[DNS] domain name news - 28 October

[DNS] domain name news - 28 October

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:58:57 -0700 (PDT)
Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of 
the last 3 months of the news.


And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between 
postings.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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UN And Internet Governance, Next Four Years: Better Cooperation Or Bigger Role?
http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2010/10/27/un-and-internet-governance-next-four-years-better-cooperation-or-bigger-role/


Australian Government Objects to .XXX
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12670

Survey reveals demand for .brand TLDs
http://domainincite.com/survey-reveals-demand-for-brand-tlds/

Former ICANN chief speaks out against new TLD morality veto
http://domainincite.com/former-icann-chief-speaks-out-against-new-tld-morality-veto/


Characters permitted in .de domains soon to include "?"
http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialogue/press-releases/press/2981.html

Hi-tech criminals target Vietnam
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11627809

.Com Deemed the Riskiest Top-Level Domain, Wrests Title From Cameroon
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/102610-com-riskiest-top-level-domain.html

56% of all dangerous websites end in .com, .jp is the safest country-level 
domain
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3245985

Dutch police use unusual tactics in botnet battle
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11635317

nz: Is your ISP ready for IPv6?
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/is-your-isp-ready-for-ipv6

Sex.sells: The world's most expensive domain names
http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/10/domain-name_prices

Oversee Settles ?Halvarez? Class Action and Nelson Brady Suit
http://www.domainnamenews.com/legal-issues/oversee-settles-halvarez-class-action-nelson-brady-suit/8289



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GOVERNANCE
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UN And Internet Governance, Next Four Years: Better Cooperation Or Bigger Role?
After three weeks of negotiations, member countries and the secretariat of the 
United Nations International Telecommunication Union hailed the consensus and 
success of the 2010 Plenipotentiary Conference, which sets the ITU work 
programme for the next four years. But even through the final rounds of 
applause, the tensions about how much the internet features in the core mandate 
of the Union remained audible.
http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2010/10/27/un-and-internet-governance-next-four-years-better-cooperation-or-bigger-role/


Last-minute diplomacy secures ITU?s Internet future
Determined last-minute diplomacy by the Secretary-General of the International 
Telecommunication Union (ITU), Dr Hamadoun Tour?, has secured the organisation?s 
role in the Internet and prevented its quadrennial Plenipotentiary from 
collapse.
http://gibc.biz/2010/10/last-minute-diplomacy-secures-itu?s-internet-future/

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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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Letter from Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy, Australian Minister for Broadband, 
Communications and the Digital Economy, to Mr Peter Dengate-Thrush
.XXX Proposal
http://icann.org/en/correspondence/conroy-to-dengate-thrush-22oct10-en.pdf

Audited Financial Statements Posted
ICANN's FY10 Audited Financials are now posted.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-27oct10-en.htm

Australian Government Objects to .XXX
The Australian government has voiced its objections to ICM Registry?s proposal 
to create a .XXX TLD, saying that ?ICANN has an obligation to act in the 
interests of the wider community? and the introduction of .XXX lacks an 
?identified public interest.?
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12670
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/10/27/australian-government-objects-to-xxx/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/australian-government-objects-to-.xxx.html

Survey reveals demand for .brand TLDs
Almost half of trademark-conscious companies are considering a ?.brand? 
top-level domain, according to a survey carried out by World Trademark Review 
magazine.
http://domainincite.com/survey-reveals-demand-for-brand-tlds/

Former ICANN chief speaks out against new TLD morality veto
Former ICANN president and CEO Paul Twomey has expressed his support for rules 
curbing the ability of international governments to object to new top-level 
domains.
http://domainincite.com/former-icann-chief-speaks-out-against-new-tld-morality-veto/


Review reveals ccTLD fast-track criticisms
ICANN has launched a review of its internationalized domain name fast-track 
process, revealing a number of criticisms its country-code domain applicants 
have apparently had.
http://domainincite.com/review-reveals-cctld-fast-track-criticisms/

Trademark lobby keeps up pressure on ICANN
The International Trademark Association is continuing to press ICANN into 
commissioning a study of the potential economic ?harms? its new top-level domain 
program could cause.
http://domainincite.com/trademark-lobby-keeps-up-pressure-on-icann/

FAQ: Radical change coming to Net addresses
Come 2012, confused camera customers might be able to point their browsers to a 
Web address that looks very different from what's available today: 
support.canon.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/faq-radical-change-coming-to-net-addresses_print-62203637.htm


