[DNS] domain name news - 24 February

[DNS] domain name news - 24 February

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au>
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:36:12 -0800 (PST)
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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New gTLDS: Briefing Papers for ICANN Board-GAC Consultations
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-6-21feb11-en.htm

New gTLD Program: Public Comment Summary & Analyses and Supporting Documents
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-22feb11-en.htm

Analysis: IDN ccTLD Fast Track First Annual Review
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-8-21feb11-en.htm

Libya Internet Curfew Could Affect .ly Domains, Possibly
http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/libya-internet-curfew-could-affect-ly-domains-possibly-21822


New TLDs could come quicker than expected
http://domainincite.com/new-tlds-could-come-quicker-than-expected/

ICANN names date for Applicant Guidebook
http://domainincite.com/icann-names-date-for-applicant-guidebook/

Can Domain Name Seizures Sink Rogue Websites? [New York Law Journal]
http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202482933436

Importance of Domain Names Will Continue Despite Social Networking Options
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13796

New gTLDs Likely to Have Limited Impact on Existing Domain Aftermarket: Sedo
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13814

Melbourne IT flags $2m datacentre spend
http://www.zdnet.com.au/melbourne-it-flags-2m-datacentre-spend-339310052.htm

Melbourne IT expects underlying earnings lift [AAP]
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/377525/melbourne_it_expects_underlying_earnings_lift/


Sex.com Most Expensive Domain To Date: Guinness World Records
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13815


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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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New gTLDS: Briefing Papers for ICANN Board-GAC Consultations
In preparation for the ICANN Board-GAC consultation in Brussels on 28 February 
and 1 March 2011, ICANN has prepared briefing papers to address the 12 topics 
identified in the GAC's Cartagena communiqu? as "...outstanding and require 
additional discussion between the Board and the GAC." As some of the topics were 
considered to overlap or be inter-related, more than one topic is covered in 
some of the briefing papers.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-6-21feb11-en.htm

New gTLD Program: Public Comment Summary & Analyses and Supporting Documents
ICANN is publishing today the summaries and analyses of public comment on the 
previous version of the Applicant Guidebook and on other previously published 
New gTLD Program papers.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-22feb11-en.htm

Analysis: IDN ccTLD Fast Track First Annual Review
ICANN would like to thank all participants for taking part in the first annual 
review of the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process. The review of the process is being 
conducted to ensure that the process functions as well as possible for the 
Internet community and its users, and as such participation is very important.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-8-21feb11-en.htm

Public Comment: Draft Proposal for the Study of Issues Related to the Delegation 
of IDN Variant TLDs
Explanation/Background: The delegation and management of Variant TLDs remains an 
important issue. The ICANN community seeks to develop solutions to enable the 
delegation of Variant TLDs for the benefit of users in different regions.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-5-21feb11-en.htm

2011-2014 Strategic Plan
ICANN produces a three-year Strategic Plan that is reviewed and updated 
annually. Leading up to the publication of this 2011- 2014 Strategic Plan, many 
community consultations were held to receive input. These included meetings with 
the ccNSO Strategy and Operations Planning Group, GNSO leadership, ALAC, and 
RALOs (separately).
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-7-21feb11-en.htm

Call for Public Comments: The Security, Stability and Resiliency of the DNS 
Review Team
The Security, Stability & Resiliency of the DNS Review Team was launched in 
October 2010 in line with the Affirmation of Commitments (AoC) provisions i.e 
section 9.2 which stipulates that: ICANN will organize a review of its execution 
of the above commitments no less frequently than every three years.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-9-21feb11-en.htm

Public Comment: Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy Part B Working Group Presents 
Proposed Final Report: Nine (9) Recommendations for Community Consideration
The GNSO Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy (IRTP) Part B Policy Development 
Process Working Group was tasked to address five issues focusing on issues 
related to domain hijacking, the urgent return of an inappropriately transferred 
name and "lock status". Following review of the public comments received on the 
Initial Report and further deliberations, the Working Group now presents its 
proposed Final Report which contains nine (9) recommendations to address the 
five charter questions it was tasked with.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-21feb11-en.htm

Public Comment: Proposed New GNSO Policy Development Process
As part of GNSO Improvements, the Policy Development Process (PDP) Work Team 
(WT) was tasked to develop recommendations for a new GNSO policy development 
process. ICANN's policies have wide-ranging impact on how domain names are 
handled in the gTLD environment, so the method of developing the policies 
matters.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-3-21feb11-en.htm

Public Comment: Proposed ICANN Meeting Dates 2014 - 2016
While ICANN continues to examine the overall structure of its meeting dates and 
geographic rotation, it is important to move forward with future planning. In an 
effort to secure the dates for ICANN meetings through 2016, staff 
recommendations have been developed for public review and comment. Approving the 
meeting dates is important to prevent conflicts with other community events and 
to allow all participants sufficient time to plan their travel and attendance.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-4-21feb11-en.htm

Public Comment: Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery Working Group Presents Its 
Proposed Final Report
The GNSO Post-Expiration Domain Name Recovery (PEDNR) Policy Development Process 
Working Group was tasked to address questions in relation to what extent 
registrants should be able to renew their domain names after they expire.
http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-21feb11-en.htm

