[DNS] auDA domain name news - 2 May

[DNS] auDA domain name news - 2 May

From: David Goldstein <david>
Date: Thu, 2 May 2013 16:08:15 +1000
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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Noncommercial Users Ask ICANN Board to Review Decision to Expand Trademark Rights in New Domains by Robin Gross
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130501_icann_board_asked_to_review_decision_to_expand_trademark_rights/>

Verisign blasts ICANN over proposed registry agreement
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/05/01/verisign-blasts-icann-over-proposed-registry-agreement/>

au/nz: 2013 ANZIAs open for entries
<http://www.internetawards.org.au/index.php/news>

Unrest remains despite new new gTLD contract
<http://domainincite.com/12823-unrest-remains-despite-new-new-gtld-contract>

Fakebook: Misspelled domain squatters must pay Facebook nearly $2.8 million
<http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/1/4290490/facebook-typosquatting-lawsuit-damages-cybersquatters>

CERN celebrates 20 years of a free, open web [news release]
<http://press.web.cern.ch/press-releases/2013/04/cern-celebrates-20-years-free-open-web>

Verisign gets patent for triggering web crawling based on registry data
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/04/30/verisign-web-crawling-patent/>


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 - ICANN
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Proposed Final New gTLD Registry Agreement
Purpose (Brief): ICANN is seeking public comment on a revised draft of the New gTLD Registry Agreement that will serve as the contractual document between successful New gTLD Applicants and ICANN, and will govern the rights and obligations of new gTLD registry operators.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/base-agreement-29apr13-en.htm>

Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedures for New gTLDs: ICANN Seeks Service Providers for Registry Restriction DRP and Trademark PDDRP
ICANN is issuing today two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to identify potential providers of Registry Restrictions Dispute Resolution Procedure (RRDRP) services and Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure (Trademark PDDRP) services.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-30apr13-en.htm>

ICANN Nominating Committee Extends Deadline for Statements of Interest to 15 May 2013
In order to provide additional time for candidates to apply, ICANN's 2013 Nominating Committee (NomCom) has extended the deadline for Statements of Interest until 15 May 2013 at 23:59 UTC.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-30apr13-en.htm>

Webinar: Proposed Final 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement Overview
Join ICANN Staff and members of the Registrar Negotiating Team for an update on the Proposed Final 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement that was posted for public comment on 22 April 2013.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-3-30apr13-en.htm>

2013 Registry Agreement Posted for Community Review and Comments
I am delighted to report that we have now posted a proposed final draft of the New gTLD Registry Agreement. Similar to the proposed 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) that was posted for public comment on 22 April 2013, the ICANN community is now able to review and comment on this final draft before it is approved and adopted.
<http://blog.icann.org/2013/04/proposed-final-ra/>

Jeffery Moss, Chief Security Officer, ICANN, to Patrik F?ltstr?m
ICANN's April Update on SSAC 046 & 057
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/moss-to-falstrom-30apr13-en>

Fellowship Application Round Opens for ICANN 48 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
How Do I Apply for the Fellowship Program
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-01may13-en.htm>

Noncommercial Users Ask ICANN Board to Review Decision to Expand Trademark Rights in New Domains by Robin Gross
ICANN's Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group (NCSG) has filed a Request for Reconsideration with ICANN's Board of Directors regarding the staff's decision to expand the scope of the trademark claims service beyond that provided by community consensus policy and in contradiction to ICANN Bylaws.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130501_icann_board_asked_to_review_decision_to_expand_trademark_rights/>

Verisign blasts ICANN over proposed registry agreement
ICANNVerisign senior vice presidents Pat Kane and Richard Goshorn have sent a letter to ICANN blasting the inclusion of amendment right clauses in the proposed new registry agreement.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/05/01/verisign-blasts-icann-over-proposed-registry-agreement/>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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au/nz: 2013 ANZIAs open for entries
.au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA) and InternetNZ are proud to announce that entries are now open in the 2013 Australia and New Zealand Internet Awards (ANZIAs).
<http://www.internetawards.org.au/index.php/news>
<https://internetnz.net.nz/news/media-releases/2013/2013-Australia-and-New-Zealand-Internet-Awards-?-Open-Entrie>

