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 the March 3 edition of the news include: The FCC, Comcast, and Net Neutrality | Holes in the net make 'cloud computing' pie in the sky | Midterm Review of the Joint Project Agreement : Comments of CENTR | Karl Auerbach's comments to NTIA's "mid-term review" of its ICANN "JPA" agreement | Network Solutions Presents at NTIA Mid-Term Review of ICANN | auDA introduces new rules to block domain hogs | rs: Start of .rs domain names registration | YouTube Hijacking: A RIPE NCC RIS case study | Researchers Name Top Six Spamming Botnets | Six botnets behind 85% of all spam, says Marshal | Judge Reverses His Order Disabling Wikileaks Web Site | Wikileaks Ruling Leaves Big Questions Unanswered | us: ICA Posts Position Paper and Analysis of Snowe ?Anti-Phishing? Legislation And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Registration Now Open for ICANN's 32nd International Public Meeting to be held in Paris, France http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-25feb08.htm Network Solutions sued over domain name policy [IDG] http://www.itworld.com/Net/3499/network-solutions-sued-080226/ New .au registrant transfers policy - implementation update 26/02/08 [news release] http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-26022008/ The coming dot AU property boom http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/26/1203788290820.html How Pakistan knocked YouTube offline (and how to make sure it never happens again) by Declan McCullagh http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9878655-7.html Cybersquatting and Abuse to Mainstream Consumer Brands Intensified in 2007, According to Year-Long Trend Report by MarkMonitor [news release] http://www.markmonitor.com/pressreleases/press-080225f.php E-scammers trashing reputations http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/25/E-scammers-trashing-reputations_1.html CADNA Supports Anti-Phishing Consumer Protection Act [news release] http://www.cadna.org/en/press-release-february-26-2008.html ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Lessig Decides Against Run for Congress at Internet Speed Just like any good Web story, this one took just five days to go from tantalizing to nothing more than that. Silicon Valley will not be represented by an Internet icon in the House of Representatives, not for a couple of years anyway. http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/lessig-decides-against-run-for-congress-at-internet-speed/index.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Registration Now Open for ICANN's 32nd International Public Meeting to be held in Paris, France ICANN?s next meeting will be held 22 ? 27 June 2008 in Paris, France at Le M?ridien Montparnasse. The meeting is free to attend, and open to any interested person. ICANN encourages broad participation in its bottom-up consensus-development processes. You can participate in these meetings in person, through the webcast or other remote participation opportunities, and/or by joining one of the various ICANN-related mailing lists. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-25feb08.htm IPv6 Addresses for the Root Servers On or about 4 February 2008, for the first time AAAA records for some of the authoritative name servers for the DNS root zone will be introduced. These records will provide for access to the root servers over IPv6 transport, and will be implemented in both the root zone data, and the root hints file. We are providing this advanced notification in case unexpected network events occur that might be related to this change. http://www.iana.org/reports/2008/root-aaaa-announcement.html Lawsuit targets Network Solutions, ICANN over the 'front running' of domain names This one was as predictable as lawsuits ever get: A Los Angeles firm this afternoon has announced a class action against Network Solutions and ICANN over the former's practice of locking up domain names as soon as they are searched for on its site, which means the party searching can buy the name only from Network Solutions. http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/25376 Network Solutions sued over domain name policy [IDG] A class-action lawsuit filed on Monday against Network Solutions alleges the company has unfairly profited from its domain name registration business. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, takes issue with a policy Network Solutions implemented in December. The company says the policy is intended to protect people trying to reserve a domain name, but others say steers business to Network Solutions. http://www.itworld.com/Net/3499/network-solutions-sued-080226/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/142858/network_solutions_sued_over_domain_name_policy.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/26/Network-Solutions-sued-over-domain-name-policy_1.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9064685 Network Solutions sued for price fixing In early January, the well-known domain registrar started self-registering domains that customers search for but don't immediately buy. The company insists it's merely trying to crackdown on so-called "domain front running," but at least one customer is clever enough to realize this argument makes no sense. