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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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New Year, New ICANN?
<http://www.gtldstrategy.com/policy-updates/new-year-new-icann>

Why I'm No Longer So Worried About ICANN by St?phane Van Gelder
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130131_why_im_no_longer_so_worried_about_icann/>

How to solve the Whois problem? by St?phane Van Gelder, Registry Relations and Strategy Director for NetNames
<http://www.netnames.com/blog/2013/01/how-to-solve-the-whois-problem/>

au: Information about drop.com.au
<http://www.auda.org.au/reviews/dropcomau-28012013/>

Policy Reviews Underway For .AU and .US
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/01/policy-reviews-au-us/>

au: News in brief: Thursday January 31
<http://www.bandt.com.au/news/marketing/news-in-brief-thursday-january-31>

au: WeAreDigital picks up three new clients
<http://mumbrella.com.au/wearedigital-picks-up-three-new-clients-136616>

gTLDs will be the ?Moneyball? Game Changer of the Internet in 2013
<http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2013/02/01/gtlds-will-be-the-?moneyball?-game-changer-of-the-internet-in-2013>

What brands need to do to ensure that consumers .care
<http://www.prweekus.com/what-brands-need-to-do-to-ensure-that-consumers-care/article/277772/>

The Biggest gTLD Problem Has Just Appeared on the Horizon by Kieren McCarthy
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130131_biggest_gtld_problem_has_just_appeared_on_the_horizon/>

IFFOR Expands Services To New gTLDs; Appoints Kieren McCarthy as ED
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/01/iffor-expands-mccarthy-ed/>

313 Domains Linked To NFL Counterfeit Merchandise Seized By US Authorities
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/01/313-domains-seized-by-us/>


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GOVERNANCE
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ITU: Internet policy still on agenda [IDG]
Public policy formulation in all domains, including the Internet, is the sovereign right of member states, said ITU Secretary General Hamadoun Toure on Wednesday, suggesting that a debate over control of the Internet is far from over at the telecommunications body.
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236394/ITU_Internet_policy_still_on_agenda>
<http://www.cio.com/article/728000/ITU_Internet_Policy_Still_on_its_Agenda>
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452435/itu_internet_policy_still_its_agenda/>

Securing the Cyber and Space Commons: Is There Space for the UN? Trends in Outer Space and Cyberspace Regime Evolution by Larry Martinez for European Space Policy Institute
Once the preserve of powerful governments and technologically sophisticated companies, the space and cyber commons are now being accessed by an increasingly diverse array of state and non-state actors. In the following article, Larry Flynn argues that the United Nations appears to be failing in its attempts to develop effective controls for the management of these commons. Instead, leading scientific and technological powers are attempting to manage space and cyber-space through ad-hoc agreements that fall outside of conventional UN mechanisms.
<http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Articles/Special-Feature/Detail/?lng=en&id=157992&tabid=1453469958&contextid774=157992&contextid775=157944>

Let?s keep this dead horse alive, so we can beat it some more by Milton Mueller
In the wake of the ITU?s WCIT in Dubai, we now have a campaign to de-fund the ITU. What?s more, two House subcommittees will be holding a joint hearing to examine ?international efforts to regulate the Internet? February 5. There are legitimate reasons to discuss both future ITU funding and international Internet governance, but it looks as if these two initiatives won?t be constructive.
<http://www.internetgovernance.org/2013/01/28/lets-keep-this-dead-horse-alive-so-we-can-beat-it-some-more/>

Why It Matters: The Internet Governance Forum
Who should control the Internet? That's the question that gets discussed every year at the IGF, a UN initiative created in 2005. The IGF brings together all of the key parties with a stake in the Internet governance debate ? from governments, the private sector and civil society.
<http://www.ifex.org/international/2013/02/01/igf/>

us: House Hearing Takes a Stand for Internet Freedom
Earlier this week, three House subcommittees announced a joint hearing on February 5 to discuss the importance of keeping the Internet free from U.N. governance, which threatens U.S. economic interests and global Internet freedom.
<http://blog.heritage.org/2013/02/01/house-hearing-takes-a-stand-for-internet-freedom/>

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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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Policy vs. Implementation
Purpose (Brief): In order to encourage feedback on the ICANN Staff Paper Policy vs. Implementation ? Draft Framework for Discussion, a public comment forum has now been opened.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/public-comment/policy-implementation-31jan13-en.htm

Robin Gross, Chair, NCSG, to ICANN Board and Steve Crocker
Consumer Metrics Advice Letter - NCSG Concerns on "Trust"
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/gross-to-icann-board-crocker-30jan13-en>

Webinar: Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) Variant: Examining the User Experience Implication of the Active Variant TLDs
Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) serve as powerful tools for broadening the Internet's capacity and accessibility; however, they also raise novel issues. One important issue concerns "variants" which occur when a single character can be identified with two or more different Unicode Code Points with graphic representations that may or may not be visually similar. IDN variants contain one or more such characters and therefore, if not handled correctly, might result in user confusion or a poor user experience.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-01feb13-en.htm>

Jonathan R. Spencer, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Verisign, to Fadi Chehad?
Fee changes for .NAME
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/spencer-to-chehade-31jan13-en>

Christine Willett, VP, gTLD Operations, ICANN, to BIO
Re: Opposition to the Application for the gTLD Name Extension ".bio"
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/willet-to-bio-31jan13-en>

New Year, New ICANN?
The ICANN staff has had a very busy month, jetting around the globe to meet with various stakeholders, constituencies and other groups. These meetings not only bridge the long gap between the most recent Public Meeting in Toronto, which took place back in October, and the next Public Meeting in Beijing, which will be held in April, but they come at a fairly crucial time in the new gTLD process.
<http://www.gtldstrategy.com/policy-updates/new-year-new-icann>

Why I'm No Longer So Worried About ICANN by St?phane Van Gelder
"No, the new gTLD program isn't ready!" ... "Yes, I was wrong on the Trademark Clearinghouse!" Fadi Chehad? showed some strong leadership qualities during last week's ICANN regional registry and registrar meeting in Amsterdam. Honesty and courage... What started out as a speech soon turned into a heart to heart. As he responded to questions, Chehad? made some surprisingly honest comments.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130131_why_im_no_longer_so_worried_about_icann/>

How to solve the Whois problem? by St?phane Van Gelder, Registry Relations and Strategy Director for NetNames
At last week?s regional ICANN meeting in Amsterdam I was invited to speak on a panel entitled ?Whois and Privacy Issues?. As a leading domain name registrar, NetNames is constantly struggling with Whois-related issues simply because our customers are too.
<http://www.netnames.com/blog/2013/01/how-to-solve-the-whois-problem/>