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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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Characters permitted in .de domains soon to include "?"
DENIC plans to update Domain Guidelines effective 16 November 2010 ? Sunrise 
period for holders of domains with names containing "ss" starting on 26 October 
2010
http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialogue/press-releases/press/2981.html

Germany online authority puts ? into Internet addresses
Typing Internet addresses is about to get a little easier for those who have 
mastered German grammar rules. The country's Internet authority has allowed the 
use of the eszett or "?" in online addresses.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6155493,00.html

Characters permitted in .de domains soon to include "?" - Sunrise period will 
start on 26 October 2010, 16:00 CEST
Effective 16 November 2010, the LATIN SMALL LETTER SHARP S (?) will be allowed 
as an independent character in .de domain names. Holders, in whose name a domain 
containing the character set "ss" is registered at the decisive point in time, 
26 October 2010, 15:00 CEST, will have the opportunity to register the 
corresponding ?-domain already during a so-called sunrise period starting on 26 
October 2010. This period, during which holders of domains containing the 
character set "ss" will be granted special registration rights, will expire on 
16 November 2010, 10:00 CET.
http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialogue/news/2985.html?cHash=895741dd84

German Registry To Introduce "?" Domain Names
Registrants will be able to register .DE domain names that include the "?" 
character, DENIC have announced.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/10/27/german-registry-to-introduce-s-domain-names/


Employ Media answers .jobs critics
The .jobs registry has responded to insinuations from its critics that it set 
out to break its own sponsorship rules with a plan to open up the TLD to generic 
and geographic domain names.
http://domainincite.com/employ-media-answers-jobs-critics/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Iranian Cyber Army running botnets, researchers say [IDG]
A group of malicious hackers who attacked Twitter and the Chinese search engine 
Baidu are also apparently running a for-rent botnet, according to new research.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9192800/Iranian_Cyber_Army_running_botnets_researchers_say


Hi-tech criminals target Vietnam
The net domain reserved for Vietnam has become a haven of cyber crime, suggests 
research. About 58% of the sites using Vietnam's .vn domain harboured malware 
found the McAfee report.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11627809

.Com Deemed the Riskiest Top-Level Domain, Wrests Title From Cameroon
The .com domain is the riskiest in terms of containing code that can steal 
passwords or take advantage of browser vulnerabilities to distribute malware, 
according to McAfee.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/102610-com-riskiest-top-level-domain.html
http://www.cio.com/article/629768/.Com_Deemed_the_Riskiest_Top_Level_Domain_Wrests_Title_From_Cameroon


56% of all dangerous websites end in .com, .jp is the safest country-level 
domain
More than half (56 percent) of all risky websites end in .com, says McAfee. 
According to the security firm's fourth annual Mapping the Mal Web report, 6.2 
percent of websites are dangerous, that's up on 5.8 percent last year.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3245985
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/102710-56-of-all-dangerous-websites.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/208947/.html

Web browsing is a risky business: report [AAP]
Navigating the internet is a risky business, with dot-com domain names the most 
vulnerable to cyber criminals, says a new report. The report by internet 
security company McAfee found that in 2010 more websites contained malicious 
codes that stole password and identity information, disabled computers and took 
advantage of security holes in browsers.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/web-browsing-is-a-risky-business-report-20101026-172jn.html

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Web-browsing-is-a-risky-business-report-ALQK5


Dutch police use unusual tactics in botnet battle
Dutch police have taken the unusual step of tapping into hijacked computers to 
tell users that their machines had been taken over.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11635317

DNSSEC update
On 1 July this year, a signed (DNSSEC-enabled) root zone was published by the 13 
root name servers. DNSSEC prevents hackers from redirecting traffic from 
legitimate websites to fraudulent ones, increasing Internet security for all. 
Anand Buddhdev, DNS Services Manager at the RIPE NCC, the not-for-profit 
organisation that supports the infrastructure of the Internet and operates the 
K-root name server, explains why DNSSEC is a crucial development that helps make 
the Internet safer for users.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2010/10/22/243494/DNSSEC-update.htm

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Personal Jurisdiction over Websites that Post Derogatory Comments about Former 
Employers or Businesses
Disgruntled employees and patrons are using the Internet to voice their 
discontent with former employers or businesses. This is a practice that has its 
pros and cons. For instance, publication of fraudulent or unethical businesses 
practices is something that any future customer might want to know. These 
publications may somehow deter future illegal practices.
http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=2381