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/26/network_solutions_sued_for_front_running/ From the "Bad-Analogy-Department".... by Bret Fausett Comes this press release about a new lawsuit filed here in Los Angeles against Network Solutions: "Imagine if you asked a car dealer if they had a black convertible and were then forced to buy the car from them. Would you get a good deal? Each time someone asks Network Solutions about a domain name, the firm creates a monopoly for itself, forcing consumers to pay the price they demand," said Brian Kabateck, lead counsel in the class action and Kabateck Brown Kellner's Managing Partner. Imagine? Isn't that exactly what happens when you go into a car dealership and ask to buy one of their cars? You have to buy that car on their lot from them. http://blog.lextext.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/25/3545023.html Network Solutions Is Sued Over Sale Of Domain Names [sub req'd] A Los Angeles law firm filed a lawsuit Monday against Network Solutions LLC, one of the biggest sellers of domain names, alleging the Herndon, Va., company improperly profits from the way it reserves a domain name after a potential customer searches for it. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120398856637292331.html Bad flavor: ICANN, Network Solutions sued for domain tasting A class-action lawsuit has been launched against domain registrar Network Solutions and ICANN over the controversial practice of domain tasting. The suit was initiated on behalf of Chris McElroy, a search engine optimization specialist who goes by the handle NameCritic. McElroy has long been an extremely vocal critic of ICANN and is a regular participant on the organization's mailing lists. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080226-bad-flavor-icann-network-solutions-sued-for-domain-tasting.html Class Action Suit Against Network Solutions and ICANN Underway According to a press release from the law firm Kabateck Brown Kellner, a federal class action lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California against domain name registrar Network Solutions and ICANN. The suit clam that the NSI has forced customers into buying domains from the company rather than through potentially cheaper avenues, in effect netting the company millions of dollars. http://www.domainnamenews.com/featured/class-action-suit-against-network-solutions-and-icann-underway/1450 Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Network Solutions, ICANN Lawsuit stems from ?customer protection measure?. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/02/25/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-network-solutions-icann/ Network Solutions named in class action suit Network Solutions has been named in a class action suit alleging that it "forced" millions of people to buy internet domain names from the company instead of from cheaper competitors. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2210484/network-solutions-slammed-class http://www.computing.co.uk/vnunet/news/2210484/network-solutions-slammed-class Network Solutions, ICANN Sued Over Domain Front Running Network Solutions and ICANN are being sued over the ?front running? domain registration practices that we covered last month. http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/02/25/network-solutions-icann-sued-over-domain-front-running/ Network Solutions Suit Clarified The information below also appeared as an update to an earlier article about the class-action lawsuit against Network Solutions filed by Kabateck Brown Kellner. ... [Brian] Kabateck said it was unclear how many plaintiffs would ultimately particapate in the lawsuit and therefore damages sought at this point are unknown. He estimates, though, that the number of plaintiffs is potentially in the thousands, and that the suit will seek a refund of about $25 per plaintiff, or the amount they allegedly were overcharged. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/02/25/network-solutions-suit-clarified Network Solutions Sued For Registration Practices Whether ICANN officially acknowledges the existence of domain front-running, the international organization is named in a class-action lawsuit against Network Solutions. The litigants architecting the suit claim ICANN's return policy allowed Network Solutions to register searched-for domains and then raise the price. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/02/25/network-solutions-sued-for-registration-practices Network Solutions sued for domain registration practices Network Solutions is now facing a class-action lawsuit which claims that the company unfairly profit by forcing customers to buy domains from them for high prices compared to rival domain sellers. http://news.techwhack.com/7183/network-solutions/ Network Solutions Sued For Defrauding Millions Network Solutions has forced millions of people to buy Internet domain names from them instead of cheaper competitors through a scheme that's netted the firm millions of dollars, a federal class action lawsuit filed today by Kabateck Brown Kellner, LLP states. ICANN, whose policies facilitate the scheme, is also named in the suit, filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California. http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/453565.html http://www.wdtv.com/news/technology/?feed=bim&id=15946332 Network Solutions, ICANN Sued Network Solutions and has been hit with a federal class action lawsuit on Monday for allegedly front-running domain names. ICANN was also named in the lawsuit because "its policies facilitated the scheme." http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/022608_Network_Solutions_ICANN_Sued.Cfm Network Solutions is Being Sued for Front-Running Domains Carolina-based domain registrar Network Solutions is being sued for registering internet domains that customers search for but don?t buy. http://www.webhostdir.com/news/articles/shownews.asp?id=24495 Network Solutions Sued Over Domain Tasting A class action lawsuit has been filed against Network Solutions and ICANN over NSI's policy of temporarily registering domains as soon as someone searches for them. http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/15871/network_solutions_sued_over_domain_tasting Trademark Owners Question Efficacy Of ICANN's Domain Registration Fee Scheme [news release] Imposing a small fee on all domain registrations, as recently recommended by the board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, may act as a first step to curbing domain tasting, but it is not an adequate solution to the tasting problem, trademark owners and cyberlaw attorneys say. http://www.cadna.org/en/pdf/icanns-domain-registration-fee-scheme.pdf Canadian Government on ICANN The Canadian government has submitted to comments to the U.S. government on the continuing ICANN oversight. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2713/196/ ICANN Midterm Review The following is Internet Commerce Association's comments to NTIA for ICANN's Midterm review. http://www.internetcommerce.org/ICANN_midterm_review ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** Quarter of a million .asia domain names wanted DotAsia, the organisation responsible for the new .asia top level Internet domain says it has received 266,000 applications for registration of .asia domain names in the first 24 hours of its 'landrush' phase. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16850/53/ Stake a claim to your Asian domain ... But the times are possibly changing. The BBC reports that just 30,780 applications have been filed for .asia domain names so far, compared with 330,000 at the same point in the launch of the .eu domain name. Instead of lining up for a slice of cyber real estate, are circumspect internet users choosing to ignore the latest virtual land grab? No one would be surprised if IT leaders, bombarded and bamboozled by a series of suffix releases, are struggling to see the point of yet another domain registration. http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/analysis/2210515/stake-claim-asian-domain-3850804 DotAsia LandRush Offers by Michele Neylon As dotasia is currently in landrush you can expect to see plenty of special offers from the various registrars. Eurodns, for example, are running a special which is quite attractive for the first two years. The only downside is that it's not that clear how the local presence will be charged thereafter. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/02/25/dotasia-landrush-offers/ New .au registrant transfers policy - implementation update 26/02/08 [news release] In December 2007, the auDA Board approved a recommendation from the 2007 Names Policy Panel that the Transfers (Change of Registrant) Policy be relaxed to allow a registrant to transfer their domain name licence to another eligible entity, for any reason. The auDA Board has approved an implementation plan for the new transfers policy. http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-26022008/ The coming dot AU property boom "The auDA board has recently accepted the recommendations of our review panel to lift the ban on advertising Australian domain names for sale," he says. Work on implementing the change in policy has already begun and could be finished by as early as June this year. "We've got some administrative bits and pieces to work out first, and then there'll need to be some changes made to the software and systems used at the registrars. We're also mindful there'll need to be a program of public education so the general public is aware of the new policy. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/26/1203788290820.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/02/26/1203788290820.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/02/26/1203788290820.html No country code for Catalonia Spain's politicians have shelved plans for a .CT country code domain for the Catalan region, which already has a .CAT generic domain. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/172/no-country-code-for-catalonia.php .nl Brings Numeric Domains .nl will see the beginning of numeric domains, Secura has announced that they are offering free pre-registration. http://www.webhostdir.com/news/articles/shownews.asp?id=24462 pe: New Policies On Registration Of Domain Names From December 8th 2007, it is in force the registration of the second level domains (eg. xxxxx.pe), apart from being shorter, easier to remember, the new domains ".pe" are faster to prosecute and can be traded by any one who wishes to do so. http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=57494 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** How Pakistan knocked YouTube offline (and how to make sure it never happens again) by Declan McCullagh This graph that network-monitoring firm Keynote Systems provided to us shows the worldwide availability of YouTube.com dropping dramatically from 100 percent to 0 percent for over an hour. It didn't recover completely until two hours had elapsed. A high-profile incident this weekend in which Pakistan's state-owned telecommunications company managed to cut YouTube off the global Web highlights a long-standing security weakness in the way the Internet is managed. After receiving a censorship order from the telecommunications ministry directing that YouTube.com be blocked, Pakistan Telecom went even further. By accident or design, the company broadcast instructions worldwide claiming to be the legitimate destination for anyone trying to reach YouTube's range of Internet addresses. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9878655-7.