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 May 22 edition of the news include: Editorial: Democracy and the Web | ICANN Sends Notice of Breach to Registrar Red Register | Ensuring Global Voices Heard at ICANN Cairo Meeting | Global Survey on Multilingualism in ICANN's Work Now Online | Ghosts of Root Servers Past by David Conrad | .car gTLD Proposal Launched | Australia crumbles under Cyber Storm attack | U.S. military cites growing China space, cyber threat | Global group to provide cyberattack early warnings | Lax ISPs add to Internet security problem | World has to move to IPv6--Vint Cerf | Most Spam Sites Tied to a Handful of Registrars | Working to make the internet safe | Melbourne IT goes beyond its domain | Is America.com a $12m name like Sex.com? And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Cairo Selected to Host ICANN's 33rd International Public Meeting http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-16may08.htm NIST Tool Helps Internet Master Top-level Domains [news release] http://nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2008_0513.htm#domains ICANN reforms threaten voice of IP owners http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=1933530 Gov'ts Must Intervene to End IP Address Shortage, Says OECD [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145925/govts_must_intervene_to_end_ip_address_shortage_says_oecd.html ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Governments and business must tackle Internet address shortage together, says OECD [news release] Governments and business must work together more effectively and urgently to meet the growing demand for Internet addresses and secure the future of the Internet economy, according to a new OECD report. With nearly 85% of all available Internet addresses already in use by May 2008, experts believe that, if current trends continue, addresses will run out by 2011. http://www.oecd.org/document/29/0,3343,en_2649_201185_40542045_1_1_1_1,00.html Internet address space: economic considerations in the management of IPv4 and in the deployment of IPv6 With nearly 85% of all available Internet addresses already in use, experts believe that, if current trends continue, Internet addresses will run out by 2011. What next? Will the Internet be able to scale to connect billions of people and devices to the Internet? This new report focuses on possible scenarios and on the need to deploy the newer version of the Internet Protocol, IP version 6 (IPv6). http://www.oecd.org/document/29/0,3343,en_2649_34225_40542045_1_1_1_1,00.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Cairo Selected to Host ICANN's 33rd International Public Meeting Cairo, Egypt will host the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' 33rd International Public Meeting from 2-7 November 2008. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-16may08.htm ICANN Posts Draft FY09 Operating Plan and Budget Each year, from July through December, ICANN's planning cycle calls for creation of the Strategic Plan. At the end of December 2007, the ICANN Board approved ICANN's Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is the three-year overview document that describes the strategic priorities for ICANN. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-17may08.htm NIST Tool Helps Internet Master Top-level Domains [news release] At the request of a worldwide Internet organization, a computer scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed an algorithm that may guide applicants in proposing new ?top-level domains??the last part of an Internet address, such as .com, that people type in navigating the Web. As new top-level domains are added to the familiar .com, .info and .net, the algorithm* checks whether the newly proposed name is confusingly similar to existing ones by looking for visual likenesses in its appearance. Having visually distinct top-level domain names may help avoid confusion in navigating the ever-expanding Internet and combat fraud, by reducing the potential to create malicious look-alikes: .C0M with a zero instead of .COM, for instance. http://nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2008_0513.htm#domains New algorithm weeds out malicious look-alike Internet domains [ANI] Experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed an algorithm that can check whether a proposed domain, the last part of an Internet address like .com, is confusingly similar to existing ones by looking for visual likenesses in its appearance. http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=61642 http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/new-algorithm-weeds-out-malicious-look-alike-internet-domains_10049896.html http://www.thecheers.org/news/Science/news_23988_New-algorithm-weeds-out-malicious-look-alike-Internet-domains.html ICANN reforms threaten voice of IP owners IP owners risk losing influence within ICANN, the not-for-profit body that regulates Internet domain names, under contentious proposals now being considered to restructure the organization http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=1933530 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** .Asia Sunrise and Landrush Auctions Integrity Uncompromised [news release] In response to recent allegations against DotAsia and auction services provider Pool.com, DotAsia issued a statement yesterday clarifying false claims