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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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U.S. Government Submission to NETmundial on Internet Governance
<http://www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/prsrl/2014/221946.htm>

Update to BCG Study - Country-by-Country Analysis Now Available
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-24feb14-en.htm>

Independent Report Maps Possible Way Forward in Mitigating Domain Name Collisions
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/press/releases/release-26feb14-en>

Mitigating DNS Namespace Collisions by John L. Crain
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/02/mitigating-dns-namespace-collisions/>

se: Is the domain industry on the way towards supersizing?
<https://www.iis.se/english/blog/is-the-domain-industry-on-the-way-towards-supersizing/>

Uncontrolled Interruption? Dozens of ?Blocked? Domains in New gTLDs Actually Delegated by Burt Kaliski
<http://blogs.verisigninc.com/blog/entry/uncontrolled_interruption_dozens_of_blocked>

Domain Name Association signs 8 new members
<http://www.thedna.org/pr_20140224.html>

Here?s why registrars are boycotting .sexy
<http://domainincite.com/15913-heres-why-registrars-are-boycotting-sexy>

Domain Pulse 2014: Is There An Aftermarket For New gTLDs?
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/02/26/domain-aftermarket-new-gtlds/>

Melbourne IT snares NetRegistry in $50.4m deal
<http://www.afr.com/p/technology/melbourne_it_snares_netregistry_NGpnUCtYaE4wA6BG5VS73M>


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GOVERNANCE
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U.S. Government Submission to NETmundial on Internet Governance
The Government of the United States of America appreciates the opportunity to participate in the ?Global Multi-stakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance,? or NETmundial. We commend the effort of the Brazilian government in coordination and consultation with the global Internet community to convene this meeting. We look forward to participating in meaningful discussions that generate support for the evolving multistakeholder framework for the future of Internet governance.
<http://www.state.gov/e/eb/rls/prsrl/2014/221946.htm>

Is Obama About to Abandon the Internet?
The Internet is one of those things that only could have been invented in America. The United States is the only nation on earth with the intellectual traditions, the scientific know how, the ?can do spirit? and the capital resources available to envision and execute a project on that scale. Moreover, once it was complete America shared it with the world ? and at basically no cost. Friend or foe, everyone has been allowed to enter cyberspace in ways that have changed the world of commerce, the global political environment and the educational experience on a quantum scale.
<http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/peter-roff/2014/02/25/will-obama-abandon-internet-freedom>

The Obama Administration Must Act Fast to Prevent the Internet?s Fragmentation
Here in Sydney, Australia, where I?m attending a conference of CFR?s Council of Councils?a global network of prominent think tanks?a dialogue about the future of Internet governance has highlighted brewing controversy about the management of cyberspace. The conversation has convinced me that the Obama administration has a closing window of opportunity to safeguard international support for an open global Internet. It must immediately quicken dialogue with allies and partners to ensure that outrage over the NSA spying program does not result in the irreparable fragmentation of cyberspace.
<http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2014/02/26/the-obama-administration-must-act-fast-to-prevent-the-internets-fragmentation/>

Internet Governance: Why Africa Should Take the Lead by Ephraim Kenyanito
Recently during an afternoon meeting with a friend of mine, Bob Ochieng, who happens to work for ICANN Africa Operations, he lamented that at online Internet Governance discussions fora such as CircleID, and 1net.org, there is no serious frequent engagements from African Voices. This got me thinking and I realized that most African Internet Stakeholders would rather use a "wait and see approach" in matters as critical as Internet Governance.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20140225_internet_governance_why_africa_should_take_the_lead/>

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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Update to BCG Study - Country-by-Country Analysis Now Available
Greasing the Wheels of the Internet Economy, a report by Boston Consulting Group and commissioned by ICANN, ranked 65 different countries according to four different types of e-friction. The full analysis of each country's ranking is now available for download below.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-24feb14-en.htm>

Independent Report Maps Possible Way Forward in Mitigating Domain Name Collisions
An independent report commissioned by ICANN has offered a set of concrete recommendations on how to mitigate potential risks of domain name collisions.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/press/releases/release-26feb14-en>
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-26feb14-en>