UK High Court confirms 'initial confusion' as principle of EU trade mark law
Trade mark infringement can take place even if a buyer is only confused about 
one company appearing to be another at the very start of the purchasing process, 
the High Court has ruled. ... The High Court has ruled in a case in which asset 
management company Och-Ziff Management claimed that investment management 
company OCH Capital infringed its trade marks in 'och' in its name, logo, email 
addresses and domain name.
http://out-law.com/page-11490

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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nz: Is your ISP ready for IPv6?
The move to a new protocol is billed as the internet?s largest ever upgrade, but 
is your ISP ready for when the current pool of addresses runs out?
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/is-your-isp-ready-for-ipv6

IPv6 for Mobile Networks: Time to Act Now! by Murat Bilgic
Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) serve the largest constituent of connected 
devices. There are over 4.6B GSM (and its derivatives) subscriptions today. When 
you add the CDMA family along with technologies with smaller footprints such as 
WiMax, IDEN to this list, that number tops 5B mark. On the other hand there are 
only (yes only!) 800M Internet hosts per ISC. Considering such a small 
percentage of those 5B or so devices are capable of being an Internet host and 
out of that percentage even a much smaller percentage is connected at a given 
time, one can understand the sheer potential of explosion in the number of 
Internet hosts as mobile devices in the next 3-5 years
http://www.circleid.com/posts/ipv6_for_mobile_networks_time_to_act_now/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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GoDaddy.com Auction Is Scuttled
Several weeks after the leading Internet domain name registrar hired Qatalyst 
Partners to sell itself, people familiar with the matter say GoDaddy.com has 
scuttled the auction.
http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2010/10/25/breaking-news-godaddycom-auction-is-scuttled/


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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Sex.sells: The world's most expensive domain names
SEX.COM is set to fetch a record $13m for a domain name on Wednesday October 
27th when a Californian bankruptcy court meets to decide on the deal.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/10/domain-name_prices

Oversee Settles ?Halvarez? Class Action and Nelson Brady Suit
The class action case Resmer vs. SnapNames.com has been settled. Under the terms 
of the settlement, the class members will be given the same rebates that were 
issued by Oversee last November. The rebate offer has been extended to all class 
members until December 17, 2010.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/legal-issues/oversee-settles-halvarez-class-action-nelson-brady-suit/8289


SnapNames settles shill-bidder class action
Domain name auctioneer SnapNames said that it has settled the class action 
lawsuit filed against it by disgruntled domainers after one of its employees was 
found to be a shill bidder.
http://domainincite.com/snapnames-settles-shill-bidder-class-action/

SnapNames Shill Bidding Halvarez Case Settled
The shill bidding case involving former SnapNames Vice President Nelson Brady, 
aka ?Halvarez?, bid up the prices for domain names with false bids has come to a 
conclusion. The class action settlement, filed by those who thought their domain 
name prices were artificially inflated, will see claimants offered the same 
settlement terms and amounts as those offered to affected bidders in the rebate 
offer last November.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/10/27/snapnames-shill-bidding-halvarez-case-settled/


SnapNames Settles Class Action and Case Against Nelson Brady
Snapnames has resolved two outstanding lawsuits related to its bidding scandal. 
First, the company has resolved its claims with former employee Nelson Brady. 
Brady was the sole employee who drove up bids on SnapNames. The settlement will 
not be made public, but SnapNames parent company Oversee.net said the ?financial 
penalty is appropriate considering the seriousness of the improper activity.?
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/10/26/snapnames-settles-class-action-and-case-against-nelson-brady/


SnapNames Shill Bidding Scandal Ends With Oversee.net Settling Two Lawsuits 
Including One Filed Against Bogus Bidder Nelson Brady
Former SnapNames VP Nelson Brady created a world of trouble for his company and 
himself when he was caught shill bidding (under the pseudonym Halvarez) in 
company auctions one year ago. SnapNames fired Brady and parent company 
Oversee.net filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against him. Meanwhile a group 
of affected customers joined a class action lawsuit that was filed against 
SnapNames and Oversee.net.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2010/dailyposts/20101026.htm

NameJet to auction three-letter .pro domains
NameJet has inked a deal with RegistryPro to auction off eleven ?premium? 
three-letter .pro domain names next month.
http://domainincite.com/namejet-to-auction-three-letter-pro-domains/

