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.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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IDN TLDs: pre-registrations, declined requests, and other misconceptions
http://blog.icann.org/2010/02/idn-tlds-pre-registrations-declined-requests-etc/

au: Web wars: Bolton's Bottle sued for $2.6m
http://www.theage.com.au/business/web-wars-boltons-bottle-sued-for-26m-20100208-nnds.html

UK government says Nominet EGM changes enough to get it off company?s back
http://kierenmccarthy.com/2010/02/05/uk-government-says-nominet-egm-changes-enough-to-get-it-off-companys-back/

Vote now to stop government regulation of .uk
http://kierenmccarthy.com/2010/02/02/vote-now-to-stop-government-regulation-of-uk/

AfriNIC embraces Internet challenges in Africa
http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2010/02/05/afrinic-embraces-internet-challenges-africa


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GOVERNANCE
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More Thoughts from State of the Net 2010
One of the most highly anticipated panels at last week?s State of the Net Conference was the Judith Krug Memorial Intellectual Freedom Panel, entitled ?Global Free Expression: Will the Internet Reign or Get Reined In??. Held less than one week after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?s widely-lauded speech on global Internet freedom and less than one month after Google announced that after suffering cyberattacks traced to the Chinese mainland it would no longer censor search results in China, the panel was a timely and fitting tribute to long-time free speech advocate Judith Krug.
http://www.cdt.org/blogs/erica-newland/more-thoughts-state-net-2010

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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IDN TLDs: pre-registrations, declined requests, and other misconceptions
Recent statements and speculations have been made concerning the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process and related issues. People seem to be most concerned about:
http://blog.icann.org/2010/02/idn-tlds-pre-registrations-declined-requests-etc/

DNGLOBE LLC Loses ICANN Accreditation
ICANN terminated its accreditation agreement with registrar DNGLOBE LLC for failure to comply with the requirements of the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA), the contract between ICANN and registrars that governs the registration of domain names under generic top-level domains such as dot-com and dot-org.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-3-05feb10-en.htm

Public Comment: Your Input Requested on Proposed GNSO Working Group Guidelines
As part of the GNSO Improvements Process, which has as its objective to improve the structure and operations of the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO), a Working Group (WG) Work Team was tasked with developing a Working Group Model. This Working Group Model should become the focal point for policy development and enhance the policy development process by making it more inclusive and representative, and ? ultimately ? more effective and efficient.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-05feb10-en.htmPublic Comment Title: Call for Community Comment on the Proposed Process for the 2010 Selection of an ICANN At-Large Board Member.

Public Comment Title: Call for Community Comment on the Proposed Process for the 2010 Selection of an ICANN At-Large Board Member.
Explanation/Background: On 27 August 2009, the ICANN Board of Directors passed a resolution approving in principle the implementation of the Board Review WG recommendation ?to add one voting director appointed from the At-Large Community to the ICANN Board of Directors, and removing the present ALAC Liaison to the Board (?).?
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-05feb10-en.htm

Tips to Protect Your Brand in the New Domain Name Marketplace by Joshua Braunstein
Over time, people have grown accustomed to most Web site addresses ending in .com, .edu or .gov. Yet a proposed expansion of the gTLD space by ICANN will change the way we look at domain names forever.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100204_tips_to_protect_your_brand_in_the_new_domain_name_marketplace/

DNGlobe Loses ICANN Accreditation
ICANN has terminated DNGlobe LLC's ICANN accreditation effective February 22 2010.
http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2010/02/06/dnglobe-loses-icann-accreditation/

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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au: Web wars: Bolton's Bottle sued for $2.6m
Another year, another legal battle for Nicholas Bolton, although this time he seems to have been left holding the bag for a deal gone wrong. ... According to a writ filed with Victoria's Supreme Court, NEC is claiming $2,687,746.50 from Bolton and one of his companies, Bottle Infrastructure, for non-payment of services.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/web-wars-boltons-bottle-sued-for-26m-20100208-nnds.html
http://www.smh.com.au/business/web-wars-boltons-bottle-sued-for-26m-20100208-nnds.html

Has dictator ?privatized? .by domain zone? ?????? ???????? 22
By one decree Lukashenka has made so many problems and inconsistencies in ByNet, that the mess is to be cleaned up for many years.
http://www.charter97.org/en/news/2010/2/8/26148/

ch: Swiss internet now even more secure
Marc Furrer, President of the Federal Communications Commission, and Urs Eppenberger of SWITCH jointly launched the celebratory act in the KKL Luzern.
http://www.switch.ch/about/news/2010/domainpulse2010-dnssec.html