ANZIAs call for entries
Entries are now open for the .au Domain Administration (auDA) and InternetNZ 2013 Australia and New Zealand Internet Awards (ANZIAs).
<http://www.insideretailing.com.au/IR/IRnews/ANZIAs-call-for-entries--8234.aspx>

Online registration of domain names in national domain zone .az introduced
Online registration of domain names in national domain zone .az has been introduced.
<http://abc.az/eng/news/main/73236.html>

Nigeria registers 30,000 .ng domain names
The total number of registered Nigeria?s ccTLD, .ng, which is the nation?s identifier on the World Wide Web has hit over 30, 000, even as the cost of purchasing a domain name has been crashed from N500, 000 to just N15, 000 to encourage proliferation of the .ng domain names.
<http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/nigeria-registers-30000-ng-domain-names/>

uk: Some of the best and most innovative UK internet initiatives shortlisted for the Nominet Internet Awards 2013
Nominet, the not-for-profit organisation best known for running the .uk internet infrastructure, today announces the shortlist of entries for the Nominet Internet Awards 2013.
<http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/press-releases/some-best-and-most-innovative-uk-internet-initiatives-shortlisted-nominet>

uk: Nominet Internet Awards shortlist published
>From an all-time high number of entries, we?re delighted to publish the shortlist for this year's Nominet Internet Awards.
<http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/nominet-internet-awards-shortlist-published>

Sex-settlement: Manwin and ICM Registry come to terms
.XXX domain name registry ICM Registry and adult site operator Manwin have settled their legal battle, the companies announced today.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/05/01/sex-settlement-manwin-and-icm-registry-come-to-terms/>

YouPorn spanks ICM as .xxx prices slashed
YouPorn owner Manwin Licensing scored a PR coup in its lawsuit against ICM Registry today, when the .xxx registry agreed to steep financial concessions in order to settle the case.
<http://domainincite.com/12846-youporn-spanks-icm-as-xxx-prices-slashed>

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 - NEW TLDS
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Unrest remains despite new new gTLD contract
ICANN has proposed big changes to how it will handle premium domain names, dot-brands, mergers and acquisitions and mandatory fees in new gTLDs.
<http://domainincite.com/12823-unrest-remains-despite-new-new-gtld-contract>

ICANN issues new gTLD dispute RFPs
ICANN has issued two requests for proposals for providers to administer dispute resolution services for the new gTLD program.
<http://domainincite.com/12843-icann-issues-new-gtld-dispute-rfps>

Donuts not pursuing new gTLD joint ventures
Following the news that Uniregistry and Top Level Domain Holdings are to work together on the .country new gTLD, larger portfolio applicant Donuts has said it?s not interested in similar arrangements.
<http://domainincite.com/12837-donuts-not-pursuing-new-gtld-joint-ventures>

.love dies as applicants pull five more new gTLD bids
Jewelry maker Richemont is the latest new gTLD applicant to withdraw one of its bids, yanking its application for .love.
<http://domainincite.com/12831-love-dies-as-applicants-pull-five-more-new-gtld-bids>

gTLD programme pushes on, trademark policy challenged
At time of writing, the number of withdrawn gTLD applications stands at 55. For those still in the game and those considering their trademark strategies in the new online space, the Trademark Clearinghouse?s treatment of protection for previously abused names is a hot issue, with an official request for consideration taking aim at the current protection plans.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=2958b525-e9ea-4d39-9e7a-807cea6c5c07>

New dot-Swiss domains for the deserving, come autumn
The Swiss government has just received the green light to oversee dot-Swiss domain names, and the new system will go into operation in the autumn.
<http://genevalunch.com/2013/04/30/new-dot-swiss-domains-for-the-deserving-come-autumn/>

Bakom starts implementation phase for .swiss domains
Switzerland's Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) is set to start the implementation phase for the new .swiss TLD.
<http://www.telecompaper.com/news/bakom-starts-implementation-phase-for-swiss-domains--940701>

Joint Venture with Uniregistry for .country
The Board of Directors of Top Level Domain Holdings are pleased to announce that it has signed a term sheet with Uniregistry to operate the .country TLD for which both companies had applied.
<http://www.tldh.org/2013/04/joint-venture-with-uniregistry-for-country/>

Audited results for 14 month period ended 31.12.12
Top Level Domain Holdings Limited, the only publicly traded company focused exclusively on acquiring and operating new gTLDs,today announces its audited results for the fourteenmonth period ended 31 December 2012.
<http://www.tldh.org/2013/04/audited-results-for-14-month-period-ended-31-12-12/>