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62038171,00.htm http://businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2008/gb20080226_603535.htm Cybersquatting and Abuse to Mainstream Consumer Brands Intensified in 2007, According to Year-Long Trend Report by MarkMonitor [news release] MarkMonitor, the global leader in enterprise brand protection, today released the company?s latest Brandjacking Index, which finds that cybersquatting is the most common form of brand abuse?with a 33 percent jump in one year?and that brandjackers are abusing an expanding range of brands that consumers use everyday. The report also shows recent and significant drops in domain kiting and related pay-per-click fraud, indicating that aggressive legal action on the part of brandholders as well as ICANN scrutiny are proving effective in deterring specific brandjacking techniques. In addition, phishing techniques and targets continued in 2007 to evolve with a 533% increase in phish attacks against the retail and services sector. http://www.markmonitor.com/pressreleases/press-080225f.php Cyber-squatters reaping rich rewards Cyber-squatting continues to be the most prevalent form of online brand abuse after a 33 percent jump in the past year, new research reveals.. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2210422/cyber-squatting-rise http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=70830 http://www.infomaticsonline.co.uk/vnunet/news/2210422/cyber-squatting-rise Brands online face more assaults Whether it's cybersquatters selling fake iPods or porn purveyors perverting Disney cartoons, 2007 was another tough year for companies trying to defend their brands online, according to MarkMonitor Inc.'s Brandjacking Index report released this week. http://blogs.computerworld.com/brands_online_face_more_assaults E-scammers trashing reputations Phishers, cyber-squatters, and other online fraudsters continued their assault on well-known corporate brands over the last 12 months, increasing the burden on the companies being targeted and further frustrating consumers. According to MarkMonitor's annual "brand-jacking" report -- which attempts to gauge the level of damage being extracted on corporate reputations by online scammers via schemes like phishing -- problems only intensified last year for businesses in defending their public images online. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/25/E-scammers-trashing-reputations_1.html http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;61433912;fp;4194304;fpid;1 Why LLL.coms are no longer "safe" bets I do not consider LLL.com "risk free" bets anymore. While LLL.coms used to be a great way to flip a domain and make a pretty penny, that is increasingly no longer the case due to the increased risk. Now, there is greater risk putting large sums of money into a domain that could quite easily be taken from you in a UDRP. While 3L domains used to be sacred (e.g. assuming the registrant wasn't stupid, no one would be able to take the domain from him/her in a UDRP process). However, the sad fact is that WIPO and NAF have increasingly been willing to allow 3L domains to be taken away from the registrant. http://www.namepros.com/short-domain-discussion/436568-why-lll-coms-no-longer-safe.html#post2569188 ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** CADNA Supports Anti-Phishing Consumer Protection Act [news release] The Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse (CADNA), comprised of ten globally recognized brand-name companies, strongly supports the Anti-Phishing Consumer Protection Act (APCPA), introduced today by Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and cosponsored by Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Ted Stevens (R-AK). http://www.cadna.org/en/press-release-february-26-2008.html Snowe Introduces Bi-Partisan Legislation Aimed At Protecting Nation?s Internet Users [news release] A bi-partisan group of Senators from the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee led by U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), Bill Nelson (D-Florida) and the Committee?s Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), introduced today bi-partisan legislation aimed at ending the deceptive practice known as phishing. http://www.politickerme.com/snowe-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-aimed-protecting-nation%E2%80%99s-internet-users-949 us: Boehner Won?t Give Up Earmark Reform Website House Republicans aren?t giving in to order from the chief administrative officer to remove a website devoted to earmark reform. The site, earmarkreform.house.gov, remained active today despite an order from Dan Beard last week to shut it down. http://blog.heritage.org/2008/02/25/boehner-wont-give-up-earmark-reform-site/ us: Boehner defends anti-earmark site House Minority Leader John A. Boehner has refused to find a new home for his anti-earmark Web site after the House administrative officer said it violated chamber rules. http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080226/NATION/345424337 ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IPv6 Service at k.root-servers.net and IPv6 Glue for Root Name Servers On 4 February 2008 the IANA added IPv6 glue to the DNS root zone. This is a first quick look at measurement data for K-root, k.root-servers.net. It is based on data taken with the DNS Statistics Collector (DSC) tool, which we highly recommend. http://ripe.net/news/k-root-service-IPv6-glue.