To Serve the Public Interest You First Have to Define 'Public Interest' by Steve 
DelBianco
In the ancient parable, six blind men are asked to describe an elephant, with 
each coming up with wildly different answers, depending on which part of the 
animal they touched. Now, while I would hesitate to call participants in the 
ICANN process "blind men," I am starting to think that "public interest" is 
their elephant. ICANN is on the threshold of completing its first major 
obligation under the Affirmation of Commitments it signed with the U.S. 
Government in 2009.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/to_serve_the_public_interest_you_first_have_to_define_public_interest/


ICANN Policies Are Biggest Issue Facing Domain Industry in 2011
A non-scientific survey of over 1,500 people in the domain name industry 
suggests that ICANN policy decisions represent the biggest issue facing their 
businesses in 2011.
http://domainnamewire.com/2011/02/22/icann-policies-are-biggest-issue-facing-domain-industry-in-2011/


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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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al: Domain name regulation focuses on anti-cybersquatting measures
With the development of an increasingly global economy and the ever-growing use 
of the Internet, the measures taken by small economies such as Albania for the 
protection of intellectual property against internet-based infringements should 
be convergent with globally accepted instruments.
http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/detail.aspx?g=2b44a680-7d05-481a-bf59-beccec015f59


Libya Internet Curfew Could Affect .ly Domains, Possibly
As strife-torn Libya interrupts Internet access, bit.ly users worry about the 
fate of their URL shortening service ... Bit.ly CEO John Borthwick wrote on 
Quora, a Q&A site: ?Should Libya block Internet traffic, as Egypt did, it will 
not affect bit.ly or any .ly domain,? he wrote. ... However, Kim Davies, manager 
for root zone services at ICANN, working on Internet governance and core 
infrastructure,disagreed and replied to Borthwick?s posting. He pointed out that 
it is a ?sense of false confidence? to say that country-code domains are 
?impervious? to government-mandated shutdowns.
http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/libya-internet-curfew-could-affect-ly-domains-possibly-21822


Why Libya can't shut down bit.ly
Libya intermittently shut off some Internet access to its citizens over the 
weekend, leading some to believe that link-shortening sites like bit.ly, which 
uses the Libyan ".ly" suffix, would be affected.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/21/technology/bitly_libya_service/

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 - NEW TLDS
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A Tribute to the STI (Special Trademarks Initiative Team) by Kathy Kleiman
In the ICANN world, our relations are often a little tumultuous, as 
policy-making bodies can be. As I look back on my experiences over the last 
decade at ICANN (and many committees, working groups and task forces), one 
stands out for its quality, dedication, professionalism and hard work. That's 
the Special Trademarks Initiatives Working Team, or the STI. I was proud to be a 
part of the Team as an Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group (NCSG) representative, 
and this tribute reflects my high regard for the Team and the recommendations it 
produced.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/a_tribute_to_the_sti_special_trademarks_initiative_team/


Winners and losers in the next Applicant Guidebook
Who?s going to be happy, and who won?t be, after ICANN publishes the next 
version of its Applicant Guidebook for new top-level domains in April?
http://domainincite.com/winners-and-losers-in-the-next-applicant-guidebook/

New TLDs could come quicker than expected
New top-level domains may arrive a month earlier than previously projected, 
after ICANN revealed it is considering reducing the first-round application 
window to 60 days.
http://domainincite.com/new-tlds-could-come-quicker-than-expected/

Trojan TLDs to get more scrutiny
ICANN has proposed a new policy for its new top-level domain program that would 
make it harder for community-based TLDs to liberalize their registration 
policies after they launch.
http://domainincite.com/trojan-tlds-to-get-more-scrutiny/

ICANN names date for Applicant Guidebook
ICANN has put a tentative date on the release of its Applicant Guidebook for new 
top-level domains.
http://domainincite.com/icann-names-date-for-applicant-guidebook/

ICANN prepares for trademark fight with GAC
ICANN thinks the benefits of new top-level domains will outweigh the costs, and 
it preparing for a scrap when it meets its Governmental Advisory Committee in 
Brussels next week.
http://domainincite.com/icann-prepares-for-trademark-fight-with-gac/

Here Come the .Brand Top Level Domain Names
.Brand domain names are on their way, but how they?re used is still an open 
question.
http://domainnamewire.com/2011/02/21/here-come-the-brand-top-level-domain-names/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Unprotected home computers vulnerable to hijack
Protect your home computer or you could unwittingly help to launch a cyber 
attack, experts are warning. They say the rise in such attacks risks undermining 
critical national infrastructure and the future of the global economy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9393765.stm

Cybercrime cost estimate is 'sales exercise', say experts
Cybercrime experts have questioned a ?27 billion (US$43.8 billion) annual 
cybercrime cost figure released by the Cabinet Office in a report last week, 
saying it is little more than a sales exercise for Detica, the company that 
researched the report.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2011/02/18/cybercrime-cost-estimate-is-sales-exercise-say-experts-40091866/

http://www.zdnetasia.com/cybercrime-cost-estimate-is-sales-exercise-say-experts-62206857.htm