First new gTLD contention set settled as Uniregistry and TLDH sign deal
Top Level Domain Holdings and Uniregistry have inked a deal to go splits on the proposed .country registry, the first publicly announced settlement of a new gTLD contention set.
<http://domainincite.com/12819-first-new-gtld-contention-set-settled-as-uniregistry-and-tldh-sign-deal>

Uniregistry, TLDH strike deal to run .country
Two companies will take equal equity in joint venture to run .country TLD.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/04/29/uniregistry-tldh-strike-deal-to-run-country/>

New web addresses for NGOs and non-profits
Two new types of web address will indicate that organisations are bona fide non-profits or NGOs, writes Brian Cute, the Chief executive of the Public Interest Registry
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/10021752/New-web-addresses-for-NGOs-and-non-profits.html>

Top-Level Domain Names Will Change Search
Search engine optimization (SEO) will change dramatically within the next few years as a result of the Internet transitioning from 23 TLDs to more than 1,409 strings. ICANN, a nonprofit corporation that oversees the use of Internet domain names, will send internationalized domain names (IDNs) live this summer.
<http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/199356/top-level-domain-names-will-change-search.html>

Will the Trademark Clearinghouse Fulfill its Potential? by Thomas Barrett
ICANN created the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) as a way to streamline the repetitive process forced on trademark owners during the launch of new top-level-domains. With the expected tsunami of hundreds of new TLD's starting later this year, the TMCH should generate a clear benefit for trademark owners who elect to participate in Sunrise and Claims Periods. The side effect of introducing new TLDs is that the legacy TLDs will be making changes to make sure they are competitive against the new TLDs.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130501_will_the_trademark_clearinghouse_fulfill_its_potential/>

Announcing the Final Terms of the First Applicant Auction for Contested gTLDs by Sheel Mohnot
We received several emails and phone calls with thoughtful comments on the proposed plan for the first Applicant Auction and have made several small changes to the plan. The final terms will be sent to applicants who requested the RFC, and can also be requested on our website. Here is a quick summary of the changes.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130429_final_terms_of_first_applicant_auction_for_contested_gtlds/>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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APWG Study Finds Phishers Increasingly Target Shared Virtual Servers
A sharp increase in phishing attacks during the second half of 2012 are linked to a rise in phishing attacks that targeted shared virtual servers to compromise multiple domains at once, a new report by the Anti-Phishing Working Group finds.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/apwg-study-finds-phishers-increasingly-target-shared-virtual-servers>

us: As cyberthreats mount, hacker?s conviction underscores criticism of government overreach
Their guns drawn, a dozen federal agents, police and forensics experts kicked in the door of a run-down two-story home in Arkansas shortly after dawn, barged inside and ordered the occupants to put their hands on their heads.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-cyberthreats-mount-hackers-conviction-fuels-critics-claims-of-government-overreach/2013/04/29/d9430e3c-a1f4-11e2-9c03-6952ff305f35_story.html>

Twitter warns news organisations over hacking amid Syrian attacks
News organisations including the BBC have been warned by Twitter to tighten security in the wake of several high-profile hacks.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22351987>

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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us: Judge puts the brakes on law firm?s suit over similar domain name, says bad faith not yet shown
A New York legal boutique known for its expertise in counterfeiting and cybersquatting cases is experiencing a frustrating delay in obtaining a relief against a Canadian computer programmer who they allege set up a website with a name almost identical to the law firm's.
<http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/judge_puts_the_brakes_on_law_firms_suit_over_doppelganger_domain_name_says_/>

us: Law Firm's Arguments Are 'Not Enough' to Show Cybersquatting
Gioconda, a former partner of DLA Piper and Kirkland & Ellis who started his own firm in 2009, said the case against Kenzie will proceed to discovery, after which he will move for summary judgment.
<http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/PubArticleDBR.jsp?id=1367150692676>

Facebook Wins Court Battle Against ?Typosquatters?
Facebook Home questions and answers session.A California district court has ruled in favor of Facebook in the social network?s case against a number of ?typosquatters,? according to a filing released on Wednesday.
<http://allthingsd.com/20130501/facebook-wins-court-battle-against-typosquatters/>

