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. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Letter: Plenty of .protections for the Web domain expansion by Rod Beckstorm http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/plenty-of-protections-for-the-web-domain-expansion/2011/12/14/gIQAnMf30O_story.html Outcomes of the Independent Review into the Governance of .au http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-15122011a/ auDA releases governance review of .au http://www.coopermills.com.au/wordpress/index.php/2011/12/auda-releases-governance-review-of-au/ FTC Warns That Rapid Expansion of Internet Domain Name System Could Leave Consumers More Vulnerable to Online Fraud http://ftc.gov/opa/2011/12/icann.shtm FTC warns domain-name expansion poses ?significant threat to consumers? http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/200059-ftc-warns-domain-name-expansion-poses-significant-threat-to-consumers Typosquatting - study reveals the real risks when you mistype a website's name http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/12/14/typosquatting-study-real-risks/ Judiciary Postpones Final Action On Net Piracy Bill http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/12/judiciary-set-to-resume-work-o.php Hollywood Tries to Wash the Web with SOPA - The Stop Online Piracy Act aims to stop illegal streaming. It won?t http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/hollywood-tries-to-wash-the-web-with-sopa-12152011.html Vint Cerf: SOPA means 'unprecedented censorship' of the Web http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57344028-281/vint-cerf-sopa-means-unprecedented-censorship-of-the-web/ Lines Drawn on Antipiracy Bills http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/technology/lines-are-drawn-on-legislation-against-internet-piracy.html Stopping SOPA's Anti-Circumvention by Wendy Seltzer http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111215_stopping_sopas_anti_circumvention/ ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** OECD Council Recommendation on Principles for Internet Policy Making http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/58/49258588.pdf ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Muscovites Pose Insightful Questions About New gTLDs As part of ICANN's campaign to raise global awareness about the opportunities and challenges of New gTLDs, Internet companies, government, Internet users and representatives of Russian media met in Moscow at the downtown Marriott Royal Aurora. The event, hosted by the .ru/.?? ccTLD Coordination Center, enabled Russians interested in new gTLDs to interact with ICANN's President and CEO, Rod Beckstrom; Board Director George Sadowsky; Chief of Staff Christopher Mondini; and ICANN's representative for the region, Veni Markovski. http://newgtlds.icann.org/program-status/past-events/reports/new-gtlds-moscow-12dec11-en Letter: Plenty of .protections for the Web domain expansion by Rod Beckstorm When I saw the Dec. 12 editorial ?What?s the .rush?? I had to ask, ?What .rush?? The program of ICANN to open the Internet to new TLDs has been anything but rushed. It took more than six years of thoughtful discussion, debate and study involving governments and intellectual property experts from around the globe. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/plenty-of-protections-for-the-web-domain-expansion/2011/12/14/gIQAnMf30O_story.html Notice of Publication: Revised IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Implementation Plan Following the ICANN Board's approval on 8 December 2011 of the amendment to the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process Implementation Plan, ICANN is providing this notice of publication for the Revised Implementation Plan. This amendment was considered following guidance received from the ccNSO during the ICANN meeting in Dakar, Senegal. http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15dec11-en.htm EBERO Plan Moving Forward Rapidly Monday, 5 December marked the Request for Information (RFI) deadline that asked Emergency Back-End Registry Operator (EBERO) candidates to submit their proposals if they would like to be considered for the new gTLD EBERO Program. We received 14 RFIs from respondents in North America, South America, Asia and Europe and we plan to make the final selection of EBERO organizations in 2012. http://blog.icann.org/2011/12/ebero-plan-moving-forward-rapidly/ Half the industry fighting over EBERO contracts ICANN received a whopping 14 responses to its recent request for emergency back-end registry operators, contracts that could turn lucrative if and when new gTLDs start going out of business. http://domainincite.com/half-the-industry-fighting-over-ebero-contracts/ Important Progress on Accountability and Transparency The ICANN Board made a couple of important decisions regarding accountability and transparency at its 8 December meeting. Specifically, it approved compensating Directors and also enhanced ICANN?s conflicts of interest rules http://pir.org/node/1850 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Providing Persistent Domain Names Under .ARPA by Gavin Brown Some domains are too big to fail. Quite apart from the obvious ones like google.com and facebook.com, upon whose availability our everyday lives depends, there are many others upon which the infrastructure of the Internet (and much of the modern world itself) depends. These are domains like w3.org and ietf.org, which host the technical specifications which describe the World Wide Web and the Internet themselves. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111215_providing_persistent_domain_names_under_arpa/ Outcomes of the Independent Review into the Governance of .au Independent review finds the Australian domain administration to be one of the most transparent and effective in the global Internet community. http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-15122011a/ Outcomes of the Independent Review into the Governance of .au - Further Information Further information about the independent review conducted by Westlake Consulting Ltd. http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-15122011b/ auDA releases governance review of .au .au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA) the regulatory of the .au domain name space today released a review of governance undertaken by Westlake Consulting Ltd and Argo Pacific. http://www.coopermills.com.au/wordpress/index.php/2011/12/auda-releases-governance-review-of-au/ Renewed DNS.be registration platform on 13 December 2011 Dec 13, 2011 Today DNS.be renewed its registration platform used by the network of 470 registrars to register and manage domain names. These registrars have access to this platform 24/7 via a web interface or a direct automatic interface. http://dns.be/en//renewed_dnsbe_registration_platform_on_13_december_2011 Fi-domain name celebrates 25th anniversary Finns have been using fi-domain names for 25 years already. FICORA started to grant fi-domain names in 1997, and at that time, the total number of fi-domain names was 7,000. Nowadays there are 40 times more domain names than 25 years ago, the number currently being almost 300,000. http://www.ficora.fi/en/index/viestintavirasto/uutiset/2011/P_50.html fi: Advice for companies and organisations on registering domain names Companies and organisations are advised to consider which domain names would be important for the business, and then register these through a reliable registrar. Inappropriate marketing strategies are sometimes used by companies selling domain names - FICORA advises caution. https://domain.fi/info/en/index/tietoa/ajankohtaista/2011/P_51.html nl: The.nlyst 5 is out now The fifth issue of The .nlyst ? SIDN?s magazine for internet professionals and everyone with an interest in the .nl domain ? was published this week. This edition focuses on our registrars and reveals the diversity of firms that offer .nl services to the public. The magazine is available to download from this website. https://www.sidn.nl/en/news/news/article/thenlyst-5-beschikbaar-1/ Public invitation for Expression of Interest for consultancy services for preparation of RNIDS for certification under ISO 2700 standard Register of National Internet Domain Names of Serbia (RNIDS), hereby invites interested consultants to express their intention to offer services for the preparation of RNIDS for certification under ISO 2700 standard. http://rnids.rs/en/what-s-new/public-invitation-for-expression-of-interest-for-consultancy-services-for-preparation-of-rnids-for-certification-under-iso-2700-standard/id/3259 Have brand owners found an unlikely friend in .XXX? by Fred Felman In a move that reinforces their communication of support for creating a brand rights holder-friendly environment, the ICM registry, who operate the .XXX registry, have begun to take independent and unique action to thwart brand abuse. According to this post in World Trademark Review, it appears that they have created their own way to act on obviously infringing names. https://www.markmonitor.com/mmblog/have-brand-owners-found-an-unlikely-friend-in-xxx/ Whoops, There It Is! ICM Registry, the company that administers the .XXX sTLD, announced this morning that it was suspending domain registrations "that appear to involve unmistakable, blatant cybersquatting." The announcement came in the wake of suspicious registrations for famous trademarked names including BusinessWeek.xxx, CNBC.xxx and WashingtonPost.xxx, among others. ICM's swift move to suspend the questionable registrations is commendable and shows that the registry is committed to protecting trademarks and enforcing its own policies. http://www.domainnamestrategy.com/2011/12/14/whoops-there-it xxx: Whoops, There It Is! ICM Registry ... announced this morning that it was suspending domain registrations "that appear to involve unmistakable, blatant cybersquatting." The announcement came in the wake of