Sex.com Sale Still On, But Mike Mann Accused of ?Self-Dealing?
Now that Escom, LLC has a $13 million buyer for its domain name Sex.com, the 
bickering over money can begin.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/10/27/sex-com-sale-still-on-but-mike-mann-accused-of-self-dealing/


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INTERNET USE
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Ray Ozzie tells Microsoft to 'go beyond the PC'
Microsoft must think beyond the PC if it is to weather the changes due to hit in 
the next five years. The warning was given by Microsoft's chief software 
architect Ray Ozzie in a memo penned soon after he announced he was leaving the 
company.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11626624

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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MySpace to launch revamped website
MySpace will on Wednesday launch a fully revamped version of its website in a 
move aimed at repositioning the company ahead of a decision on its future by its 
owner, News Corp.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b07250d0-e153-11df-90b7-00144feabdc0.html

For Myspace, a Redesign to Entice Generation Y
All but eclipsed by Facebook and Twitter, Myspace is aiming for a comeback.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/technology/27myspace.html

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Are texting and Facebook worse for teens than TV? [AP]
Let's face it: Teenagers spend hours texting, socializing on Facebook and 
playing video games. And it's driving their parents nuts.
http://www.adn.com/2010/10/27/1521746/are-texting-and-facebook-worse.html
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-fea-parenting-teens-and-screens,0,4599420.story


Study: 'Kids are Alright' when it comes to privacy
A study commissioned by Truste paints a pretty optimistic picture about how 
teenagers are using privacy tools on Facebook and other social networking sites. 
The study, entitled "The Kids are Alright," reports that "80 percent of parents 
and 78 percent of teens feel in control of their personal information on social 
networking sites" and that "84 percent of parents are confident their teen is 
responsible with personal information on a social networking site."
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-20019828-238.html

nz: Cold calling scam gaining momentum - NetSafe
NetSafe - a non-profit whose backers include the Ministry of Education and 
InternetNZ - today warns of a scam that is gaining momentum in New Zealand.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/cold-calling-scam-gaining-momentum-netsafe-132240

au: Watchdog looks to safeguard ever-changing web
WEB content that promotes terrorist acts, child sexual abuse, bestiality, 
violence or drug use can be banished from public view if reported to ACMA. The 
Australian Communications and Media Authority, the media watchdog, maintains a 
database, or black list, of individual web pages that have been refused 
classification and thus banned from public consumption.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/watchdog-looks-to-safeguard-ever-changing-web/story-e6frg8n6-1225943916621


au/nz: Student computer use to be monitored under Queensland Schools Alliance 
Against Violence plan
EVERY school in Queensland could be audited to see whether they have installed 
anti-bullying recommendations, including teaching cyber safety in the classroom, 
under a statewide response to tackle schoolyard violence. ... Examples of such 
strategies include New Zealand's Netsafe Kit, which suggests schools "undertake 
a cyber safety stocktake to determine the cyber footprint of all students and 
staff" and create "an acceptable use agreement" which parents and students sign 
on enrolment.
http://www.news.com.au/student-computer-use-to-be-monitored-under-queensland-schools-alliance-against-violence-plan/story-e6freoof-1225943443360

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/student-computer-use-to-be-monitored-under-queensland-schools-alliance-against-violence-plan/story-e6freoof-1225943443360


au: Anti-bullying alliance wants cyber-safety taught in school
A Queensland alliance including Catholic, state and independent schools wants 
cyber-safety taught in class, and has called for every school in the state to be 
audited for anti-bullying measures.
http://cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=23918

Queensland government appoints anti-bullying expert [AAP]
THE Queensland government has appointed an anti-bullying expert to help it shape 
policy to stamp out bullying in schools.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/queensland-government-appoints-anti-bullying-expert/story-e6frfku0-1225943664694


Parents told to grow a 'digital spine'
Queensland?s newly appointed anti-bullying guru has urged parents to grow ?a 
digital spine? and set clear limits on their children?s technology use.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/parents-told-to-grow-a-digital-spine-20101026-171jf.html


au: Internet filter should concern Christians: Opinion
It is imperative that Australian Christians make themselves aware of legislative 
changes being proposed by the government. Under the guise of measures to 
"improve safety of the internet for families", Senator Stephen Conroy recently 
announced that mandatory filtering of content that has been refused 
classification, or rated 'RC', will be enforced through legislation.
http://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2010/10/25/3047577.htm

