[DNS] domain name news - 26 April

From: David Goldstein <david> Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:47:09 +1000 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:11 UTC

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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The U.N., Internet Regulator? Private governance has the flexibility and competence needed to keep the Internet dynamic and free
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304299304577349783428104546.html

Vint Cerf: We Knew What We Were Unleashing on the World
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/04/epicenter-isoc-famers-qa-cerf/

Internet Hall of Fame Inductees Honored at Historic First Annual Awards Ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland
http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-hall-fame-inductees-honored-historic-first-annual-awards-ceremony-geneva-switzerland

TAS Interruption - Update (25 April 2012) by Akram Atallah, COO
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-25apr12-en.htm

auDA Foundation offering grants for Internet research and education projects
http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/development/54255-auda-foundation-offering-grants-for-internet-research-and-education-projects

Alexa Raad Talks: How New TLDs Can Better Engage Customers
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/23/alexa-raad-talks-tlds/

Google's support of generic TLDs is a 'PR dream' for ICANN
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-04/25/google-to-the-rescue

TAS down for at least another week
http://domainincite.com/tas-down-for-at-least-another-week/

au: Local firms frustrated at domain delay
http://afr.com/p/technology/local_firms_frustrated_at_domain_DzGrS5TSzpqK9tYQuYBaNI

IRB applies for .Rugby top level domain name
http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/mediazone/pressrelease/newsid=2061834.html

Cybersquatting in Australia ? Assistance for gaming operators in recovery of domain names
http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/173776/

Domain name row fuels beastly tensions
http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/media-marketing/domain-name-row-fuels-beastly-tensions/story-e6frg2rc-1226338045250

IPv6 a major battle for years to come: APNIC
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/298396,ipv6-a-major-battle-for-years-to-come-apnic.aspx

Was It a Mistake to Pay Lots of Money for a Clean Domain Name?
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/was-it-a-mistake-to-pay-lots-of-money-for-a-clean-domain-name/

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GOVERNANCE
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The U.N., Internet Regulator? Private governance has the flexibility and competence needed to keep the Internet dynamic and free
Mayan prophecy predicts that the world will end on Dec. 21, 2012, but Internet users should be more worried about what will happen just a few weeks before. The World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) meets in Dubai Dec. 3-14 to consider proposals that would grant authority for Internet governance to the United Nations and impose new regulations on Web traffic. If adopted, these proposals could upend the Web as we know it, undermining it as an engine for growth and dynamism for the world.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304299304577349783428104546.html

Vint Cerf: We Knew What We Were Unleashing on the World
Vint Cerf invented the protocol that rules them all: TCP/IP. Most people have never heard of it. But it describes the fundamental architecture of the internet, and it made possible Wi-Fi, Ethernet, LANs, the World Wide Web, e-mail, FTP, 3G/4G ? as well as all of the inventions built upon those inventions.
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/04/epicenter-isoc-famers-qa-cerf/

Internet Hall of Fame inducts first members
The Internet Hall of Fame officially kicked off today, inducting big tech names like Vint Cerf, Tim Berners-Lee, Mitchell Baker, and Brewster Kahle. This was the inaugural award ceremony sponsored by the Internet Society to celebrate more than 30 pioneers, innovators, and global connectors of the Web.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57419560-93/internet-hall-of-fame-inducts-first-members/

The Internet Gets a Hall of Fame (Including Al Gore!)
The best revolutionaries eventually find themselves hailed in tributes and enshrined in museums.
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/04/isoc-hall-of-fame/

Internet Hall of Fame Inductees Honored at Historic First Annual Awards Ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland
The names of the inaugural Internet Hall of Fame inductees were announced today at the Internet Society?s Global INET 2012 conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Internet pioneers and luminaries from around the world gathered at the conference to mark the Internet Society?s 20th anniversary, and attend an Awards Gala to honor the following 2012 inductees:
http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-hall-fame-inductees-honored-historic-first-annual-awards-ceremony-geneva-switzerland