Fakebook: Misspelled domain squatters must pay Facebook nearly $2.8 million
Misspelling domain names is easy enough that the government doesn't let companies take advantage of it ? and Facebook has just been awarded nearly $2.8 million in a case against several people and groups that tried to profit off of its popularity.
<http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/1/4290490/facebook-typosquatting-lawsuit-damages-cybersquatters>

Facebook wins $2.8 million in domain squatting case, local experts say Australian cases unlikely
Social networking giant Facebook has won $2.8 million in damages from domain-name squatters who registered variations of the company?s name, but local experts say any budding Australian squatters may not have as easy a time.
<http://www.smartcompany.com.au/information-technology/055359-facebook-wins-2-8-million-in-domain-squatting-case-local-experts-say-australian-cases-unlikely.html>

Typosquatting Claims Against Security Researcher Are Legally Complicated - Gioconda v. Kenzie by Venkat Balasubramani
Kenzie is a security researcher who has registered numerous domain names that are typographic errors of well-known trademarks (e.g., rnastercard, rncdonalds, nevvscorp, rncafee, macvvorld, rnonster, pcvvorld). He points the domain names to the actual sites in question (e.g., rncdonalds points to mcdonalds.com), but he is looking to demonstrate how these typo domains are used for "social engineering" attacks.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130429_typosquatting_claim_against_security_researcher_gioconda_vs_kenzie/>

Cat ladies swipe Christian lobby's domain name
A flock of feline lovers have registered the domain AustralianChristianLobby.org for their own group, Australian Cat Ladies.
<http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/3/article_13249.php>

Cat ladies take over the Australian Christian Lobby domain
An Australian Christian Lobby domain name has been snapped up and turned into a Web site for the Australian Cat Ladies.
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57581942-1/cat-ladies-take-over-the-australian-christian-lobby-domain/>

... Cat ladies feline fine over taking of Christian site
At first it looked like the Australian Christian Lobby had forgotten to renew its domain name, but it turns out that its value-driven leaders simply hadn't pre-empted the cheek of the internet.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/the-diary/edelsten-chased-over-more-debt-20130429-2ip1v.html

Christian lobbying group gets punked by 'Australian Cat Ladies'
The Australian Christian Lobby (a Christian political organization in, yes, Australia) is more than a little red-faced right now.
<http://now.msn.com/australian-cat-ladies-punks-australian-christian-lobby>

Australian Christian Lulz misses the point
The australianchristianlobby.org domain has been snapped up by a group that doesn't share the organisation's values, but there is another ACL website that we should be more concerned about.
<http://www.zdnet.com/australian-christian-lulz-misses-the-point-7000014639/>

HCOA Pty Ltd, Molescan Australia Pty Ltd v. The Trustee for the Terantica Trust / Terry Lockitch - Case No. DAU2013-0003
1. The Parties: The Complainants are HCOA Pty Ltd and Molescan Australia Pty Ltd both of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, represented by Kliger Partners, Australia. The Respondent is The Trustee for the Terantica Trust / Terry Lockitch, of Brisbane and Chermside Centre, Queensland, Australia. 2. The Domain Name and Registrar: The disputed domain name <molescan.com.au> is registered with NetRegistry Pty Ltd.
<http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DAU2013-0003>

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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Can't Sell Your IPv4 Numbers? Try Leasing Them by Brenden Kuerbis
In a "policy implementation and experience report" presented at ARIN 31 in Barbados, ARIN's staff noted that they are seeing "circumstances" related to the leasing of IPv4 number blocks. At the recent INET in Denver, ARIN's Director John Curran alleged that there is a "correlation" between address leasing activity and organizations that have been unable to complete specified transfers through the ARIN process, which requires needs-based justification.
<http://www.internetgovernance.org/2013/04/28/cant-sell-your-ipv4-numbers-try-leasing-them/>

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Bombings spark rush for Internet domains
In the hours and days after the Boston Marathon bombings, the Internet savvy snapped up domain names related to the tragedy, registering sites like BostonMarathonMassacre.com, whose profit-seeking owner posted ?Buy This Site? over the widely published Associated Press photograph of Carlos Arredondo rushing alongside the wheelchair of Jeff Bauman Jr., who lost both of his legs.
<http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/04/29/marathon-bombings-spur-rush-for-internet-domains/J3h8BigD2GOzJS3xRk8baK/story.html>