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Go Daddy Is A Trailblazer in Safeguarding Customer Data [news release] The Go Daddy Group, Inc. network of registrars are the first to back-up all of their customer information with an outside data storage firm under new regulations set forth by ICANN. https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/news/release_view.asp?news%5Fitem%5Fid=145&app%5Fhdr= Go Daddy Protects Domain Data Domain registrar and Web hosting provider Go Daddy (godaddy.com) announced on Monday that its network of registrars have become one of the first to back-up all of their customer information with an outside data storage firm under new regulations set forth by ICANN. http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/022508_Go_Daddy_Protects_Domain_Data.cfm Learn To Speak German For Five Reasons There are many reasons why someone would want or need to speak another language. Let's take German for example--why is German a good language to learn to speak? ... Second, the number of German websites is 2nd in popularity next to English speaking websites. You will have access to a lot more information online by speaking German. http://www.articlexplosion.com/articledetail.php?artid=53213 us: The IRS Cares What Type of Domainer You Are Guest author Sandy K. Brooks, CPA writes about tax implications for domainers. When discussing the tax implications of domaining, the first question that is often asked is, ?Are domain names property?? Yes, domains are property. Not only have they continually been proven to be property, they should be considered assets. An asset is anything with economic value. The domain name business would not be the successful, growing industry that it is today if domains had no economic value. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/02/26/the-irs-cares-what-type-of-domainer-you-are/ ********************** - AFTERMARKET ********************** Affiliate Summit Live Domain Auction Results Live blogging the Affiliate Summit Domain Auction Results - no guarantees on accuracy etc. The list below only contains sold domains. http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-auction/affiliate-summit-live-domain-auction-results/1453 Leap day auction - $250 reserves on new domains Leap Day AuctionWe?ve finalized the list of domains and activated bidding for the Leap Day Auction that will close on February 29 at 11am PST. We also put a few of the January domains back up and lowered the reserves on those domains 10%. Our review team selectively focused and added new domains to the auction list. All of the new domains have a reserve price of $250 or less, so if high reserves on names have prevented you from jumping into the domain business, this is a great time to get in the game. Those who have an appetite for domains with lots of potential should also be pleased with this list. http://blog.domaintools.com/2008/02/leap-day-auction-250-reserves-on-new-domains/ The Big List of Domain Auctions Domain auctions are one of the most important market venues for a domainer - whether you are a buyer or a seller. If you are a seller, they offer immediate liquidity for your domains - you don't need to wait for an end user (or another domainer) to show an interest in your domain. If you are a buyer, you have a choice of a number of often high quality domains available for purchase at wholesale levels. Even if you aren't buying or selling, the results of major domain auctions provide a good barometer of the health and direction of the domain market. http://www.domainbits.com/auctions/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Broadband: Open up those highways In eras past, economic success depended on creating networks that could shift people, merchandise and electric power as efficiently and as widely as possible. Today's equivalent is broadband: the high-speed internet service that has become as vital a tool for producers and distributors of goods as it is for people plugging into all the social and cultural opportunities offered by the web. http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10534573 Europe funds internet TV standard The European Union is spending 14m euros (?10.5m) to create a standard way to send TV via the net. An additional 5m euros (?3.7m) is being contributed to the project by 21 other partners including the BBC and the European Broadcasting Union. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7259339.stm au: Bare facts about porn Despite numerous polls during the past decade that show one in three adults has looked at sexually explicit material - videos, DVDs, magazines or the internet - porn is a topic rarely debated or openly discussed. How often does a colleague talk about the X-rated DVD he saw the night before? http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23253774-28737,00.html More Australian women using porn, says author [AAP] The traditional stereotype of a porn user is a dysfunctional middle aged man in a grubby raincoat, but that is being challenged by an unlikely newcomer to the scene, according to a new book on pornography in Australia. http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=27&ContentID=60324 Germans Like to Keep it Simple in Online Communities Online communities are multiplying like crazy, but most people prefer to keep it simple and just use them to keep in touch with friends, according to a new study in Germany. They're not interested in fancy features. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3141259,00.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Australian laws could scuttle iPhone deals The release of Apple's iPhone in Australia could be illegal under current trade practices laws, according to a group of Queensland law researchers. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/25/1203788250342.