management Information for Non-Digital Works Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by Russell W. Jacobs Abstract: With the advent of the digital age, authors of creative works enjoy the benefits of quickly and inexpensively distributing their works to global audiences. These developments have unfortunately led to the negative consequence that pirated, unauthorized, or altered copies reach potential users before the creator of the work releases the authentic version according to his or her terms. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 sought to address some of these concerns by punishing circumventions of technologies controlling access to copyrighted works (17 U.S.C. ? 1201) and by protecting ?copyright management information,? i.e. the data identifying the author and the terms of use of a copyrighted work (17 U.S.C. ? 1202). http://www.stlr.org/volumes/volume-xiii-2011-2012/copyright-fraud-in-the-internet-age-copyright-management-information-for-non-digital-works-under-the-digital-millennium-copyright-act/ Swiss Information Privacy Law and the Transborder Flow of Personal Data by Sylvain M?tille Abstract: Switzerland, like the European Union, has an extensive protection of privacy. An omnibus law, the Data Protection Act, ensures a high level of protection for every data relating to an identified or identifiable person, including legal persons. This Act applies both to data treated inside Switzerland and to data exported abroad. Data can only be transmitted if an adequate level of protection is granted.For countries where the legal framework is not deemed to be sufficient like the U.S., particular contractual clauses are necessary. In order to facilitate the exchange of data Switzerland and the U.S. have developed a Safe Harbor Framework. Every company certified compatible with the Safe Harbor is automatically recognized as offering the adequate level of protection required under Swiss law. http://jiclt.com/index.php/jiclt/article/view/178 Forward: Cyberbullying from Classroom to Courtroom: Approaches to Protecting Children in a Digital Age [series of papers from a conference] http://www.albanylawjournal.org/current.php The responsibilities of free speech regulators: an analysis of the Internet Watch Foundation by Emily Laidlaw [subscription] Abstract: The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is a UK-based self-regulatory organization that seeks to reduce the availability of child sexual abuse and criminally obscene content on the Internet. One of the methods used by this organization is the creation of a blacklist of content, which the members disable access to through the use of filtering technologies. http://ijlit.oxfordjournals.org/content/20/4/312 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/oup/inttec/2012/00000020/00000004/art00004 Jurisdictional issues concerning online child pornography by Alisdair Gillespie [subscription] Abstract: The Internet has posed a number of challenges to the concept of jurisdiction in respect of many crimes. The inherent architecture of the Internet means that questions have been raised as to whether cyberspace should be recognised as a new form of international space. This article questions whether this is necessary or desirable and then considers how two countries, England & Wales and the United States of America, have interpreted their domestic law to provide for securing jurisdiction not only where people access child pornography from within the territorial borders of the country but even where material, hosted abroad, is accessible from within the territorial borders. The article considers the implication this has on laws seeking to tackle child pornography and whether it has extended the law of jurisdiction beyond that which is commonly understood. http://ijlit.oxfordjournals.org/content/20/3/151 http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/oup/inttec/2012/00000020/00000003/art00001 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** How the internet became a closed shop: A borderless frontier has morphed into a set of gated communities A little over a decade ago, just before the masses discovered the digital universe, the internet was a borderless new frontier: a terra nullius to be populated by individuals, groups and programmers as they saw fit. There were few rules and no boundaries. Freedom and open standards, sharing information for the greater good was the ethos. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-the-internet-became-a-closed-shop-20121221-2brcp.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-the-internet-became-a-closed-shop-20121221-2brcp.html The writing is on the paywall ? but the end of print is not quite nigh Transition. It's a soothing word and a calming concept as the old year ends. Change may frighten some and challenge others. Change is a leap in the dark. But transition means going surely and sweetly from somewhere present to somewhere future. Unless, that is, it is newspapers' "transition" to the world of cyberspace, an uncertain and highly discomfiting process ? because, frankly, it may not be a process at all. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/dec/30/writing-on-paywall-end-of-print The superhighway of information has a toll The Tribune Company, owner of the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and other down-on-their luck newspapers, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after four years this week. Its first move will probably be to sell off the papers cheaply and focus on cable television. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/df0f00ce-4f96-11e2-a744-00144feab49a.html Internet Explorer ends the year on a high, Windows 8 slow to get noticed Internet Explorer finished 2012 with its highest market share since August 2011. In spite of a few close calls, Firefox maintained its lead over Chrome, holding on to second place for the full year. http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/01/internet-explorer-ends-the-year-on-a-high-windows-8-slow-to-get-noticed/ Internet Explorer had a Very Good 2012 It was a good year for Microsoft's Internet Explorer. According to the latest data from Net Apps, IE gained only slightly in December, but overall it reversed its fortunes from 2011 and recaptured a fair amount of lost market share in 2012. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2023619/internet-explorer-had-a-very-good-2012.html http://www.cio.com/article/725201/Internet_Explorer_had_a_Very_Good_2012 Silencing the Smartphone Resolutions to change behavior are common at this time of year, but they usually involve exercising more or smoking less. Now, some companies are adopting policies aimed at weaning employees from their electronic devices. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/business/some-companies-seek-to-wean-employees-from-their-smartphones.html Record numbers of Kiwis look for love online Pushy relatives asking singletons about romance over Christmas dinner could be behind a surge in people searching online for love before the new year, a relationship expert says. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10856352 More Kiwis go online for love More and more Kiwis are heading to online dating websites, with activity spiking over the festive season. http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=159260 uk: Online dating surges as lonely hearts look for post-Christmas romance The retailers have "cyber-Monday", the first Monday in December, when Christmas shopping panic sets in and online purchases reach record heights. But in matters of the heart the seasonal tipping point comes later, beginning in that melancholy lull between Boxing Day and the New Year. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/dec/29/online-dating-christmas-romance au: Dating sites prepare for new year surge [AAP] AUSTRALIAN dating websites are preparing for a surge in activity as harassed singletons bow to familial pressure and hop online in a bid to find Mr or Ms Right. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/dating-sites-prepare-for-new-year-surge/story-e6frg6nf-1226545685549 ********************** SOCIAL MEDIA ********************** Who's to blame for the Instagram debacle? Take a look in the mirror Instagram has come under fire ? as other services based on user-generated content have ? for changing its terms of service in a way that suggests it might experiment with advertising. But should that really be a surprise? What else should we expect from a free service? http://gigaom.com/2012/12/19/whos-to-blame-for-the-instagram-debacle-take-a-look-in-the-mirror/ http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-12-20/youre-to-blame-for-the-instagram-policy-fight Instagram's New Policies: Much Improved on Ownership Rights, Still Nebulous on User Privacy Earlier this week, we were extremely concerned when Instagram1 proposed a set of changes to its terms of service and privacy policy that would have expanded the ways in which the service was permitted to use uploaded photos in advertising. In addition to concern about user photos being sold to the highest bidder, we were troubled to see the company modified language that previously protected the privacy of user photos. We?re happy to note that, after intense public pressure, Instagram has reverted to the prior policy with regard to advertising on the site and ownership rights of photos. Before seeking users? agreement on new permissions, Instagram has promised that it will propose a specific program, so users can make a more informed choice. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/12/instagrams-new-policies-much-improved-ownership-rights-still-nebulous-user Instagram's New Terms of Service to Sell Your Photos Facebook subsidiary Instagram recently revised their terms of service, adding a few controversial new terms that will allow the company to monetize your photos. They broadened the license you give to the photo-sharing service to allow Instagram to sub-license your photos, adding a broad grant of permission: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/12/instagrams-new-terms-service-sell-your-photos There's No Avoiding Google+ Google Inc. is challenging Facebook Inc. by using a controversial tactic: requiring people to use the Google+ social network. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324731304578193781852024980.html Extension Gives You More Control Over Your Facebook Privacy Facebook Messages has a feature that tells you when a chat recipient has seen a message. This "read receipt" is, in true Facebook fashion, both nifty and unsettling. And it brings with it tons of potential for abuse. Unfortunately, there's no built-in method to opt out. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/01/extension-gives-you-more-control-over-your-facebook-privacy German state fights Facebook over alleged privacy violations A German state data protection agency has threatened Facebook's billionaire founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg with a ?20,000 (?16,000) fine if Facebook does not allow Germans to have anonymous accounts on the social network. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/04/facebook-germany-data-protection More Facebook Changes, Aimed at Users on the Go The only thing constant about Facebook is that it keeps changing. Just when you think you?ve figured out the interface to the world?s biggest social network, the engineers there update it again. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/03/technology/personaltech/facebooks-latest-mobile-interface-expands-features.html uk: Social media-related crime reports up 780% in four years Complaints to police about alleged crimes linked to the use of Facebook and Twitter have increased by 780% in four years, resulting in about 650 people being charged last year, figures show. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/dec/27/social-media-crime-facebook-twitter Internet culture: #mutatis #mutandis Your correspondent speaks his mind on Twitter, often at too great a length and too colourfully. Those with a sensitive disposition are advised to give his message stream a wide berth. Yet it was a surprise to receive a request recently from a follower to begin annotating tweets to allow said follower to filter "controversial" topics more easily. http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/12/internet-culture Facebook Adds More Accessible Privacy Settings It's always pleasant to have a company change its privacy settings in a way that makes it easier for users to control their data. Yesterday, Facebook started rolling out easier-to-access privacy controls. A number of privacy controls - such as controlling who can see your content on Facebook - will be accessible with a single click to an icon on the right side of the top bar of Facebook. We are particularly pleased that Facebook is informing users about these controls with a notification at the top of the page after a user logs in. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/12/facebook-adds-more-accessible-privacy-settings S'pore arrests teen for threatening Facebook post Local police arrest 13-year-old boy for threatening to bomb a casino resort on Facebook, and he faces a possible hefty fine and even jail time. http://www.zdnet.com/sg/spore-arrests-teen-for-threatening-facebook-post-7000009258/ Facebook thumbs down democracy Amid resistance to proposed changes to user and privacy settings, social media behemoth Facebook offered up a vote. More than half a million said "no thanks," but the company would only have listened to 300 million. http://www.dw.de/facebook-thumbs-down-democracy/a-16443374 ********************************* CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY ********************************* Child Pornography: Law and Policy, by Alisdair A Gillespie [book review/subscription] Despite the increasing prominence of child pornography as a matter of concern in the social, political and legal spheres, the relative lack of scholarly monographs which examine the subject from a critical legal perspective still comes as something of a surprise. It should be acknowledged that this situation is improving: in the last few years, a much needed mapping and interrogation of this heavily contested and highly politicized subject has begun to emerge via notable works such as those of Akdeniz and Ost.1 Set against this background, the latest contribution to the coherent and sustained critique of the law and policy in this area from Gillespie?a leading commentator in the field?is to be welcomed. http://ijlit.oxfordjournals.org/content/20/3/245 Mommy bloggers: A child's right to online privacy ... The greatest threat to children's privacy online does not come from corporations. It comes from parents - specifically, the self-described "mommy bloggers" who reveal the most personal details of their children's lives on the internet, often using their real names and photos. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/12/2012122765931208414.html Twitter accounts with child abuse images closed Several private Twitter accounts have been disabled after they were revealed to contain indecent images of children. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20837224 Twitter closes accounts after graphic child abuse images revealed [Press Association] A string of Twitter accounts have been closed after they were revealed to contain disturbing images of child abuse. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/24/twitter-closes-accounts-child-abuse-images Be careful who you are talking to Let me set a scenario for you. You have an problem with your mobile phone provider in terms of a service issue. As an avid Twitter user you tweet them with the basic details of your problem. You know that it is them because they have a verified Twitter account (signified by the green tick on their Twitter address) and have a million followers. Two minutes later you get a response from them, asking to Direct Message them details of the issue, and just to verify who you are, your username and password. http://www.netnames.com/blog/2013/01/be-careful-who-you-are-talking-to/ uk: Government to offer parents tougher pornography controls No one wants children to access porn online. Working out the best way to protect them from the darker corners of the internet is a thorny issue that the government is trying to tackle. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/filth-and-fury-david-camerons-uturn-on-online-porn-8426765.html uk: Twitter and Facebook get on the school timetable in anti-libel lessons It's a school topic that seems to belong to an age far distant from home economics, 1066 and jumpers for goalposts. A school in Somerset has begun teaching 13- and 14-year-old pupils how to avoid defaming people on Twitter. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/dec/26/twitter-facebook-school-libel-lessons us: Children?s Online Privacy Rules: Winners and Losers Now that the Federal Trade Commission has published its updated privacy protections for children online, Facebook may finally open its site to children under 13, industry analysts say. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/childrens-online-privacy-rules-winners-and-losers/ nz: Internet groups at odds over online bullying bill Leading internet organisations are at odds over whether a bill targeting online bullying and harassment will squash freedom of speech if it becomes law. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/124533/internet-groups-at-odds-over-online-bullying-bill au: R18+ game rating comes into effect An R18+ video game rating has come into effect across Australia after a deal between the states and the Commonwealth last year. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-01/r182b-rating-comes-into-effect/4449370 ********************** ONLINE TV, MUSIC & PIRACY ********************** Curbing Content Theft by Harry Khanna We are spoiled. Those of us who have grown up with the internet are accustomed to instant gratification of information. How many feet are in a 3 meters? Google it. How old is Justice Thomas? Ask Siri. What?s the name of the song that?s playing right now? There?s an app for that. But this expectation of instant gratification breaks down when it comes to copyrighted content, specifically television and movies. And the unwillingness of the studios, cable networks, and content providers to cater to this expectation often drives a person to steal the content when they would have willingly paid for it. This problem is particularly acute for people who use operating systems like GNU/Linux. For example, a colleague of mine is a fan of a TV show named Workaholics which airs on Comedy Central. He runs a distribution of GNU/Linux, and once asked me how he could watch old episodes for this show, and it struck me that there really is no good way. http://www.stlr.org/2012/12/curbing-content-theft/ uk: Digital sales break ?1bn barrier More than ?1bn was spent on downloaded films, music and games in 2012, the highest annual total. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20885506 Gangnam Style hits one billion views on YouTube Gangnam Style has become the first video to clock up more than one billion views on YouTube. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20812870 Golden Eye porn producer seeks to widen piracy blitz A pornographic film-maker has revealed plans to chase more internet users for compensation for pirating others' adult movies. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20852157 nz: Best week ever for digital music downloads The 'dying' music industry had a chipper post-Christmas week with consumers buying 55.74 million digital songs, according to Nielsen SoundScan. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/best-week-ever-digital-music-downloads-ck-134361 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Signs of Changes Taking Hold in Electronics Factories in China One day last summer, Pu Xiaolan was halfway through a shift inspecting iPad cases when she received a beige wooden chair with white stripes and a high, sturdy back. At first, Ms. Pu wondered if someone had made a mistake. But when her bosses walked by, they just nodded curtly. So Ms. Pu gently sat down and leaned back. Her body relaxed. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/business/signs-of-changes-taking-hold-in-electronics-factories-in-china.html Apps to Regulate Apps by Tim Wu Nobody ever said that big cities make for easy living. The apps of the moment, Uber and Airbnb, try to mitigate matters by letting you book a car ride or rent someone?s apartment using your smartphone or computer. They are beloved by those contemplating scarce taxis or $500 hotel rooms. But they?re considerably less popular among city regulators, whose reactions recall Ned Ludd?s response to the automated loom. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/opinion/the-best-way-to-regulate-urban-living-apps.html Editorial: Sneaky Apps That Track Cellphones A perversion of smartphone technology called ?stalking apps? ? precise, secretive trackings of the movements of cellphone users ? is increasingly a matter of national concern, particularly for domestic abuse victims. No less threatening is the routine monitoring of children?s locales and phone habits for commercial purposes while parents are kept in the dark. Stealth apps even stoop to cyber-leering through the now notorious app called Girls Around Me, which allows men to search out women, unbeknown to them, by cross-matching GPS technology with information and photo sites like Facebook. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/opinion/sneaking-after-cellphone-users.html Apple and Google still in the hunt for control of mobile market In one noisy corner is Google, claiming victory for its strategy of free, ubiquitous software, while in the other, there are Apple's eye-watering profits as the world's most valuable company. This is the titanic battle to control the future of the tablet and smartphone market ? and with it, the way that more than a billion people with the devices access information. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/26/apple-google-smartphones-mobile U.S. Office Rejects 2nd Apple Patent The United States Patent and Trademark Office has dealt a blow to Apple in its legal battle with Samsung Electronics over smartphone patents, declaring that a patent that helped Apple win $1.05 billion in damages against Samsung in a jury trial should not have been granted. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/technology/patent-office-rejects-apple-patent-used-against-samsung.html VMK launch 'first African-designed' smartphone and tablet A smartphone and tablet said to be the first designed by an African company have been launched. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20850778 ********************** ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL ********************** Is Ad-Blocking the New Frontier for Copyright Law? by Julia Qi Although the world?s largest Internet companies derive the majority of their income from online advertising, some of the most powerful browser add-ons are ad blockers. One of the most prominent ad blocking plug-ins is Adblock Plus from Firefox. Adblock Plus allows you to cut out unwanted pop-up ads and in-page graphics. This often results in a better Internet experience since it prevents download of the larger graphics and animations of advertisements. Wladimir Palant, the developer of the open-source Adblock Plus project, estimated in 2007 that there were 2.5 million users around the world with 300,000 to 400,000 new users every month. http://www.stlr.org/2012/12/is-ad-blocking-the-new-frontier-for-copyright-law/ Italian Appeals Court Acquits 3 Google Executives in Privacy Case An appeals court in Milan on Friday overturned the conviction of three Google executives on charges of violating Italian privacy laws, in a decision that the company hailed as a victory for Internet freedom. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/22/business/global/italian-appeals-court-acquits-3-google-executives-in-privacy-case.html Google Cleared In Italy After Hosting Video Of Autistic Child Being Bullied [AP] An Italian appeals court on Friday overturned the convictions of three Google executives found criminally responsible for a video on a Google site that showed a disabled teen being bullied. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/21/google-italy_n_2344557.html Britain 'losing the war on cyber crime' as costs hit ?205 million Britain is losing the war on internet crime, a leading police officer has admitted, after it emerged that cyber crime cost UK businesses around ?205 million in lost revenue last year. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9771627/Britain-losing-the-war-on-cyber-crime-as-costs-hit-205-million.html ********************** SECURITY ********************** Outmaneuvered at Their Own Game, Antivirus Makers Struggle to Adapt The antivirus industry has a dirty little secret: its products are often not very good at stopping viruses. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/technology/antivirus-makers-work-on-software-to-catch-malware-more-effectively.html Netcraft world map of phishing attacks Netcraft's new phishing attack map provides a real-time visualisation of the phishiest countries in the world. Measurements are determined by using IP address delegation information to attribute current phishing sites in our Phishing Site Feed to countries. We then use the number of active sites found by our Web Server Survey to calculate and display the ratio of phishing attacks to web sites in each country. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2012/12/13/world-map-of-phishing-attacks.html Global Scans Reveal Internet's Insecurities in 2012 Researchers and attackers catalog vulnerable systems connected to the Internet, from video conferencing systems set to auto-answer to open point-of-sale servers to poorly configured database systems. http://www.darkreading.com/security-monitoring/167901086/security/attacks-breaches/240145378/global-scans-reveal-internet-s-insecurities-in-2012.html ITU-IMPACT establishes first Cybersecurity Innovation Centre for Arab region [news release] ITU and its cybersecurity partner, the International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT), has announced a partnership with the Information Technology Authority (ITA) of Oman for the first Cybersecurity Innovation Centre to cater to the needs of the Arab region. The formal exchange of Agreement took place in Muscat, Oman on 15 December 2012. http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/93.aspx us: Report: Cyber Threats to Energy Sector Happening at ?Alarming Rate? Internet-based attacks on critical U.S. energy infrastructure are occurring at a greater rate than previously understood, according to a new government report. The report, issued by a cyber security team that operates within the Department of Homeland Security, found that thousands of control systems used in critical infrastructure are linked directly to the Internet and are vulnerable to attack by viruses and other malware. In the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2012, companies reported 198 cyber incidents to the DHS?s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team, more than 40% of which were directed against companies operating in the energy sector. The team ?has been tracking threats and responding to intrusions into infrastructure such as oil and natural gas pipelines and electric power organizations at an alarming rate,? according to the report. http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2013/01/02/report-cyber-threats-to-energy-sector-happening-at-alarming-rate/ To thwart hackers, firms salting their servers with fake data Brown Printing Co., which prints popular magazines and catalogues, knew that it had valuable assets in its computer systems and that those assets ? online editions and subscriber databases ? were increasingly at risk with the proliferation of cyber-espionage. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/to-thwart-hackers-firms-salting-their-servers-with-fake-data/2013/01/02/3ce00712-4afa-11e2-9a42-d1ce6d0ed278_story.html U.S. Banks Again Hit by Wave of Cyberattacks For the last week, hackers have ? once again ? attacked the online banking sites of several American banks. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/u-s-banks-again-hit-by-wave-of-cyberattacks/ Regulator Warns Banks About DDoS Attacks, Encourages Information Sharing In an alert issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Deputy Comptroller for Operational Risk Carolyn G. DuChene warned financial and other critical institutions about the wave of ongoing distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks targeting their networks. DuChene is urging the banks in particular to share data about the attacks with one another and reiterated the OCC?s expectation that banks have risk management plans designed to mitigate such attacks in place ahead of time. http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/regulator-warns-banks-about-ddos-attacks-encourages-information-sharing-122712 Iran Responds to New ?Stuxnet-Like? Cyber Attack The ongoing cyber war in Iran appears to have taken another turn in recent days as the state media in that country is airing reports of a new attack against industrial computers in the southern area of Hormuzgan Province. http://allthingsd.com/20121226/iran-responds-to-new-stuxnet-like-cyber-attack/ Stuxnet attacks Iran again, reports say An Iranian news agency says the country successfully fended off yet another attack by the Stuxnet worm, according to reports. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57560799-83/stuxnet-attacks-iran-again-reports-say/ Iran says defeats cyber attack on industrial sites An Internet virus attacked computers at industrial sites in southern Iran, in an apparent extension of a covert cyber war that initially targeted the country's nuclear facilities, an Iranian official said. http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/12/25/iran-cyber-idINDEE8BO02A20121225 Rethinking IT Security Architecture: Experts Question Wisdom Of Current 'Layered' Cyberdefense Strategies As attacks become more sophisticated and breaches abound, it's time for enterprises to change their cybersecurity thinking from the ground up, experts say http://www.darkreading.com/security/security-management/240145324/rethinking-it-security-architecture-experts-question-wisdom-of-current-layered-cyberdefense-strategies.html uk: Cybersecurity drive to target schoolchildren and 'risky men' Ministers are planning a major campaign to encourage better online security ? pushing into schools and also targeting "risky men" who take a reckless attitude to posting details online ? against a backdrop of soaring levels of crime in cyberspace. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/03/cybersecurity-drive-schoolchildren-risky-men Security experts warn of 'January Effect' cyberattacks [CSO] The world didn't end with the Mayan calendar. But it still might be a good idea for those in the information security business to be wary of this time of year. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2023252/security-experts-warn-of-january-effect-cyberattacks.html McAfee Predicts Evolution of Security Threats in 2013 Report Security software developer McAfee announced this week that it has released its annual 2013 Threat Predictions report, a 16-page report outlining the company?s predictions for the evolving online security threat in 2013, including specific predictions around mobile malware, hacktivism and criminally-motivated hacking efforts. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/mcafee-predicts-evolution-of-security-threats-in-2013-report Follow a Phishing Case in Real Time: postfinances.com / Swiss Post by Werner Staub It is just another phishing case. Why should I care? I happened to receive my own copy of the phishing email message. Most Internet users will just smile bitterly before deleting it. I checked it to see why it had gone through the spam filters. It had no URL in the text but a reply-to address. So it needed a valid domain name, and had one: postfinances.com. PostFinance (without trailing "s") is the payment system of the Swiss Post. It has millions of users. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130104_follow_a_phishing_case_in_real_time_postfinancescom_swiss_post/ The Future of Cybersecurity Could Be Sitting in an Office in New Jersey: Meet CyberCity, the model train town hoping to keep your home safe from attack The Sans Institute was founded in 1989, and currently leads information-security training for military, government, and civilian officials -- sessions that tend to specialize, these days, in digital forensics and network penetration testing. For the past few years, SANS has been running computer simulation training games (the aptly named "NetWars") for members of the military. http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/01/the-future-of-cybersecurity-could-be-sitting-in-an-office-in-new-jersey/266849/ ca: Tories should fund private sector IT security in name of national security, CSIS research paper suggests The federal government should consider subsidizing IT security for businesses across the country in the name of national security, suggests a research paper from Canada?s spy agency. http://o.canada.com/2012/12/28/tories-should-fund-private-sector-it-security-in-name-of-national-security-csis-research-paper-suggests/ au: It?s global cyber war out there [subscription] Sitting in an office in the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation?s Soviet-style building, which mirrors the Orwellian bunker one might imagine, Australia?s most experienced spy master, David Irvine, has a lot on his mind as he gazes over Lake Burley Griffin. http://www.afr.com/p/national/it_global_cyber_war_out_there_94da3CY7Avufi9jp5d0JTI au: CEOs step up cyber offensive [subscription] Westpac chairman Lindsay Maxsted has revealed that the bank is a target of regular cyber attacks from criminals and that security systems are a substantial part of its technology budget. http://www.afr.com/p/national/ceos_step_up_cyber_offensive_V7KtDKNXzTadwHdfX0G38I ********************** PRIVACY ********************** Multistakeholder Meetings To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile Application Transparency NTIA will convene meetings of a privacy multistakeholder process concerning mobile application transparency. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/Privacy_multistakeholder_process_notice_of_open_meetings Foursquare announces privacy changes; will now show full names Foursquare alerted its users of upcoming privacy changes next month, and among the most notable differences is that the location-based social network will now display users' full names. http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-foursquare-privacy-names-20121231,0,1153219.story ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** China censors clash with media on reform Chinese journalists have clashed openly with government censors, as the new political leadership?s unexpectedly tough political stance frustrates hopes for reform. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/e182898e-5671-11e2-aa70-00144feab49a.html China may require real name registration for internet access China may require internet users to register with their real names when signing up to network providers, state media said on Tuesday, extending a policy already in force with microblogs in a bid to curb what officials call rumours and vulgarity. http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/12/25/china-internet-idINDEE8BO01620121225 http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/25/uk-china-internet-idUKBRE8BO01120121225 China Toughens Its Restrictions on Use of the Internet The Chinese government issued new rules on Friday requiring Internet users to provide their real names to service providers, while assigning Internet companies greater responsibility for deleting forbidden postings and reporting them to the authorities. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/29/world/asia/china-toughens-restrictions-on-internet-use.html China Tightens Rules for Internet Users China enacted new rules on Friday that beef up disclosure requirements for Internet users, in Beijing's latest move to get a tighter grip on its voluble and increasingly restive online community. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324669104578207160242692822.html China tightens internet controls China has tightened its control of the internet, enshrining in law a requirement for internet companies and telecom operators to censor online content and report users to the authorities for publishing information deemed illegal. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/7ab3e9d4-50d4-11e2-b287-00144feab49a.html China approves tighter rules on internet access China has tightened its rules on internet usage to enforce a previous requirement that users fully identify themselves to service providers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20857480 Google concedes defeat in China censorship battle Google has reluctantly conceded defeat in its latest effort to combat online censorship in China, after a year of behind-the-scenes brinkmanship over sensitive search terms banned by authorities. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/04/google-defeat-china-censorship-battle Adding More Bricks to the Great Firewall of China China appears to have reinforced its Internet firewall in recent days, blocking some of the leading services that allow people on the mainland to access forbidden sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/adding-more-bricks-to-the-great-firewall-of-china/ Great Firewall upgrade hits China's web users Chinese internet users who are skilled at evading the country's online blocks have suddenly found they are again being denied access to some websites. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-21/great-firewall-27upgrade27-hits-china27s-internet-users/4440874 Pakistan Lifts YouTube Ban, for 3 Minutes A ban on YouTube, which Pakistan imposed after an anti-Islam video caused riots in much of the Muslim world, was lifted Saturday, only to be reinstated ? after three minutes ? when it was discovered that blasphemous material was still available on the site. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/30/world/asia/youtube-ban-lifted-in-pakistan-for-3-minutes.html Pakistan briefly lifts block on YouTube Pakistan lifted its block on YouTube - but only for a few hours. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20875167 Pakistan to Lift YouTube Ban, as a Viral Video Star Is Welcomed Home Pakistan?s interior minister announced on Friday that the country plans to lift a ban on YouTube that was imposed in September, following violent protests over a crude anti-Islam film uploaded to the site by an Egyptian-American. The government acted to rescind the ban just hours after the star of one of the year?s most popular YouTube videos, a singing Pakistani fishmonger, was given a hero?s welcome upon his return to the city of Lahore from Britain. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/28/pakistan-to-lift-youtube-ban-as-a-viral-video-star-is-welcomed-home/ Vietnam Dissident Arrested as Web Crackdown Intensifies Vietnamese police have detained one of the country's best-known dissidents and bloggers, raising the stakes in the Communist-run nation's crackdown on Internet criticism of its one-party rule and potentially worsening the country's relations with the United States and other important trading partners. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323300404578206893003292384.html Tajikistan blocks scores of websites as election looms Tajikistan blocked access to more than 100 websites on Tuesday, in what a government source said was a dress rehearsal for a crackdown on online dissent before next year's election when President Imomali Rakhmon will again run for office. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/25/uk-tajikistan-internet-idUKBRE8BO01S20121225 http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/12/25/tajikistan-internet-idINDEE8BO02020121225 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Internet Co-Regulation: European Law, Regulatory Governance and Legitimacy in Cyberspace [book review/subscription] This text is intended for researchers and policy makers in the field of Internet regulation and co-regulatory theory in general. Many of the themes of his earlier work ?Net Neutrality: Towards a Co-Regulatory Solution? are revisited (as we shall discuss) but this time with a distinctly European flavour. The central thesis of this work is that:"?co-regulation is becoming the defining feature of Internet regulation in Europe. It may prove the most appropriate model to respond to other dynamic technologically led and globalized fields of regulatory activity??" http://ijlit.oxfordjournals.org/content/20/2/147 us: Inquiry Into Tech Giants? Tax Strategies Nears End Congressional investigators are wrapping up an inquiry into the accounting practices of Apple and other technology companies that allocate revenue and intellectual property offshore to lower the taxes they pay in the United States. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/business/an-inquiry-into-tech-giants-tax-strategies-nears-an-end.html Google Pushed Hard Behind the Scenes to Convince Regulators For 19 months, Google pressed its case with antitrust regulators investigating the company. Working relentlessly behind the scenes, executives made frequent flights to Washington, laying out their legal arguments and shrewdly applying lessons learned from Microsoft?s bruising antitrust battle in the 1990s. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/technology/googles-lawyers-work-behind-the-scenes-to-carry-the-day.html Google and antitrust: Investigations into Google approach a climax in America and Europe ?Have you been duped by a bad search?? asks scroogled.com, a cheeky website that urges people to post gripes about the quality of Google searches on a related Facebook page. Scroogled was set up by Microsoft and encourages you to use Bing, Microsoft?s competing search engine, instead. http://www.economist.com/news/business/21568757-investigations-google-approach-climax-america-and-europe-transatlantic-tussles On Google, F.T.C. Set Rules of War Over Patents The Federal Trade Commission?s antitrust investigation of Google focused mainly on the company?s lucrative search business, while its inquiry into the tech giant?s handling of patents seemed an afterthought. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/technology/in-google-patent-case-ftc-set-rules-of-engagement-for-battles.html Europe Likely to Be Harder on Google Over Search By some accounts, the United States let Google off the hook when it found that the technology giant had not abused its dominance in the Internet search market. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/technology/europe-likely-to-be-harder-on-google-over-search.html US ruling on Google 'will not sway European inquiry' After the US regulator this week dismissed allegations that Google gives unfair prominence to its own services in search results, the European commission has denied that the decision will affects its own investigation into the claims. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/04/google-european-investigation-ftc EU says its Google case not affected by U.S. ruling A decision by U.S. regulators to end a probe into whether Google Inc hurt rivals by manipulating internet searches will not affect the European Union's examination of the company. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/04/uk-google-antitrust-eu-idUKBRE9030EQ20130104 http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/01/04/google-antitrust-eu-idINDEE90306120130104 Critics of Google Antitrust Ruling Fault the Focus One of the more surprising conclusions drawn by the Federal Trade Commission when it dropped its nearly two-year antitrust investigation into Google last week was that Google, far from harming consumers, had actually helped them. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/technology/googles-rivals-say-ftc-antitrust-ruling-missed-the-point.html The Line Between ?Aggressive? and ?Evil? ?Don?t Be Evil,? the founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, proclaimed in their 2004 ?Owner?s Manual? for prospective investors in the company. Despite widespread cynicism, criticism and even mockery, the company has never backed down on this core premise, reiterating in its most recent list of the ?things we know to be true? that ?you can make money without doing evil.? http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/business/google-finds-a-line-between-aggressive-and-evil.html Opinion: Is Google Like Gas or Like Steel? After a two-year investigation, the Federal Trade Commission concluded this week that Google?s search practices did not violate antitrust law. Those who wanted to see an epic battle like the one the government fought with Microsoft in the 1990s were sorely disappointed. But the analogy to the browser war of the Web?s early days was never the right one. It failed to capture the dangers free speech would have faced if regulators had agreed with Google?s critics. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/opinion/is-google-like-gas-or-like-steel.html Behind Google's Antitrust Escape After early hopes for a sweeping antitrust case against Google Inc., it became clear to the Federal Trade Commission last fall that no such lawsuit was in the offing. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323689604578221971197494496.html Microsoft vents over FTC Google antitrust ruling Microsoft isn't best pleased with the FTC's decision concerning Google's "anti-competitive" business practices, and has released its frustration by means of a lengthy complaint. http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-vents-over-ftc-google-antitrust-ruling-7000009378/ A Victory for Google as F.T.C. Takes No Formal Steps The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday handed Google a major victory by declaring, after an investigation of nearly two years, that the company had not violated antitrust or anticompetition statutes in the way it arranges its Web search results. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/technology/google-agrees-to-changes-in-search-ending-us-antitrust-inquiry.html Google makes concessions to avoid legal action in US The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided not to take legal action against Google at the end of a 19-month investigation into the search giant. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20899032 Google Free to Extend Web Search Lead as U.S. FTC Ends Probe Google Inc. is free to extend its dominance of the $50 billion Internet-search market after U.S. regulators ended an investigation into whether the company unfairly skewed search results to disadvantage competitors. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-04/google-free-to-extend-web-search-lead-as-u-s-ftc-ends-probe.html FTC: Google did not break antitrust law with search practices Google emerged from nearly two years of intense federal scrutiny Thursday by convincing the Federal Trade Commission that even though rivals may suffer as the company continually refines its search engine, consumers often win through better, faster, more valuable answers to their queries. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/ftc-to-announce-google-settlement-today/2013/01/03/ecb599f0-55c6-11e2-bf3e-76c0a789346f_story.html Google Agreement Sets a Bad Precedent of Special Treatment, Says FTC Commissioner The U.S. Federal Trade Commission?s search settlement with Google today ?creates very bad precedent and may lead to the impression that well-heeled firms such as Google will receive special treatment at the Commission,? wrote Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch in a dissenting statement. http://allthingsd.com/20130103/google-agreement-sets-a-bad-precedent-of-special-treatment-says-ftc-commissioner/ What Matters in Google's FTC Settlement: A Cheat Sheet Following a 20-month investigation, the FTC today announced its settlement with Google over a variety of allegedly anti-competitive business practices. Here's what you need to know: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/01/what-matters-in-googles-ftc-settlement-a-cheat-sheet/266808/ What Google's settlement with the FTC means for users The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it has completed a nearly two-year investigation into Google's business practices. Here are some of the key takeaways: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57561872-93/what-googles-settlement-with-the-ftc-means-for-users/ Google Agrees to Change Its Business Practices to Resolve FTC Competition Concerns In the Markets for Devices Like Smart Phones, Games and Tablets, and in Online Search [news release] Google Inc. has agreed to change some of its business practices to resolve Federal Trade Commission concerns that those practices could stifle competition in the markets for popular devices such as smart phones, tablets and gaming consoles, as well as the market for online search advertising. http://ftc.gov/opa/2013/01/google.shtm Microsoft argues Google is still stifling competition as government regulators wrap up probes [AP] Microsoft began the new year harping on a favorite theme: The software maker is arguing that government regulators need to crack down on Google to preserve fair competition in the Internet and smartphone markets. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/microsoft-argues-google-is-still-stifling-competition-as-government-regulators-wrap-up-probes/2013/01/02/0301a084-5511-11e2-89de-76c1c54b1418_story.