Colombian ccTLD Relaunch Now Underway
The relaunch of Colombia's ccTLD got underway within the last couple of hours and the new registry operator is already reporting several hundred domains registered. According to a "tweet" from their official account 322 domains were registered in the first few minutes.
http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2010/02/07/colombian-cctld-relaunch-now-underway/

Public discussion on Cyrillic ccTLD
The discussion about the introduction of the Cyrillic ccTLD was held at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce on 2 February 2010.
http://rnids.rs/en/node/67?lang=en

8,000 Active .GE Domains in Georgia
About 8,000 active domains are registered in Georgia, according to Caucasus Online , company controlling .GE domain index. According to statistics, in the year 2006 7,000 domains were registered in Georgia, in 3 years the number of domain names increased by a rate of 12.5%.
http://finchannel.com/Main_News/Tech/57743_8,000_Active_.GE_Domains_in_Georgia_/

RU-CENTER Introduces TRAVEL, AERO and Multi-language NAME TLDs
On February 10, 2010 RU-CENTER is launching registration and maintenance services of domain names in TRAVEL and AERO TLDs, as an official Registrar.
http://www.nic.ru/news/en/2010/10.02.regl-ch.html

Sweden's .SE Registry Claims Victory Over .Com as ccTLDs Enjoy Growth Spurt in Major Markets Around the Globe 
One of the most interesting trends in 2009 was the growth spurt we witnessed in ccTLD sales despite a global economy going through one of the worst economic downturns in the past century.
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2010/dailyposts/20100205.htm

.tel Names Hit Main Street
Telnic, the organization behind the award-winning .tel names, and Webnames.ca (http://webnames.ca), Canada's original domain registrar, today announced that they have collaborated on the first-ever retail cards for .tel names to be sold in shops and stores. 
http://telnic.com/downloads/RetailCardsPR.pdf

UK government says Nominet EGM changes enough to get it off company?s back
A quick update to my earlier post about voting to ensure that the .uk registry isn?t regulated by the government.
http://kierenmccarthy.com/2010/02/05/uk-government-says-nominet-egm-changes-enough-to-get-it-off-companys-back/

Vote now to stop government regulation of .uk
Nominet is canvassing support for a crucial Net governance vote that it says will help prevent government regulation of Britain?s dot-uk registry.
http://kierenmccarthy.com/2010/02/02/vote-now-to-stop-government-regulation-of-uk/

Nominet calls on members to shape the future of .uk
Nominet, the national registry for .uk domain names, will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), on 24th February 2010 in London that will be a defining moment for the UK domain market and the UK Internet landscape.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/releases/?contentId=7091

Notice of EGM - help shape the future of .uk now
We are pleased to announce that papers for our Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) have been posted or emailed to members to enable you to vote on a number of measures that we believe will strengthen .uk and the domain name industry.
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=7083

uk: BIS response to EGM proposals
Recently, Nominet's Chairman, Bob Gilbert, wrote to the Department for Business (BIS) to seek their comments on the proposed changes to strengthen .uk and the domain name industry that Nominet is putting to our upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). 
http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=7101

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Verizon Settles Trademark Domain Name Case
Verizon has reached a tentative settlement with 2Cool Guys, LLC, Warren Weitzman, and Arnold Trebach over alleged trademark infringement from domain name typos.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/02/08/verizon-settles-trademark-domain-name-case/

WIPO wraps up first paperless domain dispute
The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has resolved its first domain infringement dispute in a fully digital format, just a few weeks after the greener and more efficient system was launched. Phased in as one of several changes to WIPO's Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), the paperless method will be the sole route for filing complaints from 1 March 2010.
http://www.cpaglobal.com/ip-review-online/4281/wipo_wraps_first_paperless_dom

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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Down-to-earth benefits promised by infinite internet
What does the problem of dairy farm effluent have in common with IPv6, the new internet addressing scheme? The answer: the latter could assist in disposing of the former, by helping gauge when conditions are right for spreading it over the land.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10624312

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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ARIN XXV Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for the ARIN XXV Public Policy and Members Meeting, 18-21 April 2010 in Toronto, Ontario.
https://www.arin.net/announcements/2010/20100201.html