Independent Report Maps Possible Way Forward in Mitigating Domain Name Collisions
An independent report commissioned by ICANN, Mitigating the Risk of DNS Namespace Collisions, has offered a set of concrete recommendations on how to mitigate potential risks of domain name collisions.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-26feb14-en.htm>

Mitigating DNS Namespace Collisions by John L. Crain
In line with our ongoing commitment to preserve the security, stability and resiliency of the Internet?s Identifier systems, ICANN today published a report on collisions in the DNS namespace as they relate to the New TLD program. We would like to thank JAS Global Advisors LLC for its role in performing the studies and in writing the ?Mitigating the Risk of DNS Namespace Collisions? report.
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/02/mitigating-dns-namespace-collisions/>

Quick Look at Strategy Panel Recommendations - Provide Your Comments Today
More than 40 diverse practitioners, subject matter experts and thought leaders have been working together since October 2013 as members of the ICANN Strategy Panels to support development of ICANN's strategic and operational future.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-25feb14-en.htm>

Pre-Singapore Icann Policy Update Webinar Invitation
Whether you plan to participate in the upcoming ICANN meeting in Singapore, remotely or in person, you are invited to a quick reminder of the background and current status of each major policy issue currently under discussion in ICANN.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-24feb14-en.htm>

ICANN Future Meetings Strategy
Purpose (Brief): The purpose of this document is to help guide the Community through a proposed new strategy for the structure, purpose and locations of the ICANN public meetings to support broad, informed participation and reflect the functional, geographic, and cultural diversity of the Internet at all levels of policy development and decision-making.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/meetings-strategy-25feb14-en.htm>

Update from Montevideo by Patrick Jones
On 29-30 January, we met at the Casa de Internet in Montevideo, Uruguay with representatives from regional organizations that deal with security, stability and resiliency of the DNS ? LACNIC, LACTLD, .CO Internet and the Internet Society. The goal was to discuss challenges for the region, and that this in turn will help feed project 3 in the LAC Strategy, focusing on Security, Stability and Resiliency capacity building for the DNS in the region.
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/02/update-from-montevideo/>

Video: Details on the President's Globalization Advisory Groups
On February 17, 2014, ICANN?s Board of Directors approved a resolution creating several President?s Globalization Advisory Groups to support ICANN?s globalization efforts. In this video interview, Theresa Swinehart, Senior Advisory to the President on Global Strategy, explains the rationale behind the creation of these Groups and how they will provide guidance on globalization issues.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-3-25feb14-en.htm>

Fadi Chehad?, President and CEO | ICANN, to Mr. Keith Drazek and Mr. Michele Neylon
Registries and Registrars Perspective on /1net and Brazil Meeting
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/chehade-to-drazek-neylon-26feb14-en>

10 New gTLDs Recently Delegated. View them now!
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-2-26feb14-en>

ICANN Board Approves 'Thick' Whois Requirement for .COM and .NET by Kiran Malancharuvil
The ICANN Board has approved the community recommendation that "the provision of Thick Whois services should become a requirement for all gTLD registries, both existing and future." We have long supported the migration from 'thin' to 'thick' Whois, which will improve both quality and ease of access to Whois data, thereby further facilitating intellectual property enforcement online. The ICANN community has debated the merits of migration from 'thin' to 'thick' Whois for years, as part of the larger Whois Review process.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20140225_icann_board_approves_thick_whois_requirement_for_com_and_net/>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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.AR Domains No Longer To Be Free
As of 5 March, NIC Argentina will introduce a registration fee for .ar domain names of less than 200 pesos ($25.50) per year, according to the national director of Nic.ar, Gabriel Brenta. The fee will apply to new and existing registrants.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/02/26/ar-domains-no-longer-free/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/ar-domains-no-longer-free.html>

se: Is the domain industry on the way towards supersizing?
The new year has started in an unfamiliar way. Why? Well, during the first two months we have not seen any growth in the number of .se domain names. Certainly there are simple explanations, like past campaigns that are leading to a greater amount of cancellations now, but the fact is that the natural growth that we have had for over ten years (!) has stalled.
<https://www.iis.se/english/blog/is-the-domain-industry-on-the-way-towards-supersizing/>