If ICANN and WIPO can?t comply with WHOIS, who can?
Since the meltdown of Registerfly.com several years ago, ICANN has continued to promise to better police compliance with the registrar accreditation agreement (RAA), including the WHOIS provisions of the RAA.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/02/01/if-icann-and-wipo-cant-comply-with-whois-who-can/>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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Getting with the .PROGRAM
With all the attention and fervor surrounding the gTLDs that are poised to launch as part of the New gTLD Program, it?s easy to forget that other new TLDs have launched over the past year or so. These include .SX and .CW, the country code extensions for Sint Maarten and Curacao, and .POST, the recently delegated TLD sponsored by the Universal Postal Union.
<http://www.gtldstrategy.com/ongoing-strategies/getting-with-the-program>

25 years of .at ? milestones
1988: In January 1988 the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA) ? at that time the body responsible for assigning country names in the internet ? registers the .at TLD, laying the foundation stone for the Austrian internet success story. Austria has been represented on the internet by the .at country extension ever since.
<http://www.nic.at/en/uebernic/current_issues/nicat_news/news_view/article/81/25-jahre-at-meilensteine-der-at-zone/>

au: Information about drop.com.au
On Friday 25 January, accredited registrar Drop.com.au notified auDA and AusRegistry that certain proprietary data files on its servers were accessed without authorization. In accordance with auDA security policies and procedures, the Drop.com.au connections to the registry were immediately suspended pending further investigation.
<http://www.auda.org.au/reviews/dropcomau-28012013/>

Policy Reviews Underway For .AU and .US
Reviews are underway for both .au, to review dispute resolution policy, and .us, for the policies and requirements for the contract renewal that is due to take place later in 2013.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/01/policy-reviews-au-us/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/policy-reviews-underway-for-au-and-us.html>

au: News in brief: Thursday January 31
WeAreDigital has bagged three new clients in Mont Adventure Equipment, auDA and ARL. The agency is tasked with working on a new website for Mont, overhauling auDA?s (Australia?s industry self-regulatory body for the ?.au? domain space) digital presence, and rolling out several e-commerce sites for the Associated Retailers Limited (ARL) group.
<http://www.bandt.com.au/news/marketing/news-in-brief-thursday-january-31>

au: WeAreDigital picks up three new clients
Sydney-based digital agency WeAreDigital is reporting a number of new business wins - Mont Adventure Equipment, auDA and Associated Retailers Limited.
<http://mumbrella.com.au/wearedigital-picks-up-three-new-clients-136616>

DNS.be takes action against amplification attack
Between Sunday 27 January 2013, around midnight, and Tuesday 29 January 2013, around 5:00, our .be name servers received strikingly more queries than normal. In case this amount would become too high, this could possibly result in for instance a slower access to .be websites. But the stable DNS.be infrastructure makes sure the end user does not experience any noticeable delay.
<http://dns.be/en/dnsbe-takes-action-against-amplification-attack>

cn: What's in a name? The sweet smell of profit if it's an Internet domain
An increasing number of Chinese people are realizing the value of Internet domain names. Those who manage to buy good names can make a lot of money. By the end of 2012, China had 13.4 million domain names registered in the country, a 73.1 percent year-on-year increase, according to China Internet Network Information Center.
<http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-02/04/content_16197245.htm>

.CO and Go Daddy Launch Social Campaign to Enhance 2013 Supre Bowl Ad
For the third year in a row, .CO has teamed up with Go Daddy, the world?s leading Web hosting and domain name provider, to create a Super Bowl commercial intended to inspire people to launch their big ideas with a .CO domain from Go Daddy. The 30-second Super Bowl spot, called YourBigIdea.CO, was officially released Friday, January 25th, and is scheduled to air in the first half of the big game, in slot 7B.
<http://www.cointernet.co/media/press-releases/co-and-go-daddy-launch-social-campaign-enhance-2013-super-bowl-ad>

Check your .ee domains in registrant?s portal
Estonian Internet Foundation launched a new registrant?s information portal where you as a registrant of a .ee domain can obtain a convenient overview of all domains associated with you, irrespective of the registrars chosen to register them.
<http://www.internet.ee/en/news/check-your-ee-domains-in-registrants-portal/>

fr: Entrepreneurs, choose the domain name that suits you best, with Afnic
At the French Trade Fair for Entrepreneurs in Paris on 6 and 7 February, Afnic is hosting a workshop especially for you. Would you like to start up and expand your business? Are you attending the Trade Fair for Entrepreneurs in Paris? Come and see Afnic!
<http://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/6644/show/entrepreneurs-choose-the-domain-name-that-suits-you-best-with-afnic.html>

2012 ?Top 10 .hk Website Competition? - Vote for the best websites for a chance to win iPad mini and other exciting prizes
Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) announced the commencement of public voting for the 2012 ?Top 10 .hk Website Competition?, which lasts until 22nd February 2013. The shortlisted websites are now posted on the Competition website for public voting. Voters will have an opportunity to win an iPad mini or other exciting prizes!
<https://www2.hkirc.hk/company_info/pressrelease.jsp?item=464>

Accredited Registrar license of Iraqi Domain (IQ) Granted
CMC will hold at its headquarters on Sunday 27/1/2013 a meeting on CMC's granting the license of accredited registrar for Iraqi domain name (. Iq), and will invite each telecom companies, hosting companies, and IT companies registrar in Iraq to attend this meeting.
<http://www.cmc.iq/en/morenews/index460.html>

Quick Way Out Of a Relationship - Give A Domain To Your Valentine. .ME Doesn't Think So!
I don?t know about you, but I reckon if I turned up on Valentine?s Day with a domain name as a gift for a beloved, I would get short shrift and be shown the door! But the .ME Registry thinks otherwise and is trying to entice people to give their loved one ?personalised gift cards for the purchase of .ME domain names.?
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/04/domain-to-your-valentine/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/quick-way-out-of-a-relationship-give-a-domain-to-your-valentine-me-doesnt-think-so.html>

Think Outside the Box (of Chocolates) & Give Your Valentine the Gift of .ME!
The .ME Registry, operator of the .ME domain extension, is offering the perfect present for Valentine?s Day ? personalized gift cards for the purchase of .ME domain names. Additionally, the registry will host a three-day, ?cheesy? Valentine Twitter contest. Ten participants will win a free .ME domain and the opportunity to be featured on the .ME blog.
<http://www.domain.me/think-outside-the-box-of-chocolates-give-your-valentine-the-gift-of-me>