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/microsoft-renews-plea-for-crackdown-on-google-20130103-2c63w.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/microsoft-renews-plea-for-crackdown-on-google-20130103-2c63w.html Microsoft criticizes Google's proposed settlement with FTC For two years, Microsoft Corp. has urged antitrust regulators to crack down on arch rival Google Inc. http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-microsoft-urges-antitrust-regulators-to-crack-down-on-google-20130102,0,1985951.story us: Federal Power to Intercept Messages Is Extended Congress gave final approval on Friday to a bill extending the government?s power to intercept electronic communications of spy and terrorism suspects, after the Senate voted down proposals from several Democrats and Republicans to increase protections of civil liberties and privacy. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/29/us/politics/senate-votes-to-extend-electronic-surveillance-authority-under-fisa.html us: Tech Giants Brace for More Scrutiny From Regulators Silicon Valley lobbied hard in Washington in 2012, and despite some friction with regulators, fared fairly well. In 2013, though, government scrutiny is likely to grow. And with this scrutiny will come even greater efforts by the tech industry to press its case in the nation?s capital and overseas. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/technology/tech-giants-learning-the-ways-of-washington-brace-for-more-scrutiny.html U.S. Congress may not have stomach for another SOPA/PIPA fight [IDG] As a new session of the U.S. Congress convenes in early 2013, don't expect lawmakers to rush out a new version of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) or the Protect IP Act (PIPA). http://www.pcworld.com/article/2023316/u-s-congress-may-not-have-stomach-for-another-sopa-pipa-fight.html http://www.cio.com/article/724692/US_Congress_May_Not_have_Stomach_for_Another_SOPA U.S., Russia agree on 'action plan' to fight piracy The two countries agree on a plan to curtail theft of intellectual property, after President Obama grants Russia "permanent normal trade relations" and the two nations agree to have the WTO's tenets apply between them. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57560621-38/u.s-russia-agree-on-action-plan-to-fight-piracy/ Facebook paid ?2.9m tax on ?840m profits made outside US, figures show Facebook has become the latest multinational to come under the spotlight for its tax affairs after figures revealed it paid just ?2.9m in tax on profits of more than more than ?800m. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/23/facebook-tax-profits-outside-us uk: ?1.8bn 'snooper's charter' fails to get Treasury backing The home secretary, Theresa May, has failed to win the backing of the Treasury to fund her ?1.8bn "snooper's charter" programme to track everybody's internet and mobile phone use, ministers have revealed. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/dec/28/snooper-charter-fail-treasury-backing au: Big firms play 'Double Dutch' to skip on tax Multinational corporations including Google, Facebook, Apple and eBay are likely to have short-changed Australians by more than $1 billion in lost tax revenue thanks to an arrangement dubbed by Treasury as "the Double-Dutch Irish Sandwich". http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/big-firms-play-double-dutch-to-skip-on-tax/story-e6freuy9-1226543763777 France extends deadline for publishers' talks with Google The French government said it would extend to the end of January the deadline for talks between Google Inc and the French press to settle a dispute over the search engine's links to online news articles. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/21/uk-google-france-links-idUKBRE8BK11L20121221 Singapore data protection law will come into force on 2 January Singapore's new Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) will come into force on 2 January, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) in Singapore has announced. It has named the makeup of the two supervisory bodies to oversee and advise on the Act. http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/december/singapore-data-protection-law-will-come-into-force-on-2-january/ ********************** MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Little Sign of a Predicted E-Book Price War Right about now, just as millions of e-readers and tablets are being slipped under Christmas trees, there was supposed to be a ferocious price war over e-books. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/technology/e-book-price-war-has-yet-to-arrive.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Remarks At The Digital Broadband Migration: The Dynamics Of Disruptive Innovation Internet Speculations by Vint Cerf Let me start out by warning you that this is an entirely unrehearsed speech and you probably can tell from the beginning that this must be the case. Second, what I hope to do today is provide no answers but provoke a whole lot more debate during this panel discussion. http://www.jthtl.org/content/articles/V10I1/JTHTLv10i1_Cerf.PDF To Flat or To Cap? by Geoff Huston No that's not a question about Australian coffee tastes and the critically important difference between a flat white and a cappuccino. This is a question about the differences in ISP retail models for broadband Internet access and the choice between a retail model of a "unlimited" flat fee that has no volume component, and a "capped" model where the service fee provides for a certain data volume and when that volume is reached either the user is exposed to an incremental fee, or the service is throttled back to a narrowband service for the remainder of the billing period. It seems that this is once more a critical question in the ISP world, and maybe this time the topic is best approached through television. http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2012-12/flat.html Poor network experiences put S'pore telcos under pressure Negative consumer feedback on service quality is piling on for mobile operators and will only worsen over the festive period, but telcos deny seeing more complaints and pledge to continue beefing up their networks. http://www.zdnet.com/sg/poor-network-experiences-put-spore-telcos-under-pressure-7000009122/ The Secret Ways of Chinese Telecom Giant Huawei Almost a third of the planet is thought to be using its products and yet few know much about the highly secretive Chinese telecommunication equipment company Huawei. Should customers be concerned about the company founder's military background or the security vulnerabilities of its products? http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/the-secret-ways-of-little-known-chinese-telecoms-giant-huawei-a-875297.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 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.cynosure.com.au/mailman/private/dns/attachments/20130107/6705d535/attachment-0001.html>Received on Mon Jan 07 2013 - 05:44:09 UTC
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