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 - NEW TLDS
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Uncontrolled Interruption? Dozens of ?Blocked? Domains in New gTLDs Actually Delegated by Burt Kaliski
The Mitigating the Risk of DNS Namespace Collisions report, just published by JAS Global Advisors, under contract to ICANN, centers on the technique of ?controlled interruption,? initially described in a public preview shared by Jeff Schmidt last month.
<http://blogs.verisigninc.com/blog/entry/uncontrolled_interruption_dozens_of_blocked>

Domain Name Association signs 8 new members
The Domain Name Association, the global trade association for the internet domain industry, has welcomed eight new members from all over the world, bringing the total to 30.
<http://www.thedna.org/pr_20140224.html>

Here?s why registrars are boycotting .sexy
Will .sexy and .tattoo trip on the starting blocks today due to registrars? fears about competition and Whois privacy?
<http://domainincite.com/15913-heres-why-registrars-are-boycotting-sexy>

The expanding internet: what?s in a name?
Thousands of new alternatives to dotcom web addresses are starting to roll out across the internet. But how significant are they and are they worth the big expense for brand owners?
<http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/analysis/digital-strategy/the-expanding-internet-whats-in-a-name/4009528.article>

Mistake blamed for ?Germans only? .voting policy
It seems the new gTLD .voting will not be restricted to Germans after all. We reported earlier today that .voting registry Valuetainment had submitted a registration policy that required all registrants to have a presence in Germany.
<http://domainincite.com/15906-mistake-blamed-for-germans-only-voting-policy>

An English new gTLD restricted to Germans?
Reading through the policies of new gTLD registries has given me cause to double-take several times, but .voting has to be one of the oddest yet.
<http://domainincite.com/15890-an-english-new-gtld-restricted-to-germans>

Dot Kiwi ? Taking the Internet in a new direction?
For the first time New Zealanders have a unique way to take pride in their Kiwi-ness online.
<http://techday.com/start-up/news/dot-kiwi-taking-the-internet-in-a-new-direction/179779/>

Dot Kiwi: Changing the face of the Internet
?This is the biggest change to the internet since it was invented,? says Peter Dengate Thrush, former Chairman of the Board of ICANN.
<http://techday.com/it-brief/news/dot-kiwi-changing-the-face-of-the-internet/179557/>

ZACR, AUC urge African govts to register TLDs
South Africa's internet domain registry ZA Central Registry (ZACR) and the African Union Commission (AUC) have called on governments to boost the continent's presence on the worldwide web by submitting lists of important names for inclusion in the dotAfrica Reserved Names List (RNL) process.
<http://www.telecompaper.com/news/zacr-auc-urge-african-govts-to-register-top-level-domains--998730>

African governments slow to reserve dotAfrica names
A deadline for African governments to reserve dotAfrica (.africa) internet names has been pushed forward to end of March 2014 as less than 20 countries have participated in the process.
<http://www.itwebafrica.com/ict-and-governance/267-south-africa/232495-african-governments-slow-to-reserve-dotafrica-names>

.Mail added to new TLD deathwatch, new proposal for handling Name Collisions
JAS Global Advisors has released a new report about name collisions for new TLDs and has made a new set of recommendations. The report is available for comments.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/26/mail-added-to-new-tld-deathwatch-new-proposal-for-handling-name-collisions/>

Who Are the Major New gTLD Applicants and? (Part Four: Donuts) by Jean Guillon
Donuts is an applicant that threw the entire domain name industry into uproar due to the number of applications it submitted: 307 in total. It is hardly surprising that whenever new gTLDs are mentioned in the media that Donuts are mentioned alongside due to shear number of applications that they have submitted. There are dozens of articles in the media mixing information and opinions about Donuts. Often, they address the benefits to those registrants who are excited about the possibility of acquiring a new domain name and the threats to those who have an existing .COM domain name portfolio.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20140226_who_are_the_major_new_gtld_applicants_and_part_four_donuts/>

Would It Be Selfish to Register Calzone.Pizza? by Thomas Barrett
I was told recently that I should register the domain "calzone.pizza" as soon as it becomes available, even though our start-up has nothing to do with food. This is a question that a lot of businesses may be facing as they become aware of the new dots that are becoming available, like .club, .nyc and .guru. Should businesses spend money and grab their brand in all of the new domain extensions to prevent potential customer confusion, or worse - cybersquatting or phishing of their brand on the internet? What if your brand can have multiple meanings?
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20140226_would_it_be_selfish_to_register_calzonepizza/>