Karim Jiwani leaves RegistryPro to pursue new industry opportunities
Today, Afilias Limited announces the resignation of Karim Jiwani, who formerly ran RegistryPro, the .PRO registry and Afilias subsidiary. Under his tenure, the .PRO business doubled, and the registry system was successfully migrated to Afilias? world-class technical platform. Mr. Jiwani plans to pursue other opportunities in the expanding domain industry.
<http://registrypro.pro/blogs/afilias/karim-jiwani-leaves-registrypro-pursue-new-industry-opportunities>

Jiwani quits as president of RegistryPro
Karim Jiwani, president of Afilias unit RegistryPro, has quit to explore new opportunities in the domain name business.
<http://domainincite.com/11765-jiwani-quits-as-president-of-registrypro>

Karim Jiwani Leaves RegistryPro For New Industry Opportunities
Afilias Limited this week announced the resignation of Karim Jiwani, who formerly ran RegistryPro, the .PRO registry and Afilias subsidiary. In an announcement on their website, RegistryPro said that under Jiwani?s tenure, the .PRO business doubled, and the registry system was successfully migrated to Afilias? world-class technical platform.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/03/jiwani-leaves-registrypro/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/karim-jiwani-leaves-registrypro-for-new-industry-opportunities.html>

The first anniversary of the Cyrillic .??? domain
The registration of Cyrillic Internet .??? domain names started on 27 January 2012, resulting in more than 6,800 domain names of this type that have been registered in the course of one year. Since there are currently over 77,000 .RS domain names, the above number shows that the .??? domain managed to reach almost 10% of what its "older brother" had achieved. Considering the insufficient use of the Cyrillic alphabet in our society, this represents quite a satisfactory result.
<http://rnids.rs/en/what-s-new/the-first-anniversary-of-the-cyrillic-???-domain/id/4059>

ccTLD for the United States; Policies and Requirements; Comments Request
NTIA administers the contract for the ccTLD for the United States, ??.us?? (usTLD). The current contract expires on August 31, 2013. Given the expiration date of this contract, NTIA is seeking input from interested parties on the policies and requirements that should govern the usTLD. NTIA will utilize the comments received in response to this Notice in the procurement process leading to the award of a new usTLD contract.
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/federal-register-notice/2013/country-code-top-level-domain-cctld-united-states-policies-and-requirem>

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 - NEW TLDS
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gTLDs will be the ?Moneyball? Game Changer of the Internet in 2013
The next paradigm shift in the Internet is coming in 2013. Are you ready for it? Largely under the radar of even savvy marketers, the biggest transformation in digital since the Internet began is underway and will soon start to impact how consumers search and navigate the Internet.
<http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2013/02/01/gtlds-will-be-the-?moneyball?-game-changer-of-the-internet-in-2013>

What brands need to do to ensure that consumers .care
After investing substantial sums to incorporate brand names in gTLDs marketers could finally debut their new digital assets as early as this summer.
<http://www.prweekus.com/what-brands-need-to-do-to-ensure-that-consumers-care/article/277772/>

Win a New gTLD Objection, Get Your Money Back (Some Restrictions Apply)
The most popular process for resolving domain name disputes, the UDRP, operates like much of the U.S. legal system: Even if you win, you still have to pay for your own legal fees and expenses. But the formal objection process applicable to the new gTLDs operates on a very different system, where the prevailing party will be able to recover a substantial portion of its expenses.
<http://isenbergondomains.com/2013/01/29/win-a-new-gtld-objection-get-your-money-back-some-restrictions-apply/>

Most Users Don?t Know What New gTLDs Are ? Do You?
At the beginning of December, a company named FairWinds released a white paper report, the results of which indicated that 74% of the Internet users they surveyed have no clue what new gTLDs (nTLDs) are, didn?t know they?ll be released in the near future, and thought the application process was incredibly confusing. The results aren?t much of a surprise to us -- we're in the business of domains, so we know while there's a lot of information to keep up with, there's not a lot of media frenzy outside of tech mags.
<http://www.name.com/blog/ntlds/2013/01/most-users-dont-know-what-new-gtlds-are-do-you/>

The Biggest gTLD Problem Has Just Appeared on the Horizon by Kieren McCarthy
A letter sent earlier this month by the ICANN Board to the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) should cause every new gTLD applicant's ears to prick up. Having been through every one of the applications for 1,396 different Internet extensions, the world's governments not only issued formal warnings for 199 of them, but also asked what mechanisms were in place to make sure that people did what they said they would in their applications.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130131_biggest_gtld_problem_has_just_appeared_on_the_horizon/>

IFFOR Expands Services To New gTLDs; Appoints Kieren McCarthy as ED
The International Foundation for Online Responsibility (IFFOR) is expanding its services to assist applicants for new gTLDs to develop policies that maximise their benefit to global internet users, domain holders and domain registry operators.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/01/iffor-expands-mccarthy-ed/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/iffor-expands-services-to-new-gtlds-appoints-kieren-mccarthy-as-ed.html>

IFFOR Taps Kieren McCarthy as New Executive Director
IFFOR, the nonprofit organization tasked with making policy for the .XXX TLD and now gTLDs, made several key front-office moves this week.
<http://newswire.xbiz.com/view.php?id=159027>

IFFOR targets new gTLDs with policy service
The International Foundation For Online Responsibility, which sets policy for .xxx, wants to broaden its scope and is to launch a ?Policy Engine? service for new gTLD registries.
<http://domainincite.com/11762-iffor-targets-new-gtlds-with-policy-service>

Kieren McCarthy to become Executive Director of IFFOR
Former ICANN General Manager of Public Participation Kieren McCarthy will become Executive Director of IFFOR this April.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/01/31/kieren-mccarthy-to-become-executive-director-of-iffor/>

IFFOR embraces new gTLD evolution
IFFOR will expand its specialist policy services to applicants of new gTLDs. The move follows a strategic review of the organization after its first full year of operation.
<http://iffor.org/news/new-strategic-direction>

Utilising New gTLDs To Enhance Customer Experiences And Data Mining
With new gTLDs most likely to be launched this year, there are several benefits to business that successfully apply for their own domains. One of those is enhancing their knowledge of the visitors to the website using their gTLD, or as Clickz describe it, "building a robust consumer experience for data mining."
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=19729>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/01/31/new-gtlds-customer-experiences-data-mining/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/utilising-new-gtlds-to-enhance-customer-experiences-and-data-mining.html>