ICANN's Board Chair Inducted into Internet Hall of Fame
ICANN Board Chair Dr. Stephen Crocker is among the inaugural inductees into the Internet Hall of Fame.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-24apr12-en.htm

RIPE NCC and AfriNIC Contribute To The Launch Of Arab Internet Governance Forum
When the Arab Internet Governance Forum (AIGF) holds its first ever meeting in Kuwait City in October 2012, it will do so with the strong support and expert input of the region?s technical community, especially AfriNIC and the RIPE NCC, the two Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) that provide services to the area.
http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/about-ripe-ncc-and-ripe/ripe-ncc-and-afrinic-contribute-to-the-launch-of-arab-internet-governance-forum

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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TAS Interruption - Update (25 April 2012) by Akram Atallah, COO
... We are systematically combing through TAS logs and analyzing data for signs of access applicants may have had to file names and user names of others. We have narrowed the pool of affected applications and the associated posted documents. However, the integrity of each and every application is our number one priority, so we must be as thorough as possible.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-25apr12-en.htm

TAS Interruption - Update (23 April 2012)
ICANN made progress over the weekend in identifying all applicants who may have been affected by the technical issue that caused the TLD application system, or TAS, to be taken offline. We also want to inform all applicants, prior to reopening, whether they have been affected by the glitch, and are still gathering the information we need to do that.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-23apr12-en.htm

IANA Customer Satisfaction Survey
ICANN is conducting a short survey to gather our customers' perspective on the way ICANN provides IANA services. The survey will provide baseline customer satisfaction data that can be measured against in the future and can be found here until 11 May 2012. The results will be summarized and published on the www.iana.org web site by the end of June 2012.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-23apr12-en.htm

ICANN Nominating Committee Candidate Recruitment Period Has Ended
The 2012 Nominating Committee application period closed on Monday, 16 April 2012 at 23:59 UTC.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-24apr12-en.htm

ICANN Set To Announce New CEO
ICANN are rumoured to have agreed on a new CEO and are set to make an announcement, possibly next week, of the successful appointee.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17542
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/23/icann-set-to-announce-new-ceo/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/icann-set-to-announce-new-ceo.html

Thursday is deadline to comment on VeriSign .com renewal
Thursday, April 26 is the last day to comment to ICANN about its proposed contract renewal with VeriSign.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/23/verisign-contract-extension-comment/

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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.AT Joins DNSSEC Club, But Registrars And Registrants Show Little Enthusiasm
Austria (.AT) has joined a club that has members from .AM (Armenia) to .UK (United Kingdom) and beyond, but whose biggest member could be .CZ (Czech Republic), according to the latest .at report.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17540
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/23/at-joins-dnssec-club/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/at-joins-dnssec-club-but-registrars-and-registrants-show-little-enthusiasm.html

auDA Foundation offering grants for Internet research and education projects
The auDA Foundation - a charitable trust set up in 2005 by .au Domain Administration (auDA) to encourage educational and research activities that will enhance the utility of the Internet - is offering grants of up to $25,000 in its 2012 funding round.
http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/development/54255-auda-foundation-offering-grants-for-internet-research-and-education-projects

us: Neustar?s .us marketing: Cash mobs
Earlier this month I wrote about how .us registry Neustar was starting to market .us domains with its ?Kickstart America? campaign.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/25/nuestars-us-marketing-cash-mob/

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 - NEW TLDS
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Alexa Raad Talks: How New TLDs Can Better Engage Customers
In the second of our series of articles on new TLDs resulting from interviews with leading industry players, we talk to Alexa Raad, CEO of Architelos, a TLD consulting and managed registry services company.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17541
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/23/alexa-raad-talks-tlds/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/alexa-raad-talks-how-new-tlds-can-better-engage-customers.html

Google's support of generic TLDs is a 'PR dream' for ICANN
... Protection aside, the other benefits are less clear because right now no-one knows how consumers will react to the new gTLDs. For them to truly take off, ICANN will be hoping that it can unveil a whose who list of internet super brands, leaders in creative thought that will inspire people to deviate away from .com and embrace the new domain names. And that is why Google's announcement this month that it has applied for several of the gTLDs was a PR dream come true for ICANN.
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-04/25/google-to-the-rescue