15 domain names sell in .Club auction
The .Club Winter Olympics-themed auction on Sedo has closed with 15 domain names selling.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/26/15-domain-names-sell-in-club-auction/>

Frank Schilling?s .Sexy close to 2,000 domains, .Tattoo 700
Frank Schilling?s Uniregistry released its first two TLDs in general availability yesterday.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/26/frank-schillings-sexy-close-to-2000-domains-tattoo-700/>

ROTD conducts first new gTLD auction as One.com wins .one
Danish registrar One.com has won the .one contention set in the first private auction carried out by new gTLD consultancy Right Of The Dot.
<http://domainincite.com/15888-rotd-conducts-first-new-gtld-auction-as-one-com-wins-one>

TLDH Secures .WEDDING, Sells .GREEN, In Auction With $2.23m Gain
Top Level Domain Holdings has announced following private auctions last week they secured the uncontested application rights for .wedding but lost out on .green.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/02/26/tldh-secures-wedding-sells-green-in-auction-with-2-23m-gain/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/tldh-secures-wedding-sells-green.html>

.wedding and .green gTLD auctions raise millions
Two more new gTLDs ? .wedding and .green ? have been auctioned off, with proceeds amounting to millions of dollars.
<http://domainincite.com/15896-wedding-and-green-gtld-auctions-raise-millions>

Private Auction and Corporate Update
The Directors of Top Level Domain Holdings Limited are pleased to announce that following the private auctions held last week for .wedding and .green, the Company has secured the uncontested application rights for .wedding. 
<http://www.tldh.org/2014/02/private-auction-and-corporate-update/>

.Green and .Wedding contention sets settled in multi-million dollar auctions
The .green and .wedding new TLD contention sets have been resolved in private auctions.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/25/green-wedding-top-level-domains/>

.Club domain name auction ends tomorrow. 0 domains have hit their reserve.
The Olympic-themed .Club domain name auction going on at Sedo ends on Wednesday. So far no domain names have hit their reserve price.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/25/club-domain-name-auction-ends-tomorrow-0-domains-have-hit-their-reserve/>

Domain search progressing, but still not ready for new TLDs
Registrars are slowly improving their search results to show new TLD options, but the experience is far from ideal.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/25/domain-search-progressing-but-still-not-ready-for-new-top-level-domain-names/>

Uniregistry doing private new gTLD auctions? Company deals with Donuts on five strings
Uniregistry and Donuts have settled at least five new gTLD contention sets this week, raising the question of whether Uniregistry has reversed its objection to private auctions.Which registrars have the lowest prices on new TLDs? Here?s a price comparison.
<http://domainincite.com/15861-uniregistry-doing-private-new-gtld-auctions-company-deals-with-donuts-on-five-strings>

Which registrars have the lowest prices on new TLDs? Here?s a price comparison
NameCheap appears to have the cheapest overall pricing on new TLDs among the largest domain name registrars.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/24/which-registrars-have-the-lowest-prices-on-new-tlds-heres-a-price-comparison/>

1st Sealed Bid gTLD Contention Auction Completed for the String .One by Michael Berkens
The first sealed bid auction for a new gTLD contention set was completed last week for the string .One. To our knowledge this is 1st auction to be conducted by a third party other than Applicant Auction to settle a contention set and marks the first time a new gTLD contention set was settled through a "Single Sealed Bid Second Price" auction... The winning bidder for the new TLD extension was One.com of Dubai, AE, which will act as the worldwide registry for .One domains.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20140224_1st_sealed_bid_gtld_contention_auction_completed_for_string_one/>

One.com wins .one contention set in RightOfTheDot auction
Webhosting company one.com has settled its contention set with Radix for .one through a ?single sealed bid second price? auction orchestrated by RightOfTheDot.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/24/one-com-wins-one-contention-set-in-rightofthedot-auction/>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Syria War Stirs New U.S. Debate on Cyberattacks
Not long after the uprising in Syria turned bloody, late in the spring of 2011, the Pentagon and the National Security Agency developed a battle plan that featured a sophisticated cyberattack on the Syrian military and President Bashar al-Assad?s command structure.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/world/middleeast/obama-worried-about-effects-of-waging-cyberwar-in-syria.html>