Imminent enforcement deadlines in the new gTLD program
At this juncture, organizations may still have some opportunities to influence which new gTLDs are delegated (top-level enforcement), although the windows for these opportunities are rapidly closing. In addition, as the number of spaces in which to register 2LDs will likely increase exponentially over the next few years, all organizations, whether or not they are otherwise participating in the new gTLD program, will need to determine how to expand their domain name portfolios with defensive registrations and how they will utilize other rights protection mechanisms (RPMs) to protect their brands.
<http://www.steptoe.com/publications-newsletter-713.html>
<http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=5741132c-4e12-490d-9a71-e836aa0e300b>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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War on terabytes: As banking has gone electronic, it has also become vulnerable
In the dusty hills north of Madrid, in low-slung buildings guarded closely like bank vaults of old, are the rows of servers that run the far-flung banking empire of Santander, a big international bank. Ever since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre, banks like Santander have invested billions in safeguarding and duplicating their data centres to protect them from terrorist attacks and natural disasters.
<http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21571152-banking-has-gone-electronic-it-has-also-become-vulnerable-war-terabytes>

Keep it secret, keep it safe: A beginner's guide to Web safety: Understanding encryption is key to protecting yourself on the Web.
My family has been on the Internet since 1998 or so, but I didn't really think much about Internet security at first. Oh sure, I made sure our eMachines desktop (and its 433Mhz Celeron CPU) was always running the latest Internet Explorer version and I tried not to use the same password for everything. But I didn't give much thought to where my Web traffic was going or what path it took from our computer to the Web server and back. I was dimly aware that e-mail, as one of my teachers put it, was in those days "about as private as sticking your head out the window and yelling." And I didn't do much with that knowledge.
<http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/01/keep-it-secret-keep-it-safe-a-beginners-guide-to-web-safety/>

Viruses, Trojans, and worms, oh my: The basics on malware
Some say we're living in a "post-PC" world, but malware on PCs is still a major problem for home computer users and businesses.
<http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/02/viruses-trojans-and-worms-oh-my-the-basics-on-malware/>

Cyberwarfare Now Menacing the Enterprise, Kaspersky Lab Says [IDG]
Enterprise security managers have yet another worry to add to their list: cyberwarfare attacks.
<http://www.cio.com/article/728070/Cyberwarfare_Now_Menacing_the_Enterprise_Kaspersky_Lab_Says>
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236417/Cyberwarfare_now_menacing_the_enterprise_Kaspersky_Lab_says>

Experts Say CEOs Need to Get Handle on Cyberespionage Problem
The long list of high-profile cyberespionage and cybercrime attacks that have surfaced in the last couple of years has led to broad discussions in the security community, government circles and elsewhere about the scope of the problem. Those discussions now are just starting to reach into the boardroom, and security experts say that any CEO who isn't concerned about this problem is living in the past.
<http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/experts-say-ceos-need-get-handle-cyberespionage-problem-013113>

Top U.S. firms open to voluntary cybersecurity rules: Senate
Many Fortune 500 companies support the creation of federal cybersecurity standards to protect them from Internet threats like hacking as long as they are voluntary, according to a Senate survey of top U.S. chief executives released on Wednesday.
<http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/30/us-usa-cybersecurity-congress-idUSBRE90T15S20130130>

Your antivirus software probably won't prevent a cyberattack
During a four-month long cyberattack by Chinese hackers on the New York Times, the company's antivirus software missed 44 of the 45 pieces of malware installed by attackers on the network.
<http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/31/technology/security/antivirus/index.html>

Hackers in China Attacked The Times for Last 4 Months
For the last four months, Chinese hackers have persistently attacked The New York Times, infiltrating its computer systems and getting passwords for its reporters and other employees.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/technology/chinese-hackers-infiltrate-new-york-times-computers.html>

Lessons from the hack attack on The New York Times [CSO]
The New York Times' description of a cyberespionage campaign waged against the news media company by Chinese hackers demonstrates the importance of assuming criminals will eventually break into a computer system, and the best defense is to detect the intrusion as soon as possible.
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026987/lessons-from-the-hack-attack-on-the-new-york-times.html>

Chinese Hackers Hit U.S. Media: Wall Street Journal, New York Times Are Breached in Campaign That Stretches Back Several Years
Chinese hackers believed to have government links have been conducting wide-ranging electronic surveillance of media companies including The Wall Street Journal, apparently to spy on reporters covering China and other issues, people familiar with incidents said.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323926104578276202952260718.html>

Washington Post Also Broadly Infiltrated By Chinese Hackers in 2012
The Washington Post was among several major U.S. newspapers that spent much of 2012 trying to untangle its newsroom computer networks from a Web of malicious software thought to have been planted by Chinese cyberspies, according to a former information technology employee at the paper.
<http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/02/source-washington-post-also-broadly-infiltrated-by-chinese-hackers-in-2012/>

Chinese hackers targeted Washington Post in 2011, newspaper says
The Washington Post has become the latest US news outlet to claim it was the victim of Chinese hackers, saying it was targeted by a "sophisticated cyber-attack" in 2011.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/02/chinese-hackers-targeted-washington-post>

Wall Street Journal Announces That It Was Hacked by the Chinese, Too
One day after The New York Times reported that Chinese hackers had infiltrated its computers and stolen passwords for its employees, The Wall Street Journal announced that it too had been hacked.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/technology/wall-street-journal-reports-attack-by-china-hackers.html>

What the New York Times hack tells us about the layer cake of hacking
The hack of the New York Times, almost certainly by Chinese hackers working for the military and/or Chinese government, provides a number of important lessons about the modern world of hacking.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/31/new-york-times-hacking-china-lessons>

New York Times hacking revelations shed new light on China cybercrime
Revelations that China apparently targeted the New York Times in a campaign of cyber-espionage have cast a rare spotlight on attempts by Beijing to crack down on any criticism of its ruling elite.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jan/31/new-york-times-hacking-china-cybercrime>

China, The New York Times and the Value of Self-Shaming
There aren't many things that count as surprises anymore in the security industry. And the news today that The New York Times was penetrated by a team of Chinese attackers who apparently had access to large amounts of employee emails for several months certainly doesn't fall into that category. It would be news if these attackers weren't targeting The Times and other large media companies. What's interesting and novel is that the company decided to out itself as a victim, signing up for what may be a large dose of public scorn and derisive laughter.
<http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/china-new-york-times-and-value-self-shaming-013113>

Obama to Issue Cybersecurity Executive Order This Month
President Barack Obama is expected to issue a cybersecurity executive order in the days after his Feb. 12 State of the Union address.
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236438/Obama_to_issue_cybersecurity_executive_order_this_month>
<http://www.cio.com/article/728119/Obama_to_Issue_Cybersecurity_Executive_Order_This_Month>

Get to Know the Nation-State Hacker Landscape
Given the recent news about China hacking into the networks of U.S. media companies?and the increasing frequency of warnings from the U.S. government about the risks of a ?cyber 9/11??the world may seem like a confusing landscape of cyber threats. Not all of those threats are the same, however. Nation-state hackers have different goals, and pose different kinds of risks. U.S. companies may be more vulnerable to one kind of attack than another, but they should understand the entire spectrum of threat.
<http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2013/02/03/get-to-know-the-nation-state-hacker-landscape/>