GoDaddy?s new CEO wants to change the world, one domain name at a time
GoDaddy is growing up. With new leadership, new branding, and a new vision, the company stands poised to transform the way small businesses operate online and bring greater opportunities to millions of people around the world.
<http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/29/godaddys-new-ceo-wants-to-change-the-world-one-domain-name-at-a-time/>

Law firm sues company for sending deceptive trademark renewal notices
Domain name owners often receive official looking notices by snail mail warning them that their domains are about to expire and asking them to renew. Often times these notices look like invoices and ask recipients to pay very high prices to keep their domain name active.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/05/01/law-firm-sues-company-for-sending-deceptive-trademark-renewal-notices/>

Should A Startup Spend VC Funding On A Domain Name?
This is part one of a two-part series on domain names and startups; part 2 will be ?Build Your Startup on Premium Real Estate: a Vacant or Undermonetized Domain Name?.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidteten/2013/05/01/should-a-startup-spend-vc-funding-on-a-domain-name/>

Cern re-creating first web page to revere early ideals
A team at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern) has launched a project to re-create the first web page.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22249490>

20 years on, world's first web page to be reborn
The world's first web page will be dragged out of cyberspace and restored for today's internet browsers as part of a project to celebrate 20 years of the web.
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-30/worlds-first-web-page-to-be-reborn/4661598>

CERN celebrates 20 years of a free, open web [news release]
Twenty years ago CERN1 published a statement that made the World Wide Web ("W3", or simply "the web") technology available on a royalty-free basis. By making the software required to run a web server freely available, along with a basic browser and a library of code, the web was allowed to flourish.
<http://press.web.cern.ch/press-releases/2013/04/cern-celebrates-20-years-free-open-web>

Domain Name Association One Step Closer to Reality
A new association for domain registries, registrars, resellers, back-end providers, and individual consultants now has a name and interim board of directors.
<http://associationsnow.com/2013/04/domain-name-association-one-step-closer-to-reality/>

Site promises to generate pronounceable, short domain names
New site claims to generate short domain names that can be pronounced and are available for registration.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/04/29/site-promises-to-generate-pronounceable-short-domain-names/>

Verisign gets patent for triggering web crawling based on registry data
With Verisign analyzing how to profit from its patent portfolio, competitors should pay close attention to the company?s new patents.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/04/30/verisign-web-crawling-patent/>

The Pirate Bay Moves to .SX as Prosecutor Files Motion to Seize Domains
Swedish authorities have filed a motion at the District Court of Stockholm on behalf of the entertainment industries, demanding the seizure of two Pirate Bay domain names.
<http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-moves-to-sx-as-prosecutor-files-motion-to-seize-domains-130430/>

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 - WEBHOSTING
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Go Daddy Celebrates Sixth Annual Web Professionals Day
Web host Go Daddy announced on Monday that it is celebrating Web Professionals Day, an event it created six years ago as a way to honor online professionals around the world.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/go-daddy-celebrates-sixth-annual-web-professionals-day>

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Study: Average Auction Price of .co.uk Declines For Third Year In A Row
A study conducted by Cyber Compare found that the average auction price paid for a Premium .UK domain has been falling for the last three years in a row.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/04/29/styd-average-auction-price-of-co-uk/>

Photos & Highlights From the Final Day of Business at Domaining Spain 2013 in Valencia
The 2013 Domaining Spain conference closed Saturday in Valencia with a social day that gave guests a chance to visit the Roman Theatre and Museums of Sagunt and other casual networking activities.
<http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2013/dailyposts/20130430.htm>

Twin $200,000 Sales at HuntingMoon Top This Week's Domain Sales Chart
HuntingMoon.com racked up not just one - but two - $200,000 sales this week to claim the first two positions on our latest all extension Top 20 Sales Chart. Those sales of SexStories.com and AsianPorn.com (both to the same buyer) also rank among the five biggest transactions reported so far this year.
<http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2013/20130501.htm>

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INTERNET USE
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Cern re-creating first web page to revere early ideals
A team at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Cern) has launched a project to re-create the first web page.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22249490>

20 years on, world's first web page to be reborn
The world's first web page will be dragged out of cyberspace and restored for today's internet browsers as part of a project to celebrate 20 years of the web.
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-30/worlds-first-web-page-to-be-reborn/4661598>