RSAC: Shortage of Trained IT Security Experts "A National Security Crisis"
Your castle is under attack, but nearly half of your defenders and over half of their commanders are missing in action. OK, there's no castle, but in the war between business and the malware ecosystem, a vast number of defensive positions remain unfilled. At the RSA Conference, Art Gilliland, SVP and general manager, Enterprise Security Products for HP, explained just what HP is doing to fill this security gap.
<http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/security/321074-rsac-shortage-of-trained-it-security-experts-a-national-security-crisis>

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Fifth URDP provider goes live
The Arab Center for Dispute Resolution has gone live as the fifth approved provider of UDRP dispute resolution services.
<http://domainincite.com/15893-fifth-urdp-provider-goes-live>

Facepets.com asks court to get Facebook off its back
Facepets.com, LLC, a company that wants to start a social network for pet owners, has filed a federal lawsuit against Facebook in Nashville.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/24/facepets-com-asks-court-to-get-facebook-off-its-back/>

au: Pindan Pty Ltd v. Kre8 Brand Pty Ltd and Different Pty Ltd - Case No. DAU2013-0039
1. The Parties: The Complainant is Pindan Pty Ltd of Belmont, Australia, represented by Hotchkin Hanly Lawyers, Australia. The Respondents are Kre8 Brand Pty Ltd and Different Pty Ltd of North Perth, Australia, represented by Galic & Co Lawyers, Australia. 2. The Domain Name and Registrar: The disputed domain name <switchhomes.com.au> (the ?Disputed Domain Name?) is registered with PlanetDomain Pty Ltd (the ?Registrar?).
<http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DAU2013-0039>

au: Pindan Pty Ltd v. Kre8 Brand Pty Ltd - Case No. DAU2013-0038
1. The Parties: The Complainant is Pindan Pty Ltd of Belmont, Australia, represented by Hotchkin Hanly Lawyers, Australia. The Respondent is Kre8 Brand Pty Ltd of North Perth, Australia, represented by Galic & Co Lawyers, Australia. 2. The Domain Name and Registrar: The disputed domain name <switchfeelathome.com.au> (the ?Disputed Domain Name?) is registered with NetRegistry Pty Ltd.
<http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DAU2013-0038>

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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Brazil's Anatel launches IPv6 working group
Anatel, Brazil's telecom regulator, has put together a new working group to coordinate the migration from IPv4 to IPv6, reports Teletime.
<http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/brazils-anatel-launches-ipv6-working-group/2014-02-24>

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Domain Pulse 2014: Is There An Aftermarket For New gTLDs?
The domain name aftermarket players are looking curiously as to whether money can be made from new gTLDs. But Sedo, the largest domain name marketplace, is confident money can be made, and Tobias Flaitz, CEO of Sedo, explained why at the Domain Pulse conference last Thursday.
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=21930>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/02/26/domain-aftermarket-new-gtlds/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/domain-pulse-aftermarket-new-gtlds.html>

Domain Pulse 2014: Computer Internet Exchanges In The Post Snowden World
The role of Computer Internet Exchanges (CIX) has come to some prominence following the Edward Snowden revelations of the US?s National Security Agency surveillance. The debate, Monika Ermert noted in her conclusion, would not have been happening without the Snowden revelations.
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=21923>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/02/24/domain-pulse-2014-computer-internet-exchanges/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/domain-pulse-2014-computer-internet-exchanges-in-the-post-snowden-world.html>

GoDaddy Hit with another Trademark Infringement Suit ? A Hint of Things to Come? by Philip Corwin
Number one domain name registrar GoDaddy has been hit by another trademark infringement lawsuit.
<http://www.internetcommerce.org/GoDaddy_TM_Infringement_Lawsuits>

Pirate Bay a victim as Go Daddy suspends hundreds of new gTLD domains
New gTLDs may have only been in general availability for a few weeks, but there?s already evidence of substantial abuse.
<http://domainincite.com/15901-pirate-bay-a-victim-as-go-daddy-suspends-hundreds-of-new-gtld-domains>