AfriNIC embraces Internet challenges in Africa
For the past five years, Africa Network Information Center resisted taking on assignments outside its scope. As one of the few functioning Internet-related organizations on the continent, AfriNIC now realizes that nothing much is getting done and has decided to widen its scope, but still stay grounded in its original mission. 
http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2010/02/05/afrinic-embraces-internet-challenges-africa
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=9F731CE0-1A64-67EA-E4917BC660028BD2
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/02/05/afrinic-embraces-internet-challenges-africa

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Domain auction house wrestles with alleged shill
Oversee.net CEO Jeff Kupietzky has revealed that the company is in active but pending legal action against the former executive who allegedly fixed tens of thousands of its domain-name auctions under the pseudonym ?halvarez."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/04/snapnames_scandal_revisited/

My first story in three years ? Oversee?s auction scandal
So I?ve written my first news story is what I think is three years. It?s on The Register and is about Oversee?s auction scandal following a discussion with CEO Jeff Kupietzky at Domainfest last week.
http://kierenmccarthy.com/2010/02/04/my-first-story-in-three-years-oversees-auction-scandal/

Party Time! Trio of Six-Figure Transactions Led By PartySupplies.com at $360,000 Top This Week's Domain Sales Chart
A pair of six-figure transactions at Moniker.com, plus another sale at that level from Sedo.com set the pace in the domain aftermarket this past week. PartySupplies.com leads the parade at $360,000, followed by Sedo's sale of Free-SMS.de at ?115,000 ($162,150). HomeRun.com completed the power trio after going for $131,299 at Moniker.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20100127.htm

With the ccTLD Market Booming Drop.com.au Joins the Growing Competition for Expiring Australian Domains 
Two weeks ago at this time I was sitting on the opening panel discussion at the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Las Vegas conference talking about the growing aftermarket for ccTLD domains (some hard data from that talk is included in our latest monthly newsletter). At that show and again at the DOMAINfest Global conference that ran last week in Santa Monica, California, I ran into Fabulous.com's long-time Business Development Director Mike Robertson, who is taking advantage of the ccTLD boom with Fab's new drop-catching service at Drop.com.au. 
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2010/dailyposts/20100204.htm

Google's Display-Ad Sales Should Top $1 Billion
Google CEO Eric Schmidt hinted in July that display advertising would probably be the next of his company's businesses to generate $1 billion in sales. Analysts say 2010 is the year he'll deliver on that prediction.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2010/tc2010027_356976.htm

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RESEARCH PAPERS
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Responsibility of Bittorrent Search Engines for Copyright Infringements by Michal Czerniawski [University of Warsaw]
Summary: This dissertation concludes that: (i) based on the The Pirate Bay rationale Google, if sued in Sweden, might be found liable for copyright infringement as it assists in making available copyright materials to the general public; (ii) under Canadian law, and the CCH Canadian Ltd. v. Law Society of Upper Canada and Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada v. Canadian Assn. of Internet Providers rationale, both isoHunt and Google should be found as not authorizing copyright infringement.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1540913

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INTERNET USE
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Cloud computing: how information giants are setting the pace for the internet's next decade
From Google's library project to Apple's iTunes store, 'cloud capitalism' provides an innovative way forward for business ? but raises more questions about privacy and security
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/07/cloud-computing-google-applehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/07/cloud-computing-google-apple

Two futures of the internet: next cold war or up in the clouds
Will the future be cyber-attacks and an uneasy balance of terror or cultural collaboration hosted by Google's servers?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/07/computers-future-cyberattacks-cloud-culture

U.S. teens lose interest in blogging - study
Blogging by teenagers and young adults has dropped by half over the past three years as they turn instead to texting and social networking sites such as Facebook, a new study shows.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-45921320100205

Google's Display-Ad Sales Should Top $1 Billion
Google CEO Eric Schmidt hinted in July that display advertising would probably be the next of his company's businesses to generate $1 billion in sales. Analysts say 2010 is the year he'll deliver on that prediction.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2010/tc2010027_356976.htm

What Murdoch Still Doesn't Get About the Internet
Rupert Murdoch knows who's winning the war between big media and the Internet. Unsurprisingly, it's Rupert Murdoch. "Without content, the ever-larger and flatter screens, the tablets, the e-readers, and the increasingly sophisticated mobile phones would be lifeless," he proclaimed when News Corp. (NWS) posted unexpectedly strong fiscal 2010 second-quarter earnings. "Devices and platforms are proliferating, but this clever technology is merely an empty vessel without any great content. "
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2010/tc2010025_634089.htm