Twitter Says Hackers May Have Stolen User Data in Attack
Twitter Inc., the microblogging service, said it was subjected to unauthorized attempts to hack into its systems and that attackers may have obtained access to information for about 250,000 users.
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-02/twitter-says-attack-may-have-given-hackers-access-to-user-data.html>

Twitter says 250,000 accounts have been hacked in security breach
A quarter of a million Twitter users have had their accounts hacked in the latest in a string of high-profile security breaches at internet firms.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/02/twitter-hacked-accounts-reset-security>

Editorial: We must all take our cyber-security seriously: The tools for safe cyber-living exist. We need to feel they're relevant to us
It has been a fragile week for cyber-security, with system breaches affecting a quarter-of-a-million Twitter accounts coming on the heels of online assaults against both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, apparently by highly sophisticated Chinese hackers.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/03/observer-editorial-cyber-hacking-threat>

Twitter becomes latest hacking victim
A quarter of a million Twitter users have had their accounts hacked in the latest of a string of high-profile internet security breaches.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21304049>

5 years after major DNS flaw is discovered, few US companies have deployed long-term fix
Five years after the disclosure of a serious vulnerability in the Domain Name System dubbed the Kaminsky bug, only a handful of U.S. ISPs, financial institutions or e-commerce companies have deployed DNSSEC to alleviate this threat.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/012913-dnssec-266197.html>

The New Child Pornography Malware
Blackmailing malware has been around for some time of course. A trojan or virus gets into the computer then locks it until a ransom has been paid: as I say, this has been around for some time now. However, there?s a variation of it that is much, much, more dangerous: it actually displays a piece of child pornography while claiming that this is what you?ve been watching and thus you must pay the fine.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/02/01/the-new-child-pornography-malware/>

Report: DDoS attacks now MORE ANGRY, complex and targeted
The days when attackers relied on sheer bandwidth volume alone to knock out websites are over, with miscreants increasingly using application-layer and multi-vector attacks.
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/31/ddos_survey_arbor/>

Estonian pleads guilty in DNS Changer malware scam
Remember the DNS Changer malware that caused a stir in the middle of 2012? It comes down to seven people from Estonia and Russia who were indicted in November 2011 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and computer intrusion, among other offenses.
<http://www.afterdawn.com/news/article.cfm/2013/02/02/estonian_pleads_guilty_in_dns_changer_malware_scam>

RSA, IBM Bet On Big Data Analytics To Boost Security
IBM and EMC's RSA security division are placing a big bet on big data playing an important role in enhancing security.
<http://www.darkreading.com/security-monitoring/167901086/security/storage-security/240147602/rsa-ibm-bet-on-big-data-analytics-to-boost-security.html.html>

UK firm faces questions over how spyware ended up in Bahrain
A British technology firm faces questions about how its specialist surveillance software allowing users to spy on people's emails ended up in Bahrain. Campaigners fear that it was used to help the country's security services crack down on protesters during the Arab spring.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/02/uk-firm-spyware-bahrain>

au: Danger does not compute in cyber war
THE number of serious cyber attacks investigated by Canberra's defence spy agency doubled last year, new figures show, as security experts warn of dangerous complacency in the Australian community about data protection.
<http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/security-it/danger-does-not-compute-in-cyber-war-20130202-2drfy.html>

**********************
 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
**********************
Domain Name and Trade Dispute
Abstract: Today, with the advancement of new technology, every person wants to have access cyber world. To navigate through this vast global collection of inter contennected computer networks (the internet), the domain name system (DNS) was invented. With the globalization and commercialization of the internet, domain names have taken on a new significance as business identifiers. Domain names are now highly visible in real space as well - showing up a television commercials, billboards, magazine ads, and event the side of buses. The value attached to domain names makes it lucrative for cyber criminals to indulge in domain name infringements and the global nature and easier and inexpensive procedure for registering domain names further facilitates domain name infringements. Thus we will discuss about domain name and trade dispute in detail.
<http://ssrn.com/abstract=2209056>

Decisions: Oh Brother!
The National Arbitration Forum (NAF) does not typically have to resolve family feuds, but that is what the body was tasked with when Reed Bousada filed a UDRP complaint against his brother, Jay Bousada, over the domain name Bousada.com.
<http://www.domainnamestrategy.com/2013/01/28/decisions-oh-brother>

Expropiation of the domain name sareb.es
The Sareb (Sociedad de Gesti?n de Activos Procedentes de las Reestructuraci?n Bancaria) - also colloquially known as the ?bad bank? - was created last autumn to absorb the Spanish toxic property assets resulting from the nationalization of the banks. As duly expected, once published the name of the bank, speculators checked the availability of the domain names and registered sareb .es.
<http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=dd858796-c732-44bd-bb5f-65095f472af1>

Herbalife Feud Enters New Domain
The public dispute between hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and business magnate Carl Icahn over allegations made about Herbalife now includes a domain name twist, as reported by Bloomberg.
<http://www.domainnamestrategy.com/2013/02/01/herbalife-feud-enters-new-domain>

**********************
 - IPv4/IPv6
**********************
Should IPv6 Have A Different Name?
A footnote to our earlier discussion on why IPv6 hasn?t been widely adopted: the numbering of the newer version is clearly designed to suggest that it?s an improved successor to IPv4. But is that name actually logical and helpful?
<http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/01/should-ipv6-have-a-different-name/>

New IPv6 Training Video Released
Seeing an uptick in demand for IPv6-trained engineers in Europe, IT video training firm CBT Nuggets is offering a new 21-hour class aimed at teaching the basics of the next-gen Internet protocol.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/013113-new-ipv6-training-video-266297.html>
<http://www.cio.com/article/728038/New_IPv6_Training_Video_Released>
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/452461/new_ipv6_training_video_released/>

SANS: Closeted IPv6 causing ?angst? amongst security pros
Almost two years after ?IPv6 day? in 2011, security professionals cannot confidently manage security threats posed by the replacement to IPv4, according to the SANS Institute's Internet Storm Centre.
<http://www.cso.com.au/article/452507/sans_closeted_ipv6_causing_angst_amongst_security_pros/>

**********************
 - MISCELLANEOUS
**********************
313 Domains Linked To NFL Counterfeit Merchandise Seized By US Authorities
US authorities announced they have seized 313 domain names, arrested 23 individuals and seized more than $13.6 million in fake NFL merchandise during 'Operation Red Zone' which commenced on 1 September 2012.
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=19730>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/01/313-domains-seized-by-us/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/313-domains-linked-to-nfl-counterfeit-merchandise-seized-by-us-authorities.html>