Google Penalties Might Follow You To A New Domain Name
So we know that if you have a penalty on your site and you move your site to a new domain and redirect the URLs to that new domain, the penalty will flow because of the redirects. That is known.
<http://www.seroundtable.com/google-penalty-site-move-18163.html>

Functions critical to society fail to protect users? privacy online
The Swedish part of the internet has fewer errors and flaws than ever before, according to .SE?s annual report regarding the health of the internet. However, with thoughts of Edward Snowden?s leaks about mass surveillance of the internet, many of the report?s findings nevertheless are worrying when it comes to the protection of personal privacy.
<https://www.iis.se/english/news/functions-critical-to-society-fail-to-protect-users-privacy-online/>

Melbourne IT snares NetRegistry in $50.4m deal
Listed internet hosting provider Melbourne IT has acquired rival web domain registrar NetRegistry for $50.4 million, in a deal expected to significantly consolidate the competitive market.
<http://www.afr.com/p/technology/melbourne_it_snares_netregistry_NGpnUCtYaE4wA6BG5VS73M>

Melbourne IT acquires Netregistry for $50 million
Melbourne IT will pay $50.4 million in cash and stock to buy Internet registry and online service rival Netregistry. It has also released its six month financials.
<http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/listed-tech/63292-melbourne-it-acquires-netregistry-for-$50-million>

Melbourne IT to acquire Netregistry Group for $50.4m
Melbourne IT has announced its intention to acquire Web hosting provider Netregistry Group for $50.4 million.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/539305/melbourne_it_acquire_netregistry_group_50_4m/>

.co.com Sunrise Period Begins Today
co.com LLC launched its 30-day Sunrise Period for trademark holders today, at 11am Monday, February 24th
<http://www.thedomains.com/2014/02/24/co-com-sunrise-period-begins-today/>

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 - WEBHOSTING
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GoDaddy Lets Small Business Owners Pitch Danica Patrick at 125 MPH
GoDaddy is extending its focus on small businesses beyond the Super Bowl via The Big Leap, a campaign that asks consumers to watch videos of business pitches and vote for their favorites.
<http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2330663/godaddy-lets-small-business-owners-pitch-danica-patrick-at-125-mph>

GoDaddy to Deliver Spree Commerce-Based Platform for Online Stores
Web host GoDaddy has partnered with open source ecommerce platform Spree Commerce on Wednesday to bring an easy, flexible and extensible ecommerce platform to its small business customers.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/godaddy-deliver-spree-commerce-based-platform-online-stores>

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Four More 6-Figure Sales (This Time All .Coms) Top This Week's Chart, Including One of the New Year's Five Biggest Sales
After producing a half dozen six-figure sales the previous week, the domain aftermarket continued to cruise at high altitude this week with four more in that stratosphere, including one of 2014's five biggest sales. You may recall that five of the six blockbusters from the last time out were Chinese ccTLDs. However, this time around the track the big boys were all .coms.
<http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2014/20140219.htm>

Heritage Auctions domain name auction list released
... Although this list may be preliminary, it shows 103 domain names in the auction. It?s loaded with valuable domain names such as Tablets.com, Future.com, March.com, Digital.com, CorpusChristi.com, etc.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/02/26/heritage-auctions-domain-name-auction-list-released/>

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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Could even Facebook become a convert to privacy?
The stunning $19bn Facebook paid last week for messaging service WhatsApp has made all of the headlines. But tucked away in the announcement of the deal is an interesting comment from founder Jan Koum: "You can continue to enjoy the service for a nominal fee ? you can still count on absolutely no ads interrupting your communication."
<http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/24/facebook-privacy-convert-personal-data-mining>

Zuckerberg Says WhatsApp Deal Was a Bargain
Many analysts and technology insiders have suggested that Facebook is overpaying for WhatsApp, the mobile messaging service that it is buying for up to $19 billion.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/zuckerberg-says-whatsapp-deal-was-a-bargain/>

Facebook says makes progress targeting users
Facebook highlighted on Wednesday two ad campaigns in an attempt to persuade advertisers that its massive membership base and ability to home in on specific audiences makes it a more effective advertising platform than broadcast TV.
<http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/26/facebook-ads-idINDEEA1P0F420140226>