Australian home internet access quadruples in the last decade
ICT has become increasingly more affordable over the past decade with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) recording marked increases in access to PCs and the Internet in Australian households.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/335427/home_internet_access_quadruples_last_decade/

Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2008-09
According to the 2008-09 MPHS, 72% of Australian households had home internet access and 78% of households had access to a computer. Between 1998 to 2008-09, household access to the internet at home has more than quadrupled from 16% to 72%, while access to computers has increased from 44% to 78%.
http://abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs§.nsf/mf/8146.0

Kiwis could have the answer to internet content woes
There is a way forward to charge for content as TV and the internet collide, Aspiring Software claims.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/kiwis-could-have-answer-internet-content-woes-118089

Internet prompts the publishing itch in over-60s
The Internet is helping older British readers rekindle a love of books and writing, and an overwhelming majority of senior citizens see the medium as a positive development, according to a survey.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-45998620100208

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Facebook?s Project Titan: A Full Featured Webmail Product
Facebook is completely rewriting their messaging product and is preparing to launch a fully featured webmail product in its place, according to a source with knowledge of the product. Internally it?s known as Project Titan. Or, unofficially and perhaps over-enthusiastically, the Gmail killer.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2010/02/05/facebooks-project-titan-a-full-featured-webmail-product/

Facebook may challenge Internet giants with Gmail killer
Facebook has been challenging the Internet giants since infancy. Now, at 400 million users and growing, it?s firing a salvo directly at Google and Yahoo.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/02/facebook-google-gmail-killer.html

Facebook six years later: from a dorm room experiment to a household name
On Feb. 4, 2004, a Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg, along with a few of his fellow classmates, had an idea to create a social network for Harvard students. Dubbed "TheFacebook," the site was a place where students could communicate and share photos with their friends.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/02/facebook-six-years-later-from-a-dorm-room-to-a-household-name.html

Facebook hits 400 million users
As we noted earlier, Facebook launched six years ago Thursday. Capping a year of spectacular growth and celebrating the milestone, Facebook founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg published a special post on the site?s blog. In it he revealed the company this week has surged to 400 million users. It was only five months ago that Facebook had 300 million.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/02/facebook-hits-400-million-users.html

Insights into Gen-Y behaviour on social networking sites
New research into Generation-Y's online friendship habits shows young people are becoming increasingly conscious of who they befriend on social networking sites.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/05/2811662.htm

Facebook removes Microsoft banner ads from site [Reuters]
Facebook is taking full control of display ads on the world's No. 1 social networking website, cutting short an exclusive deal that had allowed Microsoft to manage part of that business.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-removes-microsoft-banner-ads-from-site-1892728.html

nz: Vicious Facebook attack on new Burnside High principal [The Press]
A new Christchurch principal is the subject of a vicious online attack, sparking a police investigation.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/3305268/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-newspapers/west-coast-6013/news-6662/3305306/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/3305306/

How many Facebook friends is too many?
It?s the internet world now, so you can speak to anyone anywhere in the world ? right? Blog away, and every Tom, Dick and Harriet from Anchorage to Cape Town can admire your wit, marvel at your wisdom and might even offer a comment in return. Sign them up to your Facebook site, where you can now boast 300, 500, 1,000 friends. 
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article7018321.ece

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Tough new Australian child porn rules
Police will be able to destroy computers carrying suspected child pornography even where the material is highly encrypted and impossible to access, under a tightening of federal sex offence laws.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/tough-new-child-porn-rules-20100204-ng7d.html

au: AFP abandons legal pursuit over blacklist leak
The Australian Federal Police has abandoned attempts to prosecute those responsible for leaking the ACMA blacklist last year, the communications regulator said today.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/166665,afp-abandons-legal-pursuit-over-blacklist-leak.aspx

nz: New service can keep tabs on kids' texts 
A new mobile phone service which allows parents to be sent copies of their children's texts and phone calls has been launched in New Zealand.
http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/new-service-can-keep-tabs-kids-texts-3349645