that inappropriate behaviour by DotAsia has affected ongoing .Asia Sunrise and Landrush Auctions. http://dotasia.org/pressreleases/DotAsia-PR-2008-05-15.html .ME Selects Deloitte to Perform Audit of Applications for Sunrise Registrations [news release] The .ME Registry ( a dba of doMEn d.o.o.,) the official registry operator for the new .ME domain name extension, announced that it has selected Deloitte Enterprise Risk Services and the Deloitte aligned law firm of Laga to provide audit services for its Sunrise pre-registration period for intellectual property holders. http://www.nic.me/index.php?page=12&news=85 ICANN Approves RegistryPro Proposal to Expand the .Pro TLD RegistryPro ... has received approval from ... ICANN to greatly expand the scope and availability of the .Pro TLD. The newly ratified terms of service increases the number of professionals who are eligible for the TLD, extends the availability globally, and streamlines the registration process. http://www.digit-life.com/archive.shtml?2008/0514 "Dotsport" Trademark Application A trademark application for "dotsport" has been made by Patrick Vande Walle to the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market. While there is not much information available, could this be the prelude to an application for a .sport gTLD application? http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=4969 http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/05/18/dotsport-trademark-application/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/dotsport-trademark-application.html ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Spain arrests 'prolific' hackers Spanish police have arrested five hackers they describe as being among the most active on the internet. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7406260.stm ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** us: Baylor Bears Go Hunting for Baylor.com Baylor University, a Christian school in Waco, Texas, has filed a UDRP arbitration to get the domain name Baylor.com. The school?s official web address is Baylor.edu. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/05/16/baylor-bears-go-hunting-for-baylorcom/ Cybersquatter using Bharti domain names restrained The Delhi high court has restrained a cybersquatter from using the domain names bhartiwalmart.in and bharti-wal-mart.com. http://www.livemint.com/2008/05/19012344/Cybersquatter-using-Bharti-dom.html ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Gov'ts Must Intervene to End IP Address Shortage, Says OECD [IDG] Businesses alone are not doing enough to avert an impending shortage of Internet Protocol addresses, and governments must work with them to secure the future of the Internet economy, according to a report published Thursday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145925/govts_must_intervene_to_end_ip_address_shortage_says_oecd.html OECD warns on net address change Slow progress on the net's new addressing system risks breaking it into regional blocks, warns the OECD. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7404596.stm Internet may run out of addresses by 2011, warns OECD The internet could run out of addresses by 2011, cutting off access to new users and stifling creativity across the globe, unless governments step up their investment, the OECD warned today. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/05/15/bcninternet1.xml OECD notes IPv4 depletion, nudges governments towards IPv6 In preparation for the OECD ministerial meeting titled "The Future of the Internet Economy" in Seoul next month, the OECD released a report analyzing the rapid depletion of IPv4 addresses. The report cites the commonly held wisdom that addresses for the currently used version of the Internet Protocol (IP) will run out at some time in 2011. With that in mind, the authors recognize that, if we have to choose among wider use of NAT, allowing for address trading, and adopting IPv6, the latter is the only option that works in the long run. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080515-oecd-notes-ipv4-depletion-nudges-governments-towards-ipv6.html World economy group gives IPv6 big push The OECD sounded an alarm bell yesterday over the rapid depletion of IPv4 internet addresses and gave the IPv6 protocol another push. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/16/oecd_ipv6_report/ Is Enough Progress being Made on IPv6? IPv6 is the corporate and government version of exercising and eating vegetables: Everyone agrees it?s a good thing, but somehow most find a way to put it off. Despite the stark reality that the Internet is running out of addresses under the old scheme ? IPv4 ? momentum toward the new approach has been marginal. http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/cip/?p=341 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** INTA meeting in Berlin this week The International Trademark Association is holding its 130th annual meeting in Berlin starting this weekend. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/202/inta-meeting-in-berlin-this-week.php Internet Law - Domain Names and Dilusion of Trademarks The case of E. & J. Gallo Winery v. Spider Webs Ltd, considered the issue of dilution of a trademark through the use of domain names. In this case, plaintiff, a holder of a trademark, sued defendant under the Anti-Cyber Squatting Act and under Texas Anti-delusion and Trademark Law. The case was decided in 2002 and became one of the first cases in applying ("ACPA") together with state intellectual property laws. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=articles&id=20812F6F-2C05-42E4-B844-2AE8343769B3 Using Maths To Sort Out TLD Confusion Stephane's latest post talks about an attempt to use a mathematical algorithm to help decide on which TLDs to allow in the future. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/05/15/using-maths-to-sort-out-tld-confusion/ DNS Trouble Knocks NSA off Internet A server problem at the U.S. National Security Agency has knocked the secretive intelligence agency off the Internet. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,145945-c,security/article.html DNS gaffe leaves spy agency totally under cover The unavailability of the US National Security Agency website on Thursday has been linked to misconfigured DNS (Domain Name System) servers. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/16/nsa_dns_glitch/ VeriSign will not revive Site Finder despite patent VeriSign has claimed it will not resurrect its controversial URL-typo redirection service, after it was awarded a patent for the idea. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39418763,00.htm ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** The Domain Game Books Releases Soon Wall Street Journal reporter David Kesmodel?s book about the domain industry, ?The Domain Game?, will be released soon. He just launched a web site about the book at theDomainGame.org. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/05/18/the-domain-game-books-releases-soon/ Domain Development is harder than Domain Parking Leonard Holmes of ParkQuick details the trials and tribulations of domain development. Are you getting tired of parking domains? Are you serious about developing? http://domainnamewire.com/2008/05/17/domain-development-is-harder-than-domain-parking/ Jobs.ca Changes Hands in Blockbuster Deal That Ranks Among the Year's Ten Biggest Domain Sales Jobs.ca takes the spotlight this week after being sold for $600,000 in the biggest Canadian country code sale ever reported. Ogopogo Media purchased the domain from Montreal's Domed Technologies Inc. Ogopogo's founders, Shaun Pilfold and Robert Montgomery are well known in domain circles. I had more about this deal in a post in our Lowdown section Tuesday morning (May 6). http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales05-13-08.htm CNET Staffers Happy to be CBS Employees CNET staffers are joking that CBS bought their company purely for the coveted News.com domain name. But nobody is complaining about the windfall. http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2008/05/cbs_cnet_insiders Israel.com: Bidding Starts At $5.5 Million Moniker.com plans to part with a number of domain names at auction on May 23rd. One of the domains will be Israel.com, with the highest starting bid in the group. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/05/15/israelcom-bidding-starts-at-55-million Domain Flipping Covered by Local Jacksonville TV Station First Coast News covers domain flipping and the story of Natalie Williams a Jacksonville, Florida resident who has gone from a single income family on welfare to owning a home and 2 cars by flipping domains, pulling in as much as $2500 a month. http://www.domainnamenews.com/domain-aftermarket/domain-flipping-covered-by-local-jacksonville-tv-station/1583 Ask.com Tries Again (and Not Just With Women) Ask.com is not giving up on its quest to compete with the big search engines. Ask.com, owned by Barry Diller?s IAC/InterActiveCorp, plans to announce Thursday that it has agreed to acquire privately held Lexico, which owns Dictionary.com, as well as Thesaurus.com and Reference.com. Ask.com?s new chief executive, Jim Safka, declined to disclose terms of the deal. Last year, Lexico had agreed to be acquired by the owner of Answers.com for $100 million in cash, but the deal fell through. A person with knowledge of the transaction said Ask.com would be paying roughly that amount. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/askcom-tries-again-and-not-just-with-women/ Ask.com to acquire Lexico Publishing Search firm Ask.com is to acquire Lexico Publishing Group which owns Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com and Reference.com. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2216752/ask-com-acquire-lexico ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Remaking the Movies: Digital Content and the Evolution of the Film and Video Industries This new publication analyses how film and video industry value chains and business models are being changed by news ways of creating, distributing and using digital content. It explores how digital content affects the function and position of participants along the commercial industry value chain, and the policy implications of these changes. http://www.oecd.org/document/53/0,3343,en_2649_37441_40569461_1_1_1_37441,00.html http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&st1=932008011P1 http://213.253.134.43/oecd/pdfs/browseit/9308011E.PDF Effective use of digital communications and media increasingly important for participation in Australian society, research finds [news release] Appropriate skills and confidence in using new communications and media services are increasingly important for participation in all aspects of Australian society according to research released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. ACMA commissioned the report, titled Media Literacy - Concepts, Research and Regulatory Issues, from consultants Dr. Robyn Penman and Associate Professor Sue Turnbull to examine media literacy in consumer education and protection activities. Broadly defined, media literacy means the ability to access, understand and create communications in a variety of contexts. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311154 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Interview: Mobile Internet will take over PCs by 2016 Surfing the Web on a personal computer will become old-fashioned in less than ten years when the majority of Internet users are expected to access the Net through their mobile handsets, Geraldine Wilson, vice president of Yahoo! Europe Connected Life, told EurActiv in an interview. http://euractiv.com/en/infosociety/interview-mobile-internet-take-pcs-2016/article-172393 Study finds Internet influence small when buying [AP] The Internet is routinely used when making buying decisions, but its influence is small compared with offline channels such as friends and sales personnel, a new study finds. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/18/financial/f130045D84.DTL http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1094965 http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/409048.html http://news.smh.com.au/technology/study-finds-internet-influence-small-when-buying-20080519-2fqt.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/study-finds-internet-influence-small-when-buying-20080519-2fqt.html 'Ordinary' Arabs to retake Internet: Wikipedia founder [AFP] An explosion in Internet usage in the Middle East by "ordinary" people will show the world that the region is just like anywhere else, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said on Sunday. http://news.smh.com.au/technology/ordinary-arabs-to-retake-internet-wikipedia-founder-20080519-2fqg.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/ordinary-arabs-to-retake-internet-wikipedia-founder-20080519-2fqg.html Newspapers 'must change their focus' Newspapers around the world need to change focus from their product to their audience if they are to survive the digital media age, according to a report analysing the global outlook. http://business.theage.com.au/newspapers-must-change-their-focus-20080515-2ero.html http://business.smh.com.au/newspapers-must-change-their-focus-20080515-2ero.html Google overtakes Yahoo as most-visited U.S. Web site The bad news just doesn't seem to end for Yahoo Inc. As the Internet portal prepares to fend off a proxy fight by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, new research from comScore Inc. concludes that for the first time, Google Inc. has overtaken Yahoo as the most-visited Web site in the U.S. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9086259 http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146003-c,google/article.html comScore Media Metrix Ranks Top 50 U.S. Web Properties for April [news release] comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its monthly analysis of U.S. consumer activity at the top online properties for April 2008 based on data from the comScore Media Metrix service. April saw Google Sites attain the number one spot in the Top 50 U.S. Properties ranking for the first time in its history with a total audience of more than 141 million visitors. Content categories showing gains in April included job search, career resources, and television sites. http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2229 A pioneer of Internet commerce, with roots in porn ... There is an echo of truth in all of this. Though most Internet buffs have probably never heard of him, Gordon, 62, played a significant role in the birth of electronic commerce. While Amazon.com and eBay were still fledgling enterprises, the companies that Gordon founded in the early 1990s were already laying the groundwork for electronic transactions conducted with credit cards. http://iht.com/articles/2008/05/18/technology/gordo19.php http://iht.com/articles/2008/05/18/technology/18gordo.php ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Can start-up Wired Trust build a Web 2.0 safety net? A group of Internet safety experts plans to announce next month a new start-up aimed at helping social networks provide safer Web 2.0 environments for kids and adults. The company, called Wired Trust, will officially launch July 1. It will be one of the first consulting companies designed specifically to help social networks and kids' virtual worlds navigate safety issues in an age of cyberbullying, Internet predators, and anything-goes content from members. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9942426-7.html uk: Police take hard line on mass pillow fight Police in Leeds are hoping to prevent an outbreak of internet-enabled mayhem after thousands were invited to a public pillow fight through Facebook. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/16/ukcrime.socialnetworking Junk email triples on social networks Junk messages are following users and advertising dollars to social networking sites, according to an anti-spam researcher, who found that spam levels have tripled in recent months. http://techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?newsID=101512 Username Squatting Apparently there is not only domain name squatting, also frequently referred to as cybersquatting or typosquatting, but username squatting too. Most companies do not open an account under their company name at the popular social networking sites, and that?s why about every well-known business name has been taken by users now infringing on the respective companies? trademarks. http://www.dmueller.com/2008/05/16/online-marketing/username-squatting/ ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Warning: Using a mobile phone while pregnant can seriously damage your baby Women who use mobile phones when pregnant are more likely to give birth to children with behavioural problems, according to authoritative research. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/warning-using-a-mobile-phone-while-pregnant-can-seriously-damage-your-baby-830352.html Mobile-phone microscopes: Doctor on call Simple accessories could turn mobile phones into useful medical devices: Robi Maamari stares intently at the screen of his mobile phone. The student is not squinting to tap out yet another daft text message, but looking carefully for the faint blue dots that are the tell-tale diagnostic signature of malaria. http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11367989 Mozilla launches Firefox 3.0 RC1 early Mozilla Corp. on Friday rolled out the release candidate for Firefox 3.0, bringing the open-source browser one step closer to its first major overhaul in nearly 19 months. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9086458 Firefox 3 release candidate goes public The initial release candidate of Firefox 3 is ready for download. It's a public preview of the new Firefox code, available in 45 languages, aimed at developers and early adopters to test out the new features. It has an extensive list of known bugs. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9946553-7.html Firefox 3.0 RC 1 takes the lead on speed The Mozilla dev team claims to have squeezed more performance out of Firefox 3.0. The betas were fast, so has the team been able to get more out of their code? http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1887 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Microsoft is joining low-cost laptop project After years of conflict, Microsoft and the computing and education project One Laptop Per Child, have reached an agreement that will put Windows on the organization's computers. http://iht.com/articles/2008/05/16/technology/16laptop.php http://nytimes.com/2008/05/16/technology/16laptop.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** uk: Ofcom research highlights identity fraud worry [news release] Concerns about identity fraud and other people using personal details have risen by 15% in two years, Ofcom research revealed today. Additionally, over two-thirds (69%) of people are concerned about the amount of personal information that companies hold about them. http://ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2008/05/nr_20080516 uk: Soca reveals its cybercrime-fighting successes The police body tasked with fighting e-crime in the UK has revealed some of its cybercrime-fighting successes ? but e-crime still appears a low priority. The 2007 to 2008 report details work by Soca (the Serious Organised Crime Agency) over the past year. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39418761,00.htm War against cyberterrorism to be long and ruthless At the recent international conference on information security cyberterrorism has bee called on the most acute problems. The chairman of the Council of Federation Sergey Mironov has proposed to develop a range of measures to combat internet terrorism and toughen the punishment for those providers that deploy extremist resources. Experts consider the measures proposed ineffective. http://eng.cnews.ru/news/top/indexEn.shtml?2008/05/15/300367 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Shops secretly track customers via mobile phone Customers in shopping centres are having their every move tracked by a new type of surveillance that listens in on the whisperings of their mobile phones. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3945496.ece Bell Canada Hit With Privacy Complaint Over Deep Packet Inspection Practices CIPPIC has filed a privacy complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada over Bell's deep packet inspection practices. With CAIP raising the privacy issue in its submission to the CRTC, it was only a matter of time before the Privacy Commissioner was asked to intervene. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2916/125/ ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Study: Comcast, Cox blocking BitTorrent throughout United States The Max Planck Institute for Software Systems released a study today showing that Cox Communications and Comcast have been blocking BitTorrent transfers within the United States at both peak and non-peak hours. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/051508-comcast-cox-block-bittorrent.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1291520067 http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,145952-c,networking/article.html Study: Cox, Comcast Play Traffic Cop Day and Night Cox Communications is actively blocking BitTorrent file-sharing users from enjoying unfettered Internet services, according to a new study based on more than 8,000 Internet users. Like Comcast , which was the first major cable Internet service provider (ISP) to be outed for throttling peer-to-peer data, Cox says it interferes with the traffic to ensure quality service for all of its customers. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/63033.html us: Music download case may be retried [AP] A Minnesota woman ordered to pay $222,000 in the nation's first music download trial may get another chance with a jury. The issue is whether record companies have to prove anyone else actually downloaded their copyrighted songs, or whether it's enough to argue that a defendant made copyrighted music available for copying. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-piracy16-2008may16,0,6294877.story Internet re-broadcaster predicts rapid growth Controversial online television re-broadcaster Zattoo.com says that it will have five million users across Europe by the end of the year, more than doubling its size in the next six months. http://out-law.com/page-9122 us: Royalty Logic Seeks To Prove Copyright Board Unconstitutional Judges Just when record labels thought it was safe to start charging webcasters on a per-listener, per-song basis, the US Copyright Royalty Board that set the rates has been charged unconstitutional in the Federal Court of Appeals. http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/05/disgruntled-web.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Cuba blames US for Internet restrictions A top Cuban official said Friday that Raul Castro's government would consider loosening Internet restrictions on ordinary citizens newly allowed to purchase computers - but Washington's decades-old economic embargo makes it impossible. http://www.kansascity.com/451/story/623278.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Missouri Woman Accused of Driving Girl to Suicide Is Indicted in California In a highly unusual use of a federal law generally employed in computer fraud cases, a federal grand jury here on Thursday indicted a Missouri woman accused of using a phony online identity to trick and taunt a 13-year-old girl, who committed suicide in response to the cyberbaiting. http://nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/16myspace.html Woman indicted in Missouri MySpace suicide case A Missouri woman was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR2008051502443.html L.A. files 'cyber bully' charges against Missouri mother in connection with girl's suicide Invoking a criminal statute more commonly used to go after computer hackers or crooked government employees, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles on Thursday charged a Missouri mother with fraudulently creating a MySpace account and using it to "cyber-bully" a 13-year-old girl who later committed suicide. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-myspace16-2008may16,0,3642392.story US 'cyber-bully' mother indicted A Missouri woman who allegedly used a fake MySpace profile to bully a girl who later committed suicide has been indicted by a federal Grand Jury. Lori Drew, 49, allegedly posed as a boy on the website to befriend Megan Meier, 13, who hanged herself after he broke off the virtual relationship. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7403957.stm Woman Indicted In Cyber-Bully Suicide A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted a woman for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who later committed suicide. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/15/tech/main4100052.shtml Woman indicted in MySpace hoax suicide A 49-year-old Missouri woman accused of pretending to be a love-struck teenage boy on MySpace and drove a 13-year-old girl to suicide with cruel messages was indicted on Thursday on federal charges. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKN1541585320080515 Experts Say MySpace Suicide Indictment Sets 'Scary' Legal Precedent In their eagerness to visit justice on a 49-year-old woman involved in the Megan Meier MySpace suicide tragedy, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles are resorting to a novel and dangerous interpretation of a decades-old computer crime law -- potentially making a felon out of anybody who violates the terms of service of any website, experts say. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/05/myspace-indictm.html Missouri lawmakers pass bill against cyber-harassment after MySpace suicide case [AP] Responding to the suicide of a Missouri teenager who was teased over the Internet, state lawmakers Friday gave final approval to a bill making cyber-harassment illegal. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-na-suicide17-2008may17,0,5544114.story Routine conduct at risk with MySpace suicide case [AP] Think twice before you sign up for an online service using a fake name or e-mail address. You could be committing a federal crime. Federal prosecutors turned to a novel interpretation of computer hacking law to indict a Missouri mother on charges connected to the suicide of a 13-year-old MySpace user. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/17/AR2008051700506.html Japanese bill takes aim at child porn holders The ruling coalition has compiled a bill to stiffen the law against child prostitution and child pornography by criminalizing the possession of such pornographic material for personal use, sources said Friday. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nn20080517b1.html US Senators OK $1 billion for online child porn fight A U.S. Senate panel has unanimously approved a bill that would encourage federal, state, and local police to use and create special software designed to nab child pornography swappers on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9945915-7.html Internet 'clean feed' useless - group THE Australian public is being urged to reject the Federal Government's plan to censor the internet. Online advocacy group Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) says the Government's decision to fund its mandatory "clean feed" internet in the 2008-09 Federal Budget is a waste of taxpayers money. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23703641-12377,00.html http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23703642-5014239,00.html au: Tougher blocks for net porn ISPs have been handed the task of blocking people from accessing illegal pornography, as part of a revamped Government internet safety policy. http://business.theage.com.au/tougher-blocks-for-net-porn-20080513-2dt8.html http://business.smh.com.au/tougher-blocks-for-net-porn-20080513-2dt8.html Kid e-Land: Disney's DGamer Enters the Crowded Virtual World Disney is hoping that after kids check out the new "Chronicles of Narnia" movie this weekend, they'll want to go online and chat about it using game characters dressed in fashions from the movie's dreamworld. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR2008051503762.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** CRTC to hold hearings on Internet regulation Canada's broadcast watchdog will hold public hearings next year into the thorny question of extending its purview to the Internet, a medium that it deemed a regulatory-free zone nearly a decade ago. http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/425759 CRTC launches consultation on broadcasting in new media for future hearing [news release] The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today launched a consultation on broadcasting in the new media environment for a public hearing to be held in early 2009. The Commission is asking for public input on the scope of such a proceeding. ?The Commission has a responsibility to ensure that the broadcasting system is in a position to achieve the objectives of the Broadcasting Act, today as well as in the future,? said Konrad von Finckenstein, Q.C., Chairman of the CRTC. ?New digital technologies and platforms are creating opportunities for the broadcast of professionally-produced Canadian content that simply didn't exist a few years ago. Our intention is not to regulate new media, but rather to gain a better understanding of this environment and, if necessary, to propose measures that would support the continued achievement of the Broadcasting Act's objectives.? http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/NEWS/RELEASES/2008/r080515.htm UK Government orders data retention by ISPs Phone and internet companies will soon be forced to keep logs of internet usage to be made available to the police under a new law announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown this week. The law, the Communications Data Bill, will implement the remainder of the European Union's Data Retention Directive. http://out-law.com/page-9121 au: ACS calls for internet 'snoop' safeguards AUSTRALIA's IT industry group is calling on the federal Government to adopt guidelines surrounding the use of workplace internet records. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23684766-5013044,00.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Icahn Is Said to Plan a Proxy Battle at Yahoo Carl C. Icahn, the billionaire investor and activist shareholder, has decided to move ahead with plans for a proxy fight at Yahoo and will propose a dissident slate of directors, people with knowledge of the plans said Wednesday. http://nytimes.com/2008/05/15/technology/15yahoo.html A Very Hostile Bid for Yahoo: Salvo From Icahn Opens Proxy War When Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer was trying to buy Yahoo, he didn't want to appear disagreeable, let alone hostile. Now comes billionaire investor Carl C. Icahn, who has no such qualms. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR2008051500707.html Pursuit of Yahoo Shows Microsoft Needs a Franchise Two weeks after walking away from takeover talks with Yahoo, Microsoft made clear on Sunday that it still needed to create an Internet powerhouse that could rival Google ? and that its interest in Yahoo had not waned. http://nytimes.com/2008/05/19/technology/19soft.html Microsoft, Yahoo! Resume Talks Microsoft said Sunday that it is considering doing an unspecified deal with Yahoo!, but it's not seeking another acquisition of the Internet portal--at least for now. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/05/18/microsoft-yahoo-deal-tech-cx_wt_0518microhoo.html Microsoft mulls fresh Yahoo deal Microsoft has said it is considering a deal with Yahoo which would not involve a full buyout of the company. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7407585.stm Yahoo, Microsoft discuss alternative deal Under pressure from disgruntled shareholders, Yahoo Inc. has begun a new round of strategic talks with Microsoft Corp. that have focused on a deal short of an outright takeover, Microsoft said today. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-na-microsoft19-2008may19,0,4927937.story Microsoft, Yahoo Discuss New Deal Microsoft is once again in negotiations with Yahoo and could make another bid to acquire the company, Microsoft officials announced yesterday. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051801510.html Microsoft proposes alternative deal to Yahoo Microsoft Corp said on Sunday it has proposed an alternative deal to Yahoo, rather than a full acquisition, in a move that could save the web pioneer from fighting a proxy battle with financier Carl Icahn. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKWEN581220080519 Attention CNET Shoppers: CNET Open to Higher Bidders CNET Networks surprised the market, and no doubt Jana Partners, with its announcement Thursday that it would be acquired by CBS. But the merger agreement filed by CNET on Thursday contains its own surprise. CNET has negotiated a rather unique provision that gives it more leeway than usual to find another, higher bidder. If it can. http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/attention-cnet-shoppers/ CBS in Deal to Buy CNet to Increase Online Ads ... On Thursday, CBS announced a $1.8 billion deal to buy the online media brand CNet Networks, home of Web sites like CNet.com (on technology), BNet (on business), GameSpot (on video games), TV.com (on television), and CHOW (on cooking). http://nytimes.com/2008/05/16/business/media/16cnet.html CBS Turns Its Eye to the Web, Landing Network of Tech Sites CBS will buy CNet Networks, one of the Internet's most-viewed family of tech-oriented sites, for $1.8 billion in cash, the two companies said yesterday, substantially expanding the online footprint of the Eye network and creating another May-December media marriage. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content//article/2008/05/15/AR2008051501003.html CNet?s Allure for CBS: Both Are Laggards ... CNet has been diversifying away from technology into some other areas that may be of use for CBS. It is building its BNet service for small businesses. Intriguingly for CBS, CNet also owns TV.com, which it has been trying to use to create an entertainment and television fan portal. Owning CNet?s News.com domain name might even lead to a revival strategy for the once great CBS News. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/why-cbs-is-the-ideal-buyer-for-cnet-they-are-both-laggards/ Microsoft v. DOJ, 10 years later: Did it make a difference? Ten years ago today, the United States Department of Justice filed a landmark antirust lawsuit against Microsoft. Six months later, Google incorporated in Menlo Park, Ca. http://www.news.com/8301-10787_3-9946945-60.html. ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** au/nz: Cable firm plans to snap link monopoly THE idle Basslink optic-fibre cable could break the Telstra monopoly on Bass Strait internet traffic by the end of the year, its owners said yesterday. http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23707528-3462,00.html au: NBN legislation passed The Rudd government and the Coalition have put aside their differences to pass legislation vital to the federal Government's national broadband network tender. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23704273-16123,00.html ********************** VoIP ********************** Cell phone, VoIP technologies lack security, experts say Be careful what you say over that mobile phone or VoIP system. The most widely used mobile phone standard, GSM, is so insecure that it is easy to track peoples' whereabouts and with some effort even listen in on calls, a security expert said late on Saturday at the LayerOne security conference. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9946665-7.html Wiretapping's Fuzzy Future: VoIP Causes Problems The Internet has never cared much for legal boundaries. Phishers steal credit cards across oceans and off-shore sites offer gambling with little regard for the laws of the countries where their victims or customers are located. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/05/15/wiretapping-voip-lichtblau-tech-security08-cx_ag_0515wiretap.html Phreak-out over VoIP Phreaking, the hacking of telephone systems, has entered the VoIP age and could become a big problem unless operators tighten up their security, according to a VoIP specialist. http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/news/2216851/phreak-voip ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** Man on child porn charges ALLEGEDLY found with more than 10,000 child pornography images on his computer, Ipswich's Neil James Gorman was freed on bail yesterday friday because the children involved were from overseas. http://www.qt.com.au/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3772825 Qantas passenger viewed child porn in airport lounge Qantas has defended the adequacy of its internet filters after a man accessed child pornography in its Melbourne Airport lounge. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/05/19/1211049115897.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/05/19/1211049115897.html http://stuff.co.nz/4553602a12.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (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/mailReceived on Wed May 21 2008 - 22:05:31 UTC
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