Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Net talking shop kicks off debate http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8354824.stm Violator of online free expression to host international Internet meeting [news release] http://www.rsf.org/Violator-of-online-free-expression.html The end of IGF? Mulling on its point and pointlessness. http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?apc=f--e--1&x=96347 IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Launch http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-16nov09-en.htm Apply Now to Join the ICANN Board, the Councils of GNSO and ccNSO, and the ALAC http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-13nov09-en.htm Next Generation Internet Users? by Tina Dam http://blog.icann.org/2009/11/next-generation-internet-users/ Egypt launches Arabic web domain http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8361676.stm Egypt applies for first Arabic domain [AP] http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10609509 Experts Warn Internet 'Internationalization' Will Increase Cyber-Squatting http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-to-speak-arabic-20091116-iglj.html Formation of New Zealand IPv6 Task Force [news release] http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2009/formation-of-new-zealand-ipv6-task-force DNS Security Protocol Gains Momentum http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/23954/ DNS problem linked to DDoS attacks gets worse [IDG] http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140839/DNS_problem_linked_to_DDoS_attacks_gets_worse IPv6 calls renewed at IGF http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2253187/ipv6-calls-renewed-igf ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Internet Governance and Democratic Legitimacy by Olivier Sylvain [Federal Communications Law Journal] Abstract: Even as the Internet goes pop, federal policymakers continue to surrender their statutory obligation to regulate communications in the first instance to extralegal nongovernmental organizations comprised of technical experts. The Federal Communications Commission?s conclusion that a major broadband service provider's network management practices were unreasonable is a case in point. There, in the absence of any decisive legislative or even regulatory guidance, the FCC turned principally to the transmission principles of the Internet Engineering Taskforce, the preeminent nongovernmental Internet engineering standard-setting organization: to wit, (1) decentralization, (2) interoperability, and (3) user empowerment. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1504159 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Net talking shop kicks off debate Egypt should not have been picked as the venue for a key net talking shop, say human rights activists. Reporters Without Borders said it was "surprised" that the Internet Governance Forum will take place in Egypt's Sharm-el-Sheikh resort. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8354824.stm Violator of online free expression to host international Internet meeting [news release] Reporters Without Borders finds it surprising and disturbing that Egypt is hosting next week?s Internet Governance Forum, at which important decisions about the Internet?s future will be taken or announced. http://www.rsf.org/Violator-of-online-free-expression.html Internet Governance Forum kicks off in Egypt [Xinhua] The fourth version of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), a multi-stakeholder dialogue on public policy related to Internet governance issues, kicked off Sunday in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. http://english.cctv.com/20091116/101825.shtml http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/16/content_12463878.htm Internet Governance Forum kicks off in Egypt [Xinhua] Ambassador Sha Zukang, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, addresses the fourth version of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Nov. 15. 2009. The fourth version of the IGF, a multi-stakeholder dialogue on public policy related to Internet governance issues, kicked off in Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday, with the participation of 1,500 delegates from 100 countries and regions around the world. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90855/6814149.html ICANN at IGF 2009 The CEO and the Chairman, along with a number of Board members, community members and staff will be present at the Internet Governance Forum in Sharm El Sheikh next week. Here is a quick rundown of ICANN-related events and information for participating both in person and remotely. http://blog.icann.org/2009/11/icann-at-igf-2009/ Net talking shop kicks off debate Reporters Without Borders said it was "surprised" that the Internet Governance Forum will take place in Egypt?s Sharm-el-Sheikh resort. http://www.heralddeparis.com/net-talking-shop-kicks-off-debate/63371 The end of IGF? Mulling on its point and pointlessness. Today is the start of the fourth Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Took yet another shuttle bus into another conference centre that has heavy security - or at least the show of it - big Alsatian dogs, burly men in uniforms and guns, mirror-checks under vehicles, bags into x-ray machines and so on. Funnily enough, a friend's 7 year-old son was not allowed entry despite having been registered. When asked what was the security risk, the response was that he might run around and make a lot of noise. Ironic, considering that "protection of children" was high on the agenda, with at least 1-2 workshops per-day talking about how to protect children from potential exploitation online. Not to mention how this is highly problematic in an age where gender mainstreaming policies were pushing for more child care facilities in public spaces to enable greater participation of people with children. It goes to show what is the privileged form of identities and assumptions that accompany this important public policy space. http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?apc=f--e--1&x=96347 Chinese takedown, all notice at IGF by Milton Mueller The problem with linking inter-governmental organizations and Internet governance were on display today, the very first day of the Egypt Internet Governance Forum. The Open Network Initiative (ONI) planned a reception to launch its new edited collection book, Access Controlled. Outside the room a banner with the book cover graphics and your standard promotional blurb was on display. The blurb mentioned "the great Chinese firewall." Apparently a representative of the Chinese government complained and someone from the UN or the government of Egypt brought in security and (after about 15 minutes of bizarre discussions) insisted that the banner be taken away. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/11/15/4380817.html IGF 2009 event rattled by UN Security Office An anti-censorship group holding an event Sunday at the United Nations-sponsored Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, was disrupted by UN officials who demanded removal of a poster that mentioned Internet firewalls in China. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111509-igf-2009-event-rattled-by.html http://www.infoworld.com/t/internet/igf-2009-event-rattled-un-security-office-493 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/4FFF8766B17B2606CC25766F00650FCF UN Officials Censoring Chinese Firewall Protest? At a UN-sponsored event today in Egypt, UN officials demanded the removal of a poster that alluded to the issue of Internet restrictions in China. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/un_officials_censoring_chinese_firewall_protest.php UN censors poster that references Chinese censorship A reception held by the group Open Net Initiative (ONI) was interrupted when United Nations officials demanded that an advertisement for a book titled "Access Controlled" be removed from display. The book details suppressed speech on the web. http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=81716 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Launch Non-English speakers across the globe will soon have access to the Internet addresses completely in their own language. ICANN, the organization charged with overseeing the Internet's naming and numbering systems, is today launching a process for delegating a number of internationalized top-level domains. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-16nov09-en.htm Apply Now to Join the ICANN Board, the Councils of GNSO and ccNSO, and the ALAC ICANN's Nominating Committee (Nom Com) invites Statements of Interest and candidate recommendations from the Internet community for key leadership positions to fulfill ICANN's technical and policy coordination role. Interested individuals are invited to submit a Statement of Interest to the 2010 Nom Com for the following positions: http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-13nov09-en.htm Next Generation Internet Users? by Tina Dam As we (at ICANN staff) have been preparing for the Fast Track launch, for tomorrow, it was suggested to me that I write a blog post about it. I could have written about all the hard work, the long hours, the aggressive testing of the online system, keeping it simple and yet flexible for all expected participants to find it useful for exactly their purpose. Not to mention the work ahead of us and the already tireless hours put in by so many around the world that if I start listing you I?d run out of space ? and how amazing it has been to be a part of this new development http://blog.icann.org/2009/11/next-generation-internet-users/ Seoul meeting survey results Just after the Seoul meeting ended, we set up an online survey asking attendees what they thought about various aspects of it. Of 1,120 total attendees (excluding staff and Board), we emailed 540 of them using the information they had provided on registration and received 110 responses ? a healthy response rate of 20.4 percent. http://blog.icann.org/2009/11/seoul-meeting-survey-results/ Egypt launches Arabic web domain Egypt will open the world's first Arabic language internet domain, its communications minister has said. Tarek Kamel said the new domain name would be ".masr" written in the Arabic alphabet. It translates as ".Egypt". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8361676.stm Egypt applies for first Arabic domain [AP] Egypt will apply for the first Internet domain written in Arabic, its information technology minister said Sunday at a conference to discuss boosting online access in emerging nations. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10609509 http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/egypt-to-apply-for-first-arabic-domain-name-20091116-iglo.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/egypt-to-apply-for-first-arabic-domain-name-20091116-iglo.html http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2009/11/15/egypt_to_apply_for_first_arabic_domain_name/ http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9C045V80.htm http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/11/15/general-technology-hardware-amp-equipment-ml-egypt-internet-conference_7124157.html http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/15/world/AP-ML-Egypt-Internet-Conference.html http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-ml-egypt-internet-conference,0,7178490.story Internet to 'speak Arabic' [AFP] Egyptian Minister of Communication Tarek Kamel announced on Sunday the introduction of the first Arabic domain, in a step that would ease Internet access to millions of Arabic speakers around the world. http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-to-speak-arabic-20091116-iglj.html http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=326438&version=1&template_id=37&parent_id=17 http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5honjHxaNVqZ78KyAOFnembeTUUzg Internet to speak in Arabic Egypt's communications minister has announced the introduction of the first Arabic domain, in a step easing internet access to millions of Arabic speakers around the world. http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Technology/2009/11/16/Internet_to_speak_in_Arabic_394385.html First Arabic domain name registration to begin shortly As of 22:00 GMT Today, the first Arabic domain name registration will begin, marking an end to Latin-only domain names online. http://thenextweb.com/me/2009/11/15/arabic-domain-registration-shortly/ Arabic Top-Level Domain Name Registrations Begin We?ve reported previously that non-English top-level domain names would soon be available ? and today?s the start of registration for .masr [.???] domain names. The TLD, will represent the country of Egypt, and literally translates to ?.Egypt?. http://erictric.com/world/arabic-top-level-domain-name-registrations-begin Internet to speak Arabic Egypt?s communications minister on Sunday announced the introduction of the first Arabic domain, in a step easing Internet access to millions of Arabic speakers around the world. From midnight (2200 GMT), registration was to begin for the misr country code top-level domain, Tarek Kamel told the fourth meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Egypt?s Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\16\story_16-11-2009_pg7_2 http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=91461 ICANN Asks for Your Feedback on ?Expressions of Interest? As I?ve reported before, ICANN is exploring accepting ?expressions of interest? for new top level domain names. This would allow applicants to put their hat in the ring for new TLDs and give the internet community an idea of the scale and complexity we?re dealing with. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/11/12/icann-asks-for-your-feedback-on-expressions-of-interest/ Internet's Expansion With Internationalized Domain Names May Spur Registration Boom And Cybersquatting [reg req'd] ICANN?which is responsible for managing the assignment of domain names and IP addresses on the Internet?approved a new plan on October 30, 2009, to allow non-Latin characters in domain names. http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=88746 Registrant UDRP Rights ? On A Fast Track To Dilution? Just as we were completing our analysis and preparing a response to WIPO?s announcement that it intends to propose a fast track version of the UDRP before year?s end and implement that expedited procedure in the first quarter of 2010, comes an announcement from ICANN that the Czech Arbitration Court (CAC) has proposed its own version of fast track UDRP and that a 30 day comment period has started running, with input due by December 11th. http://www.internetcommerce.org/Registrant_UDRP_Rights Coming Soon: File a UDRP Domain Name Dispute for $250 Earlier this month I reported on WIPO?s plans to introduce a fast-track UDRP proceeding. It would cost less and be decided faster than traditional UDRPs. At the time, I predicted that WIPO?s competitors would follow suit because of venue shopping. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/11/12/coming-soon-file-a-udrp-domain-name-dispute-for-250/ Domain address change 'to have little impact in China' The decision to allow the use of non-Latin characters in domain names may not have a significant impact on the activities of Chinese firms, it has been claimed. http://www.globalgold.co.uk/web-hosting-news/domains-news/domain-address-change-to-have-little-impact-in-china-19456229.html ICANN Seeks Input and Advice on New gTLDs ICANN, the organizational body of the Internet, announced on Wednesday that it is inviting the Internet community members to submit any information, advice and proposed models regarding the new gTLDs. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/111309_ICANN_Seeks_Input_and_Advice_on_New_gTLDs IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Launched Starting on November 16, 2009, ICANN has begun to accept requests from representatives of countries and territories around the world for new Internet extensions that represent their country name and are made up of non-Roman characters. http://idnblog.com/2009/11/16/idn-cctld-fast-track-process-launched/ Will Chinese Characters be bigger than .cn? Oh yes! .?? (.China) is expected to be the new Chinese top level domain solely consisting of Chinese characters. Until now China has had to settle for .cn, which to the typical Chinese Internet user is uncomprehensible characters. http://www.domainsdir.com/news/ShowItem.aspx?ID=16282 The Internet Past, Present & Future Dr.Dennis Jennings the man described as "a founding architect of the Internet" is Coming to University College Dublin on Thursday the 19th of November to present "The Internet Past, Present & Future," hosted by UCD computer science group UCD Netsoc. http://irishdev.com/Home/Events/Article.html?id=335 Experts Warn Internet 'Internationalization' Will Increase Cyber-Squatting Starting next week Internet users around the globe will be able to see addresses in their native languages. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-to-speak-arabic-20091116-iglj.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-to-speak-arabic-20091116-iglj.html http://www.france24.com/en/node/4925681 Internet Undergoes Domain Name Change The internet is set to undergo one of the biggest changes in its four-decade history with the expected approval this coming week of international domain names - or addresses - that can be written in non-Latin script. http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=334714 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Bulgarian Govt Moves to Register Internet Domains in Cyrillic [news release] Bulgaria's Ministry of Transport, IT, and Communications is starting a procedure for registering Internet domains in Cyrillic. This has been announced Sunday by the Transport Minister, Alexander Tsvetkov. http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=109996 bg: Bulgarian students offered free domain name [news release] On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of offering internet services in Bulgaria, in the new 2010 Register.BG and Digital Systems, with the support of the Government, will provide to all students in the country the opportunity of free registration and one-year support service for a domain name in the .bg zone or the sub-zones, along with DNS hosting, e-mail, and web hosting. In addition, when the management of the .?? zone is delegated to Register.BG, the same offer shall be valid for this zone as well. https://www.register.bg/user/index_en.html Formation of New Zealand IPv6 Task Force [news release] New Zealand is poised to accelerate implementation of the next generation Internet protocol, IPv6, with the formation of the New Zealand IPv6 Task Force, aligned with the global IPv6 Forum. The work of the Task Force will be driven by impending exhaustion of existing IPv4 addressing and the associated risk and additional cost that this is expected to impose. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2009/formation-of-new-zealand-ipv6-task-force ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** China proves to be an aggressive foe in cyberspace One day in late summer 2008, FBI and Secret Service agents flew to Chicago to inform Barack Obama's campaign team that its computer system had been hacked. "You've got a problem. Somebody's trying to get inside your systems," an FBI agent told the team, according to a source familiar with the incident. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/10/AR2009111017588.html The cyberwar plan, not just a defensive game In May 2007, President Bush authorized the National Security Agency, based at Fort Meade, Md., to launch a sophisticated attack on an enemy thousands of miles away without firing a bullet or dropping a bomb. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091113_1728.php UK cybersecurity centre starting operations in March The government organisation responsible for UK cyberdefence and, where necessary, cyberattack will begin full operations in March. The Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC), based at GCHQ in Cheltenham, will become fully operational on 10 March, Labour peer Baroness Crawley revealed in a written parliamentary answer on Wednesday. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39877965,00.htm DNS Security Protocol Gains Momentum Technologists advocating better security for the domain name system (DNS) have frequently predicted that the technology would be deployed in the next two to five years. That these predictions have gone on for a decade and a half has become an inside joke in the industry. http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/23954/ VeriSign: Major Internet security update by 2011 VeriSign has said that a significant outstanding internet security vulnerability will be closed by 2011, after delays caused by technical aspects of the implementation. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39877966,00.htm DNS problem linked to DDoS attacks gets worse [IDG] Internet security experts say that misconfigured DSL and cable modems are worsening a well-known problem with the Internet's DNS (domain name system), making it easier for hackers to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against their victims. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140839/DNS_problem_linked_to_DDoS_attacks_gets_worse http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111309-dns-problem-linked-to-ddos.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/182168/.html Obama likely to name ?cyber czar' soon The Obama administration will likely name a White House cybersecurity coordinator within the next few weeks, sources say, after more than five months of delay. Two people are reportedly in the running. One is Frank Kramer, a former assistant secretary of Defense during the Clinton administration. The other is Howard Schmidt, the president of the International Security Forum and an Air Force veteran. A final announcement is expected later this month. http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20091113/AGENCY02/911130301/1055/AGENCY ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** us: Federal Judge Recuses from Suit Over Faux Firm Gripe Site [New Jersey Law Journal] ... Also filed by Levinson Axelrod Thursday was a supporting declaration by Joe Devine, a search engine optimization expert. It said the court needs to do more than just order Heyburn to cease using the levinsonaxelrod.net domain name. It should also bar his use of hyperlinks to a replacement site and prevent him from misdirecting Web traffic by meta tags and other means. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202435484503 China Domain Name Scams. Just Move Along.... If your company has done anything in China (even just sending someone there to meet with a supplier), you have probably received a somewhat official email offering, at a steep price, to "help" you stop someone from taking your domain name. http://www.chinalawblog.com/2009/11/china_domain_name_scams_just_m.html NAF panel denies complaint over aaa.net Recently, a National Arbitration Forum (NAF) panel refused to order the transfer of the domain name aaa.net to the American Automobile Association Inc (AAA). This past July, AAA filed a complaint under the World Intellectual Property Organization?s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) to gain control of the domain aaa.net. In order to be successful under the UDRP, the complainant must prove that the domain name is identical or confusingly similar to its trademark; the domain owner has no rights or legitimate interests with respect to the domain name; and the domain name has been registered and is being used in bad faith. http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2537 ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IPv6 calls renewed at IGF The fourth annual Internet Governance Forum kicks off in Egypt today, with registry group the Number Resource Organization (NRO) using the event to highlight the importance of fair access to internet number resources across all regions, and the need for the move to IPv6. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2253187/ipv6-calls-renewed-igf http://www.itnews.com.au/News/160614,ipv6-calls-renewed-by-registries.aspx au: Internode may be alone for some time in IPv6 trial Large ISPs report no intentions to run IPv6 trials in the short term despite research suggesting IPv4 addresses to run out within three years http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/326179/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** GoDaddy Not Subject to Trademark Infringement Suit in Illinois In the case of uBID Inc. v. The GoDaddy Group Inc., No. 09-cv-2123 (N.D. Ill., Nov. 5, 2009), a federal district court in Illinois ruled late last week that the Big Daddy of domain name registrars, Godaddy.com, is not subject to the jurisdiction of Illinois courts and need not defend a trademark infringement suit filed there. This is an interesting ruling, though "interesting" in the area of internet jurisdiction is a relative term to say the least. http://pblog.bna.com/techlaw/2009/11/godaddy-not-subject-to-trademark-infringement-suit-in-illinois.html Netcraft November 2009 Web Server Survey In the November 2009 survey we received responses from 233,636,281 sites. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2009/11/10/november_2009_web_server_survey.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** A Peak Inside the SnapNames Lawsuit Earlier today I talked to Santiago A. Cueto, the first lawyer to file a lawsuit against Snapnames for the insider bidding scandal. He was quick to the docket because lead plaintiff Carlos A. Cueto is his brother. While other firms were trying to find a lead plaintiff, Santiago?s brother was emailing him the details. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/11/12/a-peak-inside-the-snapnames-lawsuit/ Best.com Bags Top Spot on the Domain Sales Chart Covering the Past Two Weeks I was away covering the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. New York conference last week (our comprehensive show review article will be out this weekend), so we have a double-length report for you this week that will bring you completely up to speed on all sales reported to us since our last column October 21. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2009/20091111.htm Dave Wrixon: Interview with a Domain Legend Dave Wrixon owns one of the strongest IDN portfolios period. And he managed to accumulate his portfolio long before many even heard of the term ?IDN?. More impressive, is that he has been a vocal leader in the domain industry. He is known for tirelessly advocating IDNs everywhere and at any time of day or night. http://idnblog.com/2009/11/14/dave-wrixon-exclusive-idnblog/ SnapNames November Showcase Auction Underway SnapNames is hosting their November Showcase Auction featuring generic keyword domains. The auction is currently underway and finishes on 17 November at 15:15 US EST. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/11/12/snapnames-november-showcase-auction-underway/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/snapnames-november-showcase-auction-underway.html Rick Latona Auctions accepting premium domains for upcoming auction [news release] Rick Latona Auctions announced today that they are accepting premium domain name submissions for their upcoming auction at TRAFFIC Las Vegas. If you have a premium domain name, right now is the time to submit it for this auction. The live auction will be January 22, 2010. The earlier a name is submitted, the sooner we can begin marketing it, which increases the likelihood of having multiple bidders. To submit your premium domain, please visit http://www.ricklatona.com/auctions/submission-form/ today. http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/11/13/rick-latona-auctions-accepting-premium-domains-for-upcoming-auction/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** The Internet: A Decade of Destruction The past decade is the era in which the Internet ruined everything. Just look at the industries that have been damaged by the rise of the Web: Newspapers. Magazines. Books. TV. Movies. Music. Retailers of almost any kind, from cars to real estate. Telecommunications. Airlines and hotels. Wherever companies relied on advertising to make money, wherever companies were profiting by a lack of transparency or a lack of competition, wherever friction could be polished out of the system, those industries suffered. http://2010.newsweek.com/essay/a-decade-of-destruction.html High-speed Internet gap between rich and poor widening, UN official warns [news release] While the ?digital divide? between rich and poor countries may be shrinking overall, the gap is widening between the developed and developing worlds in the availability of broadband or high-speed Internet, a crucial tool for achieving economic and social goals, a top United Nations official said today. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32942 HP and Dell Ranked One and Two in Newsweek's 2009 Green Rankings, Apple 133rd Newsweek has published their 2009 Green Rankings that ranks the top 500 American companies according to their environmental records. In 2009, HP and Dell were ranked one and two respectively. Other technology companies in the top ten are Intel (4) and IBM (5) while Apple comes in at a lowly 133rd. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=9605 http://www.telconews.com/2009/11/15/hp-and-dell-ranked-one-and-two-in-newsweeks-2009-green-rankings-apple-133rd/ Bing Now a Serious Challenger to Google Given undistinguished history of Microsoft's late and unlamented Live Search engine, the predecessor to Bing, it's easy to dismiss Redmond as a hapless also-ran in the search market. But given the vast sums of money and resources that Microsoft is investing in its fledging Google challenger, this could change in a hurry. http://www.pcworld.com/article/181980/.html Microsoft brings Google search fight to UK Microsoft will on Friday go head to head with Google in the UK, when it launches a fully localised version of its Bing search engine, taking the UK site out of the Beta testing stage it has been in since launch in June. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6914494.ece A glut of Google can give you a virtual fever It always starts out innocently enough -- for example, with an eye twitch. It's just a little tic, but it keeps coming and going over the course of a few weeks, and so I decide to do a little medical investigation online. I plug "recurrent eye twitch" into my friendly search engine and, after several hours poring over a range of health-related Web sites -- skimming over likely explanations such as fatigue, stress and too much caffeine in favor of dozens of worst-case scenarios, and growing increasingly panicky all the while -- I am utterly convinced that I have multiple sclerosis, at the very least, and quite possibly Lou Gehrig's disease. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/06/AR2009110603473.html Why I'm searching beyond Google These days you need a good search engine just to search for other search engines. They are springing up over all the place, apparently undeterred by the fact that Google has become almost synonymous with search. There are three main reasons. First, the market is so lucrative, especially for adverts linked to the search terms we use, that others want to get a share of Google's action. That's one reason Microsoft greatly improved its own search engine and rebranded it Bing in the hope that it might trip off the tongue lightly enough to become a verb as well as Google. Second, as the Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales has noted, the cost of setting up a search engine has fallen so much it has become a commodity item. If you were to do a blind tasting of Google with Yahoo, Bing or others, you would be pushed to tell them apart. Google's power is no longer as a good search engine but as a brand and an increasingly pervasive one. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/11/searching-beyond-google 1-in-4 now use Firefox to surf the Web One in every four people on the Internet are now using Mozilla's open-source Firefox browser, a Web metrics company said this week. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140819/1_in_4_now_use_Firefox_to_surf_the_Web http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111309-1-in-4-now-use-firefox-to.html For whom the net tolls: Rupert Murdoch wants to remake the web as a toll both, with him in the collector's seat, but the net won't shift to his will Just what, exactly, is Rupert Murdoch thinking? First, he announces that all of News Corp's websites will erect paywalls like the one employed by the Wall Street Journal (however, Rupert managed to get the details of the WSJ's wall wrong ? no matter, he's a "big picture" guy). Then, he announced that Google and other search engines were "plagiarists" who "rip off" Newscorp's content, and that once the paywalls are up (a date that keeps slipping farther into the future, almost as though the best IT people work for someone who's not Rupert "I Hate the Net" Murdoch!) he'll be blocking Google and the other "parasites" from his sites, making all of News Corp's properties invisible to search engines. Then, as a kind of loonie cherry atop a banana split with extra crazy sauce, Rupert announces that "fair use is illegal" and he'll be abolishing it shortly. What is he thinking? We'll never know, of course, but I have a theory. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/10/rupert-murdoch-charging-for-internet Murdoch v Google battle has news pundits puzzled [AFP] Is he bluffing? Making a bold high-stakes gamble that will save the troubled newspaper industry? Or pursuing a pipe dream that can only end in failure? The News Corporation chairman, Rupert Murdoch, has prompted a fierce debate among media watchers with his accusation that Google is ''stealing'' from his vast newspaper empire and his threat to block the search engine from gaining access to its content. http://www.theage.com.au/business/murdoch-v-google-battle-has-news-pundits-puzzled-20091115-igcl.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/all-eyes-on-murdoch-as-newspapers-ponder-digital-future-20091116-igy8.html Telstra copper powers 1.3 million Australian broadband services: ACCC The number of Australian broadband services powered by Telstra?s wholesale network has reached 1.3 million, according to data released by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/326136/ nz: Online Christmas shopping takes off If shopping malls seem a little quieter than usual in the lead up to Christmas it might be because of a new trend towards online gift-buying. http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/online-christmas-shopping-takes-off-3145122 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** In their sites An experienced detective was furious when he spotted a criminal he had arrested years earlier loitering near his eastern suburban home. He grabbed the man and whispered, ''Before I take you to hospital after you seriously injure yourself, you'd better tell me how you found where I live.'' The stalker, who quickly lost interest in any revenge plans, said: ''Your daughters are on Facebook.'' http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/in-their-sites-20091115-igeu.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3067645/ Twitter spam worm stealing user logons The popular social media service Twitter is being targeted by a new attack seeking access to user accounts to send spam via direct messages. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/C890F12C651179A1CC25766C006B49F0 http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3061176/ NZ Twitter accounts hacked Hundreds of Kiwis have had their Twitter accounts hacked over the past several days but this is not confined to New Zealand, local online security provider Netsafe says. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/local-twitter-accounts-hacked-114899 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Child pornography fight gets new weapons Trapped in a nightmare of unrelenting sexual molestation and torment by her stepfather, a 12-year old central Louisiana girl tried to console herself by writing about her distress in a spiral-notebook diary. http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2009/11/post_72.html 47% of English 14-year-olds 'are bullied' Nearly half of 14-year-olds in England have experienced some sort of bullying, a study of 10,000 teenagers for the government suggests. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8357330.stm Cyberbullying is as common as name-calling, study shows Half of all 14-year-olds are the victims of bullying, and cyberbullying is now one of the most common forms of abuse, a major survey of victimisation in schools shows. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/nov/12/cyber-bullying-n-dubz Half of 14-year-olds have been bullied Nearly half of England's 14-year-olds have been a victim of bullying, research has found. "Cyberbullying" ? where children face taunts, threats and insults via the internet and mobile phones ? is now the most common form of bullying, along with name calling, the study showed. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/half-of-14yearolds-have-been-bullied-1819918.html Cyber-bullying now the most common form of bullying Nearly half of England's 14-year-olds have been a victim of bullying and cyber-bullying is now the joint most common form, according to new research. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6556207/Cyber-bullying-now-the-most-common-form-of-bullying.html uk: Suspicious wife posed as schoolgirl to trap paedophile husband, court hears A suspicious wife posed as a schoolgirl online to catch her husband chatting to teenagers as he groomed them for internet sex, a court heard yesterday. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/6555468/Suspicious-wife-posed-as-schoolgirl-to-trap-paedophile-husband-court-hears.html uk: Students taking on cyber-bullies Students at Cornwall College have been trained as senior "cyber-mentors" to help young computer users defend themselves from cyber-bullying. A group of older students has received training in London from Beatbullying. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/8358276.stm uk: Cyberbullies hit primary schools Cyberbullying is a growing problem in primary schools, according to the Anti-Bullying Alliance. In a small study carried out by the group in south east England, one in five children questioned said they had been bullied online or by phone. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8359780.stm Wife posed as schoolgirl to trap paedophile husband A woman who suspected her 68-year-old husband of propositioning teenagers on the internet posed as a schoolgirl to lure him into a trap. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6914986.ece uk: Wife poses as schoolgirl to catch pedophile husband A suspicious wife caught her husband chatting up schoolgirls on the internet by posing online as a 14-year-old from a computer in the next room, a British court has heard. http://www.smh.com.au/world/wife-poses-as-schoolgirl-to-catch-pedophile-husband-20091113-icxq.html nz: Cyber bullying trends concern for new full-time youth aid officer Bullying through texting and computer social network sites seems to indicate a disturbing lack of empathy by teenagers, says Central Otago's first full-time police youth aid officer. http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/alexandra/81983/cyber-bullying-trends-concern-new-full-time-youth-aid-officer Q&A: Senator Nick Xenophon on Net filtering and piracy ARN speaks with the South Australian independent senator about his opposition to mandatory filtering and his support for laws to stop illegal downloads http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/326134/ Breaching the e-wall Q. Our 15-year-old son spends all his spare time locked away in his room, playing games on the internet and texting on his mobile phone. What can we do? http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/breaching-the-ewall-20091113-ie1b.html au: Inquiry finds rise in cyber bullying MORE than half the 570,000 calls to the national Kids Helpline service are from NSW and many relate to school bullying, a government inquiry has found. http://www.smh.com.au/national/inquiry-finds-rise-in-cyber-bullying-20091112-icg4.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/inquiry-finds-rise-in-cyber-bullying-20091112-icg4.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/inquiry-finds-rise-in-cyber-bullying-20091112-icg4.html au: New laws will target fight club kids STUDENTS who stand by cheering as others are being bullied and those caught filming fights face tough new penalties being considered by the State Government. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/new-laws-will-target-fight-clubs-kids/story-e6freuy9-1225797109425 New tool for keeping Web searches safe A few simple household rules can help kids at your house avoid stumbling upon inappropriate Web content: 1. If you're not absolutely sure of a URL, don't just type it into the browser window. Use a search engine. http://www.netfamilynews.org/2009/11/new-tool-for-keeping-web-searches-safe.html More Malaysians fall prey to cyberstalkers Cyberstalking is on the rise in the country. According to Cyber-Security Malaysia, an agency under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, the number of cases in the first 10 months of the year had more than doubled to 151 from 72 last year. http://nst.com.my/articles/12kcyb/Article/index_html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** How to sink pirates: The decline of music piracy holds lessons for other industries You open a window on your computer?s screen. You type in the name of a cheesy song from the 1980s. A list of results appears. You double-click on one of them, and within a few seconds the song is playing. This is what it was like to use Napster a decade ago; and it is also how Spotify, another free online-music service, works today. The difference? Napster was an illegal file-sharing service that was shut down by the courts. Spotify, by contrast, is an entirely legal, free service supported by advertising. This shows how much things have changed in the world of online music in the past decade. It also explains why online music piracy may at last be in decline. http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14845177 Singing a different tune: The battle against online music piracy is turning. A return to growth will take a good deal longer ?Rock and roll is dead,? sang Lenny Kravitz. It is certainly poorly. Music was the first media business to be seriously affected by piracy and has suffered most severely. Yet the prognosis is improving. While it is by no means over, the struggle against music piracy is going better than at any point since the appearance of Napster, a file-sharing service, ten years ago. http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14845087 EU law does not upset UK plan for file-sharer disconnection, says lawyer British ISPs may be forced to disconnect customers accused of file-sharing without the need for a court hearing, according to a legal expert. Safeguards for internet access that were agreed by MEPs last week do not upset UK Government proposals, he said. http://out-law.com/page-10521 Don't jail illegal music sharers - U.N. agency The heavy punishment of illegal file sharers on the web will be counter-productive in the global fight against Internet piracy and copyright infringement, the director-general of a United Nations agency said on Thursday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-43894920091112 Verizon tests sending RIAA copyright notices Verizon Communications customers who pirate music files may soon receive an unwelcome letter from the company. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10396787-93.html Worldwide smartphone sales up 13% in third quarter; Nokia holds 40% of market Despite worldwide economic woes, smartphone sales to end users grew by 13% in the third quarter over the year-earlier period, pushing the overall mobile phone market to grow slightly in the period, Gartner Inc. said today. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140746/Smartphone_sales_up_13_in_third_quarter http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/326084/ Gartner Says Grey-Market Sales and Destocking Drive Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales to 309 Million Units; Smartphone Sales Grew 13 Per Cent in Third Quarter of 2009 [news release] Worldwide mobile phone sales totalled 308.9 million units in the third quarter of 2009, a 0.1 per cent increase from the third quarter of 2008, according to Gartner, Inc. Smartphone sales surpassed 41 million units, a 12.8 per cent increase from the same period last year. http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1224645 iiNet taps on Channel 9, Ten battle IiNet has drawn on Nine Network's 2004 court battle with Channel Ten over clips broadcast on The Panel as part of its bid to fend a Hollywood-backed copyright lawsuit in the NSW Federal Court. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/iinet-taps-on-channel-9-ten-battle/story-e6frgakx-1225798073351 iiNet stands firm on Telco Act defence iiNet did not comply with requests to cancel the accounts of alleged copyright infringers, but it did not need to, iiNet's legal counsel argued today as the ISP started to close off its legal battle in the Federal Court. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/iiNet-stands-firm-on-Telco-Act-defence/0,130061791,339299524,00.htm ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Why Google Is Buying AdMob: If approved, the deal will give the search engine a big head start in mobile phone advertising In a move likely to give a big boost to the mobile-phone ad market, Google announced on Nov. 9 that it's buying AdMob, a provider of mobile ad technologies, for $750 million in stock. http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2009/tc2009119_588360.htm Mobile phones 'appear safe' - expert [AAP] Mobile phones appear to be "very safe", says an expert who also points to initial community-wide suspicions about the rollout of mains power and microwaves. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3068167/ Telecom NZ 3G network to be wholesaled Telecom is to wholesale its 3G network from next year, a year earlier than originally planned. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/2683039E891A3C82CC25766B007D36F9 http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3056500/ ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Two German Killers Demanding Anonymity Sue Wikipedia's Parent Wolfgang Werl? and Manfred Lauber became infamous for killing a German actor in 1990. Now they are suing to force Wikipedia to forget them. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/us/13wiki.html Wikipedia sued by German killers in privacy claim Two German men who killed an actor in 1990 are suing the charity behind the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, claiming that its inclusion of detail of their crimes infringes their right to privacy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/13/wikipedia-sued-privacy-claim Convicted Murderer Sues Wikipedia, Demands Removal of His Name Wikipedia is under a censorship attack by a convicted murderer who is invoking Germany?s privacy laws in a bid to remove references to his killing of a Bavarian actor in 1990. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/11/wikipedia_murder/ UK High Court rejects libel case because article received approximately four visits A libel action over an article that appeared on the website of a South African magazine has been dismissed by a court in England. Evidence suggested that the article had received only four visits from the UK in a two month period. http://out-law.com/page-10523 China proves to be an aggressive foe in cyberspace One day in late summer 2008, FBI and Secret Service agents flew to Chicago to inform Barack Obama's campaign team that its computer system had been hacked. "You've got a problem. Somebody's trying to get inside your systems," an FBI agent told the team, according to a source familiar with the incident. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/10/AR2009111017588.html The cyberwar plan, not just a defensive game In May 2007, President Bush authorized the National Security Agency, based at Fort Meade, Md., to launch a sophisticated attack on an enemy thousands of miles away without firing a bullet or dropping a bomb. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20091113_1728.php UK cybersecurity centre starting operations in March The government organisation responsible for UK cyberdefence and, where necessary, cyberattack will begin full operations in March. The Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC), based at GCHQ in Cheltenham, will become fully operational on 10 March, Labour peer Baroness Crawley revealed in a written parliamentary answer on Wednesday. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39877965,00.htm DNS Security Protocol Gains Momentum Technologists advocating better security for the domain name system (DNS) have frequently predicted that the technology would be deployed in the next two to five years. That these predictions have gone on for a decade and a half has become an inside joke in the industry. http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/23954/ VeriSign: Major Internet security update by 2011 VeriSign has said that a significant outstanding internet security vulnerability will be closed by 2011, after delays caused by technical aspects of the implementation. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39877966,00.htm DNS problem linked to DDoS attacks gets worse [IDG] Internet security experts say that misconfigured DSL and cable modems are worsening a well-known problem with the Internet's DNS (domain name system), making it easier for hackers to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against their victims. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140839/DNS_problem_linked_to_DDoS_attacks_gets_worse http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111309-dns-problem-linked-to-ddos.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/182168/.html Obama likely to name ?cyber czar' soon The Obama administration will likely name a White House cybersecurity coordinator within the next few weeks, sources say, after more than five months of delay. Two people are reportedly in the running. One is Frank Kramer, a former assistant secretary of Defense during the Clinton administration. The other is Howard Schmidt, the president of the International Security Forum and an Air Force veteran. A final announcement is expected later this month. http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20091113/AGENCY02/911130301/1055/AGENCY Iran creates Internet crime unit [AFP] The Iranian police have created a special unit to monitor Internet crime, particularly political offences, a senior police officer was quoted by the ILNA news agency as saying on Friday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/iran-creates-internet-crime-unit-20091114-if0k.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/iran-creates-internet-crime-unit-20091114-if0k.html nz: Internet law seminar to examine contempt issues [news release] InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc), the Law Commission and the Ministry of Justice are co-hosting a seminar next month for legal, media and Internet professionals to discuss issues around suppression orders, contempt of court and the Internet. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/media-releases-2009/internet-law-seminar-to-examine-contempt-issues ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Swiss Say Google's Street View Is Too Revealing Swiss officials said Friday that they had sued Google to try to require it to tighten privacy safeguards on its Street View online service. It is the latest of a series of European objections to the company?s handling of personal information. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/technology/companies/14google.html Switzerland takes Google to court Web search giant Google faces a court case in Switzerland because of privacy concerns over its Street View service. The application allows a 360-degree view of any street-level location. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8358908.stm Swiss privacy commissioner miffed, taking Google to court Google's Street View has pushed Switzerland's privacy commissioner over the edge. His organization plans to take Google to court over what it considers to be egregious privacy violations on behalf of Swiss citizens after months of trying to negotiate with the company. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/11/google-street-view-going-to-court-in-switzerland-over-privacy.ars Swiss Privacy Official Sues Google The top Swiss privacy official said Friday that he is suing Google for failing to include adequate privacy safeguards in its Street View service, which allows people to get street-level pictures of locations plugged into Google Maps. Swiss Data Protection and Information Commissioner Hanspeter Th?r announced in a statement that he has decided to take legal action after Google refused to take various measures suggested by his office to protect personal privacy on its Street View service. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/11/swiss-privacy-official-sues-go.php Swiss contend Google doesn't blur Street View enough [IDG] Switzerland's data protection authority said Friday it will sue Google for allegedly failing to obscure faces, license plates and other sensitive images from its Street View photo mapping Web application. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111309-swiss-contend-google-doesnt-blur.html Google European Public Policy Blog: Street View in Switzerland Today we have learned that Swiss Data Protection Authority intends to take Google to court over Street View in Switzerland. We are disappointed. Data Protection Commissioner Herr Thuer has taken this move despite our efforts to provide a comprehensive set of solutions to his concerns. http://googlepolicyeurope.blogspot.com/2009/11/street-view-in-switzerland.html Schweiz: Datensch?tzer klagen Google Googles Online-Dienst Street View wird in der Schweiz ein Fall f?r das Bundesverwaltungsgericht. Der Eidgen?ssische Datenschutz- und ?ffentlichkeitsbeauftragte (ED?B) Hanspeter Th?r hat angek?ndigt, eine Klage einzubringen http://futurezone.orf.at/stories/1631746/ us: Groups Urge White House to Move On Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board [news release] The Center for Democracy & Technology, along with 28 other civil liberties and public interest groups, today sent a letter to President Obama expressing a growing concern about the absence of nominations by the President to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. http://cdt.org/press/2009111press.php ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** China shuts down another 41 porn websites [Xinhua] Chinese authorities have recently closed another 41 porn websites in the national campaign to eradicate "lewd" contents from the Internet. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90882/6813263.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** International Activists Launch New Website to Gather and Share Copyright Knowledge [news release] The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL.net), and other international copyright experts joined together today to launch Copyright Watch -- a public website created to centralize resources on national copyright laws at www.copyright-watch.org. http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/11/13 Keeping a Global Eye on Copyright Law We spend a lot of our time at EFF trying to spot new proposals in copyright across the world, and understanding whether they're good or bad for civil liberties. We're not the only ones: our understanding depends on the work of hundreds of researchers worldwide who are constantly sifting through new drafts and consolidating older reforms in hundreds of nations. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/11/keeping-global-eye-copyright-law U.S. FDA seeks input on possible Internet rules for drugs and medical devices U.S. health regulators, eyeing whether new rules are needed for Internet-delivered information on drugs and medical devices, will hear from companies and consumer groups at a two-day meeting that starts Thursday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-43888920091112 What is Acta and what should I know about it? Unlike other high-powered government meetings ? which are often accompanied by protests and brouhaha ? Acta, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, has been progressing for two years without much fanfare. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/11/acta-trade-agreement US Telecom experts worry about Net neutrality rules Net neutrality rules proposed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could slow down improvements to the nation's broadband networks, some telecom experts said Thursday. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140773/Telecom_experts_worry_about_Net_neutrality_rules http://www.pcworld.com/article/182070/.html Global ICT regulators share vision of tomorrow?s networks and services [news release] Delegates to ITU?s 9th Global Symposium for Regulators (10-12 November) spoke of the pressing need for governments to open markets to greater competition and use incentives to stimulate investment in the broadband networks that are fast becoming the lifeblood of the Knowledge Economy. http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2009/53.