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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Can Domain Name Seizures Sink Rogue Websites? [New York Law Journal]
In the early 1800s, a debate festered in our young democracy over the 
appropriate response to pirates operating from Africa's Barbary Coast and 
attacking American ships, destroying or capturing them and impressing our 
sailors into lengthy terms of slavery. Their release was only obtained after a 
hefty ransom was paid by the U.S. government. After many years of paying the 
demanded ransoms, at the direction of President Jefferson, America's fledgling 
Navy and a Marine expeditionary force executed a bold raid on Tripoli that 
eventually ended the pirate threat.
http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202482933436
http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202483008246

nz: Directory services settle ?typosquatting? dispute
NZ Post?s local information and directory service, Localist has settled a 
dispute with Yellow Pages Group over possession and use of certain web domain 
names.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/directory-services-settle-typosquatting-dispute


nz: Yellow Pages legal action settled
NZ Post says it has settled legal action against Yellow Pages, which it had 
accused of registering websites and Google search terms in an attempt to divert 
internet traffic away from its rival Auckland directory, Localist, which will be 
launched later this year.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/business/national-business/4698309/Localist-web-stoush-settled

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/business/4698309/Yellow-Pages-legal-action-settled

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/4698309/Localist-web-stoush-settled

http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/business/4698309/Localist-web-stoush-settled


NZ Post reiterates intention to act against Yellow for Localist ?squat?
A NZ Post spokesman says the company still intends to proceed with court action 
on against Yellow, owner of the Yellow Pages directory service over alleged 
?typo-squatting? tactics against Post?s new rival operation Localist.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/nz-post-reiterates-intention-to-act-against-yellow-for-localist-squat


nz: Directory firm claims 'cheating'
New Zealand Post's new directories business Localist is suing Yellow Pages Group 
over allegations Yellow breached the Fair Trading Act by buying up similar web 
addresses and Google adwords in a deliberate attempt to divert online searches 
from Localist to itself. ... Knowles said he had first been made aware of the 
issue last November when he was told by his executive team the Yellow Pages 
Group had bought a range of internet domain names which were almost identical to 
the Localist internet address. The addresses include www.locallists.co.nz and 
www.localists.co.nz.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10707904

NZ Post seeing red over Yellow's acts
NZ Post is taking Yellow Pages to the High Court at Auckland, claiming the 
company is trying to stymie the launch of its own directory service, Localist, 
which will go head-to-head with the Yellow Pages in Auckland later this year. 
... Localist chairman and former Kiwibank boss Sam Knowles, said in an affidavit 
that he found out Yellow Pages had registered a range of website with names 
"almost identical to our domain name" in November and met with Mr Cotterill that 
month.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/4685485/NZ-Post-seeing-red-over-Yellows-acts
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/4685485/NZ-Post-seeing-red-over-Yellows-acts

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/business/4685485/NZ-Post-seeing-red-over-Yellows-acts


vn: Domain name: the war without end
The domain name war has become stiffer and more and more Vietnamese enterprises 
are experiencing troubles due to bad management of their domain name.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/en/science-technology/5088/domain-name--the-war-without-end.html


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 - IPv4/IPv6
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The potential impact on Middle East enterprises that are not IPv6-ready is 
immense, says networking expert
When the Internet was created in the 1970s, no-one would have imagined just how 
ubiquitous its use would be. Today, nearly every man, woman and child ?connects? 
on a daily basis and even humble domestic devices such as refrigerators and 
cookers can be connected to the Internet to aid daily life.
http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=51237

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Importance of Domain Names Will Continue Despite Social Networking Options
Domain names will continue to be important in a company?s branding and image 
said Sedo?s Tim Schumacher on day one of the Domain Pulse conference in Vienna 
last Thursday. However there are alternative means of promoting a company or 
brand such as social networking services, said Sabine Hoffman from marketing 
company ambuzzador, that can be complementary to using a domain name.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13796
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/02/22/importance-of-domain-names-will-continue-despite-social-networking-options/

http://domainnews.com/en/importance-of-domain-names-will-continue-despite-social-networking-options.html


New gTLDs Likely to Have Limited Impact on Existing Domain Aftermarket: Sedo
The impact of new generic Top Level Domains on the price of existing gTLDs and 
ccTLDs is likely to be limited, said Tim Schumacher, CEO of leading domain name 
marketplace Sedo, following the Domain Pulse conference in Vienna last week.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13814
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/02/23/new-gtlds-aftermarket-sedo/
http://domainnews.com/en/new-gtlds-likely-to-have-limited-impact-on-existing-domain-aftermarket-sedo.html


Three Domain Conferences in Three Different Countries Will Run Over the Next 10 
Days + Guinness Book of World Records Recognizes Sex.com Sale as Biggest Ever
... The action then shifted across the Atlantic to Vienna, Austria where the 8th 
Domain Pulse conference was staged by Nic.at Feb. 17-18.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2011/dailyposts/20110222.htm