TAS down for at least another week
The TLD Application System will be offline for another week, possibly more, as ICANN struggles to deal with the fallout from its embarrassing data leakage bug.
http://domainincite.com/tas-down-for-at-least-another-week/

ICANN Makes Progress With TAS, But Still No Date For Reopening
In the latest statement by Akram Atallah, ICANN's COO, the organisation says they have made progress over the weekend just gone in identifying all applicants who may have been affected by the technical issue that caused the TLD application system, or TAS, to be taken offline.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17547

Icann Delaying Web-Domain Project as ?Glitch? Persists
The Internet?s address-system manager will indefinitely delay announcing which companies applied for new Web suffixes as it diagnoses a breakdown that?s kept its application system offline since April 12.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-23/icann-delaying-web-domain-project-as-glitch-persists.html

Will ICANN?s New gTLD Application System Downtime Affect Web Hosts?
In an statement on Monday, ICANN chief operating officer Akram Atallah said that while it continues to investigate the technical glitch that forced it to take the new gTLD application system offline two weeks ago, it is making progress.
http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/will-icanns-new-gtld-application-system-downtime-effect-web-hosts

au: Local firms frustrated at domain delay
Australian firms are expressing concern over data breaches and delays at the international body responsible for the creation of expensive new online real estate.
http://afr.com/p/technology/local_firms_frustrated_at_domain_DzGrS5TSzpqK9tYQuYBaNI

Africa Infrastructure Growth Supporting ccTLDs and New gTLD Growth by Mohamed EL Bashir
This month, France Telecom's Lower Indian Ocean Network 2 "LION2" fiber optic cable has been put in service, bringing the total number of cables in East Africa to four. In South Africa it is expecting West Africa Cable System to go live next month. This huge growth in fiber optic cables connecting Africa means that bandwidth costs can go further down but there are many questions for internet service providers, regulators and policy makers.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120425_africa_infrastructure_growth_supporting_cctlds_and_new_gtld_growth/

ANA Calls for Independent Investigation of ICANN System Vulnerability
The Association of National Advertisers today called on ICANN to engage an independent third-party IT expert or experts to conduct a comprehensive investigation of its recent system vulnerability. In a letter to Rod Beckstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN, ANA President and CEO Bob Liodice outlined the need for immediate answers regarding this serious problem.
http://www.ana.net/content/show/id/23353

ANA demands TAS bug probe
Never one to miss the chance for a bit of trouble-making, the Association of National Advertisers has demanded a full independent probe into ICANN?s TLD Application System bug.
http://domainincite.com/ana-demands-tas-bug-probe/

Groundhog Day As ANA Criticises ICANN TLD Programme... Again
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has certainly got its knickers in a knot over TLDs. After more than five years with barely a peep, apart from one instance when they submitted comments that they forgot about and had to be reminded by ICANN they had actually commented, they have again stamped their feed and complained to ICANN.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17567
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/26/groundhog-day-ana-criticises-icann/

Marketers Urge Feds To Pressure ICANN About Domain Names
Stepping up its criticism of a planned domain-name expansion, marketers are asking the U.S. Department of Commerce to seek an independent probe of a recent security breach at ICANN.
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/173277/marketers-urge-feds-to-pressure-icann-about-domain.html

IRB applies for .Rugby top level domain name
The International Rugby Board has announced that it is applying to ICANN to acquire the .RUGBY gTLD.
http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/mediazone/pressrelease/newsid=2061834.html

Rugby board tries for .rugby with TLDH
The International Rugby Board has applied to ICANN for the gTLD .rugby with Top Level Domain Holdings, the IRB announced today.
http://domainincite.com/rugby-board-tries-for-rugby-with-tldh/

Applications open for .OM and ???? in Muscat
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) yesterday announced the opening of the application process for companies and organisations that may be interested in becoming accredited registrars for the TLDs (.om) and (????) .
http://timesofoman.com/innercat.asp?detail=3755