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Internet protocol TV braces for Australian push
In the US it's often referred to as "over-the-top TV", but in Australia, it lurches along with the humble handle of internet protocol TV.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/internet-tv-braces-for-australian-push/story-e6frg996-1225827642646

au: iiNet ruling casts cloud over legal online content
The Federal Court's decision last week not to hold Perth-based internet service provider iiNet liable for peer-to-peer online copyright infringement has created uncertainty for providers of legal internet movie and TV services.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/iinet-ruling-casts-cloud-over-legal-online-content/story-e6frgakx-1225828042312

Court clears illegal internet downloads
Australian telcos and download enthusiasts came out on top yesterday after the Federal Court in NSW rejected a landmark legal bid to make internet service providers liable for online copyright infringement.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/court-clears-illegal-internet-downloads/story-e6frgakx-1225826893614

Net piracy fight takes body blow
Hollywood studios and record labels are being forced to go back to the drawing board to come up with a new way of combating online piracy after the Federal Court ruled that internet service providers are not required to police copyright infringement on their networks.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/net-piracy-fight-takes-body-blow-20100204-nge0.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/net-piracy-fight-takes-body-blow-20100204-nge0.html
http://www.theage.com.au/national/net-piracy-fight-takes-body-blow-20100204-ng6y.html

Torrent of joy for the internet file sharers
The Hollywood giants might be smarting after their latest attempt to shut down rampant piracy was shot down in the Federal Court but Australian BitTorrent fans are grinning.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/torrent-of-joy-for-the-internet-file-sharers/story-e6frgakx-1225826898556

AFACT needs appeal for law changes: Lawyer
Lawyer and CSP Central contributor Peter Moon said that he believed the iiNet judgement was fair and that the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft would likely have to appeal before pushing legislation changes in the government.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/AFACT-needs-appeal-for-law-changes-Lawyer/0,130061791,339300856,00.htm

The 'Down Under' and the iiNet decisions
In brief: Two Federal Court decisions handed down last week will have important ramifications for those dealing with intellectual property in Australia. In a landmark judgment, it was found that Internet service provider iiNet was not liable for any copyright infringement committed by users of its services. In the second ruling relating to the Men at Work song 'Down Under', it was found that two bars of the popular folk tune 'Kookaburra sits in the old gumtree' were copied in the flute riff of 'Down Under', even though the riff was not a substantial part of 'Down Under' itself.

ISPs off the hook ? for now
http://www.aar.com.au/pubs/ip/foip8feb10isp.htm

Copyright infringement of well-known musical work
http://www.aar.com.au/pubs/ip/foip8feb10.htm

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Google's phone faces cut-price challenger
Google's plans to take on the iPhone are running into problems in Europe as several mobile phone companies plan to sell a cheaper version within weeks of the internet company's Nexus One device going on sale.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/07/google-phone-cut-price-challenger

Facebook dominates UK mobile use
Facebook dominates the lives of mobile internet users in the UK, according to figures from a mobile industry body. The social network accounts for nearly half of all the time people in the UK spend going online using their phones. The data, from the GSM Association (GSMA), showed that people in the UK spent around 2.2bn minutes browsing the social network during December alone.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8500368.stm

GSMA and comScore Announce UK Launch of Mobile Media Metrics [news release]
The GSMA and comScore, Inc., in partnership with operators O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and 3UK, today announced the official UK launch of the GSMA Mobile Media Metrics (MMM) product, a pioneering census-level solution for mobile media reporting. Taking irreversibly anonymised mobile Internet usage data from all five UK mobile operators, the service will provide comprehensive insights into mobile media consumption, empowering brands and agencies to plan effective and focused campaigns for the mobile medium. 
http://gsmworld.com/newsroom/press-releases/2010/4614.htm

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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FBI tackling rising number of Haiti scams
Federal law enforcement officials have received more than 170 complaints about fundraising scams tied to Haitian earthquake relief, and they're bracing for more online cons using Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/sharing/2010-02-04-haiti-scam_N.htm

Climate emails: were they really hacked or just sitting in cyberspace?
More than two months after the moment that thousands of confidential emails, documents and computer code from the University of East Anglia (UEA) was released online it remains a mystery who was behind the hack.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/04/climate-change-email-hacker-police-investigation

Google Asks Spy Agency for Help With Inquiry Into Cyberattacks
Google has turned to the National Security Agency for technical assistance to learn more about the computer network attackers who breached the company?s cybersecurity defenses last year, a person with direct knowledge of the agreement said Thursday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/science/05google.html