suspicious registrations for famous trademarked names including BusinessWeek.xxx, CNBC.xxx and WashingtonPost.xxx, among others. ICM's swift move to suspend the questionable registrations is commendable and shows that the registry is committed to protecting trademarks and enforcing its own policies. http://www.domainnamestrategy.com/2011/12/14/whoops-there-it Manwin reminds affiliates not to register its trademarks in .xxx Manwin isn?t going to protect its trademarks in .xxx by paying anything to ICM Registry, so it?s asking its affiliates not to register them, either. http://domainnamewire.com/2011/12/16/manwin-reminds-affiliates-not-to-register-its-trademarks-in-xxx/ ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** FTC Warns That Rapid Expansion of Internet Domain Name System Could Leave Consumers More Vulnerable to Online Fraud The Federal Trade Commission today sent a letter to ICANN expressing concern that the organization's plan to dramatically expand the domain name system could leave consumers more vulnerable to online fraud and undermine law enforcers' ability to track down online scammers. http://ftc.gov/opa/2011/12/icann.shtm FTC Raps ICANN's Increased Number of Domain Names Plan FTC Raps ICANN Increased Number of Domain Names SchemeA plan by the custodians of the Internet that will dramatically increase the number of domains on the Net would make consumers more vulnerable to online fraud and impede the ability of law enforcement to bring cyber scammers to justice, according to a federal consumer watchdog agency. http://www.pcworld.com/article/246486/ftc_raps_icanns_increased_number_of_domain_names_plan.html FTC warns domain-name expansion poses ?significant threat to consumers? The Federal Trade Commission in a Friday letter urged ICANN to rethink its plan to allow for new domain-name endings, warning that the current plan could harm consumers and hamper law enforcement. http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/200059-ftc-warns-domain-name-expansion-poses-significant-threat-to-consumers Legal Brief - December 2011 - ICANN's New gTLD Program: Dates Are Set for More Clarity by Chase Marshall :: Sedo.com Legal Staff ICANN?s new gTLD Program moves ahead as planned. With the application period scheduled to open in less than three months, important updates have been released for applicants. After a recent meeting in Dakar, Senegal, ICANN has agreed to establish a Trademark Clearinghouse, set important deadlines, and provided additional planning resources for gTLD applicants. https://sedo.com/links/showlinks.php3?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&Id=2942 United Nations, ITU, IMF, NATO and others ask for special protection in new gTLDs The United Nations, ITU, IMF, NATO, OECD and 23 other international organizations have requested special protection in next year's expansion of the Internet. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/12/14/igos-special-gtld-exemption House subcommittee hearing on new gTLD program [reg req'd] Below is a transcript of the House Commerce subcommittee hearing on new gTLDs on 14 December 2011. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/12/14/house-gtlds-hearings-transcript FTC and Congressmen argue for new gTLD scale-back Political pressure to delay or limit the program for potentially thousands of new Internet extensions has further increased with not one but two highly critical letters from the US establishment. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/12/17/ftc-goodlatte-berman-gtld-scale-back IGOs plead for special new gTLD protections Twenty-eight intergovernmental organizations, including the UN, ITU and WIPO, have asked ICANN for special protection for their acronyms in the new TLDs program. http://domainincite.com/igos-plead-for-special-new-gtld-protections/ ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Typosquatting is huge but not dangerous, study finds A study of typosquatted domain names has found that the practice is reaching pandemic levels for the largest brands, but that there?s surprisingly little malware distribution going on. http://domainincite.com/typosquatting-is-huge-but-not-dangerous-study-finds/ Typosquatting - study reveals the real risks when you mistype a website's name [VIDEO] Admit it. You've made mistakes when typing in the name of a website. Your fingers fumble over each other, and before you know it you're not on google.com but goole.com instead. It's an easy mistake to make and - inevitably - there are people waiting to take advantage of it. http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/12/14/typosquatting-study-real-risks/ Typosquatting - what happens when you mistype a website name? Paul Ducklin takes an in-depth look at the scale and the risk of the typosquatting industry: registering mis-spellings of popular domains in an attempt to profit from typing mistakes. Applying every possible one-character typo to the domain names of Facebook, Google, Twitter, Microsoft, Apple