Don't forget to check out my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The Internet News is brought to you by auDA *************************************************** ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** OECD Ministerial-Technical Community Memorandum We, a group of interested and active participants from the Internet technical community assembled in Seoul, Korea on the 16th of June, 2008, want to express our shared desire and commitment to join with the OECD?s member states in common cause to ensure the future of the Internet as a force for continued social and economic development on a global scale. http://nro.net/archive/news/OECD_Technical_Memorandum.pdf UK leads the way in fighting online crime The UK approach to tackling online crime has been held up by internet experts as an exemplar of best practice from which other nations could learn. At the UK Internet Governance Forum meeting in London today, internet stakeholders met to discuss themes including online crime reduction, personal internet security and diversity. http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/news/2221484/uk-leads-way-fighting-online http://www.vnunet.com/itweek/news/2221484/uk-leads-way-fighting-online Internet stakeholders ponder ways to regulate the web Parliamentarians, business leaders and other internet stakeholders met today at a UK Internet Governance Forum event in London to consider the most appropriate mechanisms for safeguarding the web. http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/news/2221437/internet-stakeholders-ponder F.C.C. Chief Would Bar Comcast From Imposing Web Restrictions Federal regulators are prepared to take action against sellers of Internet access that want to restrict what their customers can do online. http://nytimes.com/2008/07/12/technology/12comcast.html FCC Chairman Seeks to End Comcast's Delay of File Sharing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin said yesterday he would seek to stop Comcast from its practice of slowing Internet access of users sharing large files, but he won't levy a fine against the cable service provider. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/11/AR2008071102917.html An Imminent Victory for ?Net Neutrality? Advocates When Comcast admitted last fall that it was blocking ? or slowing down, as the company preferred to call it ? certain file transfers by customers, a lot of people complained that the company was unfairly discriminating against heavy Internet users. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/an-imminent-victory-for-net-neutrality-advocates/ FCC chief says Comcast violated Internet rules The head of the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday he will recommend that the nation's largest cable company be punished for violating agency principles that guarantee customers open access to the Internet. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/11/AR2008071100677.html FCC chief wants to throttle Comcast The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking aim at Comcast for violating the agency?s guidelines on providing open internet access by blocking P2P traffic across its network and keeping schtum about the policy. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/11/comcast_fcc_martin/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Global Policy Proposal for Remaining IPv4 Address Space ? Background Report - Updated 11 July 2008 Introduction: The development of Global Internet Number Resource Policies is the subject of an MoU between ASO/NRO and ICANN. There are also specific ICANN Board Procedures for handling global policy proposals in this context. http://icann.org/announcements/proposal-ipv4-report-29nov07.htm Request for Proposals (RFP) for an Independent Evaluator for the ICANN Root Server Stability Advisory Committee ICANN is seeking to appoint an independent evaluator to undertake a review of the Root Server Stability Advisory Committee (RSSAC). The request for proposal can be found here. icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-11jul08-en.htm Sweeping Changes To The Internet On The Horizon [reg req'd] The phenomenal success of the Internet has lead to increasing pressures upon the domain naming system, and even rumours that the Internet was in danger of running out of addresses. http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=62778 How the new TLDs could impact your search rankings On 26th June, ICANN, the Internet domain authority, announced that a new format for domain names would be made available, ending the 25 year long reliance on established TLDs such as .com and .uk http://www.e-consultancy.com/news-blog/365947/how-the-new-tlds-could-impact-your-search-rankings.html Is creating new type of domain names worth the effort? In the second quarter of next year, companies and other groups will ask for a new type of TLD, instead of using a dot-com name. But some companies think these new domains don't stand a chance of being as popular as dot-com. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3727865 Move Over Dot.Com Brace yourself for a new era of creative web addresses. http://wldj.sys-con.com/read/605484.htm New generic Top Level Domains and Internet standards by Patrick Vande Walle The recent decision by ICANN to start a new round of applications for new generic TLDs is launching a round of questions on the IETF side about its consequences. One possible issue may be with vanity gTLDs like apple, ebay etc. Some expect that every Fortune 1.000.000 company will apply for its own TLD. My guess is rather the Fortune 1.000 for a start, but this does not change the nature of the issue, ie. those companies may want to use email addresses like user§tld. http://patrick.vande-walle.eu/internet/ietf/new-generic-top-level-domains-and-internet-standards/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** .aero - Spreading the message [news release] NamesBeyond - the US-based ICANN-accredited .aero registrar - has been successfully using the media to spread the message that airlines only have until 30 November this year to register their pre-reserved IATA-location identifiers within the .aero domain. http://information.aero/news/2008-06-30-07 Special Advisory on Policies Regarding Conflict of Interest, Abandoned Auctions & Disqualifications Due to Non-Payment [news release] This special advisory is issued in response to inquiries about 3 processes regarding the ongoing .ASIA Sunrise and Landrush Auctions: 1. Conflict of Interest Policies with auction services provider; 2. Abandoned Auctions and re-auctioning processes; 3. Disqualification of applicant for non-payment of winning auction price. http://dotasia.org/policies/DotAsia-SA-AuctionProcess--2008-07-04.pdf be: Release of domain names immobilier.be, immobilien.be and realestate.be DNS BE has revoked the domain names immobilier.be, immobilien.be and realestate.be on the basis of a recent court decision. http://www.dns.be/en/home.php?n=419 be: Domain name test via online tool [news release] To try and provide a little additional help to anyone wanting better service, DNS BE is making an online tool available (see link ?Check your domain name configuration? on the DNS BE homepage) that carries out a number of elementary checks on a domain name. This tool allows you to check whether the configurations of the DNS servers, the mail servers and the Web server are correct. http://www.dns.be/en/home.php?n=420 cz: System FRED to be employed by foreign registers [news release] To register domains with the suffix .co.ao and .it.ao, the administrators of the Angolan top-level domain will use a Czech system called FRED (Free Registry of ENUM and Domains). This information has been released by representatives of the West African country during the ICANN meeting in Paris. http://www.nic.cz/page/462/system-fred-to-be-employed-by-foreign-registers/ ie: IEDR Annual Report 2007 [news release] IEDR ? 2007 sees significant growth in .ie domains, further infrastructure investment, more price reductions and additional consolidation of financial performance http://www.iedr.ie/NEWS/News-07Jul08.php IEDR Annual Report 2007 - More Fun Reading The IEDR's annual report for 2007 has been published. Of course they didn't bother telling any of their stakeholders that it had been released, but we're more or less used to their lack of communication at this stage, as they prefer to tell the media! http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/07/10/iedr-annual-report-2007-more-fun-reading/ it: Technical Guidelines Update Nic.it would like to inform you that a new updated versions of the Technical Guidelines (Version 1.3) has been published. http://www.nic.it/en/novita/comunicazioni.html Over 30,000 Pre-Registration Applications Received for .ME Domains An astounding 30,000 applications were received to date for registering .ME domains! http://www.dotsauce.com/2008/07/09/30-thousand-me-domains/ .NL Reaches Three Million Domains The .nl ccTLD has reached three million domain registrations, making it the largest ccTLD when one looks at the number of domain names registered per person with almost one domain name for every five Dutch people. It is also the fourth largest ccTLD in terms of total registrations behind .cn, .de and .uk. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5431 http://domainpulse.com/2008/07/12/nl-reaches-three-million-domains/ http:// domainnews.com/en/general/.nl-reaches-three-million-domains.html .health.nz - Application for a new Moderated Second Level Domain (2LD) [news release] An application has been received to create a new, moderated second level domain (2LD) - .health.nz. Copies of the application, and the proposed moderation policy, can be seen at: http://dnc.org.nz/story/30308-29-1.html rs: The RNIDS logo design competition now open Beograd, 4th July, 2008. - As of today, 4th July, until 8th July 2008, RNIDS launches a logo design competition. What RNIDS wants to achieve through the contest is an easily recognisable and visually efficient logo. All candidates with necessary skills are invited to participate in the contest. http://rnids.rs/en/node/67?lang=en EuroDNS first Registrar to sign up to .tel, ready for Sunrise and Landrush EuroDNS SA and Telnic Ltd announced today that EuroDNS was the first ICANN-accredited Registrar to sign up to distribute the new communications-focused .tel TLD. http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/eurodns-first-registrar-to-sign-up-to-.tel-ready-for-sunrise-and-landrush.html uk: Nominet changes 'fail to cut main cost of domain name disputes' The body in charge of the .uk internet domain has announced changes to its dispute resolution policies that will make it cheaper to win unopposed disputes but will not address the high cost of preparing cases. http://out-law.com/page-9249 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/10/nominet_policy_changes/ Nominet ENUM testbed launched We are pleased to announce that the test system for making ENUM registrations has been