Melbourne IT flags $2m datacentre spend
After releasing a lacklustre profit announcement today, Australian-based managed 
services player Melbourne IT has outed plans for datacentre investment and 
consolidation before the year is out.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/melbourne-it-flags-2m-datacentre-spend-339310052.htm

Melbourne IT expects underlying earnings lift [AAP]
Domain name registrar and IT services provider Melbourne IT Ltd expects 
underlying earnings to rise in 2011, after booking a lower full year net profit 
in 2010.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/377525/melbourne_it_expects_underlying_earnings_lift/

http://www.techworld.com.au/article/377525/melbourne_it_expects_underlying_earnings_lift/


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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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SnapNames Increases Starting Bid For Backorders For All Deleting Domain Names 
SnapNames has increased the starting bid for backorders for all deleting domain 
names from $59 to $69 as of 15 February they have announced.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/02/22/snapnames-increases-starting-bid-for-backorders-for-all-deleting-domain-names/


Sex.com Most Expensive Domain To Date: Guinness World Records
The sale of sex.com for $13 million on 17 November 2010 has been officially 
acknowledged as the ?most expensive internet address domain name? by the 
Guinness World Record, Sedo announced.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13815
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/02/23/sexcom-most-expensive-domain-guinness-world-records/


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INTERNET USE
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Home Internet May Get Even Faster in South Korea
South Korea already claims the world?s fastest Internet connections ? the 
fastest globally by far ? but that is hardly good enough for the government 
here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/technology/22iht-broadband22.html

Web acts as virtual crisis centre for Christchurch quake victims
Christchurch earthquake victims are using the web as a virtual crisis centre, 
harnessing it for everything from finding and offering accommodation to locating 
missing people.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/web-acts-as-virtual-crisis-centre-for-christchurch-quake-victims-20110223-1b4iq.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/web-acts-as-virtual-crisis-centre-for-christchurch-quake-victims-20110223-1b4iq.html


Offline companies hit back in online chart
Established brands such as John Lewis and Argos now account for half the places 
in the UK's top 50 web brands, according to new statistics. It includes media 
brands such as the BBC, Sky and the Telegraph.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12535508

China Mobile and Xinhua launch Internet search engine
China Mobile Ltd, the world's biggest mobile operator, and state-run Xinhua News 
Agency have jointly launched an Internet search engine, the companies said on 
Tuesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/22/oukin-uk-chinamobile-xinhua-idUKTRE71L1Z620110222


Blogs Wane as the Young Drift to Sites Like Twitter
... The Internet and American Life Project at the Pew Research Center found that 
from 2006 to 2009, blogging among children ages 12 to 17 fell by half; now 14 
percent of children those ages who use the Internet have blogs. Among 
18-to-33-year-olds, the project said in a report last year, blogging dropped two 
percentage points in 2010 from two years earlier.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/technology/internet/21blog.html

OPINION: Is the internet changing us?
Nothing has changed society as much as the internet. Everyone now seems to be 
more connected and it has completely transformed the way we work.
http://www.theage.com.au/executive-style/management/blogs/management-line/is-the-internet-changing-us/20110212-1ar53.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion/4682964/Is-the-internet-changing-us

Google, Yahoo! BabelFish use math principles to translate documents online
Early one morning in 2007, Libby Casey was trying to do her laundry in a 
guesthouse in Reykjavik, Iceland. When she couldn't figure out how to use the 
washing machine, she opened up the instruction manual. ... Up to that point, 
researchers working on machine translation used linguistic models. By getting a 
computer to understand how a sentence worked grammatically in one language, the 
thought was, it would be possible to create a sentence meaning the same thing in 
another language. But the differing rules in different languages made it 
difficult.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/21/AR2011022102191.html


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SOCIAL NETWORKING
**********************
Twitter apps restored over the weekend
Twydroid and UberTwitter, now called UberSocial, are back in the Android and 
BlackBerry stores. The two popular apps were shut down by Twitter on Friday for 
violating the micro-blogging service's terms of service.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2011/02/twitter_apps_restored_over_the.html


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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
**********************
China to overtake US gaming market
Powered by social networks and mobiles, Chinese video games are set to topple 
America?s lead as the world?s largest gaming market, according to research by 
Digi-Capital, a boutique investment bank.
http://blogs.ft.com/fttechhub/2011/02/china-games/

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
************************************************
au: Censorship review report due by end of year
The Australian Law Reform Commission was expected to complete its review of the 
National Classification System before the end of the year, according to 
Department of Communications officials.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/248963,censorship-review-report-due-by-end-of-year.aspx

http://www.securecomputing.net.au/News/248963,censorship-review-report-due-by-end-of-year.aspx


au: Voluntary filtering on track for mid-2011
Stephen Conroy's Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy 
tonight said voluntary filtering of the internet for child abuse material by 
three of Australia's largest internet service providers was on track to kick off 
in the middle of this year.
http://www.itwire.com/it-industry-news/strategy/45341-voluntary-filtering-on-track-for-mid-2011

http://delimiter.com.au/2011/02/22/voluntary-filtering-on-track-for-mid-2011/
http://www.zdnet.com.au/voluntary-filter-set-to-start-mid-year-339310108.htm

uk: Ad regulator says collection of third party data from children is sometimes 
acceptable
There are some circumstances in which it is acceptable for companies to collect 
data from young people about other people, the advertising regulator has said.
http://out-law.com/page-11790