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Google's Schmidt to give the world a $1 million tech upgrade
Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt plans to dole out $1 million to companies around the world to help them upgrade their communication technology.
<http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/24/technology/google-schmidt/index.html>

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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What 5G can do for you
By 2020 there will be more than 30 times as much mobile internet traffic as there was in 2010. But this will not be the same type of traffic as now - Internet usage will not only have grown thanks to the number of smartphones & tablets in use, but also because of the massive growth in machines and sensors using the Internet to communicate, and which require more efficient and ubiquitous technology to carry the data traffic.
<http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-129_en.htm>

76% use search and 75% use social on smartphones daily, but 54% say mobile sites don?t give enough content
It is, yet again, the year of mobile. A massive 91 per cent of smartphone users say they check email at least once a day, 90 per cent text, 76 per cent use search and 75 per cent use social on their mobiles, research from Salesforce ExactTarget Marketing Cloud has found.
<http://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/02/25/76-use-search-and-75-use-social-smartphones-daily-54-say-mobile-sites-don-t-give>

Global smartphone growth to fall sharply in 2014 - IDC
Growth in global smartphone shipments will fall sharply this year and keep slowing through 2018, with average prices dropping significantly as demand shifts to China and other developing countries, according to market research firm IDC.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/02/26/uk-technology-smartphones-idUKBREA1P1JK20140226>

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PRIVACY & SURVEILLANCE
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RSA 2014: Bruce Schneier ? Privacy Has Not Been Lost To The NSA
There are ways for people to win back their privacy from global intelligence agencies, largely by making bulk collection of data economically unviable, encryption luminary Bruce Schneier told delegates at the RSA 2014 conference today.
<http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/bruce-schneier-rsa-nsa-privacy-140060>

RSA?s Coviello Calls for Global Surveillance Reforms, Enhanced Privacy Protection
RSA Security executive chairman Art Coviello today at RSA Conference 2014 made his first public comments about the security company?s relationship with the National Security Agency, painting the landmark firm as a victim of the spy agency?s blurring of the lines between its offensive and defensive missions.
<http://threatpost.com/rsas-coviello-calls-for-global-surveillance-reforms-enhanced-privacy-protection/104468>

NSA Spying Scandal Darkens Cloud Discussions At RSA
Last summer's revelations of the extent to which the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) collected data on American and foreign targets has caused rifts between global businesses that are hindering efforts to secure the cloud, said Richard Clarke, CEO of Good Harbor and a former U.S. cyberczar, at the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Summit on Monday.
<http://www.darkreading.com/services/nsa-spying-scandal-darkens-cloud-discuss/240166337>

Functions critical to society fail to protect users? privacy online
The Swedish part of the internet has fewer errors and flaws than ever before, according to .SE?s annual report regarding the health of the internet. However, with thoughts of Edward Snowden?s leaks about mass surveillance of the internet, many of the report?s findings nevertheless are worrying when it comes to the protection of personal privacy.
<https://www.iis.se/english/news/functions-critical-to-society-fail-to-protect-users-privacy-online/>

Telecom firms mine for gold in big data despite privacy concerns
Last year's revelations over the U.S. tapping of phone and internet data gave telecoms firms pause for thought over whether they should sell their "big data" for gain, but the commercial potential could prove irresistible.
<http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/02/23/mobile-world-bigdata-idINDEEA1M05U20140223>

Mobile privacy sells in post-Snowden world
Following the Snowden snooping revelations, there is growing interest in a range of mobile phone products with one central selling point: privacy.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/02/24/uk-mobile-world-encryption-idUKBREA1N0WO20140224>

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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au: Brandis fair use ?controversy? as outdated as VCRs
Attorney-General George Brandis describes the Australian Law Reform Commission?s support for citizens? fair use rights under a reformed Copyright Act as ?controversial?.
<http://www.afr.com/p/technology/brandis_fair_use_controversy_as_wV00hXru4bebllC7kITmgM>

----------------------------
David Goldstein

 email: david at goldsteinreport.com

 web:   http://goldsteinreport.com / http://davidgoldstein.tel/
 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