Don't forget to check out www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Internet needs a strong system of self-regulation by John Whittingdale is a Conservative MP and chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article4776357.ece Comcast exec: Expect more Web regulation http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10045034-38.html Internet Governance Consultations in Geneva by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/9/16/3886882.html OneWebDay is the New "Earth Day" for the Internet http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathaniel-james/onewebday-is-the-new-eart_b_127568.html ICANN Is Not A Free Lunch http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/09/18/icann-is-not-a-free-lunch/ How telcos and ISPs are prepping for a pandemic http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/091808-telcos-pandemic.html U.S. Cybersecurity Is Weak, GAO Says http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2008/tc20080915_347282.htm us: Olympic bid team vying for Web site http://www.latimes.com/technology/chi-thu-chicago2016-dotcom-battlsep18,0,7670317.story ca: Liberal accuses Tory rival of unethical use of Internet [Canadian Press] http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1209550 .au Aftermarket Going Strong With Five Figure Sale http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5981 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Pandora's Box is Finally Opened: The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Process and Arbitration by Dr. Konstantinos Komaitis [International Review of Law, Computers & Technology] Abstract: This article aims to discuss the issue of whether the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) endorsed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is an arbitral process according to the principles of the 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. For this purpose, this article will first establish the true meaning of arbitration, moving on to illustrate how it has been incorporated with the introduction of the Internet and, specifically, the interaction between Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. Furthermore, this article will demonstrate how ICANN has used arbitration and ADR methods to deal with the conflict between trademarks and domain names; for this purpose, a short history of the UDRP will be mentioned and the Policy will be later compared to conventional arbitration in order to prove that the UDRP is not an arbitral process, at least according to the way arbitration is conceived. Finally, this paper will illustrate that ICANN's Policy has created a whole new process for deciding domain name disputes that has a rather ambiguous nature. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1269930 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Internet needs a strong system of self-regulation by John Whittingdale is a Conservative MP and chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee Cyberspace does not lend itself well to censorship. But while policing every strand of the world wide web would be impossible, that does not mean it cannot be better regulated. It is almost impossible for some of the bigger websites, such as MySpace and YouTube, to screen everything. More than ten hours of video content is uploaded every minute, which means that websites have to rely upon their users to notify them of anything inappropriate. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article4776357.ece Comcast exec: Expect more Web regulation Web companies had better get used to more government interference, intervention, and regulation targeting their businesses, Kevin Kuzas, vice president and general counsel for Comcast Interactive Media, said on Wednesday. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10045034-38.html In Geneva: The Debate About "Debate" by Milton Mueller Tuesday the Internet Governance Forum held its consultations about the 3rd Forum at Hyderabad, India. I am sorry to report that there are still intense pressures to sanitize the IGF program and to prevent the Forum from grappling with the real global governance problems. In what was clearly an orchestrated move, key people from multinational business groups, the Internet Society and a few Anglo-American governments tried to change a plan to organize plenary sessions around policy debates. These groups insist on viewing debate of controversial Internet policy topics, and systematic consideration of specific policy proposals, as a threat that needs to be contained rather than an opportunity to make their own case. In the private negotiations over merging workshop proposals into main sessions, there were concerted efforts ? also led by Internet Society staff ? to limit the morning main sessions to ?background information,? ?educational material? and ?best practice? discussions. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/9/17/3889384.html Internet Governance Consultations in Geneva by Milton Mueller We are in Geneva for a flurry of Internet governance related meetings. Monday morning ICANN held one of its consultation sessions on ?Improving Institutional confidence.? The topic of discussion there was ?completing the transition,? which is about whether people think ICANN is accountable enough to be released from U.S. supervision. ICANN is holding half a dozen of these sessions around the world. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/9/16/3886882.html OneWebDay is the New "Earth Day" for the Internet Some times it's easy to take the Internet and the Web for granted, but in 2008, the growing number of Americans actively participating in democracy through the Internet is making headlines. The presidential campaigns have invited unprecedented amounts of input from voters who can volunteer or contribute online, and public advocacy groups are leveraging the power of the Web to provide fresh information, organize voters and make sure more voices get heard in our local and national elections. To bring attention to this new chapter in the history of democracy, activists, academics and entrepreneurs around the globe are celebrating OneWebDay on September 22nd, 2008. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathaniel-james/onewebday-is-the-new-eart_b_127568.