**********************
ONLINE TV & MUSIC
**********************
Free Trove of Music Scores on Web Hits Sensitive Copyright Note
Humanity?s musical treasures ? Beethoven piano sonatas, Schubert songs, Mozart 
symphonies and the like ? come to life in performance. But they truly survive as 
black marks on a page, otherwise known as scores. Now a Web site founded five 
years ago by a conservatory student, then 19 years old, has made a vast expanse 
of this repertory available, free.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/arts/music/22music-imslp.html

Online TV service Ivi loses a round in court
A federal judge in New York ordered Internet TV service Ivi to shut down 
Tuesday, finding that it violated the copyrights of a group of broadcasters and 
Major League Baseball. It was yet another example of a tech company trying in 
vain to stretch the boundaries of copyright law to avoid paying as much for 
content as its more conventional competitors.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/02/online-tv-service-ivi-loses-the-first-round-in-court.html


TV Industry Taps Social Media to Keep Viewers' Attention
By the time the first ballot is opened at the Academy Awards next Sunday, 
millions of people will be chatting about the awards show on the Internet. And 
ABC will be ready.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/business/media/21watercooler.html

au: Digital pirates given free ride
The federal government does not believe the film industry's claimed $240 million 
in losses to digital piracy is serious enough to warrant immediate legislative 
action against pirates, telling the industry to go back to the negotiating table 
with ISPs.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/digital-pirates-given-free-ride-20110221-1b1vi.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/digital-pirates-given-free-ride-20110221-1b1vi.html


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MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
Mobile phone use increases brain activity, study suggests
Taking a call on a mobile phone seems to boost activity in parts of brain 
closest to the device, but there's no evidence of harm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/feb/22/mobile-phone-use-brain-activity

Study indicates cellphones affect brain activity, but implications are unclear
Are cellphones safe? That question has gotten a lot of attention, but so far 
there has been no convincing evidence that those ubiquitous devices cause health 
problems. A new federal study may stir things up further, but the bottom line 
again is that the study raises more questions than it answers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/22/AR2011022206978.html


Cellphone Use Tied to Changes in Brain Activity
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have found that less than an 
hour of cellphone use can speed up brain activity in the area closest to the 
phone antenna, raising new questions about the health effects of low levels of 
radiation emitted from cellphones.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/cellphone-use-tied-to-changes-in-brain-activity/


Cell phone calls alter brain activity - U.S. study
Spending 50 minutes with a cell phone plastered to your ear is enough to change 
brain cell activity in the part of the brain closest to the antenna.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/02/22/idINIndia-55080520110222

Is this the start of a Mac-lash?
That Apple makes money from apps is not news. But it's the way it works that has 
hacked off fanboys and disenchanted developers. Ian Burrell examines how loyalty 
has been tested to the limit ... "Apple has brilliantly managed to sew us up in 
this Apple world, but in some ways they are the most rigid authoritarian leader 
brand. It's our way or the highway with Apple."
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/is-this-the-start-of-a-maclash-2220593.html


Apple is dictating all the terms - and we shouldn't have to accept them
Once, the currency of wisdom seemed to consist in knowing who one's father was. 
Latterly, in these business obsessed times, knowing your own customers seems to 
have become more important. Which, of course, was the promise of the internet 
for harassed newspaper owners. So much for the anonymous news stand buyers ? the 
future, instead, would consist of joyous readers in a harmonious (and more 
profitable) relationship with publishers, their contact information visible for 
the first time. Plus, readers would probably be prepared to pay as much or 
almost as much as in the costly ink-on-dead-trees era. ... There are other 
questions about Apple's dominance. Apple has made it hard for some content 
creators to get their work on to its App Store. For example, the American 
satirical cartoonist Mark Fiore found his work rejected because "it ridicules 
public figures". He only got on to the App Store last year after winning a 
Pulitzer Prize and a mini-media outcry. Not everybody, though, can do that to 
get past Apple's move into content censorship.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2011/feb/21/apple-control-media-business-dan-sabbagh


No longer the Apple of publishers' eye
Apple's move to take a greater share of cash from newspaper app subscriptions 
may instead allow Google to take a bite
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2011/feb/21/apple-newspaper-app-subscriptions


FTC looking into Apple's in-app purchasing policy
The Federal Trade Commission will review how Apple markets games with in-app 
purchases, but not for the reason you may think.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20035058-260.html 

FTC says it will look into Apple's marketing of in-app purchases to kids
The Federal Trade Commission will investigate Apple's marketing of iOS games 
with in-app purchases to children. The decision comes after a wave of complaints 
about kids running up huge bills on their parents' iTunes accounts. FTC Chairman 
Jon Leibowitz acknowledged in a letter to US Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) that the 
FTC shares his concern over the phenomenon, saying the Commission would dig 
deeper into it.
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/02/ftc-says-it-will-look-into-apples-marketing-of-in-app-purchases-to-kids.ars