CERN celebrates 20 years of a free, open web [news release]
Twenty years ago CERN1 published a statement that made the World Wide Web ("W3", or simply "the web") technology available on a royalty-free basis. By making the software required to run a web server freely available, along with a basic browser and a library of code, the web was allowed to flourish.
<http://press.web.cern.ch/press-releases/2013/04/cern-celebrates-20-years-free-open-web>

The internet is a dangerous wild west of DIY-assisted conception
We should be worried if more and more British women looking to buy sperm are turning first not to their GPs but to Google
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/29/internet-wild-west-diy-assisted-conception>

Internet Explorer 10 share doubles again on the back of Windows 7
After Microsoft released Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 in late February, the market share of the previously Windows 8-specific browser almost doubled. That strong growth has continued, with the browser share doubling again in April.
<http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/05/internet-explorer-10-share-doubles-again-on-the-back-of-windows-7/>

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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Facebook loses 10m users in US over last 12 months, says Nielsen
Facebook has lost 10 million users in the US and seen no growth in monthly visitors in the UK over the past year, according to data from market research firm Nielsen.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/may/01/facebook-loses-10m-visitors-us>

Facebook U-turn after charities criticise decapitation videos
Facebook has said it will delete videos of people being decapitated which had been spread on its site.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22368287>

Facebook U-turns over decapitation video
A graphic video showing people being decapitated that was circulated on Facebook has been taken down after the site initially refused to remove it. New Zealanders' complaints to Facebook about the video, believed to have originated in Mexico, were not initially upheld because Facebook administrators said the video did not breach the social networking site's standards.
<http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/facebook-u-turns-over-decapitation-video-5425737>

Facebook sales jump 38%, with mobile boost
Facebook's sales jumped 38% in the first quarter, boosted by its growing mobile ad business.
<http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/01/technology/social/facebook-earnings/index.html>

Facebook Revenue Rises 38 Percent Amid Continued Mobile Growth [IDG]
Facebook posted a revenue increase of 38 percent in the first quarter that was bolstered by broad engagement across the site, the company reported Wednesday.
<http://www.cio.com/article/732674/Facebook_Revenue_Rises_38_Percent_Amid_Continued_Mobile_Growth>

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Is 3D printing about to hit the mainstream?
Jonathan Rowley reaches into the basin of white powder and like a magician pulls out the frame of a pair of spectacles. Made of plastic, they're the same white as the powder, but hard, and unusually shaped.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/apr/30/3d-printing-mainstream-technology>

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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uk: Junk foods avoid ad ban by targeting children online
Advertising regulators have been accused of failing to protect children from aggressive online marketing by food companies using internet games and advertising.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/apr/29/junk-food-ad-ban-children>

South Africa is first to enact cyberbullying law in Southern Africa
South Africa, Africa's second largest telecom market after Nigeria, has become the first Southern African country to enact a law that clamps down on cyberbullying, which is rampant in the region.
<http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/internet/3444906/south-africa-is-first-to-enact-cyberbullying-law-in-southern-africa/>

nz: IRD warns over tax hoax
... The NetSafe report said 670 New Zealanders were victim to bank phishing and tax refunds scams last year, down from 833 in 2011.
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8613879/IRD-warns-over-tax-hoax>
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/8613787/IRD-warning-on-phishing-scams>
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/business/8613879/IRD-warns-over-tax-hoax>

nz: Chinese immigrants targeted by far-right group
... Dame Susan intends to meet the affected communities, liaise with police, community groups and Netsafe and encourages those affected to continue to contact the commission.
<http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/chinese-immigrants-targeted-far-right-group-5422326>

ca: Ambrose tears up over cyberbullying
Rona Ambrose showed Tuesday that she feels a personal connection to the fight against cyberbullying. Ambrose, minister for the status of women and minister of public works, struggled to compose herself at an Ottawa high school during a funding announcement for an online campaign to promote healthy relationships among Canadian teenagers.I Caught My Child Looking at Porn -- What Do I Do?
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/04/30/pol-ambrose-bullying-emotion.html>

I Caught My Child Looking at Porn -- What Do I Do?
Your reaction could shape your child's view of sex, and the most important step is to approach the situation in a way that will leave the door open to an ongoing conversation. Here are some tips for talking with your child.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-howerton/i-caught-my-child-looking-at-porn-what-do-i-do_b_3042096.html>