The men who believe porn is wrong
A new website aims to get men facing up to the brutal trajectory of the ?60bn 
porn industry ? and the self-destructive effect on the millions worldwide who 
consume it
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/oct/25/men-believe-porn-is-wrong

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Judge Tells LimeWire, the File-Trading Service, to Disable Its Software
A federal judge in New York issued an injunction on Tuesday that will 
essentially shut down LimeWire, the big music file-sharing service that has been 
mired in a four-year legal struggle with the music industry. The case has 
already resulted in the company and its founder being found liable for 
potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/technology/27limewire.html

U.S. court shuts down Limewire music-sharing service
A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday granted the music industry's request to shut 
down the popular LimeWire file-sharing service, which had been found liable for 
copyright infringement, the company said.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-52466820101026
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE69P4Q520101026

LimeWire shut down by federal court
LimeWire, one of the world's most popular peer-to-peer filesharing websites, has 
been shut down after a four-year legal battle with the US music industry.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/27/limewire-shut-down

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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App Makers Take Interest in Android
... The others could relate to Mr. Englert?s situation because writing Android 
software is not yet a ticket to financial success. Even as Android sales surge ? 
Google says it is now activating around 200,000 phones a day ? the market for 
Android apps still seems anemic compared with that for Apple and its thriving 
App Store.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/technology/25android.html

Android App Forwards Private Text Messages
If you own an Android phone and are cheating on a significant other by arranging 
secret trysts through text messages, you might want to think twice about your 
infidelities ? or at least about arranging them via texts.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/android-app-forwards-private-text-messages/


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SPAM
**********************
Email Spam Falls After Russian Crackdown
You may not have noticed, but since late last month, the world supply of Viagra 
ads and other e-mail spam has dropped by an estimated one-fifth. With 200 
billion spam messages in circulation each day, there is still plenty to go 
around.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/business/27spam.html

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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Singapore's New Weapon Against Dissent
The government of Singapore has revealed its new weapon against political 
opponents: trademark infringement lawsuits.
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2783&Itemid=164


Personal Jurisdiction over Websites that Post Derogatory Comments about Former 
Employers or Businesses
Disgruntled employees and patrons are using the Internet to voice their 
discontent with former employers or businesses. This is a practice that has its 
pros and cons. For instance, publication of fraudulent or unethical businesses 
practices is something that any future customer might want to know. These 
publications may somehow deter future illegal practices.
http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=2381

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PRIVACY
**************************
Google 'taken by surprise' by Street View row
Google's newly appointed director of privacy has admitted the internet giant was 
"taken by surprise" by concerns over its Street View mapping product and has 
generally given its users too many "unpleasant surprises" in recent months.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/oct/26/google-street-view-privacy

Google pledges quest for tighter privacy controls
Google Inc is "building stronger controls" to safeguard privacy, a senior 
executive said on Tuesday after the search engine giant's admission to 
inadvertently gathering emails and passwords across the globe.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE69P3PC20101026

Google Executive Pushes Privacy Concerns [AP]
Google's global privacy counsel says he's surprised by how few people choose to 
control what ads are steered their way ? a tool which the Internet search giant 
launched, albeit with minimal fanfare, over the past year.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/10/26/world/middleeast/AP-ML-Google-Privacy.html


au: AFP seeks advice over Google Wi-Fi
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has sought legal advice over the revelation 
that Google collected email and password information through its Street View 
cars.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/afp-seeks-advice-over-google-wi-fi-339306817.htm

Italian magistrates probe Google Street View
Rome prosecutors are investigating whether Google's Inc.'s Street View mapping 
service violated privacy laws, a judicial source said on Wednesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE69Q3WO20101027

us: FTC Drops Probe Of Google Wi-Fi Snooping
The Federal Trade Commission informed Google Wednesday that it has dropped its 
investigation into what the Internet giant has described as the mistaken 
collection of information from unsecured Wi-Fi networks, National Journal Daily 
reported.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/10/ftc-drops-probe-of-google-wifi.php


U.S. ends inquiry on Google's Street View data grab
U.S. regulators looking at Google Inc's (GOOG.O) data grab by "Street View" cars 
have decided to end their inquiry, noting improvements that the search company 
has made to build consumer privacy into its corporate structure.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE69Q3XK20101027
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-52492420101027

FTC closes investigation into Google's Wi-Fi snooping [IDG]
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has closed an investigation into Google Street 
View cars snooping into open Wi-Fi networks, with the agency declining to take 
action.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/102710-ftc-closes-investigation-into-googles.html


