Don't forget to check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! Headlines from today's edition of the news include: Internet Governance, Global Privacy and IGF-Rio | E-conference on Internet Governance and Sustainable Development | Developing Internet Standards: How Can the Engineering Community and the Users Meet? by Patrick Vande Walle | Report: Attacks on ISP Nets Intensifying | Cyberspies Target Silent Victims | ICANN celebrates ninth anniversary as master of your domain | Stalemate Continues on Hiding WHOIS Info | ICANN Asia Pacific Meeting in Delhi by Michele Neylon | The lives of country code domains by Kim Davies | DENIC Supervisory Board appoints new full-time members of the Executive Board - Sabine Dolderer returns | Russia - one million domain names & 30 million internet users | USSR alive and kicking on the Internet | Nominet plan could trip legit domain name holders, warns expert | Lawyers attack Nominet plan for domain name disputes | Plan approved to retire Yugoslav domain And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA. *************************************************** China Emerges As Leader In Cyberwarfare http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0914/p01s01-woap.html The Politics of DNSSEC: The Light Begins to Dawn at IETF by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2007/9/9/3217425.html Schedule Posted for ICANN?s 30th International Public Meeting http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-14sep07.htm What do you want to know about ICANN? Online survey http://blog.icann.org/?p=193 tk: Net gains for tiny Pacific nation http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6991719.stm http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/13/tokelau_domain_launch/ Is the IP address still a personal data in France? http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number5.17/ip-personal-data-fr 10 Great SEO Tips, Part 1 & 2 http://www.technewsworld.com/story/59193.html http://www.technewsworld.com/story/59314.html Radio Interview with Eric Goldman Discusses Domainers and Domaining http://www.circleid.com/posts/791411_radio_interview_domainers_domaining/ http://vtalkradio.com/goldman.asp ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Statement by Ra?l Echeberr?a on behalf of the NRO, delivered at the IGF Open Consultation meeting ... We, the NRO, have seen with interest the position expressed by the Chinese Government relating to IP addressing matters. However, let us stress that it is not accurate to say that the current management system of IPv4 address has resulted in the shortage of IP resources and the discontinuity of IP address blocks for countries that are less-developed in Internet. In fact it was the NRO who brought to the attention of governments the issues of IPv4 consumption and the transition to IPv6. http://nro.net/archive/news/echeberria-igf-geneva.html CENTR Workshop and Best Practice forum at the IGF [news release] The Workshop on The Functioning of the Domain Name System which CENTR is organising in cooperation with the other ccTLD organisations, aims at explaining the functioning of the Domain Name System to a broad and divers audience. https://www.centr.org/docs/2007/09/IGF_ws.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - DOMAIN SECURITY ********************** China Emerges As Leader In Cyberwarfare When suspected Chinese hackers penetrated the Pentagon this summer, reports downplayed the cyberattack. The hackers hit a secure Pentagon system known as NIPRNet - but it only carries unclassified information and general e-mail, Department of Defense officials said. Yet a central aim of the Chinese hackers may not have been top secrets, but a probe of the Pentagon network structure itself, some analysts argue. The NIPRNet (Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network) is crucial in the quick deployment of U.S. forces should China attack Taiwan. By crippling a Pentagon Net used to call U.S. forces, China gains crucial hours and minutes in a lightning attack designed to force a Taiwan surrender, experts say. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0914/p01s01-woap.html http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/14/tech/main3261199.shtml The Politics of DNSSEC: The Light Begins to Dawn at IETF by Milton Mueller We republish below an astounding post by VeriSign's DNS expert, Dr. Phillip Hallam-Baker, made on the IETF list. In it, he incisively describes the political implications of signing the root using DNSSEC, something we at IGP have been trying to do for about a year now. He also calls for sharing the signing authority, as IGP has also been doing. When we do this, we are sometimes accused of needlessly "politicizing" the issue. Wonder what they'll say now. Let's put Hallam-Baker on that IGF panel on "critical Internet resources" maybe, and see if his candor survives the glare of publicity? http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2007/9/9/3217425.html ********************** - ICANN ********************** Schedule Posted for ICANN?s 30th International Public Meeting ICANN has released the schedule for its upcoming 30th International Public Meeting slated for 29 October to 2 November in Los Angeles. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-14sep07.htm What do you want to know about ICANN? Online survey One of ICANN?s most important jobs is to provide those interested in its processes with the information they need to interact fully. It is just as important that people are aware of what issues are currently being discussed within the organisation, what the outcome of recent discussions were, and what discussions will be coming up shortly. And that this information is readily and easily accessible. http://blog.icann.org/?p=193 ICANN domain tasting inquiry ICANN is investigating domain tasting, the controversial process where users register domain names to test their effectiveness in collecting extra traffic and then cancel the registration before fees become due. The call for the investigation by ICANN came after it was found less than 1 per cent of .org domain names are registered. "For business owners, this is a much-needed initiative," Catherine Logan, intellectual property expert at national law firm Hunt & Hunt, said. http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,22427194-36437,00.html http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22427194-5001081,00.html ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** Inside the .ASIA auction process To handle multiple requests for the same name during its sunrise and landrush periods, DotAsia will hold auctions. A closer look at how these will work. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/099/inside-the-asia-auction-process.php au: Call for nominations for election to auDA board auDA invites people to stand for election to the board at the 2007 AGM. http://auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-10092007/ ie: IEDR announce date for relaxation of Personal Domain Names policy [news release] The IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the managed registry for Ireland's dot.ie domain names, today announced the relaxation of the rules for registering personal dot.ie domain names for individuals. Registration of personal domains will be available to individuals from Wednesday, 31st October, 2007. This follows a seven week notice period, to allow time for sole traders, professionals, politicians, trademark holders who have not already registered their .ie Internet address, to do so under existing non-personal domain categories. http://www.iedr.ie/NEWS/News-13Sept2007.php Montenegro Gets New Internet Domain Name ICANN has approved a request for assigning the .me domain to Montenegro, which will replace current .yu sub-domains. http://www.birn.eu.com/en/103/15/4362/ ICANN approves .RS domain The Serbian National Register of Internet Domains (RNIDS) has announced that ICANN approved Serbia?s application for the .RS domain. http://www.b92.net/eng/news/society-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=09&dd=14&nav_category=108&nav_id=43762 tk: Net gains for tiny Pacific nation Tokelau may only have 1,500 inhabitants and be a two-day boat trip from its nearest neighbour but selling its .TK domain is reaping benefits. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6991719.stm tk: World's smallest economy dives into web scrum Imagine you're a dignitary from a tiny, isolated, rugby-obsessive Pacific island group. Wouldn't it be marvellous if the UK launch of your new internet economy could be scheduled during the Rugby World Cup in France? "It's a happy coincidence I think," said the publicist for Dot TK on Wednesday. The company aims to capitalise on the .tk TLD assigned to Tokelau, which holds the title of the world's lowest GDP. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/13/tokelau_domain_launch/ http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/technology/article2959029.ece http://www.itweek.co.uk/vnunet/news/2198759/south-sea-island-cashes-online http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200709171233/tokelau_sells_internet_domain_name dotMobi to Launch Special Premium Name Auction Series [news release] dotMobi announced the first in a series of three monthly online auctions for highly desired premium domain names, including ask.mobi, atm.mobi, cars.mobi, love.mobi and moto.mobi. http://mtld.mobi/node/806 ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Internet Commerce Association Announces Member Code of Conduct Affirming its Commitment to Best Practices [news release] The Internet Commerce Association (ICA) announced it has adopted an eight-point member code of conduct designed to foster and promote fair and ethical business practices in the domain name industry. ... The ICA?s Member Code of Conduct covers the major areas of conflict that have arisen in the emerging domain name business. These include protection of intellectual property rights, ending abusive domain name tasting, strict adherence to Internet fraud laws, transparency in the ownership of domain names and the use of lawful content. The Code also condemns a process that involves returning a domain name just before the five-day grace registration period expires and re-registering it again as soon as it becomes available in order to avoid paying registration fees (often referred to as domain ?kiting?), and requires ICA members to follow established ICANN guidelines for registering and deleting domain names. http://www.internetcommerce.org/internet_commerce_association_announces_member_code_of_conduct_affirming_its_commitment_to_best_practices Cybersquatter storms the Bastille (Linux) Bastille Linux was forced to switch domain this week after a cybersquatter took control of the Bastille-Linux.org website. http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/09/13/bastille_linux/ Microsoft, Dell, Yahoo Sound Off on Cybersquatters The INTA issued a warning on behalf of its members to the public, alerting them to the growing threat of domain name cybersquatters http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=133844 http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/331601_cybersquatting14.html Microsoft Files Suit Against Web Companies in Indiana Microsoft is going after some so-called cybersquatters in Fort Wayne. Microsoft is filing suit in federal courts in Indiana, Washington and New York. They're going after companies that register Internet domain names with very similar spellings to legally-protected web addresses. Seven Fort Wayne-based web companies are named in the suit. http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=25423 http://www.fwdailynews.com/articles/2007/09/13/greater_fort_wayne/news/today/9-13story1.txt Alternative Dispute Resolution for .eu Domain Names (reg req'd) ... Regardless of this quantitative success, the introduction of .eu was, above all, characterized by its extremely formalistic "Sunrise Period," which initially was meant to protect trademark owners, but actually allowed domain name grabbers to profit from bureaucratic mistakes both in the complex and often inconsistent legal framework provided by the European Commission as well from simple formal mistakes by the applicants themselves. Moreover, since the start of the subsequent "Landrush Period," on April 7, 2006, which now allows the registration of .eu domain names to any interested party with legal domicile within the European Union, a significant percentage of the 2.4 million registrations again were registered by professional cyber-squatters. As a result, many trademark owners still seek to register the .eu domain name of their first choice. They have realized that domain name matters should not always be left with IT departments, but from time to time require professional legal assistance. http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=52042 us: Supervisor sues over Web site County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger has sued to stop a Muscoy man from criticizing him through a Web site using the supervisor's name. ... A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 26. Hansberger seeks to win the rights to the domain name. http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_6901113 