New Domain Names Will Take Time to Bed In
We will soon see a huge amount of new domain name suffixes populating the world wide web but it is unclear whether or not these will be successful, and one expert believes it will require a change in consumer habits for it to work.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/331832/20120423/icann-gtld-system-will-take-time-succeed.htm

Another .music trademark application and an interesting one for .pay
A California sole proprietor is the latest person to waste money trying to trademark .music.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/23/dot-music-dot-pay/

OpenRegistry behind 20 new gTLD apps
OpenRegistry will provide the back-end technical infrastructure for 20 new gTLD applications filed by 15 clients, according to a report.
http://domainincite.com/openregistry-behind-20-new-gtld-apps/

New TLDs: Disruptive Marketing 21st Century Style by Thom Kennon
Traditionally, TLDs have been almost exclusively marketed by registries through their registrar channel. In a never-ending cycle of driving and sustaining sales, registries often resort to discounting and "promotional pricing." The competition for prime shelf space for a TLD is fierce, with sales and distribution largely controlled by the channel... In this chaotic and cluttered channel, it's not surprising that TLDs have traditionally been less than successful in defining their brand and delivering a unique value story for their product.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120424_new_tlds_disruptive_marketing_21st_century_style/

As .eco applicants squabble, .green may be the big winner
The new TLD application window hasn?t even closed, but possible applicants for .eco have already been fighting for years.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/24/as-eco-applicants-squabb/

Architelos introduces ?Velocity? to help TLDs market in evolving domain name industry
With TLDs about to enter unchartered territory, Architelos today introduced Velocity marketing services to enable existing and new TLD registries to claim control of their marketing and directly address and interact with potential domain name registrants.
http://architelos.com/2012/04/25/architelos-introduces-velocity-to-help-tlds-market-in-evolving-domain-name-industry/

New TLD consultantant: the registrar is not your sole channel
In the past, domain registries generally have looked at their customer at the registrar, e.g. GoDaddy.com. They?ve been careful not to blur the lines as the registrar owns the actual domain registrant relationship, not the registry.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/25/new-tld-channels/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Chinese site loses domain registrar over DDoS threats
Chinese-language political website boxun.com was forced to move off its US host last week, after attracting a ?massive? distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/297981,chinese-site-loses-domain-registrar-over-ddos-threats.aspx

Insecure websites to be named and shamed after checks
Companies that do not do enough to keep their websites secure are to be named and shamed to help improve security.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17827919

FBI warns virus victims face 'internet doomsday'
Hundreds of thousands of computers will simultaneously lose access to the internet on 9 July, unless their owners check for a virus that may have remained hidden for several years, the FBI has warned.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/fbi-warns-virus-victims-face-internet-doomsday-7676060.html

DNS Changer Virus Spells 'Internet Doomsday'
The end is nigh, according to the FBI. "Internet doomsday" will strike us all on 9 July when the domain name service changer virus will disconnect many internet users from the web.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/25/dns-changer-virus-internet-doomsday_n_1451606.html

FBI Steps Up 'Internet Doomsday' Awareness Malware Campaign
FBI and Internet DoomsdayPC users infected with a strain of malware called DNS Changer will face their own personal Internet doomsday in July unless they disinfect their computers, the FBI warns.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/254279/fbi_steps_up_internet_doomsday_awareness_malware_campaign.html

Security Teams Need Better Intel, More Offense
Adversaries go through five steps to prepare and execute an attack, but defenders only react to the last two steps. Time for defenders to add intelligence gathering, counter intel, and even offense to the game, say security experts
http://www.darkreading.com/advanced-threats/167901091/security/vulnerabilities/232900905/security-teams-need-better-intel-more-offense.html

Kroes: Cyberattacks need more than military response
Threats to European information security cannot be dealt with by military or other traditional security methods alone, according to digital agenda commissioner Neelie Kroes.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/security-bulletin-10000166/kroes-cyberattacks-need-more-than-military-response-10025973/

Iranian oil terminal 'offline' after 'malware attack'
Iran has been forced to disconnect key oil facilities after suffering a malware attack on Sunday, say reports.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17811565