and Sophos, Ducklin collected HTTP data and browser screenshots from 1502 web sites and 14,495 URLs. http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/typosquatting/ Typosquatters have our typos covered Typosquatting is the practice of registering a domain name that's slightly different from that of a heavily trafficked site in the hope of catching some accidental traffic. Research by a security company suggests there's a lot of it about, especially around major brands. http://www.itwire.com/business-it-news/security/51829-typosquatters-have-our-typos-covered How typosquatting scams work Here is an actual example of typosquat hosts found in the wild and show how typosquatting scams work. http://www.ciol.com/Security/Application-Security/News-Reports/How-typosquatting-scams-work/157818/0/ Typosquatted Domain Names Pose Plenty of Risk But Surprisingly Little Malware A recent study took an in-depth look at the scale and the risk of domain name typosquatting ? the practice of registering mis-spellings of popular domain names in an attempt to profit from typing mistakes. "Applying every possible one-character typo to the domain names of Facebook, Google, Twitter, Microsoft, Apple and Sophos," Paul Ducklin, Sophos' Asia Pacific head of technology collected HTTP data and browser screenshots from 1502 web sites and 14,495 URLs. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111215_typosquatted_domain_names_pose_plenty_of_risk_little_malware/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Judiciary Postpones Final Action On Net Piracy Bill After two days of acrimonious debate, the House Judiciary Committee postponed further action on Friday on a bipartisan bill that would authorize new tools for tackling the growing problem of online piracy and counterfeit goods on foreign websites. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/12/judiciary-set-to-resume-work-o.php Stop Online Piracy Act vote delayed The House Judiciary Committee considering whether to send the Stop Online Piracy Act to the House floor abruptly adjourned Friday with no new vote date set?a surprise given that the bill looked certain to pass out of committee today. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/stop-online-piracy-act-vote-delayed-probably-well-into-2012.ars Sopa battle hots up as US Congress debates piracy bill Hollywood's most powerful executives and Silicon Valley's billionaires have been glued to the goings-on in a frills-free Washington committee room. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/15/sopa-bill-congress-online-piracy Hollywood Tries to Wash the Web with SOPA - The Stop Online Piracy Act aims to stop illegal streaming. It won?t In the spring of 1982 a House of Representatives subcommittee decamped to Los Angeles to hold hearings about a new gadget called the VCR. Movie studios believed home viewing of feature films would destroy theaters and, ultimately, their entire industry, and they wanted Congress to do something to stop it. The late Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, warned the committee, ?The VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston Strangler is to the woman home alone.? Home video is now Hollywood?s most profitable business. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/hollywood-tries-to-wash-the-web-with-sopa-12152011.html Vint Cerf: SOPA means 'unprecedented censorship' of the Web Vint Cerf, the legendary computer scientist who's known as one of the fathers of the Internet for his work on TCP/IP, is the latest technologist to oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act. http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57344028-281/vint-cerf-sopa-means-unprecedented-censorship-of-the-web/ Free Speech's Weak Links Under Internet Blacklist Bills The Internet Blacklist bills ? the House?s Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Senate?s PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) ? would have a disastrous effect on online freedom of speech. In order to understand the ways a site placed on the blacklist could be denied a chance to connect with an audience, we?ve used our Free Speech is Only as Strong as the Weakest Link chart. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/12/free-speechs-weak-links-under-internet-blacklist-bills SOPA Undermines the U.S. in Its Negotiations for a Free, Open Internet Yesterday, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved an influential Recommendation on Principles for Internet Policy Making. It contains a set of 14 principles intended as a blueprint guiding Internet policy development for its 34 member states and Egypt. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/12/sopa-undermines-united-states-oecd-negotiations-free-open-internet Internet Society Joins Opposition to Stop Online Piracy Act [news release] The Internet Society Board of Trustees has expressed concern with a number of U.S. legislative proposals that would mandate DNS blocking and filtering by ISPs to protect the interests of copyright holders. http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-joins-opposition-stop-online-piracy-act-sopa Lines Drawn on Antipiracy Bills Type ?download movies for free? into Google, and up pops links to sites like the Pirate Bay, directing users to free copies of just about any entertainment ? the latest ?Twilight? installment, this week?s episode of ?Whitney,? the complete recordings of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/technology/lines-are-drawn-on-legislation-against-internet-piracy.html Stopping SOPA's Anti-Circumvention by Wendy Seltzer The House's Stop Online Piracy Act is in Judiciary Committee Markup today. As numerous protests, open letters, and advocacy campaigns across the Web, this is a seriously flawed bill. Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Darrell Issa's proposed OPEN Act points out, by contrast, some of the procedural problems. Here, I analyze just one of the problematic provisions of SOPA: a new"anticircumvention" provision http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111215_stopping_sopas_anti_circumvention/ Net founders fight piracy law with 'censorship' claim The founders of Google, Twitter and eBay have signed a strongly worded letter criticising controversial US legislation ahead of a debate in Congress. The Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) aims to slash the amount of pirated content on the internet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16195344 Community Consultation ? ARIN?s WhoWas Service ARIN is currently offering a trial WhoWas service that will provide historical registration information for a given IP address or ASN. This trial period will run until the production system is deployed, and will serve to provide much needed data to assist ARIN in defining the scope and use for this service. https://www.arin.net/announcements/2011/20111212.html Andy Linton appointed to ASO AC The APNIC EC is pleased to announce that Andy Linton has been appointed to the NRO NC / ASO AC http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2011/linton-aso-2012 APNIC Appoints Andy Linton to NRO NC APNIC is pleased to announce that Andy Linton has been appointed as a representative to the Number Resource Organization (NRO) Number Council (NC) for the APNIC region for a one-year term starting 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012. http://www.nro.net/news/apnic-appoints-andy-linton-to-nro-nc ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** A Trio of Six-Figure Sales Sets the Pace in Another Busy Week for the Domain Aftermarket Domain buyers were out in force this past week, ringing up more than two dozen reported sales at five figures or more. Three of those cracked the six-figure mark, led by a pair of sales at GoDaddyAuctions - #1 PokerBonus.com at $110,508 and #2 Lela.com at $100,463. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2011/20111214.htm Back to the Future: After a Domain Conference Shakeout T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Shines in 2011 Show on Fort Lauderdale Beach Equilibrium has finally been restored on the domain conference circuit. In the first few years after T.R.A.F.F.I.C. started it all back in the fall of 2004, domain conferences were special events that people often spent an entire year looking forward to. Successful innovators always attract competition though and by 2009 we were crisscrossing the U.S., and even the Atlantic Ocean, to cover six different shows put on by various promoters in just the first six months of that year. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2011/october.htm DomainDiscover joins the SedoMLS Premium network! This month saw the addition of registrar DomainDiscover to the SedoMLS Premium Network. SedoMLS Premium partners like DomainDiscover help your domain listings reach the widest possible audience of interested buyers. Now, any domain registered with DomainDiscover can be listed in the SedoMLS Premium network. https://sedo.com/links/showlinks.php3?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&Id=2941 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Net access: EU survey shows geographic divisions Almost a quarter of the European Union's citizens have never used the internet, according to official research. The survey of 16- to 74-year olds by statistics agency Eurostat suggests 24% have never gone online. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16195493 Report reveals Internet divide across EU A new European Union report, which was published on Wednesday, found that 24 percent ? over a 100 million people - have never gone online. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15607128,00.html Faceless net giants writing own rule books Australians use them more than any other websites and to many they have become essential services, oiling the wheels of life and commerce at the click of a mouse. http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/business-it/faceless-net-giants-writing-own-rule-books-20111218-1p0ts.html http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/business-it/faceless-net-giants-writing-own-rule-books-20111218-1p0ts.