EPIC files FOIA request over reported Google, NSA partnership
Privacy advocacy group Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the National Security Agency (NSA) asking for details on the agency's purported partnership with Google Inc. on cybersecurity issues.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9152438/EPIC_files_FOIA_request_over_reported_Google_NSA_partnership
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/020510-epic-files-foia-request-over.html

Google teams up with National Security Agency to tackle cyber attacks
Google's decision to enlist the help of the National Security Agency in tackling cyber attacks has caused alarm among internet groups and bloggers, who fear that users' personal information could be accessed by the US government.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/05/google-national-security-agency-cyber-attack

Google links up with US spy-master to thwart threats to cyberspace
Google is teaming up with the US National Security Agency to battle cyber-attacks from China in a move that is causing disquiet on the internet.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7015973.ece

U.S. House passes cybersecurity research bill
The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a cybersecurity bill that calls for beefing up training, research, and coordination so the government can be better prepared to deal with cyberattacks.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10447627-245.html

Cybersecurity bill, OK'd by House, draws cautious praise
Security analysts today gave a cautious thumbs-up to the passage of the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009 (HR 4061) by the U.S. House of Representatives.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9152299/Cybersecurity_bill_OK_d_by_House_draws_cautious_praise

Terrorists 'gaining upper hand in cyber war'
Western governments are facing a potent and ill-understood new threat from terrorists and hostile powers in the shape of cyber warfare, military and security experts have warned.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/terrorists-gaining-upper-hand-in-cyber-war-1890913.html

EU reviews Internet security after emissions fraud
An email "phishing" fraud against the European Union's greenhouse gas Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) has prompted the executive European Commission to revise its Internet security guidelines, the Commission said.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6135IX20100204
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-45918520100204

Nigeria uses celebrity power to stem cybercrime [IDG]
Microsoft and Nigeria have released a song and video as part of a campaign to dissuade people from getting involved in cybercrime.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/335168/nigeria_uses_celebrity_power_stem_cybercrime/

China Heralds Bust of Major Hacker Ring
China heralded a major bust of computer hackers to underscore its pledge to help enhance global online security, with state media saying officials had shut what they called the country's largest distributor of tools used in malicious Internet attacks.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703630404575052684021385828.html

China shuts down largest hacker training website [Reuters]
China has closed what it claims to be the largest hacker training website in the country and arrested three of its members, domestic media reported on Monday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6170HX20100208
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-45982020100208
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/07/AR2010020703467.html

China shuts down training website for hackers
China has closed down what is believed to be the country's biggest training website for hackers, state media has reported. They say the site, Black Hawk Safety Net, gave lessons in hacking and sold downloads of malicious software.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8503637.stm

Chinese porn website owner jailed for 13 years
A man who operated a pornographic website in China has been sentenced to 13 years in jail and fined 100,000 yuan ($16,800), state media said, amid an ongoing campaign to crack down on online sexual content.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/08/2812844.htm

China 'jails porn website operator for 13 years' [AFP]
China has sentenced a man who operated a porn website to 13 years in jail and fined him 100,000 yuan (15,000 US dollars), state media said, amid an ongoing campaign to crack down on online sexual content.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-jails-porn-website-operator-for-13-years-20100209-nnkp.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-jails-porn-website-operator-for-13-years-20100209-nnkp.html

FBI still wants two years of ISP Web logs
Largely at the behest of the European Union, search engines like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo have cut their data retention periods over the last few years. Now, all those sensitive search queries you make will be anonymized in a matter of months?Yahoo will do so after 90 days, Microsoft will remove all IP addresses after six months, and Google anonymizes IP addresses after nine months. Europe has decided that six months should be the limit.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/02/fbi-still-wants-two-years-of-isp-web-logs.ars

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PRIVACY
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German Minister Takes on Google Street View
Many in Berlin have long viewed Google's Street View service with some suspicion. Now, Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner has called for better privacy laws. She says that even intelligence agencies wouldn't "collect photos so unabashedly."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,676616,00.html

Europe should adopt US behavioural advertising icon, and quick
OPINION: When US trade bodies announced a badge scheme for behavioural advertising this week it looked like a good way to help web users navigate a difficult new area and a good way to relax the regulators.
http://out-law.com/page-10730