US agencies seize fake NFL gear, websites: 313 websites are accused of selling counterfeit merchandise in advance of Sunday's Super Bowl [IDG]
Three U.S. investigative agencies, working with state and local police departments across the country, have seized more than 300 websites and US$13.6 million worth of counterfeit National Football League sportswear and tickets from online and other sellers, the agencies announced.
<http://www.itworld.com/it-management/339558/us-agencies-seize-fake-nfl-gear-websites>
<http://www.cio.com/article/728053/U.S._Agencies_Seize_Fake_NFL_Gear_Websites>
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236407/U.S._seizes_fake_NFL_gear_websites>

The NFL and Federal Government Team Up to Combat Against Counterfeit Super Bowl Merchandise
When it comes to buying Super Bowl XLVII tickets and merchandise, the NFL has one clear message for fans: Buyer beware. Over the last five months, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and other agencies have teamed with the NFL to conduct ?Operation Red Zone,? an endeavor aimed at removing counterfeit sports team and league merchandise from the marketplace. The operation marks the fifth consecutive year that the federal government has targeted counterfeit merchandise being sold around the Super Bowl.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciajessop/2013/01/31/the-nfl-and-federal-government-team-up-to-combat-against-counterfeit-super-bowl-merchandise/>

ICE, CBP, USPIS seize more than $13.6 million in fake NFL merchandise during 'Operation Red Zone'
Speaking at a National Football League (NFL) news conference Thursday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton and NFL Vice President for Legal Affairs Anastasia Danias announced the record-breaking results of a nationwide enforcement operation. The initiative, dubbed 'Operation Red Zone,' commenced Sept. 1, 2012, and targeted international shipments of counterfeit merchandise as it entered the United States. Authorities targeted warehouses, stores, flea markets, online vendors and street vendors selling counterfeit game-related sportswear and tickets throughout the country.
<http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1301/130131neworleans.htm>

L-Root server copies to strengthen internet infrastructure in Africa
Africa's critical Internet infrastructure has received a boost with the deployment of new copies of the L-root server, which are expected to improve the security and resiliency of the Web in the region.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/internet/3424041/l-root-server-copies-strengthen-internet-infrastructure-in-africa/

APNIC Training has a new home!
APNIC Learning and Development is proud to introduce a new training portal, training.apnic.net, where new and existing APNIC Training participants can access information about all upcoming APNIC Training events.
<http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2013/apnic-training-home>

Registration for ARIN 31 Now Open
Registration is now open for the ARIN 31 Public Policy and Members Meeting, 21-24 April 2013 at the Hilton Barbados Hotel in Bridgetown, Barbados. And it is free for everyone who registers by 19 April ! For more information about ARIN 31.
<https://www.arin.net/announcements/2013/20130130.html>

RIPE NCC Survey 2011 - Key Findings and Actions
In 2011, the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) carried out the RIPE NCC Membership and Stakeholder Survey 2011 on our behalf.
<http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/announcements/ripe-ncc-survey-2011-key-findings-and-actions>

Google hands over user information to Russian authorities
... Gazeta.ru has learned that the Presidential Executive Office is drafting a bill on regulation of the Russian Internet. The bill proposes obliging ISPs and domain name registrars to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to facilitate the prosecution of crime, a source close to the office told Gazeta.ru. In particular, this involves disclosure of data on users suspected of committing crimes. The legislation's sponsors are not ruling out an introduction of blanket rules regulating domain names and their registration. ?Even in this version, the repressive nature of the bill is still evident. If passed as is, it would establish users? liability (for uploaded content) and regulate the procedure for assigning domain names ? a function now performed by the international organization ICANN,? said Gainutdinov. ?The Internet is a self-regulating system, and users are unlikely to benefit from the government getting the right to allocate and select domain names.?
<http://indrus.in/economics/2013/02/03/google_hands_over_user_information_to_russian_authorities_22051.html>
 
Netcraft February 2013 Web Server Survey
Both Apache and Microsoft IIS were used on fewer sites this month, losing more than five million hostnames between them. Conversely, nginx grew its market share to 12.85%, serving 1.4 million more hostnames than last month. Amongst the million busiest sites, nginx is now almost neck-and-neck with Microsoft IIS ? both have a market share of just under 13% and there are now fewer than 500 individual sites separating them.
<http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2013/02/01/february-2013-web-server-survey.html>

The State of the Industry January 2013: 15 Industry Experts Analyze 2012's Most Significant Events and Predict What's Ahead in 2013
Every January since our first anniversary year in 2004 we have kicked off the new year with a special State of the Industry overview featuring a select group of domain business leaders. Again this year with have assembled an all star line up to tell us what they saw as the most important developments in the past year as well as what key trends they expect to see shaping our industry in 2013.
<http://dnjournal.com/cover/2013/january.htm>

**********************
 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
**********************
Makeup.com sold for $2 million, Rodeo.com and Karate.com for $500k total
I was digging through some SEC filings today when I came across some prices on domain name sales.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/01/31/makeup-com-sold-for-2-million-rodeo-com-and-karate-com-for-500k-total/>

Sedo CEO Tobias Flaitz Looks Back at His 1st Year on the Job and Ahead to What 2013 Has in Store
Exactly one year ago today Tobias Flaitz became the CEO at domain industry powerhouse Sedo.com, taking the reigns from company Co-Founder Tim Schumacher who, after more than 10 years at the helm, decided it was time to let someone else run the show. I caught up with Tobias to get his thoughts on the direction of Sedo and the industry in general over the past year, as well as where he saw things going in 2013.
<http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2013/dailyposts/20130201.htm>

Are The .Net Costumes Domains At Webfest The Best In The Auction? Here?s The Numbers
When we published our poll a few days ago asking what domain name at Webfest, with a reserve price of $100K or more would sell, we notice 3 of the domain names were .Net?s; Halloweencostumes.net, Costumes.net and Costumes.net.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/02/01/are-the-net-costumes-domains-at-webfest-the-best-in-the-auction-heres-the-numbers/>

Sedo Posts Year's 2nd Six-Figure Sale to Top This Week's Domain Sales Chart
Sedo claimed the top spot on this week's Domain Sales Chart after banking $112,651 for Torrents.com. That is also the second highest sale of the New Year, trailing only last week's $375,000 sale of Booker.com on our early 2013 Year to Date Sales Chart.
<http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2013/20130130.htm>