'Mega' Payments Race Pits Google, Visa Against Phone Operators
Deutsche Telekom AG, France Telecom SA and other mobile operators, who lost the 
battle for online applications stores to Apple Inc. and Google Inc., say they 
have a fighting chance of winning the corner convenience store.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-20/-mega-payments-race-pits-google-visa-against-phone-operators.html


After iPad's Head Start, Rival Tablets Are Poised to Flood Offices
The billboards promoting the iPad have a simple message: The tablet is a device 
for leisure, to be held on one?s lap while lounging on a couch in casual 
clothes, to watch a film or read a magazine.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/technology/21tablet.html

Chinese workers appeal to Apple over health worries
Chinese workers at a factory making touch screens on contract for Apple have 
urged the U.S. company to help address their grievances over a chemical 
poisoning they said could still harm their health.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/02/22/idINIndia-55062020110222
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/22/oukin-uk-apple-wintek-idUKTRE71L22520110222


China mobile subscriber total rises to 853 million in January
China Mobile, China's largest mobile carrier, said its total mobile subscribers 
rose to about 589.3 million in January, including 22.6 million 3G subscribers.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/21/oukin-uk-china-mobile-idUKTRE71K20J20110221


Telstra takes steps against bandwidth hogs
Telstra will use quality-of-service technology on its planned LTE wireless 
network to prevent heavy bandwidth users from clogging the network.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telstra-takes-steps-against-bandwidth-hogs/story-e6frgakx-1226009683543


**********************
SPAM
**********************
FTC asks court to shut down text spammer [IDG]
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has asked a judge to shut down an alleged 
text-messaging spam operation that sent out 85 text messages per minute at its 
peak, the agency said Wednesday.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/377739/ftc_asks_court_shut_down_text_spammer/

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/022311-ftc-asks-court-to-shut.html

FTC Asks Court to Shut Down Text Messaging Spammer [news release]
The Federal Trade Commission asked a federal judge to shut down an operation 
that allegedly blasted consumers with millions of illegal spam text messages, 
including many messages that deceptively advertised a mortgage modification 
website called ?Loanmod-gov.net.? The FTC is asking the court to freeze the 
defendant?s assets.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2011/02/loan.shtm

**************************
ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
Google Belgian Copyright Appeal May Decide Search Engines' Fate in Europe
Google Inc. is fighting a Belgian ruling blocking it from publishing links to 
local newspapers on its online news service at a hearing today that could decide 
the fate of search engines and referencing services in Europe.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-23/google-belgian-copyright-appeal-could-determine-european-policy.html


Cyber criminals find new targets on unsuspecting sites
The proportion of websites secretly harbouring malware has reached one in 3,000 
according to security firm Kaspersky. It found a surge in the number of 
web-based attacks in 2010, with more than 580 million incidents detected.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12539993

Security to Ward Off Crime on Phones
More consumers are buying smartphones. So, more criminals are taking aim at 
those devices. Criminals still prefer PCs for stealing personal data, bank and 
credit card account numbers as well as for running scams. However, most PC 
attacks focus on Microsoft?s decade-old Windows XP operating system, which is 
slowly being replaced by the more secure Windows 7. Over the next few years, 
hackers will have to find new targets.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/technology/personaltech/24basics.html

Vultures circle Christchurch - an email scam warning
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has reported an email scam involving the 
Christchurch earthquake relief effort.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/vultures-circle-christchurch-email-scam-warning-ck-86768


'Disgusting' quake emails target people eager to donate
Scammers are apparently already attempting to take advantage of people wanting 
to donate to quake recovery funds.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/canterbury-earthquake/69295/'disgusting'-quake-emails-target-people-eager-to-donate


nz: Earthquake Charity Scam
Sadly, Scamwatch and NetSafe have already received reports of scammers using the 
Christchurch earthquake as an opportunity to prey on the good will of New 
Zealanders.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/earthquake-charity-scam/5/83143

Scam Alert - Christchurch earthquake: scam emails already surfacing [news 
release]
Sadly, Scamwatch and NetSafe have already received reports of scammers using the 
Christchurch earthquake as an opportunity to prey on the good will of New 
Zealanders.
http://consumeraffairs.govt.nz/scam-news/scam-alert-42

Unprotected home computers vulnerable to hijack
Protect your home computer or you could unwittingly help to launch a cyber 
attack, experts are warning. They say the rise in such attacks risks undermining 
critical national infrastructure and the future of the global economy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9393765.stm

Cybercrime cost estimate is 'sales exercise', say experts
Cybercrime experts have questioned a ?27 billion (US$43.8 billion) annual 
cybercrime cost figure released by the Cabinet Office in a report last week, 
saying it is little more than a sales exercise for Detica, the company that 
researched the report.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2011/02/18/cybercrime-cost-estimate-is-sales-exercise-say-experts-40091866/

http://www.zdnetasia.com/cybercrime-cost-estimate-is-sales-exercise-say-experts-62206857.htm


us: Can You Frisk a Hard Drive?
If you stand with the Customs and Border Protection officers who staff the 
passport booths at Dulles airport near the nation?s capital, their task seems 
daunting. As a huge crowd of weary travelers shuffle along in serpentine lines, 
inspectors make quick decisions by asking a few questions (often across language 
barriers) and watching computer displays that don?t go much beyond name, date of 
birth and codes for a previous customs problem or an outstanding arrest warrant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/weekinreview/20laptop.html