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN Is Not A Free Lunch ICANN meetings are meant to be open and accessible etc., etc., so there are funds available to help people attend. But what happens when people abuse the system? http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/09/18/icann-is-not-a-free-lunch/ Improving Institutional Confidence Consultation Enters Second Comment Period The Improving Institutional Confidence (IIC) in ICANN consultation has entered a second public comment period that will run until Monday 20 October 2008. As part of the ongoing consultation process, and following comments received so far in the process, the IIC documents initially released in June have been revised. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-19sep08-en.htm #1 Domain Names International/1dni.com Transfers Domains to Tucow ICANN recently posted a request for statements of interest from registrars to receive a bulk transfer of the names formerly managed by registrar #1 Domain Names International, Inc. dba 1dni.com ("1DNI") in accordance with the Draft/Interim Terminated Registrar Transition Procedure. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-18sep08-en.htm Application Round Opens for Mexico City Meeting Fellowships ICANN has launched its latest round of fellowship program applications for its 34th International Public Meeting to be held in Mexico City from 1-6 March 2009. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-18sep08-en.htm ICANN At Work On Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Its no secret that the transfer policies of certain registrars can vary widely. Some will let you make a transfer internally or to another of your choice with relative ease once you have purchased a domain name. Others? aren?t quite so generous with their options and in some cases result in waiting periods of 60 days between the update of registrant information and transfer eligibility. http://www.namesmash.com/?p=141 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** ENUM Day 2 marked by practical experiences and international cooperation The second annual one-day conference devoted to ENUM technology concluded as a greater success than its predecessor. The meeting, which was organized and hosted by the CZ.NIC association, was attended by over 100 ICT professionals and enthusiasts, attracted mostly by the opportunity to get to know ENUM from a practical perspective. http://www.nic.cz/page/511/enum-day-2-marked-by-practical-experiences-and-international-cooperation/ fr: Registrars are very satisfied by the services offered by the AFNIC Support The AFNIC carried out a satisfaction survey with its registrars in order to evaluate the quality of its welcome services and to identify its necessary improvements. http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/general/NN20080915_en Awebsitebyanyotherna.me Love.me, hate.me, couldntgivetwofigsabout.me? Over the summer the nation of Montenegro caused a flutter of excitement online as people raced to register websites ending in the newly minted .me domain as Global Voices reports http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ipm/2008/09/awebsitebyanyothername.shtml http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/ipm/ipm_20080919-1929a.mp3 NiRA plans ngCERT to avert hacking reoccurrence The recent News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) presidential resignation saga is basically a technology issue, according to the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), a group mandated to manage the country's top-level domain. http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/09/19/nira-plans-ngcert-avert-hacking-reoccurrence http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/091908-nira-plans-ngcert-to-avert.html 100,000 .sg domain names registered While some ccTLDs race past the one million registration mark, others, especially those for smaller countries, slowly add registrations. One to pass a milestone in recent days was the .sg ccTLD that passed the 100,000 registration mark last week. http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/09/21/100000-sg-domain-names-registered/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/100-000-.sg-domain-names-registered.html 100,000 Domain Names Celebration - Announcement of Winner SGNIC is pleased to announce that the registrant of the 100,000th domain name has been identified. The lucky winner is a Mr Daniel Neves who registered the name metropolle.sg. The corresponding serving registrar would be Instra Corporation Pte Ltd. http://nic.net.sg/newsroom/20080919172230.html Telnic on YouTube: .tel explained Justin Hayward of Telnic discusses a new top level domain .tel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWm49Dogw_k ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** How telcos and ISPs are prepping for a pandemic Network operators and IT professionals already worried about how hurricanes and financial meltdowns will impact their work lives can add another potential catastrophe to their list of concerns: a global pandemic. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/091808-telcos-pandemic.html U.S. Cybersecurity Is Weak, GAO Says The federal government cybersecurity team with primary responsibility for protecting the computer networks of government and private enterprise isn't up to the job, according to a draft Government Accountability Office report obtained by BusinessWeek. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2008/tc20080915_347282.htm Cyber Attack Data-Sharing Is Lacking, US Congress Told U.S. intelligence agencies are unable to share information about foreign cyber attacks against companies for fear of jeopardizing intelligence-gathering sources and methods, cyber security expert Paul B. Kurtz told lawmakers yesterday. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091803730.html Experts: US Is Not Prepared to Handle Cyber Attacks If the bad guys launched a coordinated cyber attack on the United States tomorrow, neither government nor industry would be able to stop it, experts warned legislators yesterday. http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=164192 EU pushes for improved DNS security A recent DNS security issue seems to have served as a wake-up call for the EU. ENISA, the EU agency tasked with Internet security, is looking into DNSSEC, IPv6 and MPLS as possible security boosters for the Net. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/226/eu-pushes-for-improved-dns-security.php Dissident websites crippled by Burma on anniversary of revolt A year after e-mailed images of its brutal crackdown against democracy demonstrations were transmitted across the world, Burma has launched a ferocious ?cyber-war? against dissidents who use the internet. ... The attacks were of the type known as distributed denial-of-service, which use automated programs to simulate thousands of users accessing the site simultaneously, overloading it. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article4799375.ece ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** us: Olympic bid team vying for Web site As Chicago wages its battle to host the 2016 Olympics, it also finds itself scrapping over a valuable piece of cyberspace: the domain name of Chicago2016.com. http://www.latimes.com/technology/chi-thu-chicago2016-dotcom-battlsep18,0,7670317.story Chicago Man Files Lawsuit to Keep Chicago2016.com The battle over Chicago2016.com is turning into an olympic-scale battle. Stephen Frayne Jr., who owns Chicago2016.com, has filed a lawsuit to keep the domain name that is currently pending a UDRP decision at WIPO. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/09/18/chicago-man-files-lawsuit-to-keep-chicago2016com/ us: Firm sued over Le Reve name Steve Wynn, developer of the Le Reve resort on the Las Vegas Strip, sued to recover the Internet domain name "lereve.com" from Suffolk, England-based computer programming and consultancy firm Daisy Analysis Ltd. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2002/sep/24/firm-sued-over-le-reve-name/ ca: Liberal accuses Tory rival of unethical use of Internet [Canadian Press] A Nova Scotia Liberal MP accused his Tory rival Friday of subverting democracy through unethical use of the Internet. http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1209550 http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1080118.html http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/421508 uk: Citizens cautioned about donating to bogus Ike recovery web sites Fort Bend County and the State of Texas Department of Information is warning residents of fraudulent fundraising that could be going on via the Internet in the wake of Hurricane season. http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2008/09/21/fort_bend_sun/news/doc48d52d74d1d1c920249695.txt ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** ARIN/CAIDA IPv6 Penetration Survey: Seeking Global Input The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), in cooperation with the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA), is conducting a new survey to gather data regarding current and future use of IPv6. http://ripe.net/news/ipv6-penetration-survey.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** IEFT planning internationalised email addresses The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has published three crucial documents for the standardisation of email address headers that include symbols outside the ASCII character set. This means that soon you'll be able to use Chinese characters, French accents, and German umlauts in email addresses as well as just in the body of the message. So if your name is Zo? and you work for a company that makes fa?ades, you might be interested in a new email address. But representatives of providers are already moaning. They say there would need to be an "upgrade mania" if the Unicode standard UTF-8 is to replace the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) currently used as the general email language. http://www.heise-online.co.uk/news/IEFT-planning-internationalised-email-addresses--/111542 ItzBig.com Had a Big Naming Problem Defunct company had a number of challenges. Its (domain) name didn?t help: A few years ago a new startup sprang onto the scene in Austin, Texas. Called ItzBig, it was a new type of job web site. It was backed by some big names in online job recruiting, including former executives of hire.com. Venture capitalists piled on board, throwing cash at the company. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/09/18/itzbigcom-had-a-big-naming-problem/ TMFor.com Domain Forum Subpoenaed to Reveal all User Information As reported earlier, Verizon sued Navigation Catalyst and the Basic Fusion registrar for cybersquatting. As part of this lawsuit, it has been reported elsewhere that the domain forum TMFor.com has been subpoenaed by Verizon?s lawyers. The items subpoenaed include identifying information for each and every user of the forum. http://www.domainnamenews.com/legal-issues/tmforcom-domain-forum-subpoenaed-to-reveal-all-user-information/2386 LogicBoxes Offers ICANN Accreditation Web hosting provider LogicBoxes announced on Thursday that it is launching the Domainer Accreditation Program (domainers.logicboxes.com), a new initiative targeted exclusively at large domain name portfolio owners. The announcement was made at the Traffic Conference in New York. http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/091908_LogicBoxes_Offers_ICANN_Accreditation.cfm Computers are the only worthwhile asset banks have left Every cloud has a silver lining. Ask the cybersquatters. Even as the short-selling vultures began circling Lehman Brothers, HBOS, Merrill Lynch and co, a legion of entrepreneurs began betting on domain names for hastily merged financial institutions. For example, when Barclays and Bank of America began to emerge as buyers for Lehman, names such as barclayslehman.com and bofalehman.com were promptly registered by enterprising hopefuls. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/21/technology.banking August ARIN Report Now Available The ARIN Report is a periodic publication that informs the ARIN community about recent and future activities. http://arin.net/announcements/20080916.html Weekend Fun - Domain Blog Rankings The well known and respected SEOMoz company has come out with a new tool to measure a blog?s popularity, known as the Trifecta. According to SEOMoz, the Trifecta tool measures metrics to estimate the relative popularity and importance of a blog. It does this by measuring factors such as the number of incoming links a blog has, how often a blog is mentioned on the web, and how much traffic a blog receives. http://www.domainbits.com/weekend-fun-domain-blog-rankings/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Sky High Domains Up For Grabs on Sedo A couple of sky high domain names are up for sale on Sedo at the moment. Planet.com currently has a bid for $200,000 (although there is a $500,000 reserve). Fly.com is also approaching six figures with a bid for $99,999 but it is a long way off the reserve of $2m to 2.499m. http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/09/21/sky-high-domains-up-for-grabs-on-sedo/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/sky-high-domains-up-for-grabs-on-sedo.html .au Aftermarket Going Strong With Five Figure Sale Following auDA?s decision to liberalise policies in June, allowing for the transfer of domain names for any reason, a number of small companies have started up websites to allow for sale and auction. One site, netfleet.com.au, currently has 5,734 domain names listed and recently sold the domain name pwc.com.au for A$10,450. Pwc.com.au was a site for personal water craft such as jetskis and was sold to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the global consultance firm, who already have pwc.com. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5981 http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/09/21/au-aftermarket-going-strong-with-five-figure-sale/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/.au-aftermarket-going-strong-with-five-figure-sale.html DoctorTalk.Com Web Site and Domain Name to Be Auctioned Off By IRS The DoctorTalk.com Web site and domain name will be auctioned off next month by the Internal Revenue Service in Oklahoma City. http://redorbit.com/news/technology/1559263/the_doctortalkcom_web_site_and_domain_name_to_be_auctioned/ Moniker.com Unveils Complete Auction Inventory for Its Two Live Domain Auctions at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York 2008 [news release] Moniker.com (http://www.moniker.com), an Oversee.net company and provider of Domain Asset Management? services, today released the official catalogue of premium domains available for purchase at its Live and Extended Online Domain Auctions during the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York domain conference next week. http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/09/18/moniker-unveils-traffic-new-york-live-auction-inventory/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/moniker-unveils-t.r.a.f.f.i.c.-new-york-live-auction-inventory.html MeetDomainers to Meet in Cracow, Poland MeetDomainers is a meeting for domainers to be held in Cracow, Poland, from 3 to 4 October. The meeting will be an opportunity to will meet Polish domain name investors, parking companies representatives, people who create the most popular social networking websites, most known registrars. The meeting will also be host to Poland?s first live domain name auction. http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/meetdomainers-to-meet-in-cracow-poland.html http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/09/18/meetdomainers-to-meet-in-cracow-poland/ Why the Google-Yahoo Ad Deal Is Nothing to Fear Google controls about 70 percent of the search advertising market. Doesn?t that give it a monopolist?s ability to set prices as high as it wishes? It does not. http://nytimes.com/2008/09/21/technology/21digi.html Yahoo Is Counting on Apex: Can a new ad-sales system fend off Google and Microsoft? Slouched in a chair in the Holy Cannoli conference room at Yahoo!'s Silicon Valley headquarters one recent September day, a taciturn Jerry Yang looks every bit the embattled chief executive he is. With profits falling and sales growth slowing, the Internet portal's stock price has sunk below 19?a five-year low and 40% less than what Microsoft offered before walking away from its $47.5 billion buyout bid in May. Angry shareholders are still calling for his head. Then Yang starts talking about the imminent debut of an ambitious online advertising system. He leans forward, and the words pour out. "This is a big bet," he says, his voice rising. "It is truly the next generation of advertising." http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_39/b4101072127089.htm Bankrupt Domains go to Auction Block IP Auctions, Inc., is getting ready to auction off the NetBank.com domain name and associated trademarks. The defunct online bank was one of the more popular online banks in its heyday until the feds had to step in and takeover. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/09/18/bankrupt-domains-go-to-auction-block/ Domain Names as Investment Hedge In the spring of 2001, I came across an eBay auction for the domain Inbox.com, listed with no reserve at $4,000. Now, in a clear sign of the times, the auction ended without any bids or bidders, including myself. After the auction, I emailed the seller and offered him $2,000 for the name. He accepted my offer. http://www.domainnamenews.com/featured/domain-names-as-investment-hedge/2351 Six Figure Domain Sale Flips the Bird to Tumbling Economies Suchmaschinenoptimierung.de has sold for $118,440 USD. The sale of the domain name for the German phrase for ?search engine optimization? proves that not everyone is stuffing cash into their mattresses this week. http://www.namesmash.com/?p=142 Grand Names Domain Marketplace Names Advisory Board [news release] Grand Names, the Web's starting line to help SMBs unlock human potential and realize the possibilities of success online, today named the appointment of 12 Internet, technology and media leaders to its Advisory Board. These business executives will help guide the online company as it reshapes the fast-evolving domain name industry by enabling owners to better understand the challenges and perspectives of buyers, and help startups discover all the tools and possibilities of building a business online, beyond the name. Especially key is the senior leaders' experience in traditional marketing methods that can be successfully applied online when refreshed for