Iranian oil ministry hit by cyber-attack
Iran's oil ministry has called a crisis meeting after its main website and internal communications system were hit by an apparent cyber-attack that forced authorities to cut off the country's oil export terminal from the internet.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/23/iranian-oil-ministry-cyber-attack

Cyber-Attack Targets Iran Oil, But Exports Normal-Officials
Iranian authorities are investigating alleged cyber-attacks against Iran's oil ministry and possibly against the key export hub, though oil shipments haven't been affected, Iranian oil officials said Monday.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120423-711889.html

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Cybersquatting in Australia ? Assistance for gaming operators in recovery of domain names
Global companies, including gambling operators, often come across cybersquatters who attempt to "free ride" on their brand and register domain names which suggest wrongly an association with that brand.
http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/173776/

Domain name row fuels beastly tensions
MEAT and Livestock Australia has come under fire from Animals Australia for purchasing web domain names it says are linked to the animal welfare organisation.
http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/media-marketing/domain-name-row-fuels-beastly-tensions/story-e6frg2rc-1226338045250

Paris still running away from reverse domain hijacking claim
The city of Paris ? officially Ville de Paris ? apparently likes to lob attacks and then run away when it has to defend itself.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/23/paris-still-running-away-from-domain-lawsuit/

au: We Buy Any Car Limited v. Highway Auto Mart and Jason Collings - Case No. DAU2012-0004
1. The Parties: The Complainant is We Buy Any Car Limited of Lancashire, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by Harrison Goddard Foote, United Kingdom. The Respondents are Highway Auto Mart of Queensland, Australia (?Respondent A?) and Jason Collings of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (?Respondent B?), both represented by Anisimoff Legal, Australia. (Collectively, the ?Respondents?). 2. The Domain Names and Registrars: The disputed domain name <webuyanycar.com.au> (?Disputed Domain Name A?) is registered with Crazy Domains Pty Ltd, and the disputed domain name <webuyanycar.net.au> (?Disputed Domain Name B?) is registered with Melbourne IT Ltd. ... 7. Decision: For the foregoing reasons, the Complaint is denied.
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DAU2012-0004

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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IPv6 a major battle for years to come: APNIC
The transition to internet protocol version 6 will remain a major battle for network providers in the next five years, according to the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre's chief scientist, Geoff Huston.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/298396,ipv6-a-major-battle-for-years-to-come-apnic.aspx

nz: Exporters may need to migrate to IPv6 to keep trading: Taskforce
IPv6 taskforce member and former REANNZ CEO Donald Clark says the majority of countries that New Zealand trades with are looking at compulsory adoption of the next-generation Internet Protocol.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/exporters-may-need-to-migrate-to-ipv6-to-keep-trading-taskforce

IPv6: It?s the end of the Internet as you know it, and I feel fine
Summary: On June 6, many major Web sites and Internet providers will start supporting IPv6 full time. But, worry not, the IPv4 Internet you?ve used for years will still be fine.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/networking/ipv6-its-the-end-of-the-internet-as-you-know-it-and-i-feel-fine/2283

Apple's IPv6 misstep is a sign of the times
Apple's controversial decision not to support IPv6 on Version 6.0 of AirPort Utility is the latest example of a broader problem plaguing the next-gen Internet Protocol: Many network vendors are lacking the same level of features and performance in products that support IPv6 as those that support IPv4, the original Internet Protocol.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/042412-apple-ipv6-258577.html
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226528/Apple_s_IPv6_misstep_is_a_sign_of_the_times

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Was It a Mistake to Pay Lots of Money for a Clean Domain Name?
In a just-published case study, we recount a complicated decision facing the Newark Nut Company, a family-owned retailer based in Cranford, N.J. ... In October 2011, Mr. Braverman paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for Nuts.com. His tech team cleaned out extraneous and duplicate pages and set up 301 redirects to send NutsOnline.com visitors to the corresponding pages on Nuts.com. Then on Jan. 6, he reopened his company on the new site. But despite his high hopes and careful planning, the site?s traffic took a dive.
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/was-it-a-mistake-to-pay-lots-of-money-for-a-clean-domain-name/