launched today. This system will enable ENUM registrars to develop and test their registration systems prior to the live system launch in August. Details about the ENUM testbed and how to register are available. http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=5380 Flanders wants .vla I have blogged earlier about a, now aborted, attempt by a group of extreme right activists and independentists to get hold of a ccTLD for Belgian Flanders. http://patrick.vande-walle.eu/internet/icann/flanders-wants-vla/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** An Astonishing Collaboration by Dan Kaminsky Wow. It's out. It's finally, finally out... So there's a bug in DNS, the name-to-address mapping system at the core of most Internet services. DNS goes bad, every website goes bad, and every email goes...somewhere. Not where it was supposed to... I'm pretty proud of what we accomplished here. We got Windows. We got Cisco IOS. We got Nominum. We got BIND 9, and when we couldn't get BIND 8, we got Yahoo, the biggest BIND 8 deployment we knew of, to publicly commit to abandoning it entirely. It was a good day. http://www.circleid.com/posts/87920_an_astonishing_collaboration/ DNS Researcher Convinces Skeptics That Bug Is Serious Once-skeptical security researchers now agree that the critical bug in the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS) protocol is the real deal. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9109178 http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/148276/dns_researcher_convinces_skeptics_that_bug_is_serious.html Patch domain name servers now, says DNS inventor Paul Mockapetris, inventor of the Internet's Domain Name System architecture, has some advice for those in any doubt about the seriousness of a weakness in the DNS protocol that was disclosed yesterday: Patch your DNS servers right now. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9108378 http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/feature/2BCD760450924E6FCC2574820070099F http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/071008-patch-domain-name-servers-now.html Computer hackers: Internet flaw sparks biggest security fix in web history A flaw in the way the internet works has prompted the "largest security update" in the history of the web, and fears of millions of people remaining exposed to criminals and malicious hackers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/10/hacking.internet Explainer: The glitch The flaw exploits the way the internet's address mechanism, known as the domain name system (DNS), works. This service maps the names we associate with particular websites to numerical addresses - just as a mobile phone's address book links names with telephone numbers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/10/hacking.internet1 Tech giants unite to thwart web hijack risk Internet giants have united to fix a serious flaw in the internet addressing system that might have let hackers hijack web traffic. The big software and hardware makers worked in secret for months to create a software patch which has now been released to repair the glitch. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4301557.ece Who's Really at Risk From the DNS Flaw? The disclosure from major vendors generated a good deal of concern, but how widespread is the actual danger -- and what can be done? http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3758311 Massive DNS security problem endangers the internet US-CERT and other security experts have warned of a critical design problem affecting all DNS implementations. The Domain Name Service is responsible for converting readable names like www.heise-online.co.uk into the IP addresses that computers can handle, such as 193.99.144.85. DNS is thus the internet equivalent to a phonebook and without it, nothing works. Anyone who takes control of it can control the internet. http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/110742 Is it time to brush up on your DNS management skills? Experts are asking whether it's time to shine a bright light on the "black art" of Domain Name System (DNS) management. http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com.au/articles/25296-Is-it-time-to-brush-up-on-your-DNS-management-skills- Net address fix foxes web users Many users of the ZoneAlarm firewall have been floored by a fix to the net's addressing system. Those hit found they could not get online after installing a Microsoft patch to close a security loophole. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7499260.stm Is DNSSEC the Answer to Internet Security? Domain Name System, or DNS (define), administrators around the world are racing to patch their systems for a critical flaw that could leave millions at risk. Although the technology for a more secure DNS has been available for years, it has not yet been widely deployed. http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3758566/Is+DNSSEC+the+Answer+to+Internet+Security.htm ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** nz: Domain name ?renewal? letters surface again Domain name registrar Domain Registry of America, which has garnered a somewhat dubious reputation on the web, seems to be back, focusing on New Zealand companies again after a few quiet years. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/A9DE05DDC3695DA1CC2574850037F543 City in legal fight over golf course name The city has sued a local man for copyright and trademark infringement, accusing him of trying to claim the name of its new golf course, The Crossings at Carlsbad. ... The city's lawsuit says Shah applied for the trademark two months after the city registered the Internet domain name ?thecrossingsatcarlsbad.com.? http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20080710-9999-1mi10golf.html Hobbits v. Hobbitts: Generic Mark Argument Won't Prevent Panel From Seeing Pay Per Click Parking as Bad Faith Seemingly generic domain names can often turn into a trademark nightmare when used in combination with pay per click parking pages. A recent proceeding in front of the World Intellectual Property Organization demonstrates that a registrant?s inability to control these pay per click parking ads can result in the loss of a domain name. It is important to realize that these parking pages can be used against you as evidence of your bad faith intent to profit from the trademark of another. http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2008/07/hobbits-v-hobbi.html Remedying Cybersquatting via Damages Claims? ADR procedures prove efficient to fight domain name abuse. But they do not stop such abuses. Should they be revised to include financial sanctions? Using the presentation below, I explained such revision is unlikely to have any effect, and I make the case for cooperation between brand owners and intermediaries. http://domaine.blogspot.com/2008/07/remedying-cybersquatting-via-damages.html IPv4 Address Transfer Markets: The time has come by Milton Mueller What happens when the Internet addresses run out? That question has been generating growing concern among Internet operators and policy analysts. The problem is fundamental to the future of the Internet. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/7/8/3782976.html ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** EC Tender: IPv6 curricula The European Commission's Directorate General for Information Society and Media has issued a call for tenders for a study on the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). The purpose of the study is to identify the main actors in all sectors and the processes related to the training and dissemination of IPv6, and provide mechanisms, incentives and best practices that can help in deploying this new technology efficiently and timely. http://www.eubusiness.com/Internet/tender-ipv6 The IP Address Governance Regime by Milton Mueller In the second installment of our analysis of how we are running out of IPv4 addresses, we examine how Regional Internet Registries allocate IPv4 addresses. Despite the appealing ideology of common resource stewardship that appears to underlay RIR policies, there are major failings in the application of the common pool model to IP address resources. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/7/10/3787267.html Getting the internet ready for the next generation A piece of techno-jargon the online community is going to hear plenty about in the next year or two is IPv6. Internet Protocol Version 6, to give it its full name, is being touted as the saviour as the internet heads for a capacity crunch. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/story.cfm?c_id=1501833&objectid=10521004 ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Worst is yet to come for Europe's ad market ... While some analysts had speculated that marketers would reduce spending on the Internet in a downturn, deeming it experimental and nonessential, the opposite seems to be happening. In Britain, for instance, Internet ad spending will rise 32 percent this year, according to Zenith Optimedia, a sharp revision from the agency's previous prediction of a 26 percent gain. Internet advertising is benefiting because it allows marketers to track the effects of their spending, something that is more difficult to do in other media. Agencies that create advertising, like CLM/BBDO, are feeling the effect. http://iht.com/articles/2008/07/13/business/ad14.php Moniker To Get Auction Competition at TRAFFIC Shows I?m sure there?s a back story on this, but Rick Schwartz, who co-produces the TRAFFIC domain name conferences, just sent out an e-mail announcing that Moniker will no longer be the exclusive provider of domain auctions at his conferences. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/07/10/moniker-to-get-auction-competition-at-traffic-shows/ Reading The Domain Game By far The Domain Game by David Kesmodel is the most captive book I?ve ever read. Most of the stories are personal, some I knew of for years, some I didn?t, some we were intimately involved with behind the scenes, and many reminds me of our early days, what we went through (the 20 hour workdays, lists, comparison files), what others went through. http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/reading-the-domain-game.html Four Six-Figure Sales in One Week Including One of the Year's Ten Biggest? Do Tell! It was another very nice week for the domain aftermarket with some of the year's biggest sales keeping the summer doldrums at bay. The top gun this time out - Tell.com - rang up a remarkable $400,000 at Sedo.com in a deal that ranks among the ten biggest so far in 2008. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales07-08-08.htm Two Heads Are Better Than One: How Key Partnerships Are Helping Skip Hoagland Develop A GeoDomain Empire by Ron Jackson With PPC revenues tanking there is a lot of talk among domain owners about developing but, even now, not a lot of action. Why? Because development is hard work and undertaking the task with just a single domain can sap all of a person's available time with no guarantee their developed site will be a hit with web surfers. Since the typical domainer has hundreds or even thousands of names in their portfolio, developing en masse looks more like an impossible dream than a real possibility. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2008/july.htm T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East 2008 Review: Domainers Fall Under Disney's Spell During Conference Week in the Magic Kingdom by Ron Jackson The 2008 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East conference in Orlando May 20-24 was different - and despite all of the past success this pioneering conference has enjoyed that is exactly what it needed to be. The formula that T.R.A.F.F.I.C. introduced when they staged the first major domain show in October 2004 is now being utilized by other promoters and with all of the competing shows spaced no more than 60 days apart "conference fatigue" has started to set in. http://dnjournal.com/events/2008/traffic-east-orlando-review.htm 2008 Domain Roundtable Wrap Up: Networking Opportunities in Stunning San Francisco Setting Helped This Show Rise Above Auction Woes by Ron Jackson After spending the first three years of its life in the Seattle area, where its parent company Name Intelligence, Inc. is based, the Domain Roundtable conference pulled up stakes and hit the road for 2008. Show organizers proved they could travel in style, settling into the elegant Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco for their April 18-21 run. http://dnjournal.com/events/2008/domain-roundtable.htm Domain Sales Trend: Offer Your Expiring Domains to the Public While the idea of selling off your almost expiring domains is not a necessarily new one to the industry, it is gaining popularity and exposure through various avenues. Many domainers attempt to get rid of unwanted expiring domains just before they are up for registration renewal fees. http://www.dotsauce.com/2008/07/09/expiring-domains-for-sale/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Women 'using web for abortions' where abortion restricted (BBC) Some women in countries where abortion is restricted are using the internet to buy medication enabling them to abort a pregnancy at home, the BBC has learned. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7500237.stm Fears over internet sales of DIY abortion pills Women living in countries where abortion is restricted - including Northern Ireland - are using the internet to buy medication enabling them to perform an abortion at home, it emerged today. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/fears-over-internet-sales-of-diy-abortion-pills-865302.html When the Phone Goes With You, Everyone Else Can Tag Along ... Consumers for years have been able to carry portable electronic devices that can pinpoint where they are on a map or a mountain trail. But yesterday's launch of the iPhone 3G signals the growing sophistication of an industry -- demonstrating the power of marrying precise location technology with the reach of the Internet on mobile devices. Merchants can use this information to target ads, malls to entice shoppers, insurance adjusters to calibrate premiums, employers to catch moonlighters and parents to keep an eye on children. But what many users may not realize is that by sharing this information, they are creating often permanent records that can tell not only wireless providers, but also social networking sites, other users, and potentially law enforcement and civil attorneys every place they are and have been, as long as their phone and tracking device are on. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/11/AR2008071103296.html Switch on a chip to boost internet speed A new ultrafast optical switch on a chip could help speed up the internet in Australia by more than 6,000 per cent, say researchers. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/10/2299688.htm us: Congress Opens Debate on Behavioral Advertising On Capitol Hill today, two opposing sides fired the first shots in what promises to be a heated debate over whether or not Internet service providers and other businesses should be allowed to track users' behavior in detail as they travel across the Web. http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=158549 FTC Testifies on Behavioral Advertising [news release] In testimony on behavioral advertising, the Federal Trade Commission today told the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that "the issues surrounding this practice are complex ... the business models are diverse and constantly evolving, and ... behavioral advertising may provide benefits to consumers even as it raises concerns about consumer privacy." http://ftc.gov/opa/2008/07/behavorialad.shtm The Mobile Web Hasn?t Arrived, But It?s Getting There Will the iPhone change the way we surf the mobile Web? The U.S. is often thought of as a laggard when it comes to browsing the Web from mobile phones. But Americans finished at the top of a new Nielsen study of mobile Internet penetration. Just under 16% of Americans access the mobile Internet, according to the study, topping the 13% of Britons and 12% of Italians that do so. (Japan, the country that we would have guessed has the highest penetration, wasn?t included in the study.) http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/07/11/the-mobile-web-hasnt-arrived-but-its-getting-there/ ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Firms 'miss' social site success Businesses are missing out on the huge potential that social networks present, a leading information technology company has warned. Researchers for Gartner found that huge opportunities for improving the management of large firms exist. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7501073.stm Gartner Says Business Potential of Social Networking Web Sites Remains Largely Untapped [news release] Most users of social networking Web sites are motivated mainly by personal needs and a desire for entertainment, rather than business and practical objectives, according to a recent survey by Gartner, Inc. Gartner said that although the potential of such sites for business remains largely untapped, they will become increasingly important to the competiveness of large enterprises in the future. ?Social networking software holds enormous potential for improving the management of large enterprises,? said Nick Ingelbrecht, research director at Gartner. ?However, work in this area is still immature and in the meantime enterprises should be aware of what is happening in the world of consumer social networking and implement appropriate usage policies for employees? use of services such as Facebook and MySpace on company time.? http://gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=718107 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** ITU responds to industry call to accelerate work on cleaner and greener environment Responding to an industry call, ITU has set up a new group to work on standards related to the impact of ICT on climate change. The new group will focus in particular on the reduction of ICT emissions and how ICTs can assist in cutting emissions in other industry sectors such as energy, transportation and buildings. http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2008/20.html ********************** SPAM ********************** 'Spam King' to be sentenced The lineup of people to testify in the sentencing of the 28-year-old so-called King of Spam is so long that it will require an unusual two-day hearing beginning Friday in federal court. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/370341_spamking11.html Should 'spam king' Soloway pay the price for worse? Notorious spam king Robert Alan Soloway is scheduled to be sentenced Monday by the U.S. District Court in Seattle after pleading guilty to single counts of mail fraud, e-mail fraud and tax evasion. Judge Marsha Pechman, who is presiding over the case, has scheduled a two-day hearing starting today to allow prosecution and defense to get their final arguments before the court. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9109598 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/071108-should-spam-king-soloway-pay.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Vietnam to narrow digital divide Rural Vietnamese people will have the opportunity to gain access to telecom services as the Ministry of Information and Communication has decided to increase investment in public telecom services in rural areas. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2008/07/793180/ ITU and Servei de Telecomunicacions d?Andorra join forces to connect least developed countries and Small Island Developing States [news release] The International Telecommunication Union and Andorra?s telecommunications operator, Servei de Telecomunicacions d?Andorra (STA), have signed a non-exclusive partnership cooperation agreement to help boost access to telecommunication and information and communication technology (ICT) services in least developed countries and Small Island Developing States. In particular, the two parties will work together to develop and implement projects that aim to improve rural or outer island communication infrastructure; provide basic telecommunications, as well as high-speed Internet services; strengthen local capacity in information technology skills; and enhance ICT capacity, especially for emergency and disaster preparedness and management. http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2008/NP06.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** The right to peer inside your iPod The heads of the G8 governments, meeting this week, are about to ratify the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta), which - it's claimed - could let customs agents search your laptop or music player for illegally obtained content. The European Parliament is considering a law that would lead to people who illicitly download copyrighted music or video content being thrown off the internet. Virgin Media is writing to hundreds of its customers at the request of the UK record industry to warn them that their connections seem to have been used for illegal downloading. Viacom gets access to all of the usernames and IP addresses of anyone who has ever used YouTube as part of its billion-dollar lawsuit in which it claims the site has been party to "massive intentional copyright infringement". http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jul/10/intellectualproperty.law The US Government and Your Laptop The Department of Homeland Security is routinely searching laptops at airports when Americans re-enter the United States from abroad. The government then pores over or copies the laptop?s contents ? including financial records, medical data and e-mail messages. These out-of-control searches trample the privacy rights of Americans, and Congress should rein them in. http://nytimes.com/2008/07/10/opinion/10thu3.html