web. http://fragerfactor.blogspot.com/2008/09/grand-names-domain-marketplace-names.html 'Fly.com' Up for Auction! PrivateJetClubs.com Up for Sale! Sedo powered premium domain auction platform- GreatDomains.com set to auction off an amazing 3L domain name- 'Fly.com' (bidding starts today). http://insidedomaining.blogspot.com/2008/09/flycom-up-for-auction.html Aftermarket.com Auction Final List!: No Names Over $100,000: DomainConsultant Explains its Auction Selections There is little question in our mind that if you are looking for super premiums over $100,000, you are well covered by the other auctions. They always do it well, kudos to them. If you are looking for domains with multiple venues of value in lower price ranges, we hope you?ll take a few moments to review and, hopefully, understand our selection process and purchase recommendations. http://blog.domaintools.com/2008/09/aftermarketcom-auction-final-list/ ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Parental Controls & Online Child Protection: A Survey of Tools & Methods by Adam Thierer [Progress & Freedom Foundation] Abstract: Debates continue to rage about how to shield kids from the potential negative effects of various types of media or communications technologies. Is government intervention and regulation really needed to quell concerns, or do parents have access to constructive tools to control what their child sees and hears? http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1268433 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Facebook reflects struggle over Islam's role In the Middle East, the devout and the secular are duking it out online. But does one side hear the other? http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-facebook19-2008sep19,0,1968535.story Some 'Cyberloafing' is OK, Study Says [MIS Asia] Employees feel that 'cyberloafing' - the non-work related use of their workplace computer -- is acceptable and helps them work better. This is according to a study by Associate Professor Vivien K.G. Lim and Don J.Q. Chen of the NUS Business School at the National University of Singapore. A total of 191 completed surveys were collected, yielding a response rate of 32 percent. Men made up 34 percent of the respondents. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151330/some_cyberloafing_is_ok_study_says.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Gartner: Social networking here to stay Social networking applications may have got a bad rap in enterprises due to security scares, but according to a Gartner analyst, companies should begin building for these in the workplace because they are here to stay. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62046336,00.htm ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Mobile phone use 'raises children's risk of brain cancer fivefold' Alarming new research from Sweden on the effects of radiation raises fears that today's youngsters face an epidemic of the disease in later life http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mobile-phone-use-raises-childrens-risk-of-brain-cancer-fivefold-937005.html Mobile phones may raise cancer risk in children, study finds Researchers are concerned the increase in use of mobiles is creating a health time bomb which will have huge implications in the future. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/3042340/Mobile-phones-may-raise-cancer-risk-in-children-study-finds.html Google makes handset debut with rival to iPhone Google will make its long-awaited debut in the mobile phone handset market tomorrow when it launches in New York, with its first network partner T-Mobile, the first device that runs its Android operating system. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/22/google.mobilephones US environmental agency doing little to curb e-waste exports, report says [McClatchy] Those old computers Americans discard often end up in developing countries, bridging the so-called digital divide - when they work. But there's a dark side to computer exports in which children are threatened by open-air burning of hazardous metals and the "acid baths" used to recover bits of gold, a report from the US government accountability office report said yesterday. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/18/usa.waste US Congress eyes restrictions on exporting e-waste The Government Accountability Office released a report on Wednesday revealing that e-waste is largely unregulated, and the EPA lets regulations go largely unenforced. http://news.cnet.com/2003-12_3-0-2.html GAO Slams EPA for Turning Blind Eye to Toxic E-Waste Exports A new report from the Government Accountability Office -- relating the findings of investigators who went under cover to see how well the CRT disposal rule was followed and enforced -- concludes that the U.S. EPA is abdicating its responsibility for regulating e-waste. "Companies easily circumvent the CRT rule," the report concludes. "EPA's enforcement is lacking." The EPA disagreed with the GAO's recommendations for tightening enforcement and broadening regulations, saying it preferred the voluntary approach now in place. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/64547.html As Text Messages Fly, Danger Lurks ... But even as industry calculations show that Americans are now using mobile phones to send or receive more text messages than phone calls, those messages are coming under increasing fire because of the danger they can pose by distracting users. Though there are no official casualty statistics, there is much anecdotal evidence that the number of fatal accidents stemming from texting while driving, crossing the street or engaging in other activities is on the rise. http://nytimes.com/2008/09/20/us/20messaging.html ********************** SPAM ********************** After Virginia's Losses In Court, a Flurry Of Finger-Pointing The Virginia Supreme Court's rejection of an anti-spam law is the state's latest high-profile legal defeat, a string of losses that some lawyers see as coincidental but others say reflects the General Assembly's willingness to pass aggressive measures that are more likely to face a constitutional challenge. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/19/AR2008091903712.html South African ISPA Names And Shames Spammers The Internet Service Providers' Association of South Africa (ISPA) yesterday, Wednesday, 17 September 2008, released its first 'Hall of Shame' report at iWeek 2008. Naming some of the country's top spammers, the 'Hall of Shame' forms part of ISPA's broader strategy to fight the growing deluge of spam across its members' networks. http://allafrica.com/stories/200809180286.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** au: Arnhem Land gets $34m fibre roll-out Rio Tinto Alcan, the Northern Territory government and Telstra have decided to "broadband" Arnhem Land in the northern territory, laying 800km of fibre-optic cable. www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Arnhem-Land-gets-34m-fibre-roll-out-/0,130061791,339292102,00.htm ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** uk: Computer terror teenager jailed The youngest person in Britain arrested and convicted under the Terrorism Act has been sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institution. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7625041.stm ************************** PRIVACY ************************** EFF Sues NSA, President Bush, and Vice President Cheney to Stop Illegal Surveillance [news release] The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a lawsuit against the National Security Agency (NSA) and other government agencies today on behalf of AT&T customers to stop the illegal, unconstitutional, and ongoing dragnet surveillance of their communications and communications records. The five individual plaintiffs are also suing President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Cheney's chief of staff David Addington, former Attorney General and White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and other individuals who ordered or participated in the warrantless domestic surveillance. http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/09/17-0 EFF sues U.S. over NSA surveillance program The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Bush administration on behalf of AT&T customers to halt what it called the "massively illegal" warrantless surveillance of Americans' Internet and telephone communications. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10046097-38.html EFF files surveillance lawsuit against NSA, Bush, Cheney [IDG] The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), U.S. President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other government officials, alleging that an NSA electronic surveillance program continues to illegally spy on U.S. residents. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/091808-eff-files-surveillance-lawsuit-against.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151242/eff_files_surveillance_lawsuit_against_nsa_bush_cheney.html EFF, Public Knowledge sue U.S. gov't over secret IP pact [IDG] Two digital rights advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in an attempt to get the office to turn over information about a secret international treaty being negotiated to step up cross-border enforcement of copyright and piracy laws. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/09/18/EFF_Public_Knowledge_sue_US_govt_over_secret_IP_pact_1.html http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/091808-eff-public-knowledge-sue-us.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/151213/.html FBI on the trail of hackers after Palin's emails made public FBI officials and secret service investigators were trying yesterday to track down hackers who broke into an email account belonging to US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/19/uselections2008.sarahpalin Interpreting Privacy Principles (ARC 'Discovery' Research Project) Symposium Meeting privacy challenges ? the ALRC & NSWLRC Privacy Reviews The Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre is holding a one-day Symposium to discuss the Australian Law Reform Commission's Report on Privacy (August 2008), and to take stock of the NSW Law Reform Commission's Consultation Paper 3: Privacy Legislation in New South Wales (July 2008). The Symposium is part of the Interpreting Privacy Principles Project, an Australian Research Council Discovery Project. The theme of the Symposium will be to consider how well the ALRC proposals and draft NSWLRC proposals meet a number of current privacy challenges. http://cyberlawcentre.org/ipp/events/symposium08/ ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Comcast details BitTorrent 'delay' tactics Responding to August's landmark order from the FCC, Comcast has provided an extensive description of its infamous BitTorrent blocking - though it has yet to admit that blocking is the right word. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/20/comcast_fcc_statement/ Comcast: No complaints on new Internet management [AP] Comcast Corp. on Friday said its new method of managing Internet traffic may sometimes result in slower Web surfing for subscribers who use their cable modem the most, yet the company has not received a single customer complaint in trial runs in five areas. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/19/AR2008091903422.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Dissident websites crippled by Burma on anniversary of revolt A year after e-mailed images of its brutal crackdown against democracy demonstrations were transmitted across the world, Burma has launched a ferocious ?cyber-war? against dissidents who use the internet. ... The attacks were of the type known as distributed denial-of-service, which use automated programs to simulate thousands of users accessing the site simultaneously, overloading it. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article4799375.ece Burmese dissident websites shut down Two leading dissident Burmese websites have been shut down by a sophisticated cyber attack believed to have been initiated by the military junta a day before the first anniversary of Burma's so-called Saffron Revolution. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/09/19/1221935424916.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/09/19/1221935424916.html Turkish court bans Richard Dawkins website A Turkish court has banned internet users from viewing the official Richard Dawkins website after a Muslim creationist claimed its contents were defamatory and blasphemous. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/18/turkey sg: Blogger Gopalan Nair gets three months in prison for insulting judge Gopolan Nair was sentenced in the lower court to three months in prison. It is not the harshest penalty for ?insult? under Article 228 of the criminal code but the severest sentence under Chapter 228 on insult and physical injury under the Emergency Act. Gopolan Nair faced one year in prison and a 5,000 dollars fine http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=28613 NZ judge lifts internet-only ban [NZPA] A District Court judge has lifted his ban on internet publication of the names and images of two men accused of murder. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4698806a28.html Morocco scraps blogger's jail sentence A Moroccan appeals court on Thursday cancelled a two-year jail sentence given to a local blogger for disparaging King Mohammed and the royal family, court officials and lawyers said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKLI66478620080918 US blogger sentenced to three months in Singapore jail An American blogger has been sentenced to three months' jail for accusing a Singapore judge of "prostituting herself," he told AFP on Thursday. http://news.theage.com.au/technology/us-blogger-sentenced-to-three-months-in-singapore-jail-20080919-4jjj.html http://news.smh.com.au/technology/us-blogger-sentenced-to-three-months-in-singapore-jail-20080919-4jjj.html uk: ASA bans 'brutal' computer game advert An advert for a computer game showing a man being punched to the floor and beaten with a club has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2008/09/17/dlban117.xml ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ au: Teens' homemade cellphone porn getting 'extreme' Teenagers are increasingly spreading around homemade porn on their mobile phones, a new youth ABC talk show investigation reveals. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10533087 The secret lives of your kids online Thanks to shows such as ?Dateline: To Catch a Predator,? both adults and kids are well aware of online predators lurking in cyberspace. When it comes to kids and technology, parents are more likely to be blinded by the hype than to absorb the reality. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26747108/ us: Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF) Open Meeting The Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF) is a group of Internet businesses, non-profit organizations, academics, and technology companies that have joined together to identify effective tools and technologies to create a safer environment on the Internet for youth. It was created in February 2008 in accordance with the Joint Statement on Key Principles of Social Networking Safety announced by the Attorneys General Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking and MySpace in January 2008. The scope of the ISTTF?s inquiry is to consider those technologies that industry and end users can utilize to keep children and youth safe on the Internet, with a focus on preventing harmful contact with adults and with other minors. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/2008/09/isttf ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Internet Gambling Vote Looms In US Congress If the new Payments System Protection Act becomes law, it will be a boon to the estimated 23 million Americans who play poker over the Web. http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/policy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210602291 IT groups slam New Zealand copyright act A bevy of IT and internet interest groups have combined to criticize a key provision of the new Copyright (New Technologies) Amendment Act. "Section 92A has achieved one thing, and one thing only," Telecommunications Carriers Forum (TCF) CEO Ralph Chivers says, "uniting the ICT sector and others who will be affected in an unprecedented show of solidarity against it." http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/7319ABDCED2EA62ACC2574C8007E278C http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/19/it-groups-slam-new-zealand-copyright-act EU gambling firms see WTO case coming against U.S A dispute over U.S. enforcement actions against European Union online gambling companies could be headed to the World Trade Organization soon, an European industry group said on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1726130920080918 ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Google joins world brands' top 10 In just 10 years, it has spawned a verb, revolutionised the media and made billionaires of its founders. Now Google has broken into the definitive list of the 10 most valuable global brands. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/19/google.advertising Echoing the Campaign of a Rival, Microsoft Aims to Redefine ?I?m a PC? Relax, computer users, after only two weeks Microsoft will stop teasing you as the company begins the next phase of an ambitious ? and risky ? $300 million campaign intended to make over its tarnished image. http://nytimes.com/2008/09/18/business/media/18adco.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** New Zealand's field of dreams The past two decades are littered with hype and broken promises, the legacy of dominant carriers who put more energy into curbing competition and maintaining profits than investing in the essential communications info-structure. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/B32E3AAB1B5203C9CC2574C500087D40 nz: ICT industry moves to address copyright confusion [news release] ?A deeply flawed law that undermines fundamental rights and simply will not work.? That is what the telecommunications industry, internet service providers, user groups, internet advocates and IT professionals think of parts of the recently passed Copyright (New Technologies) Amendment Act. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/2008/jointcopyright au: Foxtel launches attack on Terria PAY-TV operator Foxtel has accused telco consortium Terria of seeking a "Big Brother-style" NBN solution. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24382683-15306,00.html Issue 34 of ACMA's newsletter, ACMAsphere, is now available The September issue features the release of the draft Children?s Television Standards 2008 for public and industry comment. Other highlights include ACMA research that shows the substitution of mobile services for fixed-line services is now a growing trend in Australia, the release of new online and telecommunications consumer advice, and the broadcasting financial results for 2006?07. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_9030 European telecoms told to end broadband monopoly Leading European telecoms companies should give rivals access to their superfast broadband networks, the European Commission said on Thursday. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/39f80386-85b2-11dd-a1ac-0000779fd18c.html EU Invites Comments on High-speed Telecom Growth [IDG] The European Commission invited the telecommunications industry to comment on its plans to encourage the creation of high-speed, (NGA (next generation access) networks across the E.U. Thursday, sparking swift criticism from both sides in the debate. http://www.pcworld.com/article/151214/.html Some European Telecom Regulators Seen as Weak [IDG] Telecommunications regulators in Sweden, Lithuania and Latvia aren't independent enough and are too weak to uphold European Union telecom laws, the European Commission said Thursday when it opened legal proceedings against the three countries. http://www.pcworld.com/article/151215/.html http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/091808-some-european-telecom-regulators-seen.html Analyst: Debt crisis favors bigger telecoms [AP] The escalating financial crisis has hit some companies in the capital-intensive telecommunications business, and is likely to favor the biggest, most stable players over the long term, an analyst said Thursday. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080918/ap_on_hi_te/telecoms_debt_2 Asia Pacific world?s hottest telco market Research firm Gartner is predicting that the Asia Pacific telecommunications market will topple North America as the largest, most lucrative telecommunications market for 2008. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;261841703 European Commission consults on regulatory strategy to promote high-speed Next Generation Access networks in Europe The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the regulatory principles to be applied by EU Member States to Next Generation Access broadband networks (NGA). NGA optical fibre-based networks enable bitrates several times higher than those currently available on traditional copper wire networks. NGAs are required to deliver high-definition content (such as high definition television) and interactive applications. The objective of a common regulatory framework for NGA is to foster a consistent treatment of operators in the EU and thereby ensure the necessary regulatory predictability to invest. The Commission is consulting on the basis of a draft Recommendation, addressed to the regulators in the 27 EU Member States and suggesting definitions for harmonized categories of regulated services, access conditions, rates of return and appropriate risk premiums. The public consultation will be open until 14th November 2008. The Commission will then finalise the Recommendation in the light of comments received and formally adopt it in 2009. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1370 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** GSMA Launches Renewable Energy Push For Mobile Networks [news release] The GSMA launched the Green Power for Mobile programme with the goal of helping the mobile industry use renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, or sustainable biofuels*, to power 118,000 new and existing off-grid base stations in developing countries by 2012. Achieving that target would save up to 2.5 billion litres of diesel per annum and cut annual carbon emissions by up to 6.3 million tonnes. http://gsmworld.com/news/press_2008/press08_56.shtml Telco push to convert base stations to green power Mobile phone carriers in the developing world can save up to 2.5 billion litres of diesel a year by powering base stations with renewable energy, the GSM Association said on Thursday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-35542520080918 T-Mobile expands its 3G network T-Mobile USA plans to have more than 20 markets lit with 3G coverage when it begins selling the first ever Google Android phone in October. But will it be enough to entice smartphone consumers to choose the HTC Dream over the iPhone 3G or even the BlackBerry Bold? http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10045888-94.html Putting WiMax to the Test While Sprint officially launches commercial WiMAX services for the first time in Baltimore this month, one college campus 30 miles to the south will be building its own mobile WiMAX network that will be used to test next-generation applications for mobile broadband services. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/091708-wimax-lab.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151327/putting_wimax_to_the_test.html EU's Reding confirms caps on roamed SMS The price of texting in Europe will set at a maximum rate of 11 euro cents per message under a European Commission proposal, EU telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding told German magazine Der Spiegel. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKLK18319720080920 fi: FICORA market review - Growth in wireless data transmission The increase of wireless broadband and mobile broadband continues. Especially, the number of broadband subscriptions in mobile networks grows fast. http://www.ficora.fi/en/index/viestintavirasto/lehdistotiedotteet/2008/P_9.html ********************** VoIP ********************** UK VoIP providers must allow 999 calls and give caller-location data Providers of internet telephony must now allow emergency 999 calls over their networks or face the risk of enforcement action, regulator Ofcom has said. Caller location information must also be provided where technically feasible. http://out-law.com/page-9423 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (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 Make the switch to the world's best email. 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