NameJet Private Auctions: What You Need to Know ? With Matt Overman
Anyone who buys expiring domain names knows that there are three major auction sites on the Internet. But of the three, NameJet.com is the one that seems to get fantastic domain names on the most regular basis.
<http://www.domainsherpa.com/matt-overman-namejet-interview/>

Moniker and SnapNames Announce Webfest Global Premium Domain Name Live Auction Catalog
Moniker? and SnapNames?, both KeyDrive S. A. companies and leading providers of domain name solutions, announced today their Webfest Global Santa Monica Live & Extended Auction list. Moniker, which introduced the live domain name auction concept and is a top worldwide registrar, has been hosting the live and online auction event at Webfest, formally known as DOMAINfest, since 2007.
<https://www.moniker.com/domainnewsresources/news/moniker_and_snapnames_announce_webfest_global_premium_domain_name_live_auct>

DomainTools Report Shows Domain Name Historical Data For $49
DomainTools has released a new tool that provides a report on the current and historical data of any domain name, all for $49 per domain.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/01/31/domaintools-report/>

Networking at Webfest Global: If You Want to Go Somewhere, Find Someone Who Has Already Been There!
The headline above is a famous quote from RichDad.com's Robert Kiyosaki, who has always emphasized the importance of networking. Kiyosaki also said, ?The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work.? Those are wise words to keep in mind if you are going to next week's Webfest Global Conference that runs February 5-7 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, California.
<http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2013/dailyposts/20130131.htm>

**********************
INTERNET USE
**********************
'Native ads' on Web can blur line between news and advertising
Newspapers have their advertorials. TV has its infomercials. Social media have sponsored tweets and paid-for Facebook posts. Now, the newest wave of online marketing ? so-called ?native ads? ? is pushing even further across the lines that separate news content from advertising.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/native-ads-on-web-can-blur-line-between-news-and-advertising/2013/02/01/407a3d9c-6a4a-11e2-95b3-272d604a10a3_story.html>

Internet capacity: New data flows highlight the relative decline of the West
Global internet traffic continues to soar, according to new data from TeleGeography, a research firm (see chart). Over the past five years the amount of active capacity on subsea cables has grown threefold, the fastest spurt since the internet went mainstream more than a decade ago. Then, the majority of traffic flowed between America and Europe. Now trans-Atlantic bandwidth accounts for only a quarter of the capacity in use. The fastest growing region for traffic is Asia.
<http://www.economist.com/news/international/21571126-new-data-flows-highlight-relative-decline-west-hooking-up>

**********************
SOCIAL MEDIA
**********************
Special report: Too young to gamble ? but not for a virtual trip to the 'Facebookies'
It is illegal for under-18s to have a flutter in a betting shop. But, in the second part of our investigation into online gambling, Paul Gallagher finds that through social media, youngsters are being lured into games that can groom them for life as an adult punter
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/special-report-too-young-to-gamble--but-not-for-a-virtual-trip-to-the-facebookies-8478495.html>

Facebook Graph Search: Privacy Control You Still Don't Have
Facebook's Graph Search has certainly caused quite a stir since it was first announced two weeks ago. We wrote earlier about how Graph Search, still in beta, presents new privacy problems by making shared information discoverable when previously it was hard?if not impossible?to find at a large scale. We also put out a call to action?and even created a handy how-to guide?urging people to reassess their privacy settings.
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/01/facebook-graph-search-privacy-control-you-still-dont-have>

Facebook: 76 million accounts were fake last year [IDG]
All those pet cat profiles add up: Facebook has reported that roughly 76 million of the 1.06 billion user accounts on its social network are bogus in some way or other.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/020213-facebook-76-million-accounts-were-266367.html>

*********************************
CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
*********************************
Children are 'upset' by online violence, study finds
Children are as upset by violent videos on YouTube that feature animal cruelty or beheadings and by insensitive Facebook messages from divorced parents as they are by online bullying and pornography, according to the biggest survey of young British people and their internet use.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/03/children-upset-online-violence-study>

The constant threat of cyberbullying
Cyberbullying can have a devastating impact on the lives of victims - young and old - and in Northern Ireland, it's a growing problem.
<http://www.u.tv/News/The-constant-threat-of-cyberbullying/20106fd4-647b-4469-a6e3-341140c707b9>

nz: Facebook used to reach out
Negative postings on people's Facebook pages that threatened self-harm are a classic call for help, says NetSafe chief technology officer Sean Lyons.
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/8259168/Facebook-used-to-reach-out>

Safer Internet Day 2013: eco Hotline gibt Expertentipps bei Rechtsfragen zum Internet
Abofallen, Newsletter-Terror oder gestohlener Content ? oft besteht Unsicherheit: Was ist im Netz erlaubt? Wo sind rechtliche Grenzen? Was kann man bei unzul?ssigen Ma?nahmen unternehmen? Der Verband der deutschen Internetwirtschaft eco e.V. schaltet am 05. Februar 2013 im Rahmen der weltweiten Aktionen zum Safer Internet Day eine kostenfreie Hotline, bei der Ratsuchende praktische Tipps und konkrete Informationen zu rechtlichen Themen rund ums Internet bekommen k?nnen.
<http://www.eco.de/2013/pressemeldungen/safer-internet-day-2013-eco-hotline-gibt-expertentipps-bei-rechtsfragen-zum-internet.html>

**********************
ONLINE TV, MUSIC & PIRACY
**********************
The referee?s a faker: Digital piracy costs the global economy more than $75 billion per annum
... Whilst it didn?t go into detail about what the company was trying to do, a simple internet search can tell you exactly. Pick any football match, not even one that has already been shown live, and type the game into a Google search. The results will on the whole be divided into two categories; the first will be online betting companies, all trying to win your money with an overwhelming number of betting options (next scorer, next corner, next expletive aimed at the referee), the other will be offers to watch the game live online. It is this second category that causes massive headaches for companies like Sky Sports. The television rights for the English Premier League was sold to Sky and BT in 2012 for a massive ?3.018 billion. Their business model will see them recoup this investment in one way ? subscribers to their product. The association with the richest football league in the world will drive people to buy a subscription package, and hoping that like me, Sunday afternoons will be spent watching one or two live games. In order to keep the viewer?s interest up, various technological advances are introduced over time. We?ve already got 3D capabilities, and it will only be time before 4D hits our homes, quite literally with the smell of burgers, hot dogs and prawn sandwiches being wafted through our TVs to give us that authentic match day aroma.
<http://www.netnames.com/blog/2013/02/the-referees-a-faker/>

**********************
MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
F.T.C. Suggests Privacy Guidelines for Mobile Apps
In a strong move to protect the privacy of Americans as they use the Internet on their smartphones and tablets, the Federal Trade Commission on Friday said the mobile industry should include a do-not-track feature in software and apps and take other steps to safeguard personal information.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/02/technology/ftc-suggests-do-not-track-feature-for-mobile-software-and-apps.html>