Westboro Baptist Church targeted by Anonymous
Hacker group Anonymous appears to have singled out its next target - the 
controvesial anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church in the US.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12523184

**************************
PRIVACY
**************************
Google's Snowmobile Hits Swiss Slopes as Street View Faces Legal Challenge
A Google Inc. camera-equipped snowmobile is setting out to chart Swiss ski 
slopes on the internet even as the company?s Street View service faces a court 
challenge over privacy concerns.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-22/google-hits-swiss-slopes-as-street-view-faces-legal-challenge.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/googles-snowmobile-hits-swiss-slopes-as-street-view-faces-legal-challenge-20110223-1b4fg.html

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/googles-snowmobile-hits-swiss-slopes-as-street-view-faces-legal-challenge-20110223-1b4fg.html


Web users need more cookie control, says EU info security advisor
Internet users should have more control over the information web publishers 
gather about them, the European Union's information security advisor has said. 
Users should be careful of a new breed of 'supercookies' that are hard to 
control, said its report.
http://out-law.com/page-11791

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
China Co-Opts Social Media to Head Off Unrest: Government allows networking 
sites-if they block or remove controversial material
China's domestic security chief, Zhou Yongkang, added his voice to calls for 
tighter Internet controls as censors ratcheted up temporary online restrictions, 
a day after a failed attempt to use social-networking sites to start a "Jasmine 
Revolution" in China.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703610604576158290935677316.html

Russia blames Google for stirring Egypt unrest - WSJ
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's deputy blamed Google Inc in an interview 
published on Tuesday for stirring up trouble in the revolution that ousted 
Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/02/22/idINIndia-55067820110222

Libya faces internet blackouts amid protests
Libya is the latest North African country to experience internet trouble as 
democratic protests continue to sweep the region.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/02/22/libya.internet/index.html

Libya's Internet hit with severe disruptions
Libya's Internet links have been severely disrupted as chaos spreads across the 
country, with a defiant Col. Moammar Gadhafi today vowing to die a "martyr" 
rather than relinquish his grip on power.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20035079-281.html

**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
Google Trying to Avoid Antitrust Fight in Europe
At the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the hottest ticket in 
recent years has invariably been an invitation to Google?s lavish private party, 
and 2011 was no exception.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/business/global/21google.html

Google faces new complaint in anti-trust probe
A new complaint about Google's alleged anti-competitive behaviour has been filed 
by specialist French search engine 1plusV. It follows similar complaints from 
price comparison site Foundem and legal search engine ejustice.fr last year.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12540731

Google Faces New Antitrust Charges in Europe
Google faced new accusations Tuesday that it was blocking a smaller European 
search service from competing on the Internet by restricting the use of Google?s 
powerful system for attracting advertisers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/technology/23google.html

French site Ejustice.fr charges Google with fresh abuse
Google has continued to thwart rivals despite complaints of anticompetitive 
behaviour filed with EU antitrust regulators last year, the creator of French 
legal search engine Ejustice.fr said on Tuesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/22/oukin-uk-google-ejustice-idUKTRE71L22F20110222

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/02/22/idINIndia-55064720110222

Google says working with EU over rivals' concerns
Web search giant Google said on Tuesday it was working with the European 
Commission to address competition concerns after a rival renewed complaints of 
anticompetitive behaviour.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/02/22/idINIndia-55065720110222

French search company lobs new antitrust complaint at Google
French search company 1PlusV has added to the European dogpile on Google, 
accusing the search giant of keeping the little guys down when it comes to 
advertising on AdSense. 1PlusV says it has filed a new complaint with the 
European Commission to supplement an earlier complaint against Google. The 
Commission says it plans to give Google a chance to respond before moving 
forward.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/french-search-company-lobs-new-antitrust-complaint-at-google.ars


Net neutrality faces uncertain future after House vote [IDG]
Late last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a budget bill that 
included a prohibition on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission enforcing 
net neutrality rules, but it's unclear whether that provision will survive.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9210720/Net_neutrality_faces_uncertain_future_after_House_vote

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/022211-net-neutrality-rules-face-uncertain.html


us: Groups Urge Court To Reject Net Neutrality Challenge
Almost half a dozen advocacy groups waded into Verizon's lawsuit against the 
Federal Communications Commission's network neutrality rules Tuesday, seeking to 
protect regulations that many of the groups had criticized for not going far 
enough.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/02/groups-urge-court-to-reject-ne.php


it: Consultation on new framework for online copyright protection
There are only a few more days until the end of the consultation on a new 
framework for protecting copyright online. Although the Communications Authority 
(AGCOM) requires all parties to submit their comments by March 3 2011, the 
debate over this controversial topic seems certain to continue. Stakeholders may 
have further opportunities to contribute, and some have already called for a 
further series of consultations, arguing that the issues addressed by AGCOM are 
too generic and will require additional guidance once the regulations are 
published.
http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/detail.aspx?g=d7118965-ccf2-4bde-a0d8-80af43cb75b8