us: Court?s Dismissal of Claims in Cybersquatting Case Good News for Online Businesses According to Greenberg Traugig, an international law firm, a federal court?s dismissal of a cutting-edge ?cybersquatting? case should help Internet-based businesses avoid similar lawsuits in remote locations. ?In this case, Oklahoma- and Texas-based companies were sued in Florida, in part, simply because a number of their registered domain names included the names of Florida cities, and those Web sites had Florida-related content on them. The court rejected this as a basis to force them to defend this suit in Florida. http://www.wwpi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2692 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Is the IP address still a personal data in France? Although the answer to this question may be obvious not only in France, but also in Europe, two decisions from the Paris Appeal Court may well change this established understanding. The decisions, respectively published on 27 April and 15 May 2007, concern individuals to the SCPP (a French collecting society of recording companies), in two cases of music counterfeit using P2P networks. http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number5.17/ip-personal-data-fr Where are DNS Root Servers? See them on Google Maps ... In response to some of the common misconceptions about the physical location and total number of DNS root servers in the world, Patrik Faltstrom has put together a visual map on Google, pin-pointing the approximate location of each server around the world. http://www.circleid.com/posts/dns_root_servers_google_maps/ OpenDNS Updater: A Free And Easy Way Update IP Changes OpenDNS Updater is a small AppleScript that helps keep your dynamic IP information up to date on the OpenDNS website. OpenDNS, which we've raved about before, is an alternative DNS server to replace the often sluggish ones your ISP uses. Not only is generally faster than your ISP's DNS server, it allows you to do cool stuff like maintain a dynamic IP address so you can access your always-on machines from anywhere using remote desktop software. http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/09/opendns-updater.html 10 Great SEO Tips, Part 1 There was a time when companies could simply boot up a Web site and their content would immediately begin showing up in various search engines. For better or worse, those days are long gone. To have content displayed, corporations need to understand what the search engines are looking for and then provide it to them. If one company does not want to do that, a competitor certainly will. http://www.technewsworld.com/story/59193.html 10 Great SEO Tips, Part 2 Garnering the attention of the search engine vendors requires a delicate balance. While there are some steps that companies can take to improve their ranking, there are other items that lower the company's search rankings, and can even result in them being blacklisted in some cases. Consequently, they need to maintain a proper balance. http://www.technewsworld.com/story/59314.html http://ecommercetimes.com/story/WTjbXW7wwTqGyh/10-Great-SEO-Tips-Part-2.xhtml ********************** - DOMAINING ********************** Radio Interview with Eric Goldman Discusses Domainers and Domaining Damien Allen of VTalk Radio recently interviewed Professor Eric Goldman of the Santa Clara University School of Law on the topic of ?Domaining?. The interview covers the nature of domaining as a business and how it differs from cybersquatting. http://www.circleid.com/posts/791411_radio_interview_domainers_domaining/ http://vtalkradio.com/goldman.asp Counting Clicks - looking at click fraud Given that most of Google's $13 billion in revenue comes from clicks on ads, you would think the words "click fraud" would inspire fear in Shuman Ghosemajumder, the company's senior product manager and resident click-fraud czar. But the problem--publishers who inflate pay-per-click ad fees with automatic clicking software--doesn't fluster Ghosemajumder or other Googlers. In March 2006, as the company faced a class-action lawsuit from online advertisers for damages from fraudulent clicks, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt dismissed click fraud as "immaterial." Even after paying a $90 million settlement, Google has maintained its "everything-is-just-fine" answer to click-fraud worrywarts. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/09/13/google-shuman-fraud-tech-cx_ag_0914google.html Domain Tasting ? And We Don?t Mean Sparkling Wine ? Under The Microscope (reg req'd) The controversial practice of domain tasting, in which large numbers of domain names are registered automatically, tested for effectiveness in collecting additional traffic, and the vast majority then cancelled before the registration fees become due, now seems to be having an impact on the average domain name registrant. For example, it has been suggested by some commentators that the increase in registry fees due to be implemented in October this year by the VeriSign registry, which controls the .com, and .net generic top level domains has been brought about by the enhancements to VeriSign's registration systems necessary to cope with the flood of automated applications by speculators. http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=51980 Contextual advertising litigation heats up Marketers who participate in contextual advertising programs benefit from a greater ability to target the right customers at the right time with a significant impact on online earnings. ... While the pay-per-click model is often a harmless revenue generating mechanism, it also allows domain name registrants a means of generating profit through the registration of domain names that infringe on another?s trademark ? also known as ?cybersquatting? or ?typosquatting.? http://www.dmnews.com/cms/dm-news/legal-privacy/42406.html ********************** - DOMAIN SALES ********************** New Domain Auction Site DomainDunk.com Open for Business In addition to the auction service, Domain Dunk will offer its customers a variety of resources, including weekly newsletters for all registered users and a directory of articles and resources for auction site users. http://blog.domaindunk.com/?cat=4 http://www.webknowhow.net/news/press/070914PressAdvance.html Sedo Completes First Live UK Domain Auction [news release] Sedo announced the completion of the first-ever Live UK domain name auction, held in London on Sept. 7, 2007 at the Domain Focus Conference in London. The auction lasted the full two hours the conference allotted, with a packed house of 120 participants including