Don't forget to check out www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last three months of the news. And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Multistakeholder Advisory Group Renewed To Prepare Internet Governance Forum Meeting In Hyderabad, India [news release] http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/417AFED5138FD8E5C12574AD002E6C13 nz: Dispute Resolution Service - Experts and Mediators [news release] http://dnc.org.nz/story/30317-29-1.html 7 million .uk domain names now registered http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5785 On the Web, battle over trademarks begins http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/01/technology/01copyright.php MarkMonitor reports brandjackers abuse pharmaceutical brands http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5786 Misleading Web addresses lead to anti-Obama site http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-trailobama30-2008aug30,0,3398842.story GoDaddy Hikes Price of .Net and .Org Domain Names to $13.19 http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/28/godaddy-hikes-price-of-net-and-org-domain-names-to-1319/ ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Diffusion and Adoption of IPv6 in the Arin Region by Hillary Elmore, Brandon Stephens & L. Jean Camp [Indiana University Bloomington - School of Informatics] Abstract: In the near term there will be no available, unallocated IPv4 addresses. From original estimates of IPv4 exhaustion in 2037, the most widely-cited current estimates for ARIN IPv4 address depletion is now at 2013. This deadline gives a particular importance to IPv6 adoption. The goals of this work were to identify valid measures of IPv6 diffusion and use classic diffusion models to bound the uncertainty in those measures. With these measures and simple models we can bound best case, current projection and reasonably optimistic cases for the adoption of the IPv6 protocol. For these ends, the work discusses previous analysis of IPv6 routes and ASN data from ARIN to quantify the current adoption rate. We conclude that there is no reasonable case for diffusion of IPv6 before IPv4 full allocation. The second significant contribution, besides measurement and bounding uncertainty, that is provided in this paper is to what extent the now well established fundamental findings of the economics of computer security can apply to the diffusion of IPv6. The second significant but unanswered question is if the creation of a transferrable property interest in IPv4 addresses, informed by computer security economics, will hinder or galvanize IPv6 adoption. In order to address these questions the paper provides some non-trivial insights on IPv6 through presenting sketches of four scenarios: no action, IPv4 market creation, coordination government action and registrar- only management. As much as conclusions, this paper offers a set of questions that are critical to consider. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1255262 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Majority Favors Global Internet Bill of Rights Key rights granted under the global Internet Bill of Rights would be freedom of information, freedom of expression, and the right of people to have affordable access. http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/policy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210201515 Multistakeholder Advisory Group Renewed To Prepare Internet Governance Forum Meeting In Hyderabad, India [news release] The membership of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group, which is entrusted with assisting in the preparations for the annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum, has been renewed. http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/417AFED5138FD8E5C12574AD002E6C13 IGF Advisory Group Renewed, Expanded by Brenden Kuerbis The IGF?s Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) has been renewed, adding 17 new appointments, which brings the total number of advisers up to 50. We provide a quick review of the new appointees. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/25/3855131.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN Studienkreis Warschau A short video on the ICANN Studienkreis Warsaw has been posted on YouTube by dotBerlin. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByKS_ex4NtY ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** New Geographical Top-Level Domains and Auctions by Dirk Krischenowski I was surprised by ICANN's "Economic Case for Auctions in New gTLDs" paper especially with view to the latest presentation on the new generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) implementation process in Paris. That Paris presentation highlighted the protection of community interests such as religious organisations, geographically based communities or indigenous groups and suggested a preference of bona fide community-based applicants against pure generic applications for the same string. Contrary to this the only text passage in the current paper where ICANN considered the community-based applicants is "a 25% bidding credit could be offered to community-based bidders whose community is located primarily in least-developed countries". This reminds me of the discussion on discounts for HIV medicine. http://www.circleid.com/posts/88299_geographical_gtld_icann_auction/ .bg eases domain registration Register.BG has extended the possibilities for domain name registration in the .bg zone, allowing the registrants on their own risk to register domain names without providing grounds for the name. In order to solve potential disputes between registrants and domain name applicants, Register.BG establishes a Dispute committee. https://www.register.bg/user/index_en.html https://www.centr.org/main/news/4525-CTR.html KENIC embarks on aggressive .ke marketing campaign [IDG] Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC), the