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/02/25/1203788250342.html Firefox crosses 500 million download mark Firefox downloads crossed the 500 million threshold last week. It's an arbitrary but interesting milestone for the open-source Web browser, whose development is overseen by Mozilla but that's also developed and extended by a large number of outside programmers. In September 2007, Firefox crossed the 400 million download mark, indicating an average rate a bit shy of 20 million per month at present. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62038109,00.htm Taliban issue ultimatum to Afghan mobile operators [Reuters] Taliban insurgents on Monday gave Afghan mobile phone operators three days to shut down their networks at night or face attack, as the rebels said international forces used the mobile phones to track them down. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKISL25211120080225 Nokia phone shows off wearable electronics It can be used as a keyboard, and it can even be used as a bracelet - but it's really a phone which Nokia thinks can lead the way in the next generation of mobile technology. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/25/1 Google Chips In to Build Trans-Pacific Telecom Cable Google is joining five other companies to lay a 6,200-mile undersea cable linking the US and Japan. Its partners in the so-called Unity cable project are telecommunications providers Bharti Airtel, Global Transit, KDDI, Pacnet and SingTel. Construction, to cost about $300 million, will begin immediately. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Google-Chips-In-to-Build-Trans-Pacific-Telecom-Cable-61840.html Google to invest in undersea cable to Asia [Bloomberg] Google will help build a $300 million undersea cable system with five other companies, becoming the only online search operator with its own network, Singapore Telecommunications said Tuesday. http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/26/business/google.php ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Works On Nepad Internet Cable Set to Start Soon Africa's dream to have faster and cheaper internet connections like the West is now closer to reality. This follows the approval of the Kigali Protocol on policy and regulatory framework for development of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, Nepad's Information and Communication Technology Broadband Infrastructure Network (NBIN), by Malawi last week. http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/business_power/Works_on_Nepad_internet_cable_set_to_start_soon.shtml http://allafrica.com/stories/200802252071.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** us: Latest E-Mail Scam Offers Reprieve -- at a Price -- >From Killer-for-Hire If only real hit men were so courteous. In recent months, authorities said, about a dozen Fairfax and Stafford county residents have received e-mails telling them that they are about to be killed. There is a twist: The killer offers a way out. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/25/AR2008022502612.html Aussie govt hunts outsourcer for e-threat warnings The Australian government hopes to make its national e-security alert service useful to Australian businesses by outsourcing its provider of threat information. The government's current threat update service--accessible via staysmartonline.gov.au--is updated at most twice per month and is sourced entirely from the U.K. government's IT Safe service. In contrast, the U.S.-Cert service--run by the country's Federal government--is updated once a day, if not more. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62038170,00.htm ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Pakistan lifts YouTube ban [AFP] Pakistan says it has lifted a ban on YouTube, after the website removed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, adding that an earlier worldwide outage sparked by its actions was unintentional. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/27/2173501.htm YouTube cut off over offensive cartoons Pakistan blocked access to YouTube yesterday because the website was carrying cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that have sparked protests by Muslims across the world. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3427816.ece YouTube outage might have been caused by Pakistan [Reuters] Pakistani Internet service providers may have inadvertently blocked the popular YouTube Web site across the world at the weekend when they restricted local access to the site, a telecommunications official said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKISL30210920080226 YouTube outage blamed on Pakistan Pakistan's attempts to block access to YouTube have been blamed for a near global blackout of the site on Sunday. Google, the owner of YouTube, blamed the outage on "erroneous internet protocols", sourced in Pakistan. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7262071.stm Finnish scandal unmasks censorship tactics by Milton Mueller For some time it has been known that law enforcement authorities in Norway and Finland have prepared lists of alleged child pornography web sites, and demanded that local Internet service providers block access to them. This model of blocking access was avidly picked up by Internet law enforcement authorities in other countries, including the Netherlands, where pressure has been placed on ISPs to block these sites or risk being publicly smeared as aiding and abetting child abuse. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/2/21/3537295.html ma: The Fake Prince of Facebook On the morning of February 5, plainclothes officers in Morocco picked up Fouad Mourtada in Casablanca, blindfolded him, and took him to the police station, where they reportedly tortured him until he lost consciousness. His crime: He had created a Facebook profile of Crown Prince Moulay Rachid, the King's brother. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080310/lalami Yang asks U.S. to seek release of jailed Chinese writers Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang is asking U.S. officials to secure the release of political dissidents jailed for using the Internet to share information about life in China. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62038112,00.htm Chinese Websites Sign Internet Video Agreement Eight websites have signed the Self-discipline Convention on Internet Audio and Video Program in Beijing to promote the long-term development of the online audio and video industry and create a good environment for growth of the industry. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/02/27/6436-chinese-websites-sign-internet-video-agreement/ Web censorship around the world Pakistan's attempts to block access to YouTube have been blamed for a near global blackout of the site on Sunday. It pulled the plug because it said the site featured clips which were offensive to Islam. The ban on YouTube has now been lifted. But Pakistan isn't the only country in the world which has censored or still censors what people can or cannot read online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7264000/7264277.stm ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ us: Computer-Generated Child Porn Hinders Law Enforcement [AP] Each week, about 100,000 sexually explicit images of children arrive on CDs or portable disk drives at Michelle Collins' office. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Computer-Generated-Child-Porn-Hinders-Law-Enforcement-61812.html uk: MPs get web filter 'dark ages' warning A Microsoft executive told MPs today that forcing software companies to install internet content filtering technology with high-security settings as standard to all computers would send the UK back to the "dark ages". http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/26/microsoft.digitalmedia Developments in internet filtering report - ACMA report released http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310554/developments_in_internet_filters_1streport.pdf Australian net filter at test phase The federal Government's plan to have internet service providers filter pornography and other internet content deemed inappropriate for children is going full-steam ahead. The Government wants to evaluate content filters in a controlled environment http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,23274585-5013040,00.html au: Education 'as effective as internet filtering' Better education about online safety would be just as effective as internet filtering to prevent children from accessing inappropriate material on the web, according to a report by Australia's communications watchdog. http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23272997-5014239,00.html Education could be more effective in ensuring kids' safety online [ANI] Improved education about online safety, not internet filtering, could be more effective in preventing children from viewing inappropriate material on the web, according to a report by Australia's communications regulator. http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=27075 http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/d805653303cbbba8/id/331296/cs/1/ http://www.dailyindia.com/show/219584.php/Education-could-be-more-effective-in-ensuring-kids-safety-online http://www.thecheers.org/news/World-news/news_13291_Education-could-be-more-effective-in-ensuring-kids-safety-online.html http://www.topnews.in/education-could-be-more-effective-ensuring-kids-safety-online-222528 http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/education-could-be-more-effective-in-ensuring-kids-safety-online_10021333.html Aussie internet censorship Australian IT reports that an Australian federal government agency has built a blacklist of illegal online gambling sites that has caught some industry players off guard. http://www.online-casinos.com/news/news6311.asp au: Costs threaten net nasty blocking plan The future of the $189 million NetAlert cyber-safety strategy initiated by the Howard government is in doubt. The centrepiece of the strategy, the $84.8 million national filter program, has been labelled a failure by the Rudd Government, as it looks to trim costs. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,23274587-5013040,00.html au: Betting page ban list confusion The federal Government has built a blacklist of illegal online gambling sites that has caught some industry players off guard. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23274589-15306,00.html ISP porn filters now ready for testing Expressions of interest close today for vendors hoping to secure a contract with the federal government and ACMA to provide an ISP-level filtering program, as part of a government effort to limit access to restricted and illegal online content. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/ISP-porn-filters-now-ready-for-testing/0,130061791,339286308,00.htm au: Web feud leads to alleged hit-and-run A schoolyard feud that extended to live computer messaging on the internet allegedly escalated into a terrifying hit-and-run that left a 15-year-girl with a crushed ankle and three teenagers facing serious charges. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23264911-421,00.html Free internet filter take-up disappointing [sub req'd] http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=204978 Japan cracks down on child porn [Reuters] Japan's ruling party plans to ban possession of child pornography after pressure from Washington to fall in with industrialised countries that have stepped up the fight against sexual exploitation of children. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/25/1203788248226.html us: When Blocking Porn Isn't Enough Last year, Security Fix looked at a free service that helps parents and other network administrators block adult Web sites for all of the PCs they control, without installing any software. Now, the company and community that built that service has expanded it to allow administrators to filter a wide range of online content, from hate speech sites and social networking forums to sites promoting drugs and alcohol. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/02/when_blocking_porn_isnt_enough_1.html us: PBS Kids makes play for 3-year-olds online PBS Kids on Friday unveiled a test version of an educational game site for kids age 3 to 6, in one of the first advertising-free efforts aimed at small children and their parents online. http://www.news.com/2009-1024-6230870.html us: Teachers strike back at students' online pranks Tech-savvy teenagers are increasingly paying a heavy price ? including criminal arrest ? for parodying their teachers on the Internet. Tired of fat jokes and false accusations of teacher-lounge partying or worse, teachers and principals are fighting back against digital ridicule and slander by their students ? often with civil lawsuits and long-term suspensions or permanent expulsions. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0225/p01s02-usgn.html uk: Spot where there isn't a pervert The map shows where child porn has been downloaded 14 million times in last 3 years in the UK. http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/2402_pervert.shtml ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* The militarisation of space: Disharmony in the spheres A hushed, dimmed hall in the nerve centre that controls America's air operations from Somalia to Afghanistan is dominated by giant video screens tracking coalition aircraft. Blue dots show the location of ground forces, with ?troops in contact? highlighted for priority air support. Smaller screens show live black-and-white footage, relayed by satellite from unmanned drones which, in their turn, are remotely controlled by pilots in America. http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10533205 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** us: F.C.C. to Act on Delaying of Broadband Traffic The head of the Federal Communications Commission and other senior officials said on Monday that they were considering taking steps to discourage cable and telephone companies from discriminating against content providers as the broadband companies go about managing heavy Internet traffic that they say is clogging their networks. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/technology/25cnd-fcc.html The FCC, Comcast, and Net Neutrality As Comcast Executive Vice-President David Cohen began his remarks at a hearing held by the Federal Communications Commission at Harvard Law School on Feb. 25, he knew he was in for a rough day. "It's a pleasure to be here as a participant and hopefully not as the main course for your meal." http://businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2008/tc20080225_498413.htm N.Y. Attorney General Subpoenas Comcast on Broadband [AP] The New York attorney general's office has requested information from Comcast Corp. on the company's handling of Internet traffic. "We have requested information from the company via subpoena," Jeffrey Lerner, a spokesman for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, said Tuesday. Comcast said it was cooperating with the AG's office. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Comcast-Data-Discrimination.html http://news.smh.com.au/ny-ag-subpoenas-comcast-on-broadband/20080213-1rzb.html http://news.theage.com.au/ny-ag-subpoenas-comcast-on-broadband/20080213-1rzb.html au: Telstra CDMA switch-off set for 28 April: Conroy Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy has hinted that Telstra could be given the formal go ahead to close its CDMA network on 28 April, after Telstra confirmed its plan to address the government's criticisms over the replacement Next G network. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Telstra-CDMA-switch-off-set-for-28-April-Conroy/0,130061791,339286302,00.htm ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** eu: "Draft Recommendation on the implementation of privacy, data protection and information security principles in applications supported by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): your opinion matters!". BACKGROUND: Following a first public consultation on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) held in 2006, the Commission has, through its Communication of 15th March 2007(1), committed itself to address some of the issues expressed by stakeholders regarding the risks to privacy, data protection and security by adopting a Recommendation on this matter. Given the importance of this subject, the Commission has decided to put up for public consultation all the articles that are currently being considered in its draft Recommendation. http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=RFIDRec +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- 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 Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address. www.yahoo7.com.au/y7mailReceived on Mon Mar 03 2008 - 11:16:13 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:09 UTC