a handful of additional people taking part via the online tool. Through this live auction, Sedo facilitated the sales transaction of twenty domains, including premium domains Fly.co.uk for 87,500 GBP (Sedo?s biggest public .co.uk sale ever) and Employment.co.uk for 17,000 GBP, representing more than a third of the domains available on the auction block. In addition, a number of other domains are actively being negotiated post-auction which will increase the overall total transaction value for the event. http://www.prleap.com/pr/93686/ us: Barbey Puts Boise Back in the Big Leagues With $175,000 Purchase of BoiseIdaho.com Idaho real estate broker Steve Barbey raised some eyebrows at this time three years ago when he paid $50,000 for BoiseRealEstate.com. He used the domain to redirect additional prospects to his IdahoRealEstate.com site. The deal worked out so well that Barbey decided it was time to go fishing in the domain pool again. Last week he reeled in BoiseIdaho.com after meeting the $175,000 price set by previous owner Brian Wick of CheapYellowPages.com. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2007/domainsales09-11-07.htm ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ au: COMMENT: Ministry's web of deception needs a virtual reality check The Federal Government recently began an unsavoury campaign to win votes by abusing parents' concern for their children. It is trying to whip up fear about the largely non-existent threat of online sexual predators. You must have seen the ads that have sprung up over the past few weeks. They're everywhere, on radio and television, in newspapers, in cinemas, on buses and at bus stops. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276986747.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276986747.html au: Taskforce: is Facebook being used by sex offenders? The Federal Government yesterday announced a working group to investigate the potential of social networking sites such as Facebook to be used by paedophiles and sex offenders to contact and groom children. http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;827967157 au: COMMENT: Better to be alert than NetAlarmed The internet will kill your children, or something. At least, that is the message of the Federal Government ads plastered on the side of every second tram trundling down Swanston Street. The Government's approach to internet safety has all the hyperbole and sensationalism of tabloid current affairs programs. This is not surprising. Scare campaigns about the dangers of chatting or stumbling upon nudity usually have little to do with children, and all to do with raising fear in parents. Parents vote. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/09/15/1189277042177.html au: Coonan considers making NetAlert research public The Federal Government has defended the research quoted in its internet safety initiative NetAlert. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/16/2034184.htm http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/16/2034075.htm au: 'Child porn' disks found under rock A man playing a high-tech version of hide-and-seek has stumbled across a possible cache of child pornography buried under a rock in a northern beaches park. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/16/1189881342983.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Microsoft faces crucial ruling over record fine imposed by EU Microsoft faces a crucial court decision today in Luxembourg that will define its future as the world's biggest software group as well as that of the European commission as a global antitrust authority. The verdict of Europe's second highest court on an appeal by Microsoft against Brussels' ruling that it had abused its dominance of the PC market, marks the culmination of a nine-year dispute that could reshape EU competition law. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/17/eurocommission Reputations on the line as court rules on Commission's Microsoft fight The reputations of Europe?s top anti-trust regulator and of one of the world?s most powerful multinational companies are on the line today as a nine-year legal battle comes to a head in an austere Luxembourg courtroom. The European Court of Justice will deliver its verdict on a decision by the European Commission in March 2004 to find Microsoft guilty of illegal business practices. The Commission ordered the software group to make concessions to competitors and fined it ? 497 million. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2469337.ece Web ad blocking may not be (entirely) legal Advertising-supported companies have long turned to the courts to squelch products that let consumers block or skip ads: it happened in the famous lawsuit against the VCR in 1979 and again with ReplayTV in 2001. Tomorrow's legal fight may be over Web browser add-ons that let people avoid advertisements. These add-ons are growing in functionality and popularity, which has led legal experts surveyed this week by CNET News.com to speculate about when the first lawsuit will be filed. http://www.news.com/2100-1030_3-6207936.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6207936.html How law enforcement uses Google Earth When a Wisconsin man was arrested last October on suspicion of harvesting 18 pounds of marijuana, it was partly thanks to Google Earth. The sheriff's deputies who pulled the man over found, in addition to what they estimated was at least $63,000 worth of pot, a GPS unit around his neck that was filled with a series of local coordinates, according to The Journal Times of Racine, Wis. After plugging those coordinates into Google Earth, the police were able to identify the location of several marijuana fields to which the man was allegedly connected. http://www.news.com/2100-1025_3-6208034.html Internet crime 'is big business' Internet crime is becoming a major commercial activity, according to a report by the security firm, Symantec. Its report into threats to internet security describes underworld auction sites where bank details and credit cards are on sale. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6998068.stm Austria's 'Jihad by Telecommute' They translated and prepared terror videos, claims of responsibility and al-Qaida propaganda on the Internet. Austrian police have now attributed this handiwork to the Global Islamic Media Front and the leader of this network is reportedly among the arrested. http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,505618,00.html German police raid home of man who operated Tor server A German operator of a Tor server used to anonymously route traffic over the net said he was arrested in a midnight raid on his residence that stemmed from an investigation into bomb threats said to have passed through an internet protocol address under his control. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/16/bomb_threat_leads_police_to_raid_tor_operator/ Germany arrests 10 in global Internet scam raids [Reuters] German police have arrested 10 people suspected of being involved in an international Internet scam that could have cost victims hundreds of thousands of euros, the Federal Police Office said on Thursday. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6207739.html German Police Arrest 10 International Phishing Suspects An 18-month police investigation led to the arrests of an alleged group of Russian, Ukrainian, and German phishers who were spending their loot on luxury cars and jewelry. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201806309 Dutch police raid illegal DVD plant [Reuters] Dutch police have raided an illegal DVD-manufacturing plant capable of making 900 copies of movies an hour, antipiracy officials said Thursday. http://www.news.com/2100-7348_3-6207772.html http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL1362255820070913 China Emerges As Leader In Cyberwarfare When suspected Chinese hackers penetrated the Pentagon this summer, reports downplayed the cyberattack. The hackers hit a secure Pentagon system known as NIPRNet - but it only carries unclassified information and general e-mail, Department of Defense officials said. Yet a central aim of the Chinese hackers may not have been top secrets, but a probe of the Pentagon network structure itself, some analysts argue. The NIPRNet (Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network) is crucial in the quick deployment of U.S. forces should China attack Taiwan. By crippling a Pentagon Net used to call U.S. forces, China gains crucial hours and minutes in a lightning attack designed to force a Taiwan surrender, experts say. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0914/p01s01-woap.html http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/14/tech/main3261199.shtml kr: Internet security to be strengthened New bill requires portal sites to use personal identification and mobile phone registration numbers, instead of social security numbers http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=77962 Cybercrime purge: Authorities net Nigerian scammer, Web hoaxer and identity thief Looks like these guys picked a bad week to commit cyber crimes. First we have an arrest of one of those annoying Nigerian "please help me with my inheritance" email scammers. Canadian police today arrested a Toronto man, who police described as a Nigerian refugee who they have charged with several fraud-related offences, including fraud over $5,000 and possession of goods obtained by crime. http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/19426 au: 2Clix lawsuit a 'chilling' attack on free speech The lawsuit filed by 2Clix against Whirlpool forum creator, Simon Wright, could have a "chilling effect" on reasonable and factual comments people may make on Internet forums, according to David Vaile, executive director of the Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre at UNSW. "The issue is that Whirlpool is a public and very broad source of information used by people to find out the best deal, the best product, what is going on, and is based on people sharing anecdotes," said Vaile. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1626383484;fp;2;fpid;1 au: 2Clix help site established as EFA condemns Whirlpool suit An IT consultant has set up a website to help disaffected users of accounting software supplied by 2Clix Australia Pty Ltd. Meanwhile, online civil liberties watchdog Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) has publicly condemned a $150,000 lawsuit lodged by 2Clix against online technology forum Whirlpool for allowing users to air their dissatisfaction with 2Clix online. http://itwire.com/content/view/14427/53/ http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/2Clix-scores-own-goal-with-Whirlpool-case/0,130061791,339282041,00.htm au: Hackers raid florist's database NSW Police are investigating the possible compromise of an online florist's database and theft of customers' credit card details. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/15/1189277023871.html http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/17/2034318.htm http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Credit-card-scammers-say-it-with-flowers/0,130061744,339282104,00.htm au: Man arrested over internet cafe frauds Computer Crime Squad detectives have arrested a man they say has used internet cafes in Perth and Fremantle to steal and launder more than $100,000. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/15/2033762.htm http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/15/2033802.htm http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Police-charge-100-000-Web-bank-theft-suspect/0,130061744,339282107,00.htm uk: Webcam showed father's suicide A father hanged himself while using a live webcam despite attempts by other chatroom users to talk him out of committing suicide, an inquest has been told. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2961284.ece http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/14/nchat114.xml Should the internet be policed? Asked following father's suicide A coroner has criticised online chatrooms after a man was goaded into committing suicide while dozens of users watched live on the internet. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/14/view14.xml Canadian Government Pledges No ISP Disclosure Without Warrant In a major about-face, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day has pledged that the federal government will not introduce legislation that would force ISPs to disclose customer information without a warrant. Day says the consultation document that was the subject of considerable controversy this week was circulated without his knowledge or consent. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2234/125/ ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Google urges UN to set global internet privacy rules Google is calling on the UN to help protect the privacy of web surfers around the world before the internet faces a crisis of confidence. Google's privacy chief, Peter Fleischer, will address a conference in Strasbourg of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) today and ask for governments and businesses to agree on international privacy standards. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/14/news.google http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6994776.stm http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/13/AR2007091302248.html Google says world could use Kiwi-style approach to privacy ... Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel, will use a regional UNESCO conference in Strasbourg as a forum to call on countries to adopt as a global standard a set of privacy principles agreed to by a variety of Asia-Pacific countries. He specifically mentioned New Zealand in a list of countries with desirable approaches to privacy. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10463578 Google proposes global privacy standard While Google is leading a charge to create a global privacy standard for how companies protect consumer data, the search giant is recommending that remedies focus on whether a person was actually harmed by having the information exposed. ... "Google believes we need to work together to create minimum global standards partly by law and partly by self-regulation," he said in a telephone conference call. "We need a collaboration between government and the private sector." http://www.news.com/2100-1030_3-6207927.html http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d969a326-6226-11dc-bdf6-0000779fd2ac.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276947461.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6207927.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9036759 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Special 'cyber' law 'needed' to support Indonesian ICT development Neglect and conflicting interests are hampering the expansion of Indonesia's ICT industry so that special legislation is needed to encourage its development, an expert said Tuesday. http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-southeastasia.asp?parentid=77788 Australian spy laws track mobile phones, internet Security agencies would be able to secretly track people via their mobile phones and monitor their internet browsing for up to three months without obtaining a warrant under new laws due to go before the Senate this week. The powers could be used in a range of even relatively minor criminal investigations, not just terrorism cases. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/16/1189881342905.html au: Pollies embrace Google for the 'e-election' John Howard says the internet is "not some sort of gimmick" and has invited voters to have a conversation with him on YouTube. Peter Garrett believes the web will play a "really really critical role" in the upcoming election, which Joe Hockey has dubbed the "e-election campaign". http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276949409.html http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1446883400 au: Telstra sets watchdog on Coonan TELSTRA, continuing its pursuit of Communications Minister Helen Coonan, has asked the corporate watchdog to investigate claims of misleading conduct and has threatened further legal action against the senator. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22415385-15306,00.html au: Investigation into media access to drive change [news release] The announcement by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Coonan, of an investigation into access to electronic media for Deaf people and people with a hearing impairment has been warmly welcomed by the Human Rights Commissioner, Graeme Innes. http://humanrights.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2007/67_07.html Germany backs online monitoring to fight terrorism [Reuters] German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that Germany must allow security services to use the Internet to track terrorist suspects' online movements. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10464174 http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL141498420070914 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070914.wgtgermany0914/BNStory/Technology/home Canada gives lawful access another look The federal government has rekindled debates around lawful access with the launch of a consultation process that discusses the possibility of granting law enforcement agencies greater access to Internet and telecom service providers? subscriber data. Public Safety Canada has issued the Customer Name and Address (CNA) Information Consultation Document in a bid to institute legislation to help law enforcement get ?timely access? to CNA information. http://www.itworldcanada.com/a/Daily-News/088ee991-ac66-4046-91aa-ca82828d5b62.html uk: New thinktank to investigate changing media The government is to convene a new thinktank to confront the rapid pace of media change as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of the way the sector is regulated, it emerged yesterday. Setting out his broadcasting vision for the first time, the culture secretary, James Purnell, revealed that he and business secretary John Hutton would recruit senior figures from inside and outside the government to inform media policy. http://media.guardian.co.uk/ofcom/story/0,,2168885,00.html ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** BT set to study British internet novices BT is setting up an initiative to find out why some people resist using the internet. The project will employ psychologists to closely study a small group of people to reveal what stops them joining the net-using majority. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6979849.stm Google, at age 10, is the official heart of the Internet [AFP] Born 10 years ago, the Google Internet search engine has grown into the electronic centre of human knowledge by indexing billions of web pages as well as images, books and videos. On September 15, 1997 Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two 24 year-old Stanford University students, registered the domain name of "google.com." The word is a variation of 'googol,' which refers to the number 10 to the power of 100, a term popularized by US mathematician Edward Kasner. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276975872.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276975872.html Broadband internet: Wiring rural America FROM her remote farm in southern Kentucky, Lajuana Wilcher checks an online database for local ranchers demanding alfalfa. She can specify at what price she is willing to sell, which counties to search and whether her hay is square-baled or rolled. Without her high-speed internet connection, Ms Wilcher insists, it would take far too long to find the most generous alfalfa prices, order spare tractor parts and locate the best breeding stock for her small cattle operation. http://economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9803963 au: Test your broadband: Oz now on 5.5Mbps average Australia's broadband may be better than you think -- according to a survey of over 50,000 users in the country, the average connection speed is now around 5.5Mbps. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Test-your-broadband-Oz-now-on-5-5Mbps-average/0,130061791,339282051,00.htm China Internet Development Information Compiled by Fred Fortin The growth of the Internet in China is, and will be, a significant force for health care development in the country. So I thought I would put together a short compilation of some history as well as facts and statistics on this amazing social and technical phenomenon. http://www.worldhealthcareblog.org/2007/09/14/china-internet-development-information-compiled/ ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Do social network sites genuinely care about privacy? Very deeply, because it's only by guarding it jealously and parcelling it up and then selling it to someone else that they can make any money. Why, did you think that hosting websites with millions of users was something they did for fun? Not at all - there are hefty hosting bills to pay but, more importantly, big profits potentially to be made. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/13/guardianweeklytechnologysection.news1 Yahoo Mash: The Social Network for Graffiti Lovers Yahoo has started an invitation-only preview of a new social networking site, Yahoo Mash. It is quite an homage to Facebook, but it adds one significant new wrinkle: users can edit each other's profiles, redecorating, changing information, and adding features. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/15/yahoo-mash-attempts-hip/ uk: Facebook suicide: the end of a virtual life Can online friendships ruin real-life relationships? Some users of a very popular social networking site believe so ? and that?s why they?re taking drastic action, says Emma Justice: Stephanie Painter?s death was swift and painless. At 9.10pm on February 11 she bid her 121 Facebook friends goodbye with one last ?poke? (mood: sorrowful), then left the virtual world peacefully with a quick click of the mouse. http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article2452928.ece Employers crack down on 'Facebook addicts' Employers are being forced to crack down on staff accessing social networking Web site Facebook at work because of the high levels of usage, security risks and the drain on corporate network bandwidth. http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-164541.html Not losing Facebook in China XIAONEI.COM does not just look like Facebook, the booming social-networking website. As well as borrowing its design, it has also lifted its strategy and transplanted it to China. It is not alone. All the big ?Web 2.0? sites?those that let people share information, collaborate and link up with friends?have many Chinese knockoffs. YouTube, the video-sharing site that is now part of Google, has over 200 copycats in China, about 10% of them backed by venture capital, says Isaac Mao, an internet investor and a Chinese blogging pioneer. http://economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9803915 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Phone makers and Internet companies competing more on each other's turf Nokia used to be just a cellphone maker. Google used to be just an Internet company. Now Nokia wants to be an Internet company and Google, according to rampant speculation among bloggers and technology analysts, may be about to enter the mobile phone fray. "Devices alone are not enough anymore," Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, chief executive of Nokia, said last week in London as the company announced plans for a digital music store, a game service, social networking links and other mobile Internet initiatives, grouped under a new brand, Ovi. "People want more; they want the complete experience." http://iht.com/articles/2007/09/02/business/wireless03.php Forrester Research: The Five-Year Forecast For Consumer Technology Growth [news release] Devices that make up the digital home, such as digital video recorders, high-definition televisions and home networks will be the consumer technologies that grow the fastest over the next five years, according to the 10th annual guide to consumers' technology adoption and attitudes by Forrester Research. "The State Of Consumers And Technology: Benchmark 2007" is based on the responses of more than 58,000 consumers in the US and Canada, and is the second-largest survey in the world after the US Census regarding consumers and technology. http://www.forrester.com/ER/Press/Release/0,1769,1167,00.html iPhone is only tip of mobile Internet device onslaught A study by ABI Research says that the iPhone may be only a precursor to what mobile Internet devices will be capable of in the near future. The study, released this week, predicts an explosion of MIDs that can be used for browsing the Web, listening to music, text messaging, and shooting photo and video. In particular, the study expects that 90 million MIDs and 5 million ultramobile PCs (UMPC) will have been shipped to buyers by 2012. According to ABI vice president Stan Schatt, these devices generally will have larger screens than the iPhone and will have a wider variety of Web browsing options than Nokia's N800 phone. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;738833360;fp;2;fpid;1 Where broadband Internet is headed: To the kitchen Dream kitchens may soon include a computer along with the latest refrigerator or oven. That way, people gathered at the family hub can satisfy their digital needs along with nutritional ones. http://iht.com/articles/2007/09/16/news/novel17.php ********************** SPAM ********************** nz: Flood of spam complaints for Internal Affairs team The Government's anti-spam team received 155 complaints from the public about spam e-mails during the first week that the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act was in force. http://stuff.co.nz/4204691a28.