administrator of .ke top-level domains, has embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign to promote the local domain name. http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/08/29/kenic-embarks-aggressive-ke-marketing-campaign http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/082908-kenic-embarks-on-aggressive-ke.html Dot-Mobi, We Hardly Knew Ye Dot-mobi ... lived a brief (and not particularly productive) life. The iPhone killed it. Marketers, as well as consumers, will ultimately be better off without it because it's getting easier to build sites for, as well as to browse, the mobile Web without jumping through too many additional development, architectural and duplicate content issues. http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3630696 Dot-Mobi, Dead or Alive? Should search marketers optimize Web pages for the ".mobi" domain, which is exclusively for mobile applications, or focus on ".com" and other major Web domains? http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3630613 EuroDNS modifies communication concerning co.nl at SIDN?s insistence [news release] In June, SIDN responded to enquiries from registrars and registrants regarding the activities of EuroDNS, which had recently started marketing services associated with the domain name co.nl. The way that these activities were presented to the public was felt to be potentially misleading with regard to the nature of the services and to the involvement of SIDN. http://www.sidn.nl/ace.php/c,728,5927,,,,EuroDNS_modifies_communication_concerning_co_nl_at_SIDN_s_insistence.html nz: Dispute Resolution Service - Experts and Mediators [news release] The Domain Name Commission administers a dispute resolution service for .nz domain names. Applications are currently being sought for three mediators and three experts to be involved in the system. Applications close at 5pm on Thursday 25 September 2008. http://dnc.org.nz/story/30317-29-1.html .ORG Community Websites Now 7 Million Strong [news release] .ORG, The Public Interest Registry, the registry behind the global .ORG domain name, announced today that more than 7 million domain names are now registered as .ORG, making it the third largest generic domain (after .com and .net).Since management of the registry was assumed by Public Interest Registry in 2003, .ORG registrations have increased more than 250%. http://pir.org/index.php?db=content/News&tbl=Press&id=10 .SE Internetdagarna 2008 On October 21-22, .SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) organizes Internetdagarna, Sweden?s largest Internet conference, in Stockholm for the ninth year in a row. Keynote speakers are Vint Cerf, Internet veteran and nowadays Chief Internet Evangelist at Google, ?sa Torstensson, secretary for IT and infrastructure in the Swedish governmeng, and Geoff Huston, Chief Scientist at Apnic. https://www.centr.org/main/news/4527-CTR.html Soviet Union's .SU set to live on By granting the old Soviet Union's country code SU " exceptionally reserved" status, ISO has made sure its future as an Internet suffix is also secured. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/220/soviet-union-s-su-set-to-live-on.php 7 million .uk domain names now registered Nominet, the registry for .uk (United Kingdom) domain names, has announced there are now seven million .uk domain names registered. This follows the recent announcement of .org also passing seven million names. .Uk is the third largest ccTLD, with both .cn (China) and .de (Germany) both having over 12 million domain name registrations. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5785 http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/08/28/7-million-uk-domain-names-now-registered/ Nominet registers over 7 million .uk domain names [sub req'd] http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=227930 uk: Domain Name Update [reg req'd] On 29 July a series of changes were introduced to the UK domain name dispute resolution service. This service is run by Nominet and helps to resolve disputes over ownership of .uk domain names. The main amendments include the following: http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=65148 10 more days for retaining .yu domains! [news release] Prolonging .yu domain registration and finalising its transition to .rs domain The Serbian National Register of Internet Domain Names would like to inform the Internet users that the process of migrating from the .yu domain to the new national .rs domain is entering its final phase. http://rnids.rs/en/node/67?lang=en ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** The US to implement DNSSEC in all federal offices The US government has called on all federal offices to take measures to prepare their domains for DNSSEC. Starting in January 2009, the US government will use DNSSEC for all .gov top level domains Second level domains for federal offices will follow. The move is the US government's reaction to the increasing threat of cache poisoning attacks on name servers, which make it possible to redirect even .gov addresses to servers controlled by criminals. http://www.heise-online.co.uk/news/The-US-to-implement-DNSSEC-in-all-federal-offices--/111417 U.S. to deploy DNS Security in two years The U.S. government issued a memo last week mandating that all major agencies adopt a proposed technology to enable trusted lookups of domain information by December 2009. http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/807 Ill-advised stampede to deploy DNSSEC at the root? by Brenden Kuerbis Lost in the media excitement surrounding the Kaminsky variant cache poisoning attack and ongoing frenzy to patch vulnerable recursive nameservers, the calls for DNSSEC as the only complete solution to similar attacks and the accusations by the technical community that the DoC was dragging its feet in approving root signing, and the order issued by the OMB to deploy DNSSEC in gov by January 2009, was this letter last week from ICANN to NTIA regarding their intention to submit a detailed proposal concerning signing the root to the Department this month. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/29/3860230.html Editorial: Prioritize nation's internet security If you're wondering why cyber thieves and other jackals have been getting away with their crimes, consider this: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_10331274 http://www2.sgvtribune.com/opinions/ci_10331274 Kaminsky flaw prompts DNS server overhaul One of the companies most at risk from the notorious DNS cache poisoning vulnerability has overhauled security in the latest release of its DNS server software in what looks like a major code rethink. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/082908-kaminsky-flaw-prompts-dns-server.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** MarkMonitor reports brandjackers abuse pharmaceutical brands MarkMonitor have released their Summer 2008 Brandjacking Index, reporting that brandjackers increasingly abuse top-ranked pharmaceutical brands. This abuse, they say, endangers consumers via a supply chain compromised by the sale of questionable prescription drugs through dubious online pharmacies and exchange sites. The report also found that cybersquatting of leading brands has reached an all-time high and that phishers are targeting an increased number of diverse organizations for the first time. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5786 http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/08/28/markmonitor-reports-brandjackers-abuse-pharmaceutical-brands/ MarkMonitor Reports Continuing Rise in Online Abuse of Top Drug Brands [news release] MarkMonitor released the Summer 2008 Brandjacking Index, reporting that brandjackers increasingly abuse top-ranked pharmaceutical brands, endangering consumers via a supply chain compromised by the sale of questionable prescription drugs through dubious online pharmacies and exchange sites. The report also found that cybersquatting of leading brands has reached an all-time high and that phishers are targeting an increased number of diverse organizations for the first time. http://markmonitor.com/pressreleases/pr080826.php On the Web, battle over trademarks begins Trademark issues may take on a higher profile, fueled by the escalating value of brands in general and trademark holders increasingly trying to assert their rights, especially on the Internet. http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/01/technology/01copyright.php http://nytimes.com/2008/09/01/technology/01copyright.html Misleading Web addresses lead to anti-Obama site Obama-Biden.org and Obama-Biden.com divert people to the website of the American Issues Project, the group behind TV ads decrying the Democratic nominee's link to a onetime radical. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-trailobama30-2008aug30,0,3398842.story Domain Arbitration Inconsistency: FoodEmporium.com/.net/.org If you think UDRP panel decisions are inconsistent, look no further than three cases involving New York grocer The Food Emporium. It filed three separate actions under UDRP for FoodEmporium.com, FoodEmporium.net, and FoodEmporium.org. It won .org but lost the other two. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/28/domain-arbitration-food-emporium/ us: A&P Loses 2, Wins 1 for ?Emporium? Web Addresses A&P here went 1-for-3 in battles over website domain names for its Food Emporium banner, winning a judgment against the registrant of foodemporium.org, but losing similar arguments against the registrants of foodemporium.com and foodemporium.net, according to the National Arbitration Forum. http://supermarketnews.com/news/emporium_web_0829/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IGP Paper to be presented at ITU Workshop on IPv6 by Brenden Kuerbis Milton Mueller will present (via webcast) the paper "Scarcity in IP addresses: IPv4 Address Transfer Markets and the Regional Internet Address Registries" at an upcoming ITU Workshop on IPv6. The presentation is scheduled for Thursday, September 4, 2008 at 14:15 UTC (10:15 EST) during Session 3: "Economic dimension of IPv6 adoption. What is at stake?" http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/28/3856371.html Survey shows support for IPv4 address transfers by Milton Mueller As we run out of IPv4 addresses, should the Regional Internet Registries allow address blocks to be traded? In a paper released last month, we argued that a liberalized transfer policy would serve a number of important purposes. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/26/3856632.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Netcraft August 2008 Web Server Survey In the August 2008 survey we received responses from 176,748,506 sites. This month's overall growth of 1.3 million sites reflects Apache's growth of 1.2 million and Google's gain of half a million sites, but a loss of 760 thousand sites using Microsoft IIS. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2008/08/29/august_2008_web_server_survey.html Beware of bogus bills for website or domain name services The pitch: Payment is due for your website address listing. The scam: The Federal Trade Commission says that millions of dollars are paid annually by businesses, charities and individuals to scammers who send out bogus bills for website "listing" services. Sometimes these bills appear to be renewals of domain name registrations. In other cases, the bills are for listing a website in a business directory, even though the owner of the site never ordered or approved the listing. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-scamwatch31-2008aug31,0,7453847.story Renew Domain Names Before October Price Increases Renew domains before end of September to avoid additional fees. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/28/renew-domain-names-before-price-increases/ GoDaddy Hikes Price of .Net and .Org Domain Names to $13.19 I?m not sure when this happened, but a reader pointed out that GoDaddy has hiked prices on .net and .org domain names to $13.19 per domain. That?s a 30% increase. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/28/godaddy-hikes-price-of-net-and-org-domain-names-to-1319/ Q&A: Tucows Marketing VP Ken Schafer Tucows vice president of marketing Ken Schafer discusses the release of a survey conducted at HostingCon in an email interview with the WHIR. http://www.thewhir.com/features/082808_QA_Tucows_Marketing_VP_Ken_Schafer.cfm ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Rush for Obama-Biden domains Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden as running mate for the US presidency has sparked off a wave of domain name registrations. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/221/rush-for-obama-biden-domains.php DotAsia Sunrise & Landrush Auctions Completed Successfully [news release] DotAsia Organisation announced today the successful completion of the .Asia Sunrise and Landrush auctions. Domains receiving multiple qualified applications in the respective Sunrise and Landrush phases were allocated through an auction system. The process proved to be a vast improvement of the dispute ridden pure first-come-first-served approach, and has provided a strong foundation for growth for the .Asia domain. http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/dotasia-sunrise-landrush-auctions-completed-successfully.html http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/08/28/dotasia-sunrise-landrush-auctions-completed-successfully/ New Offer Details Page with Lots of New Features! Sedo announces the launch of a new feature-rich Offer Details Page This month Sedo is eager to announce the launch of the new feature-rich Offer Details Page. Members' feedback inspired the redesign, and following their suggestions, we included lots of new features to the revamped offers page to boost transparency and buyer/seller interaction. http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2150 Be Wary of Used.com and Penny.com Auctions at Sedo I was excited to see that Used.com and Penny.com were on auction at Sedo today. These are both six figure domains. But my excitement was tempered after looking at the ?meet the seller? data on the auctions. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/29/be-wary-of-usedcom-and-pennycom-auctions-at-sedo/ Google to go ahead with Yahoo deal by Oct - report Google Inc., facing a U.S. Justice Department probe of its search-advertising partnership with Yahoo Inc., will proceed with the agreement by early October, Bloomberg said. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-35232420080829 http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKBNG33978920080829 Making Money Through Domain Parking Why work hard to generate money when domain parking takes almost no effort and pays well? Your choice: work on a domain to generate an income or NOT work on a domain and still generate an income. It?s a difficult choice! Domain parking is one method. http://www.domainbits.com/domain-parking/ Symmetrical Shopping Spree: T.J. Demas Doles Out Over a Million Dollars For 11 Domains Wow - what a wild week in the domain aftermarket - and this is supposed to be the slow summer season! You may have seen a cryptic news release a few days ago from Marchex and E8.com about E8 buying six numerical domains from Marchex. The prices paid were not disclosed - but we are going to release them for the first time in this column. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales08-26-08.htm ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** In Russia, Internet is the outlet When higher-ups at NTV pulled a television report on the demolition of Moscow's historic buildings, they likely did not imagine that the star reporter and his topic would get more attention than if the film had aired. http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/31/europe/LOSHAK.php Home broadband gives British kids better GCSE/school results Having web access at home can make the difference between a pupil getting grade A at GCSE and grade D. http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39281333,00.htm uk: Mobile broadband 'easy for customers' Consumers are attracted by simple broadband access on the go, claims a new survey. Market research company YouGov discovered that one in eight mobile broadband users are opting to cancel their fixed-line connection or use 3G modems as an alternative to fixed landline internet access. http://www.broadband-europe.eu/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?ItemID=222 Millions of young Chinese addicted to 'unhealthy' Internet games: report [AFP] Around four million Chinese youngsters are addicted to the Internet, mainly attracted by "unhealthy" online games, state media reported Friday, citing a top legislator. http://news.theage.com.au/technology/millions-of-young-chinese-addicted-to-unhealthy-internet-games-report-20080829-45l8.html http://news.smh.com.au/technology/millions-of-young-chinese-addicted-to-unhealthy-internet-games-report-20080829-45l8.html Microsoft tries to offer something different Internet Explorer 8, now available in beta, is the company's bid to move ahead of Firefox and Apple's Safari in performance, features and user experience. http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/28/business/ie.php Internet Explorer gets makeover The next version of Internet Explorer has features to make browsing and searching easier and more secure. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7585741.stm us: MySpace overtakes Yahoo in display ad views - report Yahoo Inc has lost its lead of the U.S. market for online display advertising to MySpace and its parent company News Corp's Fox Interactive Media and MySpace, new industry data shows. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-35217820080829 http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKN2747715820080828 Internet maps 'demolish British history' Internet mapping is wiping the rich geography and history of Britain off the map, Britain's most senior cartographer warned yesterday. Churches, cathedrals, stately homes, battlefields, ancient woodlands, rivers, eccentric landmarks and many more features which make up the tapestry of the British landscape are not being represented in online maps, which focus on merely providing driving directions, said Mary Spence, President of the British Cartographical Society. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/internet-maps-demolish-british-history-912333.html Map reading skills 'dying out due to internet and satnavs' Map-reading is a dying art because of the increasing reliance on the internet and satellite navigation systems, the country's top cartographer has warned. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2639307/Map-reading-skills-dying-out-due-to-internet-and-satnavs.html For sat-nav: digital age has its delights Aren?t sat-navs great? No more struggling to read that huge Ordnance Survey map unfolding halfway across the windscreen http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4629605.ece Microsoft's Sneak Attack On Google Forget about that $44 billion takeover bid for Yahoo. Microsoft's latest assault on Google is slier. Since May Microsoft has been reimbursing people up to half of the value of items they buy using its search technology. The gimmick isn't working. In July Google's share of all searches jumped to 60% from 53% a year ago, while Microsoft's share slumped to 12% from 13.6%, according to Nielsen Online. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/08/27/microsoft-google-browsers-cx_vmb_0827ie.html Google gets cozy with an uneasy friend Advertisers are grappling with the idea of Google, which spent many of its early years avoiding ? and infuriating ? advertising agencies, is now shifting to embrace them. http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/01/business/01google.php http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/business/media/01google.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** au: Common sense is the best defence online: ACMA releases Social networking?staying safe online guidelines [news release] The Australian Communications and Media Authority has today released Social networking?staying safe online, a new fact sheet published in support of the Federal Privacy Commission?s Privacy Awareness Week. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311364 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Gartner: Global mobile phone sales up In spite of the economic slowdown, worldwide mobile-phone sales rose nearly 12 percent in the second quarter of 2008 from the same period in 2007, market research firm Gartner said Thursday. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10027939-94.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62045489,00.htm Is Something Rotten at Apple? Email problems, flaky iPhones, and broken Macs. What's Steve Jobs to do? In its ubiquitous TV ads, Apple claims that its new iPhone is twice as fast as the original version and just half the price. Neither is true. The half-price fib has been obvious for some time: When you add the price of AT&T's required two-year contract, the new phone costs slightly more than the old phone. In a lawsuit filed last week, an iPhone owner named Jessica Alena Smith argues that Apple hasn't been honest about the phone's speed, either. Smith, echoing thousands of complaints logged on Apple's Web site, says that her iPhone rarely connects to AT&T's fast 3G network, instead staying fixed to the pokey EDGE service that was the bane of the first iPhone. Smith's iPhone doesn't just fail on tasks like downloading e-mail and surfing the Web, she says. It also drops many of her voice calls. http://www.slate.com/id/2198535/ ********************** SPAM ********************** Report: Email Address Dictates Spam Volume Everyone knows that some people get more spam than others, but new research shows that it may have something to do with the first letter of your email address. http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=162585 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** On the Web, battle over trademarks begins Trademark issues may take on a higher profile, fueled by the escalating value of brands in general and trademark holders increasingly trying to assert their rights, especially on the Internet. http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/01/technology/01copyright.php http://nytimes.com/2008/09/01/technology/01copyright.html Tracking the Terrorists Online For years, al-Qaida and other terror groups have set up shop in the Internet. Those who track them have covertly followed. The companies SITE and IntelCenter have penetrated even deeper into the terror Web than most intelligence agencies. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,575276,00.html Cybercrime Gets Its Game On NASA's revelation this week that a computer virus had infected the International Space Station brought to mind images of cybercriminals sending astronauts plummeting toward a major U.S. city. Instead, the rogue software on the station's computer turned out to be doing something stranger: looking for passwords to the multiplayer online game "World of Warcraft." http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/08/29/videogame-hackers-nasa-tech-enter-cx_ag_0829hack.html US hackers prepare UK supermarket sweep Self-checkout systems in UK supermarkets are being targeted by hi-tech criminals with stolen credit card details. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7584258.stm UK hacker Gary McKinnon loses appeal against extradition to US Gary McKinnon, a computer expert who hacked into dozens of US military computers, lost his appeal to the European court of human rights today and faces extradition to the US in the next fortnight, his solicitor said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/28/hacking.security British hacker Gary McKinnon in final appeal to Home Secretary over extradition A UFO enthusiast who hacked into top-secret US military computers appealed to the Home Secretary yesterday to stop his extradition after losing a legal appeal. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article4628575.ece NASA hacker faces extradition within three weeks, says lawyer NASA hacker Gary McKinnon has lost his appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and faces extradition to face trial in the US. http://out-law.com/page-9387 UK hacker loses extradition appeal A Briton accused of hacking into secret military computers has lost his appeal against extradition to the US. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7585861.stm European court won't stop U.K. hacker's extradition to U.S. [IDG] The European Court of Human Rights has refused U.K. hacker Gary McKinnon's appeal against demands for his extradition to the U.S. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9113702 Copyright Law and the Web, Part 2: Who Are the IP Police? Intellectual property like name brands and company logos can be ripped off with just a few clicks of a mouse. When IP pirates then attempt to profit through channels like counterfeit goods and phishing, corporations lay the hammer down -- if they manage to find out about it. Often, the IP owner itself is the one on patrol. http://technewsworld.com/story/64298.html http://ecommercetimes.com/story/64298.html Report Slams U.S. Host as Major Source of Badware Last week, I examined a series of Web services that make profiting from cyber crime a point-and-click exercise that even the most novice hackers can master. Today, I'd like to highlight the activities of Atrivo, a Concord, Calif., based network provider that hosts some of these services. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/08/report_slams_us_host_as_major.html How Captcha was foiled: Are you a man or a mouse? Captcha systems to stop automated posting have been "completely broken" by spammers, experts say. So what's the alternative? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/28/internet.captcha Excessive IP protection causes economic gridlock, says expert Intellectual property laws which were designed to protect inventors are actually stifling innovation, according to a leading US law academic. http://out-law.com/page-9388 Hit Man E-mail Returns [news release] The IC3 continues to receive thousands of reports concerning the hit man e-mail scheme. E-mail content has evolved since late 2006; however, the messages remain similar in nature, claiming the sender has been hired to kill the recipient. http://www.ic3.gov/media/2008/080828.aspx ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Ad targeting based on ISP tracking now in doubt [AP] It sounded like a winning proposition _ free money _ for Internet access providers. By tracking their subscribers' personal Web surfing habits, they could help deliver ads targeted to the consumers' interests, and claim a share of the burgeoning online advertising market dominated by Internet search companies. http://news.smh.com.au/technology/ad-targeting-based-on-isp-tracking-now-in-doubt-20080626-2x05.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/ad-targeting-based-on-isp-tracking-now-in-doubt-20080626-2x05.html Microsoft slams Google on privacy Google's approach to privacy is a decade behind Microsoft, the Redmond software giant's chief privacy strategist told ZDNet.com.au on Thursday in a video interview. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Microsoft-slams-Google-on-privacy/0,130061744,339291701,00.htm http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39481791,00.htm Google defends privacy credentials Google has defended its privacy credentials following a claim by Microsoft's privacy chief last week that the search giant was a decade behind Microsoft when it came to privacy. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Google-defends-privacy-credentials/0,130061744,339291721,00.htm ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** The Battle Over Internet Filtering by Michael Geist Earlier this week I attended a seminar in Brussels on the "telecoms package" currently before the European Parliament [partial video].One of the most controversial elements in the package are the prospect for mandated ISP filtering or blocking of allegedly copyright infringing materials.Those requirements would build on other national and international developments including the still-secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and the "three strikes and you're out" policies ("graduated response") in some European countries. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3337/125/ Veoh decision setback for Viacom, but Google not off hook The unprecedented decision by a U.S. district court judge to dismiss a copyright infringement case against video-sharing site Veoh is definitely favorable to Google, YouTube, and all user-generated sites, copyright attorneys say. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10028214-93.html Veoh wins copyright infringement lawsuit Video-sharing site Veoh defeated a copyright infringement lawsuit Wednesday in federal court, potentially giving Google's YouTube a tool in its defense against a $1 billion lawsuit filed by Viacom, according to a report posted on PaidContent.org. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10027926-93.html us: Judges tosses copyright suit against Veoh A US judge has thrown out a copyright infringement case against Veoh Networks, an internet video start-up with high-profile Hollywood backers, ruling that video sharing companies are not solely responsible for policing piracy that may take place on their sites. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-35212420080828 http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/29/2349980.htm Veoh Safe Harbor ruling could help YouTube in Viacom battle Do user-generated content (UGC) companies like YouTube and Veoh qualify for "safe harbor" protection under the DMCA, or can they be held financially liable for not cracking down harder on copyrighted material uploaded to their servers? http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080828-veoh-safe-harbor-ruling-could-help-youtube-in-viacom-battle.html Veoh ruling bolsters YouTube effort to fend off $1 billion Viacom suit YouTube's efforts to fend off Viacom International Inc.'s$1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit against its parent, Google Inc., were likely bolstered yesterday when a federal judge threw out a similar suit Lo Group Inc. filed against online video-sharing site Veoh. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9113738 Ruling Sinks Piracy Suit Against Veoh as YouTube Grins A federal judge in San Jose, Calif., has thrown out a copyright infringement lawsuit launched by Io Group against Veoh Networks. Io Group, which also does business under the name Titan Media, produces adult video content. Veoh is a site similar to YouTube where users can upload and watch user-generated videos as well as television show and movie clips. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/64334.html FBI Arrests Blogger Over Online Music Sharing Los Angeles music blogger Kevin Cogill is accused of releasing Guns N' Roses songs online before their commercial release. http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210201342 Blogger Faces Hard Time for Posting Guns N' Roses Music Material from the long-awaited Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy" has finally been released, but the person allegedly responsible for it may end up in an American prison. Federal authorities suspect that a blogger who somehow obtained nine tracks from the officially unreleased album posted them online, and he's facing much stiffer penalties than your typical file-sharer. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/64339.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Ingushetia website owner killed by police An opposition internet news site owner in Russia's troubled Ingushetia region was fatally shot yesterday after being detained by police. Magomed Yevloyev was one of the most high-profile journalists to be killed in Russia since the investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead near her Moscow apartment in 2006, provoking condemnation of Russia's record on media freedom. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/01/russia1 A Journalist in Russia Is Shot Dead After Arrest A Russian journalist known for his opposition views was arrested at an airport in southern Russia on Sunday, then fatally shot in the head in what authorities said was an accident but human rights groups said was suspicious. http://nytimes.com/2008/09/01/world/europe/01ingushetia.html Russian Web Dissident Killed [Reuters] The owner of an opposition Internet news site in Russia's troubled Ingushetia region was shot dead on Sunday after police detained him, his colleagues said. http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/policy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210201594 Russian police kill Web site owner [AP] The owner of an independent Web site critical of authorities was shot and killed Sunday by police in a volatile province in southern Russia, his colleague said. http://news.theage.com.au/technology/russian-police-kill-web-site-owner-20080831-46fu.html http://news.smh.com.au/technology/russian-police-kill-web-site-owner-20080831-46fu.html Geoblocking" on the Internet : Reporters Without Borders condemns a discriminatory measure towards Internet users in Tibet Reporters Without Borders condemns regional variation in the blocking of access to websites in China. The authorities unblocked the sites of certain international news media and NGOs on 1 August, but many of these sites continue to be blocked in the province of Tibet. http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=28255 Malaysia blocks anti-government news Web site [AP] Malaysia has blocked access to a popular news Web site that often runs afoul of authorities for its sensational political reporting, sparking complaints Thursday that the government has reneged on its pledge to keep cyberspace uncensored. http://news.smh.com.au/technology/malaysia-blocks-antigovernment-news-web-site-20080828-44tj.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/malaysia-blocks-antigovernment-news-web-site-20080828-44tj.html Malaysian website block 'is plain stupid' The feisty Malaysia Today editor and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin must be laughing with glee. Just a few hours after the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) ordered access to Malaysia Today blocked, a mirror website was up and running. http://nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2335364/Article/index_html M'sia govt breaks promise, censors Net Government orders Malaysian ISPs to block access to controversial portal Malaysia Today, breaking a previous pledge to "ensure no Internet censorship". http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62045527,00.htm ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ What Your Kids Are Doing Online What a difference a few years make! Almost three-quarters of Americans spend time online. As the Internet has come into its own as a richly complex media source, just what people choose to do online has become as different and nuanced as what they do in their offline lives. But in a recent survey of consumer technology, Forrester Research found that a number of trends in how people use technology divide along generational lines. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/08/29/google-websites-geny-tech-personal-cz_ae_0828hipweb.html Exploring the dark side of the Internet Earlier this year, two British men were arrested for their involvement with an online paedophile network that spanned the globe and traded in more than 400 000 images of children being abused. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=4581754 au: 'Teen internet bully wanted victim killed' A teenager is under investigation over alleged death threats made against another teenager on the internet. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24259872-5006784,00.html http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24258928-5001021,00.html Hands on: AskKids.com keeps kids away from Net's naughty bits Ask.com hopes to use children to gain some market share among the search engines, and their newly relaunched Ask Kids is a surprisingly well-designed weapon in that fight. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080827-hands-on-askkids-com-keeps-kiddies-away-from-naughty-bits.html au: Denmark's Princess Mary shares fear of cyber predators Every parent's greatest fear is shared by Princess Mary, who last night raised awareness of the dangers of online predators and violence in cyberspace at a charity function in Melbourne. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24264622-5006788,00.html Princess Mary, PM speak out against cyber-bullying Princess Mary of Denmark has put her support behind efforts to stop bullying on the internet. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/30/2350774.htm Mary turns heads in Melbourne [AAP] ... The focus of the dinner was protecting children from cyber-bullying and online sexual predators. http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,24265632-3462,00.html http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=510671 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Mobile regulation assessment: Competition and customer service in a converging mobile world [news release] Ofcom today published an initial consultation document assessing how the mobile sector delivers on the needs of UK citizens and consumers and posing questions about the future of competition and regulatory policy. http://ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2008/08/nr_20080828 Ugandan Cabinet Approves Internet Laws Cabinet has approved three cyber laws, the information and communications technology (ICT) minister, Dr. Ham Mulira, has said. The three laws are the Electronic Transactions Bill, Electronic Signatures Bill and Computer Misuse Bill. http://allafrica.com/stories/200808290305.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Rumours of Steve Jobs' demise greatly exaggerated by Bloomberg obituary When Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, said three years ago "remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered", he may not have realised that he was set to receive a very big reminder of his mortality, courtesy of the Bloomberg news service. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article4628491.ece Microsoft patents 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' Microsoft has been granted a patent on 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' keystrokes. The software giant applied for the patent in 2005, and was granted it on August 19, 2008. US patent number 7,415,666 describes "a method and system in a document viewer for scrolling a substantially exact increment in a document, such as one page, regardless of whether the zoom is such that some, all or one page is currently being viewed". http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39481766,00.htm http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-218626.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Aussie telcos hit with record complaints Complaints against telecommunications providers are skyrocketing with no end in sight, according to the industry ombudsman. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1821646276 Regulator Hints at Softening Regulation on Deutsche Telekom in Big Cities Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes that German regulatory authority (Bundesnetzagentur) is considering deregulatory concessions which would affect the broadband market in big cities. http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/130/32261 D.Telekom to expand broadband into rural areas Deutsche Telekom AG aims to offer DSL broadband connection to almost all of Germany's households by the end of the year with a particular focus on rural and remote areas. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKLS4875420080828 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** WiMax's Invisible Power You can't see them, but the fastest-ever mobile broadband connections are headed your way. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/08/28/wimax-clearwire-sprint-tech-wire-cx_ew_0828wimax.html EU to curb roam rate ruse by mobile companies Viviane Reding, EU telecoms commissioner, is to propose new rules this autumn to force mobile phone operators to bill customers per second for "roaming" after accusing companies of overcharging for overseas calls. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/29/ofcom.mobilephones UK mobile users face charges to receive calls Mobile phone users could be charged to receive calls and face higher bills under proposals being considered by the industry watchdog. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2639804/Mobile-users-face-charges-to-receive-calls.html Ofcom begins inquiry into mobile telephone charges Ofcom, the communications regulator, has begun its first full-scale inquiry into the mobile phone industry in a move that could revolutionise charging for mobile calls. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article4629752.ece +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (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 Win a MacBook Air or iPod touch with Yahoo!7. http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepagesetReceived on Sun Aug 31 2008 - 23:06:05 UTC
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