.nxt newsletter: With delay comes opportunity
As you are probably aware, ICANN has delayed the closing of applications for new Internet extensions and so the release of information on who has applied for what.
http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=1811915b93740665fec761e71&id=25c1180f9e

Are domain names mostly irrelevant?
19-year-old Henry Cooke, who blogs for Stuff.co.nz, says they are. At least generic ones like Sport.com
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/24/are-domain-names-mostly-irrelevant/

ZoneEdit offline for five days
The Dotster-owned DNS service provider ZoneEdit this morning returned from an unexplained five-day outage that has left many users extremely miffed.
http://domainincite.com/zoneedit-offline-for-five-days/

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Number of Domain Sales Transactions Reported in 1Q-2012 Rises 15% From Previous Quarter But Total Dollar Volume Dips Slightly
We saw a lot of blog posts in the opening quarter of 2012 indicating that people felt domain aftermarket sales were on the upswing after being sluggish during a long recession in the general economy. So, we were curious to see what the actual numbers would show when we finished crunching the sales data we collected over the first three months of the new year.
http://www.dnjournal.com/newsletters/2012/april.htm

Reported Domain Sales in 2011 Slide Vs. 2010 - Mostly Due to Impact of Sex.com
We've just finished crunching the numbers for the 16,731 domain sales reported to us in 2011 (5% more transactions than were reported to us in 2010), including the numbers for the final quarter of 2011. With that information in hand, we can now share 2011 full year and 4th quarter sales comparisons with you so you can see how the market fared in the year just past versus the previous one (2010).
http://www.dnjournal.com/newsletters/2012/january.htm

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INTERNET USE
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Bing Versus Google: Search Engine Showdown - We pit Google and Bing against each other in a quest to determine which one is better.
Bing versus Google: It's the modern-day version of Coke versus Pepsi. For many people, the two search engines are indistinguishable. Both search the Web and deliver images, news, and product information in easy-to-read formats. But which one is better--and can you be sure? ... Who Really Won? Which search engine is better, Google or Bing? Neither. And both. While neither site ran away with our tests, neither failed miserably. So why, then, is Google so dominant in the marketplace? It might simply be a matter of habit: Google established its place atop the search engine charts years before Bing debuted, and many people continue to use it simply because they always have. They turn to Google just as they reach for Coke on the store shelves.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/254405-5/bing_versus_google_search_engine_showdown.html

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Facebook tops 900 million users
Facebook surpassed 900 million active users last month, according to a regulatory filing, helping the social network post more than $1 billion in sales in the first quarter.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/23/technology/facebook-q1/index.htm

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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"The hidden side of your soul": How the FBI uses the Web as a child porn honeypot
The e-mail arrived in James Charles Cafferty's inbox on July 14, 2011. Unlike most unsolicited e-mail on the Internet, the message did not pitch mortgages, get rich quick scams, or penis pills. Instead, it provided a link to an under-the-radar child pornography website and the password needed to access it. Cafferty, a diplomatic security officer working for the US government at its London embassy, waited for three days, then clicked on the link. This is what he saw:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/04/the-hidden-side-of-your-soul-how-the-fbi-uses-the-web-as-a-child-porn-honeypot.ars

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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au: iiNet case provokes opposing solutions
The landmark decision by the High Court on Friday in favour of internet service provider iiNet, regarding rampant online file sharing, has industry experts split over whether copyright laws should be reformed and how urgently change is needed.
http://www.afr.com/p/technology/iinet_case_provokes_opposing_solutions_7p3lWxf2Ty7kbGI0vZH9EI

au: Canberra called on for piracy solution after regulatory deadlock
Copyright holders and internet companies are headed for a regulatory deadlock after the High Court last week cleared internet service providers of liability for peer-to-peer online movie piracy.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/canberra-called-on-for-piracy-solution-after-regulatory-deadlock/story-e6frgakx-1226336561305