FTC report suggests ways to improve mobile privacy
Under the recommendations laid out in a report released Friday by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), consumers would gain a much better understanding of how their data is gathered and used by key players in the mobile universe.
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026869/ftc-report-suggests-ways-to-improve-mobile-privacy.html>

FTC Staff Report Recommends Ways to Improve Mobile Privacy Disclosures: Recommendations Would Help Build Trust in the Mobile Marketplace, Agency Says [news release]
The Federal Trade Commission, the nation?s chief privacy agency, issued a staff report recommending ways that key players in the rapidly expanding mobile marketplace can better inform consumers about their data practices.
<http://ftc.gov/opa/2013/02/mobileprivacy.shtm>

**********************
ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
**********************
Users increasingly turn to Internet to buy drugs - EU report
Virtually any kind of illegal drug can be bought on the Internet and delivered by post to users who no longer need to make direct contact with dealers, an EU study published on Thursday said.
<http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/01/31/eu-drugs-internet-idINDEE90U0G520130131>
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/31/uk-eu-drugs-idUKBRE90U11Q20130131>

uk: Online daters to win protection from cheats and frauds in crackdown
For Lesley Breen, the giveaway was the abrupt end to a conversation online. The man whose dating profile said he was single had just been disturbed in his virtual infidelity by his wife.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2013/feb/03/online-dating-protection-fraud>

**********************
PRIVACY
**********************
us: After Adding Online Privacy Protections, F.T.C. Chief Resigns
Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, said on Thursday that he would resign effective mid-February. His departure will end a four-year tenure in which he pushed for online privacy protections and sought to restrain unfair competition, but stumbled in an attempt to rein in the Internet search practices of Google.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/business/jon-leibowitz-resigns-as-ftc-chairman.html>

us: Congress Will Battle Over Internet Privacy in 2013
Last year, we saw more battles in Congress over Internet freedom than we have in many years as user protests stopped two dangerous bills, the censorship-oriented SOPA, and the privacy-invasive Cybersecurity Act of 2012. But Congress ended the year by ramming through a domestic spying bill and weakening the Video Privacy Protection Act.
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/01/congress-will-battle-over-internet-privacy-2013>

Path fined $800,000 by FTC over iOS privacy breach
The Silicon Valley company Path has been fined $800,000, the largest amount ever against an app builder, by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It has also been bound over on privacy for 20 years after it grabbed customers' address book data and uploaded them to its own servers without permission, and let children under 13 join its service.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/01/path-fined-ftc>

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Exclusive: Eric Schmidt Unloads on China in New Book
Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt is brutally clear: China is the most dangerous superpower on Earth.
<http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2013/02/01/exclusive-eric-schmidt-unloads-on-china-in-new-book/>

Google boss Schmidt labels China an 'IT menace'
Google Chairman Eric Schmidt uses a new book to call China an Internet menace that backs cyber-crime for economic and political gain, reports say.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21307212>

Kenyan web monitors work to avert election violence
In the corner of a light, airy room in Nairobi, three young Kenyans are staring at computer screens, quietly scrolling through thousands of blogs, tweets and comments, searching for hate speech before the Kenyan general election.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/31/kenyan-web-monitors-election-violence>

**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
us/eu: Data Protection Laws, an Ocean Apart
Over the years, the United States and Europe have taken different approaches toward protecting people?s personal information. Now the two sides are struggling to bridge that divide.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/technology/consumer-data-protection-laws-an-ocean-apart.html>

Google settles French newspaper links dispute
Google has agreed to create a ?60m ($82m; ?52m) fund to help French media organisations improve their internet operations.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21302168>

Google Makes Offer in 3-Year European Antitrust Case
European officials said on Friday that Google had submitted proposals aimed at ending a three-year antitrust case focused on its search service, but the offer did not prevent rivals from seeking to prolong its legal entanglements.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/02/business/global/google-submits-proposals-to-resolve-european-antitrust-concerns.html>

Google Creates ?60 Million Media Fund to Settle Copyright Dispute with French News Publishers [IDG]
Google has created a ?60 million (US$81 million) fund designed to settle disputes with French publishers over lost revenues, providing an alternative to a proposed "link tax" that would have charged the company for posting French news content in its search results.
<http://www.cio.com/article/728130/Google_Creates_226_8218_172_60_Million_Media_Fund_to_Settle_Copyright_Dispute_with_French_News_Publishers>

Just Under Deadline, Google Responds to European Antitrust Concerns
Google hit the European Commission?s deadline of January 31 to provide a substantive response to antitrust concerns ? but just barely.
<http://allthingsd.com/20130131/just-under-deadline-google-responds-to-european-antitrust-concerns/>

Google responds to European commission's antitrust chief
Google has scraped in under the deadline to respond to the European commission's antitrust chief Joaqu?n Almunia, who is seeking to change the way it presents search results in Europe.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/31/google-antitrust-chief>

Google submits settlement proposal in EU antitrust case, report says [IDG]
Google has declined to confirm a report that it narrowly met its deadline for submitting a response to the European Commission over its antitrust concerns about the company.
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236420/Google_submits_settlement_proposal_in_EU_antitrust_case_report_says>

Proposed EU data protection reform could start a ?trade war,? US official says
Back in 1998, British comedian Eddie Izzard quipped on his Dress to Kill tour that the European Union was ?500 million people, 200 languages. No one?s got a clue what they?re saying to each other. It?s the cutting edge of politics in a very extraordinarily boring way.? 15 years on, it?s easy to understand how prescient his words were.
<http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/01/proposed-eu-data-protection-reform-could-start-a-trade-war-us-official-says/>

Australian Election 2013: Where will the NBN and data retention be?
Following Prime Minister Julia Gillard's announcement of the set election date, Labor has a number of tasks to accomplish before Australians go to the polls on September 14.
<http://www.zdnet.com/australian-election-2013-where-will-the-nbn-and-data-retention-be-7000010586/>

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MISCELLANEOUS
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nz: Programming savvy is the new digital divide, Berners-Lee says
Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee says all students should be given some hands-on experience of programming, to provide a critical mass of enthusiastic and competent programmers to stem the current shortage of developers.
<http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/programming-ability-is-the-new-digital-divide-berners-lee>
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026847/programming-savvy-is-the-new-digital-divide-berners-lee-says.html>
<http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=C1B700FB-B77B-4D34-4D2EAD5DEE373ABB>
<http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/software/3423819/programming-ability-is-new-digital-divide-berners-lee/>

---------
David Goldstein

email: david at goldsteinreport.com
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