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Chat app messaging overtakes SMS texts, Informa says
Instant messaging on chat apps, such as WhatsApp, has overtaken the traditional SMS text message for the first time, according to research firm Informa.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22334338>

App messaging damages mobile networks' text revenues
Text messaging has been eclipsed by messages sent using data services such as Apple's iMessage, BlackBerry Messenger and WhatsApp, according to data from the consultancy Informa.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/apr/29/app-messaging-damages-mobile-text-revenues>

Craving Wi-Fi, Preferably Free and Really Fast
Travellers hitting the road with their mobile electronic devices have three questions about staying connected away from home: will there be Wi-Fi, how much will it cost and how well will it work?
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/business/travelers-increasingly-demand-high-quality-wi-fi.html>

In-Room Entertainment Turns Away From TV
Len Markidan, a 26-year-old marketing consultant based in San Francisco, is the type of business traveler who forced LodgeNet, the hotel guest-room entertainment provider, to file recently for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/business/hotel-guests-turn-away-from-tv-and-toward-streaming-media.html>

Finger-free phones, full body gesturing, and our ?touchscreen? future
Understatement of the century: touchscreen technology evolved at a rapid pace in the past decade. In the days of Y2K, Palm Pilots were a big deal. Five years ago? The iPhone debuted and the corresponding touchscreen explosion hasn't slowed up since. Today we're at a point where we think we understand how all the innovations in touch technology can fit into our future. But based on these last few years, good luck. Did anyone see the tablet-craze coming?
<http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/05/looking-ahead-at-touchscreen-technology-where-do-we-go-from-here/>

Mobile phone data redraws bus routes in Africa
Researchers at IBM have redrawn the bus routes of Ivory Coast's largest city using mobile phone data.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22357748>

BlackBerry chief: tablets will be dead in five years' time
BlackBerry's chief executive has said that in five years "I don't think there'll be a reason to have a tablet any more" ? but he expects the company to sell "tens of millions" of its new keyboard-based Q10 handsets.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/apr/30/blackberry-chief-tablets-dead>

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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Belgian ISPs Sued for Providing Internet Access Without Paying Copyright Levies [IDG]
Sabam, the Belgian association of authors, composers and publishers, has sued the country's three biggest ISPs, saying that they should be paying copyright levies for offering access to copyright protected materials online.
<http://www.cio.com/article/732656/Belgian_ISPs_Sued_for_Providing_Internet_Access_Without_Paying_Copyright_Levies>

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SECURITY
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APWG Study Finds Phishers Increasingly Target Shared Virtual Servers
A sharp increase in phishing attacks during the second half of 2012 are linked to a rise in phishing attacks that targeted shared virtual servers to compromise multiple domains at once, a new report by the Anti-Phishing Working Group finds.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/apwg-study-finds-phishers-increasingly-target-shared-virtual-servers>

us: As cyberthreats mount, hacker?s conviction underscores criticism of government overreach
Their guns drawn, a dozen federal agents, police and forensics experts kicked in the door of a run-down two-story home in Arkansas shortly after dawn, barged inside and ordered the occupants to put their hands on their heads.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-cyberthreats-mount-hackers-conviction-fuels-critics-claims-of-government-overreach/2013/04/29/d9430e3c-a1f4-11e2-9c03-6952ff305f35_story.html>

Twitter warns news organisations over hacking amid Syrian attacks
News organisations including the BBC have been warned by Twitter to tighten security in the wake of several high-profile hacks.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22351987>

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PRIVACY
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EFF: Trust Twitter -- but not Apple or Verizon -- to protect your privacy
Verizon and MySpace scored a zero out of a possible six stars in a test of how far 18 technology service providers will go to protect user data from government data demands.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/043013-eff-privacy-269280.html>
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/2036925/eff-trust-twitter-but-not-apple-or-verizon-to-protect-your-privacy.html>

EFF Surveys Major Tech Companies' Privacy and Transparency Policies [news release]
As you search the Internet, visit websites, and update your social media accounts, you entrust a wealth of data to service providers: your thoughts, your photos, your location, and much more. What happens when the government wants access to all of this information, held by companies like Google and Facebook and AT&T? Will these providers help you fight back against unfair demands for data about your private life?
<https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-surveys-major-tech-companies-privacy-and-transparency-policies>