In Which We Explore the Federal Laws that Apply to Cyberstalking Robert Cannon Tragedies frequently result in flurries of legal activity. Last years witnessed the Myspace tragedy in which a 13 year old girl committing suicide. Unfortunately stalking laws have been clumsy tools that are difficult if not impossible for law enforcement officials to wield. Where existing laws respond poorly to tragedies, the option behind Door Number One is to enact a new law, and the option behind Door Number Two is to argue for a reinterpretation of current law that would somehow miraculously shoehorn the tragedy into the law. Unlike game shows, legal contestants can pick both doors -- which is what happened in this case. http://www.circleid.com/posts/87103_explore_laws_that_apply_cyberstalking/ us: ACLU and allies file lawsuit to challenge surveillance law [IDG] The American Civil Liberties Union and several other groups have filed a lawsuit in an effort to strike down a new law allowing the U.S. government to intercept the phone calls and e-mail messages of people with suspected ties to terrorism. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9109198 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1347541021 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/071008-aclu-files-lawsuit-to-challenge.html Bush Wins Warrantless Wiretapping War President George Bush has signed into law a measure that overhauls wiretapping rules and grants immunity to telecom companies that cooperated with a secret warrantless wiretap program. The administration established the spying operation after Sept. 11 to gain greater flexibility in eavesdropping on suspected terrorists' conversations. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Bush-Wins-Warrantless-Wiretapping-War-63765.html Mystery NZ blog accuser faces defamation case The US chapter of the IT Service Management Forum has filed a defamation lawsuit against a former executive director, alleging that he attempted to discredit and damage the organisation via comments posted on a New Zealand-based blog under a fictitious name. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/mgmt/D14A4020D4E725EBCC257482007696C6 Syria software pirate lives by own code of ethics Abdul-Rahman Mahaini says he hacks into programs because U.S. sanctions block their sale in his country. But he is not above helping Western clients: Small, thin and pale, with a reddish beard, Abdul-Rahman Mahaini estimates that he has stolen millions of dollars' worth of software, hacking his way into the most complex programs in the world. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-hacker11-2008jul11,0,1272897.story Terrorist websites hosted by Canadian company: researcher A Canadian researcher says the militant organisations Hamas and Hezbollah had websites hosted by Canadian internet servers until recently, despite both being designated as terrorist groups by the Canadian Government. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/12/2302040.htm ************************** PRIVACY ************************** US Senate considers advertising versus privacy The US Senate Commerce Committee is hearing the case for greater privacy protection for internet users in a review which could make or break some internet advertising firms. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2221206/senate-considers-advertising Legal Implications of Online Behavioral Advertising Practices: Collection of Internet Content from ISPs May Violate Federal and State Wiretap Laws [news release] The Center for Democracy & Technology today released an analysis questioning the legal standing of a new approach to online advertising being considered by Internet Service Providers and Internet advertising networks. http://cdt.org/press/20080708press.php Privacy Falls into YouTube?s Data Tar Pit As a big lawsuit grinds forward, its parties engage in discovery, a wide-ranging search for information ?reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.? (FRCP Rule 26(b)) And so Viacom has calculated that scouring YouTube?s data dumps would help provide evidence Viacom?s copyright lawsuit. http://wendy.seltzer.org/blog/archives/2008/07/04/privacy-falls-into-youtubes-data-tar-pit.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ uk: 100,000 kids join CBBC social network The BBC has said its social networking site for young children, MyCBBC, has reached 100,000 registered users in four months, as the corporation addresses demand for safe social media tools for younger children. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/10/digitalmedia.web20 uk: Ringtone websites are ?exploiting? children Investigation finds over 90% of websites selling ringtones to children are misleading them with confusing information http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/consumer_affairs/article4322724.ece au: Sexting: fears as teens targeted An explosion of teenage sex texting is alarming teachers, police and youth counsellors. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/07/10/1215282979671.html au: Australia bans video game "Fallout 3" over drug use Australian officials have banned the sale of "Fallout 3" due to the use of drugs in the post-apocalyptic, action video game which has won accolades as one of the year's most anticipated releases. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-34469020080711 nz: Winston wants ban on violent games New Zealand First is calling for a ban on violent video games as part of a new anti-gang policy. They want R16 and R18 games off the shelf in a bid to stop them influencing young people. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1902462 Counter cyberbullies with compassion - Let's focus on those who use the Net for good. Stories of online cruelty are easy to come by these days. JuicyCampus, a gossip site, has brought the kind of public scrutiny and humiliation usually reserved for celebrities into America's finest colleges and universities. Chat rooms about college admissions feature high-strung 17-year-olds unleashing their own deep-seated fears on one another in a torrent of "there's no way you're getting in" spew. At its very worst, we find that online viciousness can even lead to suicide, as it did in the case of a teen in St. Louis who was bullied on MySpace. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0710/p09s01-coop.html ISPs to Board Up Big Chunk of Usenet in Child Porn Crusade Two more Internet service providers have joined New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's crusade to block access to online child pornography at a key distribution source. AOL and AT&T have joined ISPs Verizon, Sprint Nextel and Time Warner Cable in this agreement, in which they cut off server access to Web sites that contain child porn and -- perhaps more controversially -- access to large swaths of Usenet that may have nothing to do with the subject. Cuomo announced the first agreement with the three providers in June. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/ISPs-to-Board-Up-Big-Chunk-of-Usenet-in-Child-Porn-Crusade-63782.html Kansas Attorney General promotes Internet safety Kansas Attorney General Stephen Six on Thursday launched a new Web site geared toward giving Kansas kids, parents and consumers tips and tools to make their Internet experience as safe as possible. http://www.kansascitykansan.com/articles/2008/07/12/news/news3.txt us: ISPs Join to Block Child Porn AT&T Inc. and AOL LLC have joined three other major Internet service providers in eliminating access to child pornography newsgroups, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Friday. In June, Verizon Communications Inc., Time-Warner Cable and Sprint Nextel Corp. signed an agreement with Cuomo to shut down access to two major sources of child pornography. http://www.pcworld.com/article/148295/isps_join_to_block_child_porn.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** MEPs discard plan for single EU telecoms watchdog A proposal to create an EU telecoms authority with broad regulatory powers was dealt a heavy blow by the Parliament's Industry Committee, which voted instead to upgrade an existing group of national telecoms regulators with more limited powers. http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/meps-discard-plan-single-eu-telecoms-watchdog/article-174068 Sarkozy looking to build national media champion ... As of Jan. 1, 2009, the state-owned channels France 2 and France 3 will no longer be allowed to run commercials after 8 p.m.; by the end of 2011, all remaining advertising has to go. To make up the revenue, Sarkozy has proposed levying a 0.9 percent tax on mobile phone operators and Internet providers, an unprecedented measure that would yield an estimated ?4 billion in subsidies a year. And he announced that beginning next year the ?lys?e would appoint the president of France T?l?visions, reversing a decision in 1982 to assign this task to the broadcasting regulator. http://iht.com/articles/2008/07/13/business/sarko14.php ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Yahoo! opens up search in bid to unseat Google Yahoo! yesterday stepped up its efforts to forge ahead as an independent company with a bold move to open up access to its search technology. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4311734.ece Yahoo Again Spurns a Microsoft Offer Yahoo said Saturday night that it had rejected a renewed proposal by Microsoft, together with the activist investor Carl C. Icahn, to buy the Internet company?s search business. http://nytimes.com/2008/07/13/technology/13yahoo.html Yahoo rejects Microsoft proposal, seeks bid for entire company [IDG] Yahoo late Saturday night rejected a joint proposal from Microsoft and investor Carl Icahn that called for a restructuring and the sale of Yahoo's search business to Microsoft. The Internet company that had fought Microsoft's hostile bid for months has now suggested that its suitor make an offer to acquire all of Yahoo. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9109718 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** NZ Telecom in unintentional breach The Telecommunications Commissioner has written to Telecom saying it has breached its undertakings to separate the business. Ross Patterson says Telecom has failed to consult and provide information to Telecommunications Minister David Cunliffe and the Commerce Commission. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1901623 Telecom NZ breaches separation rules Telecom New Zealand has breached its operational separation undertakings for the first time, the NZ Commerce Commission said this morning. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Telecom-NZ-breaches-separation-rules/0,130061791,339290539,00.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (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 Start at the new Yahoo!7 for a better online experience. www.yahoo7.com.auReceived on Sun Jul 13 2008 - 14:20:08 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:09 UTC