500,000 EU computers can access private British data
Privacy campaigners expressed shock last night after it emerged that large amounts of confidential personal information held about British citizens on a giant computer network spanning the European Union could be accessed by more than 500,000 terminals.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/feb/07/eu-computers-access-private-data

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CENSORSHIP
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Opinion: Net censorship campaign backfires by Chris Kenny, a former federal and South Australian Liberal government adviser
South Australia's history of spectacular clashes between politicians, the judiciary and the media found a new chapter this week when a mess of eggs ended up on the face of the Attorney-General, forcing a humiliating backflip over internet censorship.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/net-censorship-campaign-backfires/story-e6frg6zo-1225827282004

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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au: Conroy calls for piracy code of conduct
In the wake of iiNet's recent court win, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy has said that he wants the film and internet industries to sit down and try and work out a code of conduct to prevent pirating of copyrighted works rather than working towards legislation changes.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Conroy-calls-for-piracy-code-of-conduct/0,130061791,339300874,00.htm

Justice Dept. Criticizes Latest Google Book Deal
In another blow to Google?s plan to create a giant digital library and bookstore, the Justice Department on Thursday said that a class-action settlement between the company and groups representing authors and publishers had significant legal problems, even after recent revisions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/technology/internet/05publish.html

DOJ: Thumbs down again to Google book search settlement [IDG]
In a big blow to Google's efforts to build a massive digital-books marketplace and library, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has come out against the revised agreement to settle copyright lawsuits brought against Google by authors and publishers.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9152498/DOJ_Thumbs_down_again_to_Google_book_search_settlement

UK Digital Economy Bill bill could 'breach rights'
An influential group of MPs and peers has said the government's approach to illegal file-sharing could breach the rights of internet users.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8500876.stm

us: Internet gambling again in play
Poker lobbyists are ramping up an aggressive push backed by millions of dollars to legalize Internet gambling in the United States this year, hoping to overcome passionate objections from social conservatives, sports leagues and other longtime opponents.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/06/AR2010020602190.html

*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
Google: We will bring books back to life by Google's senior vice president for corporate development and chief legal officer
If you love books and care about the knowledge they contain, there is a problem that needs to be solved. Somewhere in the region of 175m books exist in the world today. A tiny fraction of those are in print and for sale in bookshops or on the web. ?Another small portion are so old that they are out of copyright and anyone can use them.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/05/google-bringing-books-back-life

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
Australia's fibre-optic network backbone begins
The federal government is a week away from seeing the first sod of soil turned in the construction of fibre-optic backbone links for its ambitious $43 billion national broadband network.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/fire-optic-network-backbone-begins/story-e6frg6nf-1225826901841

Conroy and his duel with the bureaucrats
Stephen Conroy is copping political flak over the bungled tender for the original broadband network s abandoned by the Rudd government last year.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/conroy-and-his-duel-with-the-bureaucrats/story-e6frg6nf-1225826896757

OECD queries cost of new broadband network
The OECD has questioned Labor's $43 billion national broadband network as the Communications Minister Stephen Conroy fends off an Auditor-General's report that shows $30 million was lost after he ignored public service advice that his original scheme risked failure.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/industry-sectors/oecd-queries-cost-of-new-broadband-network/story-e6frg9hx-1225826908447

au: Broadband battle to flare again after iiNet slips copyright net
IT HAS been an eventful week at the minnows end of the telco sector, with iiNet successfully defending court action brought by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft, while TPG Telecom tucked away one of the first substantial placements of the year, a $70 million raising.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/broadband-battle-to-flare-again-after-iinet-slips-copyright-net-20100204-ng69.html

au: Govt may sit on broadband viability study
Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says he is yet to decide whether to publicly release a study into the viability of the Government's $43 billion National Broadband Network.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/09/2813803.htm

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION
**********************************
au: Teacher bound and gagged boys
A FORMER teacher who tied and gagged boys before photographing them for his sexual gratification had ''close to zero empathy'' for his victims, a court heard yesterday.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/teacher-bound-and-gagged-boys-20100208-nnav.html

nz: Anger as child porn collector's name stays secret
A prominent Manawatu man who downloaded more than 300,000 pornographic images - many featuring children - is at the centre of an outcry after the sentencing judge granted him permanent name suppression.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10624999

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(c) David Goldstein 2010



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David Goldstein


email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au
web:   http://davidgoldstein.tel/
http://goldsteinreport.com/


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