America, the UN and the Future of Communications
In May of this year, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and other 
UN organizations such as UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, are scheduled to convene in 
Geneva to talk about regulation of the growth and development of the Internet.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-m-eger/the-us-and-the-un-and-the_b_825559.html


au: Data retention should last one year: AG
Bilateral talks with the United States to unify data retention legislation could 
lead to Australia keeping logs of its citizens' online lives for a year.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/data-retention-should-last-one-year-ag-339309726.htm

*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
Q. & A. with Rebecca MacKinnon: Internet in China
The Chinese Communist Party can move like a gazelle when it senses that its grip 
on social stability might be at stake. Within days of Mubarak?s downfall, 
Beijing had rounded up liberal activists, slowed the Web to a crawl, and poured 
security forces into areas that it thought could be used for the kind of online 
organizing that is sweeping the Middle East. Smack in the middle of that, U.S. 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a speech on ?Internet freedom? last 
week, and she singled out China and other authoritarian countries for facing a 
?dictator?s dilemma? in their attempts to control the Internet. For analysis, I 
turned to Rebecca MacKinnon, who knows as much as anyone about the Internet in 
China. She is a Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation 
and co-founder of Global Voices Online, an international citizen media project. 
(Her book ?Consent of the Networked? will be published next year by Basic 
Books.)
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/evanosnos/2011/02/internet-in-china.html

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
au: Wireless camp uninformed about cable, says NBN boss
The man responsible for rolling out the national broadband network, Mike 
Quigley, has bluntly rejected opposition claims the $36 billion project is 
threatened by Telstra's plans for a super-fast wireless network.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/nbn-chief-denies-superfast-wireless-threat-20110222-1b42n.html

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/wireless-camp-uninformed-about-cable-says-nbn-boss-20110222-1b43f.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/wireless-camp-uninformed-about-cable-says-nbn-boss-20110222-1b43f.html


au: NBN Co rejigs plan for mainland rollout
NBN Co is replanning parts of its strategy to connect the second batch of 
mainland sites to the $36 billion project while the agreement for Telstra's 
participation in the new network is finalised.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/nbn-co-rejigs-plan-for-mainland-rollout/story-fn4htb9o-1226010708444


au: NBN raises labour concerns
The head of the company building Australia's National Broadband Network will go 
back to the Gillard government for advice on whether to proceed if labour 
shortages blow out the cost of the fibre network.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/nbn-raises-labour-concerns/story-fn59niix-1226010402211


Labour shortage could delay NBN
The chief executive of the National Broadband Network company, Mike Quigley, 
says labour shortages could put pressure on the $36 billion NBN rollout.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/23/3146096.htm

Phone network hit by Christchurch quake
Communications problems in Christchurch could get worse before they get better, 
following today's earthquake.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4688732/Phone-network-hit-by-Christchurch-quake


Phone networks still fragile
Telecom says widespread power outages mean large parts of its network are still 
working off backup power and prolonged mains power issues will mean more 
services are likely to go down as back-up batteries and generators run down.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4693191/Phone-networks-still-fragile

Tuanz, InternetNZ win more time to grapple with sweeping telco bill
Tuanz and InternetNZ - some-time rivals in the world of telecommunications 
lobbying - have succeeded in their bid to get the deadline for submissions on 
the Telecommunications Amendment Bill extended.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/tuanz-internetnz-claim-credit-telco-bill-delayed-ck-86776


nz: Extension granted on submissions to telco bill
TUANZ and InternetNZ have been successful in their bid for an extension to 
submissions on the supplementary order paper that would govern the process for 
structurally separating Telecom if it is a successful bidder in the Ultra Fast 
Broadband plan.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/extension-granted-on-submissions-to-telco-bill


nz: Bill allows govt to buy Telecom shares, assets ? and Chorus to co-invest 
with lines companies
... Luckily, InternetNZ policy director Jordon Carter did notice and, in another 
display of cooperation (what's happening here) his findings have been broadcast 
by Tuanz chief executive Paul Brislen.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/bill-allows-govt-buy-telecom-shares-assets-%E2%80%93-and-chorus-co-invest-lines-companies


Huawei U-turn on US deal saves blushes
Huawei?s unexpected decision to capitulate to US demands to unwind a $2m patent 
deal has spared the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker from a 
potentially devastating judgment from President Barack Obama on the threat the 
company posed to US security.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/28c1e442-3d20-11e0-bbff-00144feabdc0.html

**********************************
ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION
**********************************
Matthew Miles burnt USB to hide child porn from police, court told 
[Courier-Mail]
A BRISBANE dad set fire to a computer flash drive containing child pornography 
he had downloaded from the internet just hours before police searched his home, 
a court has been told.
http://www.news.com.au/matthew-miles-burnt-usb-to-hide-child-porn-from-police-court-told/story-e6freoof-1226009494275

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

(c) David Goldstein 2011



 
---------
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 Feb 23 2011 - 15:36:12 UTC

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