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Intel settles dispute with rival for $1.25bn The two American technology firms that together manufacture nearly all of the microchips in the world's computers have settled years of legal wrangling. This comes after Intel agreed to pay $1.25bn (?756m) to its smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and to change the way it did business. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/12/intel-amd-settle-dispute A.M.D.-Intel Settlement Won?t End Their Woes The giant chip maker Intel, facing antitrust challenges around the world, announced on Thursday that it would pay $1.25 billion to settle its long-running disputes with its smaller rival, Advanced Micro Devices. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/technology/companies/13chip.html Intel settles AMD suits, but antitrust investigations by U.S., E.U. continue The world's two biggest chipmakers, whose Silicon Valley headquarters are separated only by a few miles, have put an end to one of the high-tech industry's longest and costliest legal battles. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/12/AR2009111210555.html After AMD: Intel's Next Big Battle Now that it has settled a long-standing legal dispute with Advanced Micro Devices, the top chipmaker can turn to another big headache: the threat from ARM Holdings http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2009/tc20091112_556616.htm Editorial: Intel?s $1.25 Billion Settlement Intel?s antitrust and patent settlement with Advanced Micro Devices is good news for A.M.D., which now finds itself $1.25 billion richer, but it is less clear what it does for the general public. Intel has been accused of stifling competition and driving up prices through a wide array of anticompetitive practices, which may or may not continue now that Intel has agreed to write a large check. Government agencies that have sued Intel or are considering it should not back away. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/opinion/13fri1.html Terms of Digital Book Deal With Google Revised Google and groups representing book publishers and authors filed a modified version of their controversial books settlement with a federal court on Friday. The changes would pave the way for other companies to license Google?s vast digital collection of copyrighted out-of-print books, and might resolve Google?s conflicts with European governments. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/technology/internet/14books.html Google backtracks on putting world?s books online Google has slashed in half its controversial plans to become the world?s biggest online library in a legal move to appease critics, including China, the US Justice Department, authors and publishers. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6917211.ece Google Books: Scan First, Ask Questions Later In a revision to the Google Books Settlement filed in federal court late Friday night, Google and the Authors Guild made concessions to industry groups, regulators and others who have vocally opposed the plan. But the search giant refuses to budge on one of the most agreement?s most controversial points. http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2009/11/google_books_sc.html Google Books settlement sets geographic, business limits A revised Google Books settlement filed late on Friday applies only to works from English-speaking countries, restricts the ways Google can make money from scanning and digitizing out-of-print books, and requires the registry to seek out copyright holders who do not come forward. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10397787-93.html Google, Authors try to answer book deal concerns Google and the Authors Guild filed a new version of a deal to create a massive online library on Friday in hopes of answering antitrust and copyright concerns in the United States and overseas. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5A85HL20091114 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-43940720091114 Berners-Lee's Foundation Wants the Web to Improve Life [IDG] The World Wide Web Foundation, Tim Berners-Lee's latest brainchild, is now officially open for business and involved with two initial projects, as it embarks on using the Web to empower people worldwide and bring about positive socio-economic change. http://www.pcworld.com/article/182217/.html http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140898/Berners_Lee_s_foundation_wants_the_Web_to_improve_life http://www.itworld.com/government/84778/berners-lees-foundation-wants-web-improve-life http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/11/15/berners-lees-foundation-wants-web-improve-life http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/111509-berners-lees-foundation-wants-the-web.html http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/personal-finance/lifestyle-money/personal-technology/berners-lees-foundation-wants-web-improve-life/ ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Telstra to reduce carbon emissions [AAP] Australia's biggest telecommunications company, Telstra, plans to reduce carbon emissions for every dollar earned by at least a tenth over the next six years. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telstra-to-reduce-carbon-emissions/story-e6frgakx-1225798089264 http://www.smh.com.au/business/telstra-to-reduce-carbon-emissions-intensity-by-10-by-2015-20091116-igv0.html us: Spectrum debate escalates, broadcasters step up lobby A debate is escalating over the Federal Communications Commission?s plan to use television broadcast spectrum for mobile services. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2009/11/spectrum_debate_escalates_broa.html Aust ISP group to buy backhaul operator PIPE for $344m Australia's SP Telemedia, operator of the TPG and Soul ISPs, has offered to acquire backhaul operator PIPE Networks for A$373 million ($344m). http://www.telecomasia.net/content/aust-isp-group-buy-backhaul-operator-pipe-344m Industry laments loss of Pipe Networks Pipe Networks' chief, Bevan Slattery, may have found his "cash-out" door from the company that helped internet service providers snub Telstra, but many of those customers are not happy that a direct competitor could now control it. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Industry-laments-loss-of-Pipe-Networks/0,130061791,339299508,00.htm European super-fast Internet to stumble on lack of investment The EU's move to high-speed broadband will stumble on a lack of investment if the EU does not change its laws governing access to networks, Europe's biggest Internet providers and their equipment providers are arguing. http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/super-fast-internet-stumble-lack-investment/article-187313 nz: The cable guys If goodwill were bankable, a new trans-Tasman fibre optic cable would be coming ashore at Karioitahi Beach on South Auckland's west coast within 18 months, breaking a long-standing Telecom-controlled monopoly. It isn't, so Kordia chief executive Geoff Hunt still has a lot of work to do. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3063580/ ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** au: Nine charged over alleged online child exploitation Nine men are facing charges after a Queensland police operation targeting online child exploitation. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/13/2742135.htm Nine charged with child porn offences [AAP] Nine men have been charged with child pornography offences following two Queensland police operations targeting online grooming of children. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/nine-charged-with-child-porn-offences-20091113-ie8e.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2009 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery __________________________________________________________________________________ Win 1 of 4 Sony home entertainment packs thanks to Yahoo!7. Enter now: http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepageset/Received on Sun Nov 15 2009 - 21:34:27 UTC
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