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CENSORSHIP
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Support for Online Free Speech Widespread in the Arab World
Just a little more than two years ago, the world witnessed the overthrow of three North African dictators and ensuing protests across much of the Arab world on television and social media, the latter of which was much lauded as a catalyzing tool. But while 2011 was a time of hopefulness and increased openness throughout much of the region, 2012 brought about increased repression, both online and off. From Bahrain, named an ?enemy of the Internet? by Reporters Without Borders, to Egypt, the trend is toward censorship, surveillance, and increased regulation.
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/04/support-online-free-speech-widespread-arab-world>

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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What Is TPP? Biggest Global Threat to the Internet Since ACTA
The United States and ten governments from around the Pacific are meeting yet again to hash out the secret Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) on May 15-24 in Lima, Peru. The TPP is one of the worst global threats to the Internet since ACTA. Since the negotiations have been secretive from the beginning, we mainly know what's in the current version of this trade agreement because of a leaked draft from February 2011. Based upon that text, some other leaked notes, and the undemocratic nature of the entire process, we have every reason to be alarmed about the copyright enforcement provisions contained in this multinational trade deal.
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/04/tpp-biggest-global-threat-internet-acta>

For Google, regulatory clouds largely clear
Google once appeared headed for major clashes with regulators ? in the United States or Europe, or both ? as government officials sought to curb alleged abuses by one of the world?s most powerful and profitable technology companies. But the clouds over Google?s Silicon Valley headquarters have largely cleared over the past several months.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/regulatory-clouds-over-google-have-largely-cleared/2013/04/30/ea656bda-b10b-11e2-9a98-4be1688d7d84_story.html>

uk: Google ordered back to parliament to answer tax questions
Google and its auditor Ernst & Young will be recalled to parliament to restate their evidence on the internet search giant's tax position following an investigation into Google's advertising sales practices.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/may/01/google-parliament-tax-questions>

au: Closing the tax net on online giants
The federal government is on the verge of releasing a controversial scoping study into complex tax minimisation structures being used by e-commerce and tech companies such as Google, Amazon and Apple.
<http://www.smh.com.au/business/closing-the-tax-net-on-online-giants-20130429-2ioxm.html>

Americans don?t want more government monitoring of cellphones and email to fight terror, survey says
After the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City and the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, more than half of the Americans responding to polls were willing to give up some civil liberties in exchange for greater security.
<http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/says_cnn_time_survey/>

us: Senator introduces legislation targeting patent trolls [IDG]
A U.S. senator has introduced legislation allowing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to review and invalidate controversial patents challenged by technology startups in an effort to discourage so-called patent trolls.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/050113-senator-introduces-legislation-targeting-patent-269322.html>
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/2037005/senator-introduces-legislation-targeting-patent-trolls.html>

us: Panel seeks to fine tech companies for noncompliance with wiretap orders
A government task force is preparing legislation that would pressure companies such as Face?book and Google to enable law enforcement officials to intercept online communications as they occur, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the effort.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/proposal-seeks-to-fine-tech-companies-for-noncompliance-with-wiretap-orders/2013/04/28/29e7d9d8-a83c-11e2-b029-8fb7e977ef71_story.html>

Spyware used by governments poses as Firefox, and Mozilla is angry
Mozilla has sent a cease-and-desist letter to a company that sells spyware allegedly disguised as the Firefox browser to governments. The action follows a report by Citizen Lab, which identifies 36 countries (including the US) hosting command and control servers for FinFisher, a type of surveillance software. Also known as FinSpy, the software is sold by UK-based Gamma International to governments, which use it in criminal investigations and allegedly for spying on dissidents.
<http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/05/spyware-used-by-governments-poses-as-firefox-and-mozilla-is-angry/>

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MISCELLANEOUS
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Technology Start-Ups Take Root in Berlin
Near the Rosenthaler Platz subway station here, signs of the city?s high-tech future blend seamlessly with its communist past.
<http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/04/29/technology-start-ups-take-root-in-berlin/>

---------
David Goldstein

email: david at goldsteinreport.com
web:  http://davidgoldstein.tel/
         http://goldsteinreport.com/
phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9663 3430 - 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
Received on Thu May 02 2013 - 06:08:15 UTC

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