A Web Pioneer Profiles Users by Name
In the weeks before the New Hampshire primary last month, Linda Twombly of 
Nashua says she was peppered with online ads for Republican Senate hopeful Jim 
Bender. ... This makes RapLeaf a rare breed. Rival tracking companies also 
gather minute detail on individual Americans: They know a tremendous amount 
about what you do. But most trackers either can't or won't keep the ultimate 
piece of personal information?your name?in their databases. The industry often 
cites this layer of anonymity as a reason online tracking shouldn't be 
considered intrusive.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304410504575560243259416072.html

uk: Google faces landmark fine for 'gross invasion of privacy'
Google faces being the first company to incur heavy fines under British privacy 
laws, after admitting downloading private emails and passwords.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/google-faces-landmark-fine-for-gross-invasion-of-privacy-2115644.html


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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
All Eyes on France as Officials Enforce New Antipiracy Law
France's new Internet piracy police has been scouring the Web this month for 
people illegally downloading films and music and sending hundreds of warning 
emails to suspected intellectual property thieves.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303550904575562130775993568.html

Amazon's Sales Tax Reviewed by Texas
Amazon.com Inc. said it received an assessment of $269 million for uncollected 
sales tax from the state of Texas.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304354104575568512331020710.html

us: Law Professors Urge Obama To Fix ACTA
A group of law professors are urging President Obama not to publicly endorse a 
proposed trade agreement aimed at increasing international cooperation in the 
fight to curb piracy and counterfeiting.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/10/law-professors-urge-obama-to-f.php


*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
Ten years of online advertising with Google Adwords
With the formidable arsenal of products that Google presents to the world, from 
maps and photos to mobile software and video-sharing, it is easy to forget that 
this is an empire built on a deceptively simple advertising model ? one shackled 
to the extraordinary and unrelenting rise of the web and web search.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/25/advertising-google-adwords

Bees' tiny brains beat computers, study finds
Bees can solve complex mathematical problems which keep computers busy for days, 
research has shown.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/24/bees-route-finding-problems

Online travel companies unify to oppose Google/ITA deal
Several online travel companies are combining forces to fight search giant 
Google's proposed $700 million (441 million pound) acquisition of airline 
ticketing software company ITA Software Inc, saying the deal would lead to 
higher prices and less innovation in the travel sector.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE69P3WY20101026
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-52464320101026

Travel Sites Ally to Block Google Deal
Several popular online travel companies are joining forces to oppose Google 
Inc.'s proposed $700 million purchase of ITA Software Inc., the leading provider 
of flight data, saying the deal would give it too much sway over the travel 
sector.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304248704575574710753536950.html

Microsoft wins key 'cloud' e-mail contracts
The software giant beats out rival Google to serve government workers in 
California, New York and Minnesota with remote data centers. Google has had a 
few successes of its own in the fight over a $20-billion market.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-microsoft-cloud-20101026,0,2319092.story

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
UK Government outlines superfast broadband ambitions
The Government wants the UK to have the most extensive superfast broadband 
internet access network in Europe by 2015. The commitment is part of the 
Government's just-published infrastructure plan.
http://out-law.com/page-11493

Telef?nica to offer cheap web calls
Telef?nica is going head-to-head with Skype in the ultra-competitive 
international calling market through the Spanish telecoms group?s purchase of 
Jajah, a Silicon Valley-based internet phone company.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa102068-dfbf-11df-bed9-00144feabdc0.html

InternetNZ says Telecom separation proposal not clean [NZPA]
InternetNZ says an outline of the way the structural separation of Telecom might 
be carried out does not represent a clean separation, and can not deliver the 
slashing of regulation that Telecom wants.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/internetnz-says-telecom-separation-proposal-not-clean-132050


Chinese Telecom Giant in Push for U.S. Market
This spring, an executive from a Chinese telecommunications equipment company 
made an intriguing job offer to a Silicon Valley software engineer. The Chinese 
company, Huawei Technologies, wanted to get into the booming market for 
Internet-based computing, and it had just moved its United States research 
headquarters here to capture some of the best local talent.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/technology/26telecom.html

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(c) David Goldstein 2010



 
---------
David Goldstein
email: goldstein_david&#167;yahoo.com.au
web:  http://davidgoldstein.tel/
         http://goldsteinreport.com/
phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home
"Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you 
forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery



      
Received on Wed Oct 27 2010 - 15:58:57 UTC

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