Information stored under data retention laws can be disclosed to copyright holders to identify illegal file-sharers, ECJ rules
EU laws on the retention of communications data do not prevent internet service providers (ISPs) disclosing information to copyright holders that could enable those rights holders to identify illegal file-sharers, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.
http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/april/information-stored-under-data-retention-laws-can-be-disclosed-to-copyright-holders-to-identify-illegal-file-sharers-ecj-rules/

China Takes Tougher Stance on Online Pirated Content [IDG]
China's Internet firms will need to better screen their websites for unlicensed digital works or be held responsible for infringement, according to a proposed judicial interpretation from the country's supreme court.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/254256/china_takes_tougher_stance_on_online_pirated_content.html
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/042312-china-takes-tougher-stance-on-258546.html

nz: Mobile commerce on the rise
Mobile commerce in New Zealand is a "huge opportunity" and is likely to create a shift that would see decreasing foot traffic at bank branches.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/6799151/Mobile-commerce-on-the-rise

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Mobile phones: 'Still no evidence of harm to health'
There is still no evidence mobile phones harm human health, says a major safety review for the UK's Health Protection Agency (HPA).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17843953

Nokia and HTC win European patent ruling against Ipcom
The European Patent Office has revoked a patent which threatened to halt sales of HTC and Nokia phones in Germany.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17847481

Nokia, HTC win European patent ruling
Finland's Nokia and Taiwan's HTC won a key European ruling that a patent of German firm IPCom, which was threatening sales of their phones in Germany, was invalid in its current form.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/04/25/nokia-ipcom-idINDEE83O0E320120425

Nokia, HTC win key European ruling against IPCom
Nokia and HTC had a rare bit of good news to celebrate today.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57420961-94/nokia-htc-win-key-european-ruling-against-ipcom/

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SPAM
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India overtakes U.S. as the world's top email spam source [IDG]
The volume of email spam that originated from India during the first three months of 2012 exceeded the volume coming from the U.S. and transformed the Asian country into the world's top spam source, security firm Sophos said on Monday.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/422531/india_overtakes_u_world_top_email_spam_source/
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226506/India_overtakes_U.S._as_top_email_spam_source

The Top 9 Spam-Sending Countries: See Where All That Junk Is Coming From
Receiving spam is never fun. Not only does it clog email inboxes, but it's also an easy way for cybercriminals to plant malware on your computer or trick you into handing over some of your private data.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/top-spam-sending-countries_n_1446187.html

India Takes Spamming Crown from the US - Malicious spam and phishing increases, while overall volumes dip [news release]
Sophos has published the latest 'Dirty Dozen' of spam relaying countries, covering the first quarter of 2012. In the space of a year, India has overtaken the United States to become the top global contributor of junk messages, responsible for relaying one in ten spam emails.
http://www.sophos.com/en-us/press-office/press-releases/2012/04/india-takes-spamming-crown-from-the-us.aspx

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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Russian-speaking cybercriminals earned $4.5 billion in 2011, researchers estimate [IDG]
Russian-speaking hackers earned an estimated US$4.5 billion globally using various online criminal tactics and are thus responsible for 36 percent of the estimated total of $12.5 billion earned globally by cybercriminals in 2011, Russian security analyst firm Group-IB said in a report published on Tuesday.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/254363/russiaspeaking_cybercriminals_earned_45_billion_in_2011_researchers_estimate.html

Cybercrime and the problem of online identity verification
Identity is currently a hot topic in the IT security field, and the ability to accurately identify the persons accessing systems and networks is a key component in apprehending and prosecuting cybercriminals.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/cybercrime-and-the-problem-of-online-identity-verification-62304585.htm

au: Google seeks High Court appeal
Google is seeking leave to appeal the full Federal Court ruling that the search giant had misled users through search results served from its AdWords advertising program.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/google-seeks-high-court-appeal-339336684.htm

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SECURITY
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Insecure websites to be named and shamed after checks
Companies that do not do enough to keep their websites secure are to be named and shamed to help improve security.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17827919