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Upwardly Mobile In Africa How basic cell phones are sparking economic hope and growth in emerging?and even non-emerging?nations ... These days, just about every tradesman, shopkeeper, and farmer in town has a phone?or at least access to one. "Customers give my number to other customers. The business has grown," says Susan Wairimu, whose tailor shop sits in the row of one-story buildings that constitute the village center. And Willson Maragua's transport business in Muruguru, which consists of him and a used pickup truck, could hardly function without mobile technology. Local farmers, members of the Kikuyu tribe prevalent in the area, summon him to haul their coffee beans to a growers' cooperative in a nearby valley. Now Maragua, an ebullient man wearing a baseball cap that says "Bachelorette Party," lives in a home with a concrete floor and a solar panel on the roof to power a radio and a lightbulb?and recharge his family's two handsets. With a mobile phone, he says over a lunch of corn, potatoes, and stewed goat, "You can manage your business." http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_39/b4051054.htm Inexpensive laptop project raises its price again, almost double original $100 goal [AP] The vaunted "$100 laptop" that Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers dreamed up for international schoolchildren is becoming a slightly more distant concept. Leaders of the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child that was spun out of MIT acknowledged Friday that the devices are now slated to cost $188 (?135) when mass production begins this fall. The last price the nonprofit announced was $176 (?127); it described $100 (?72) as a long-term goal. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/15/1189277028603.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/09/15/1189277028603.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6208251.html [Reuters] http://www.news.com/2100-1005_3-6208251.html ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** Prince sues internet sites for breaching his copyright ... In the first phase of his legal action, the musician will target a number of commercial and pirate internet sites including YouTube, eBay and PirateBay. http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article2961321.ece First Prince, now Village People target YouTube Somebody combined the Village People's hit song, "YMCA," with footage of a dancing Adolf Hitler and posted the clip to YouTube. Now the company that owns the rights to the band's music is preparing to sue YouTube. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9778541-7.html This Is What It Sounds Like When Prince Sues? Enigmatic artist Prince says the Internet has allowed third parties to steal his works and may sue sites such as YouTube that benefit from the unauthorized use of his music. The bone of contention with the artist who once changed his name to a symbol is unreliable or insufficient filtering of content, which leaves artists or their representatives responsible for monitoring the sites for copyright-protected content. For now, Prince hasn't taken any legal action. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/MXBUkGTEtWfA1S/This-Is-What-It-Sounds-Like-When-Prince-Sues.xhtml YouTube conundrum for vintage acts The music industry typically sings YouTube's praises. Google's video-sharing site has signed strategic partnerships with all four of the major record labels and has emerged as a launching pad for up-and-coming artists, making it this generation's answer to American Bandstand. Then why are pop icon Prince and 1970s disco group the Village People preparing to file lawsuits against the company? http://www.news.com/2100-1027_3-6208130.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6208130.html Prince takes on You Tube over clips Zany pop star Prince is taking on YouTube over unauthorised use of his music. The singer is launching legal action in a bid to "reclaim his art on the internet". He wants to ban any unauthorised video clips taken of his performances. He is believed to be the first major artist to do battle with the online giant. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2447862.ece http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/14/1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6993752.stm ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Google search finds a Nasa parking space ... Now Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google Inc, appear to have found an answer. For the knockdown price of $1.3 million (?650,000) a year and a few free flights (strictly for scientific reasons), they have signed an agreement to park their personal Boeing 767-200 at a Nasa airfield. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2445757.ece ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** EU watchdog calls for urgent action on Wi-Fi radiation Europe's top environmental watchdog is calling for immediate action to reduce exposure to radiation from Wi-Fi, mobile phones and their masts. It suggests that delay could lead to a health crisis similar to those caused by asbestos, smoking and lead in petrol. http://environment.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/article2966951.ece ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** uk: The elegant businesswoman and her middle-class paedophile ring Monica McCanch presented a well-dressed face of confident respectability to the world. She worked for Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company, in Kent before taking redundancy last year for a new life in Jamaica, where she planned to invest in eco-tourism. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2448998.ece Brtish actor Chris Langham jailed for downloading child abuse Chris Langham, the Bafta-winning comedy actor, was last night sentenced to 10 months in prison for downloading pictures and videos of child abuse on to his home computer. The 58-year-old actor was convicted last month of 15 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child after a three-week trial. http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2169644,00.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2169606,00.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/6991550.stm http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2456596.ece http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2964444.ece uk: IWF intelligence leads to rescue and arrest [news release] IWF intelligence lead to rescue of three prepubescent children being sexually abused and their abuser being sentenced to 60 years in prison. http://iwf.org.uk/media/news.208.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2007 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home) "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery ____________________________________________________________________________________ Sick of deleting your inbox? Yahoo!7 Mail has free unlimited storage. http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/unlimitedstorage.htmlReceived on Thu Sep 20 2007 - 08:44:01 UTC
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