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Your Life on Facebook, in Total Recall Remember those karaoke videos from three years ago that somehow wound up on Facebook? They were embarrassing for the few hours they spent at the top of your Facebook profile, and then they were buried under a cascade of new updates. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/technology/facebook-brings-back-the-past-with-new-design.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Scientists break world record for data transfer speeds Researchers are claiming a new world record for data transfers over long distances. Data was moved back and forth at a combined rate of 186Gbps (gigabits per second), fast enough to transfer two million gigabytes of data or 100,000 full Blu-ray discs in one day. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16174972 World's Fastest Internet Speed: 186 Gbps Data Transfer Sets New Record Scientists and researchers have set a new Internet speed record by managing to transfer data at a sustained rate of 186 gigabits per second (Gbps), a rate equivalent to moving two million gigabytes -- or 100,000 full Blu-ray discs -- in a single day. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/16/worlds-fastest-internet_n_1154065.html ********************************* CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY ********************************* us: Mostly good news about kids online, study finds A report from the University of New Hampshire's Crimes against Children Research Center shows a significant decrease in "unwanted online sexual solicitation" as well as "unwanted exposure to pornography" in recent years among children ages 10 to 17 years old. There was a small increase in online harassment. http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-57343711-238/mostly-good-news-about-kids-online-study-finds/ us: Rules to Stop Pupil and Teacher From Getting Too Social Online Faced with scandals and complaints involving teachers who misuse social media, school districts across the country are imposing strict new guidelines that ban private conversations between teachers and their students on cellphones and online platforms like Facebook and Twitter. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/business/media/rules-to-limit-how-teachers-and-students-interact-online.html nz: Cyber-bullying here to stay: expert A Rotorua social media expert is not convinced a plan to tackle cyber-bullying will stop online harassment. http://www.odt.co.nz/source/apnz/190975/cyber-bullying-here-stay-expert uk: Independent Appeal: 'He would always want to do sexual things' A project to teach children about online safety has helped Martha come to terms with the abuse she suffered http://www.independent.co.uk/news/appeals/indy-appeal/independent-appeal-he-would-always-want-to-do-sexual-things-6278365.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Breaking News: ATM emergency PIN ignored by Oz banks Despite seeking to limit the infringement of copyright over BitTorrent, Sony, Fox and Universal, all members of the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT), have been caught out using BitTorrent themselves, according to blog TorrentFreak. http://www.zdnet.com.au/afact-members-caught-on-bittorrent-339328082.htm ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Reframing the Debate Over Using Phones Behind the Wheel For years, policy makers trying to curb distracted driving have compared the problem to drunken driving. The analogy seemed fitting, with drivers weaving down roads and rationalizing behavior that they knew could be deadly. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/us/reframing-the-debate-over-using-phones-while-driving.html Some Facts About Carrier IQ There has been a rolling scandal about the Carrier IQ software installed by cell phone companies on 150 million phones, mostly within the United States. Subjects of outright disagreement have included the nature of the program, what information it actually collects, and under what circumstances. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/12/carrier-iq-architecture ********************** ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL ********************** When your criminal past isn't yours A clerical error landed Kathleen Casey on the streets. Out of work two years, her unemployment benefits exhausted, in danger of losing her apartment, Casey applied for a job in the pharmacy of a Boston drugstore. She was offered $11 an hour. All she had to do was pass a background check. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/6158677/When-your-criminal-past-isn-t-yours ********************** SECURITY ********************** Should We Fire the First Shot in a Cyberwar? Defending against an attack is so hard that some think a stronger offense is required. http://www.technologyreview.com/web/39315/ ********************** PRIVACY ********************** EU cookie laws could cause unwary firms to get their fingers burnt Feeling bored and listless? Well, try this. In Firefox, open "preferences", click on the "privacy tab" and then click on the link that says "remove individual cookies". Up will pop a dialogue box labelled "cookies", which tells you that "the following cookies are stored in your computer". If you're an intensive user of the web, it will be a very long, scrolling list. On my laptop, for example, Amazon has deposited 29 cookies, YouTube nine and Google a whopping 53. (For instructions for how to inspect cookies in other browsers, see the NetLingo site.) http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/18/new-cookie-laws-john-naughton ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Beijing Tightens Cyber Controls China is launching its strongest official measure yet to quell electronic expressions of discontent, clamping down on its versions of Twitter that have increasingly fueled once-rare protests and threaten to undermine its leaders' firm hold on power. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204643804577101522579231922.html Beijing Imposes New Rules on Social Networking Sites Officials announced new rules on Friday aimed at controlling the way Chinese Internet users post messages on social networking sites that have posed challenges to the Chinese Communist Party?s propaganda machinery. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/world/asia/beijing-imposes-new-rules-on-social-networking-sites.html Beijing requires real names in microblog registration The popular adage, "On the Internet, nobody knows you are a dog," may not be always ring true as authorities in Beijing city have ordered real name registrations on microblogging services. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2011-12/16/c_131310381.htm U.S. Restricts U.A.E. Firm for Web Filter Sale to Syria The Department of Commerce is placing restrictions on a person and a company in the United Arab Emirates for supplying Syria with Internet-filtering devices made by California-based Blue Coat Systems Inc. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204844504577100550048032714.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Judiciary Postpones Final Action On Net Piracy Bill After two days of acrimonious debate, the House Judiciary Committee postponed further action on Friday on a bipartisan bill that would authorize new tools for tackling the growing problem of online piracy and counterfeit goods on foreign websites. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/12/judiciary-set-to-resume-work-o.php Stop Online Piracy Act vote delayed The House Judiciary Committee considering whether to send the Stop Online Piracy Act to the House floor abruptly adjourned Friday with no new vote date set?a surprise given that the bill looked certain to pass out of committee today. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/stop-online-piracy-act-vote-delayed-probably-well-into-2012.ars Sopa battle hots up as US Congress debates piracy bill Hollywood's most powerful executives and Silicon Valley's billionaires have been glued to the goings-on in a frills-free Washington committee room. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/dec/15/sopa-bill-congress-online-piracy Hollywood Tries to Wash the Web with SOPA - The Stop Online Piracy Act aims to stop illegal streaming. It won?t In the spring of 1982 a House of Representatives subcommittee decamped to Los Angeles to hold hearings about a new gadget called the VCR. Movie studios believed home viewing of feature films would destroy theaters and, ultimately, their entire industry, and they wanted Congress to do something to stop it. The late Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, warned the committee, ?The VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston Strangler is to the woman home alone.? Home video is now Hollywood?s most profitable business. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/hollywood-tries-to-wash-the-web-with-sopa-12152011.html Vint Cerf: SOPA means 'unprecedented censorship' of the Web Vint Cerf, the legendary computer scientist who's known as one of the fathers of the Internet for his work on TCP/IP, is the latest technologist to oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act. http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57344028-281/vint-cerf-sopa-means-unprecedented-censorship-of-the-web/ Free Speech's Weak Links Under Internet Blacklist Bills The Internet Blacklist bills ? the House?s Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Senate?s PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) ? would have a disastrous effect on online freedom of speech. In order to understand the ways a site placed on the blacklist could be denied a chance to connect with an audience, we?ve used our Free Speech is Only as Strong as the Weakest Link chart. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/12/free-speechs-weak-links-under-internet-blacklist-bills SOPA Undermines the U.S. in Its Negotiations for a Free, Open Internet Yesterday, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) approved an influential Recommendation on Principles for Internet Policy Making. It contains a set of 14 principles intended as a blueprint guiding Internet policy development for its 34 member states and Egypt. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/12/sopa-undermines-united-states-oecd-negotiations-free-open-internet Internet Society Joins Opposition to Stop Online Piracy Act [news release] The Internet Society Board of Trustees has expressed concern with a number of U.S. legislative proposals that would mandate DNS blocking and filtering by ISPs to protect the interests of copyright holders. http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-joins-opposition-stop-online-piracy-act-sopa SOPA bill markup exposes congressional divide The gaping divide separating House Judiciary Committee members on the Stop Online Piracy Act was abundantly clear as a marathon markup of the measure got under way Thursday. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70522.html Lines Drawn on Antipiracy Bills Type ?download movies for free? into Google, and up pops links to sites like the Pirate Bay, directing users to free copies of just about any entertainment ? the latest ?Twilight? installment, this week?s episode of ?Whitney,? the complete recordings of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/technology/lines-are-drawn-on-legislation-against-internet-piracy.html Stopping SOPA's Anti-Circumvention by Wendy Seltzer The House's Stop Online Piracy Act is in Judiciary Committee Markup today. As numerous protests, open letters, and advocacy campaigns across the Web, this is a seriously flawed bill. Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Darrell Issa's proposed OPEN Act points out, by contrast, some of the procedural problems. Here, I analyze just one of the problematic provisions of SOPA: a new"anticircumvention" provision http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111215_stopping_sopas_anti_circumvention/ Representatives decry rush to judgement on SOPA As the House Judiciary Committee met to consider changes to the Stop Online Piracy Act, several members of the committee warned that rushing the bill through the legislative process would lead to costly mistakes. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/representatives-decry-rush-to-judgement-on-sopa.ars Tech entrepreneurs attack SOPA on the eve of markup The cofounders of some of the Internet's most successful startups have put out a letter condemning the Stop Online Piracy Act. It warns that SOPA will undermine online security, burden future web startups, and "censor the web using techniques similar to those used by China, Malaysia and Iran." http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/technology-entrepreneurs-attack-sopa-on-eve-of-hearings.ars Net founders fight piracy law with 'censorship' claim The founders of Google, Twitter and eBay have signed a strongly worded letter criticising controversial US legislation ahead of a debate in Congress. The Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) aims to slash the amount of pirated content on the internet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16195344 Could US legislation break the internet? Online communities in the US are all abuzz over a bill about to be passed by the US senate that some believe could destroy many of the sites and services that make the internet such an amazing place to share ideas, be entertained or to simply hang out. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10774089 Convergence Review heralds a dramatic shift in Australian media by Ben Goldsmith, Senior Research Fellow at Swinburne University of Technology Light on detail and raising many more questions than it answers, yesterday?s Convergence Review interim report is still bold and far-reaching, driven by a fundamentally optimistic view of the future for Australian culture, content and communication. http://theconversation.edu.au/convergence-review-heralds-a-dramatic-shift-in-australian-media-4778 au: New regulator to handle digital economy Australia should establish a new independent content and communications authority with the authority to encourage competition and compliance, a new government report has urged. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/410382/new_regulator_handle_digital_economy/ Apple's struggle to defeat Amazon set to be exposed by European ebook inquiry For book publishers, Christmas will come twice this year. After the festive trade in hardback tomes, the celebrations will begin again on Boxing Day, as the millions who got Kindles from Santa go online to stock them with reading material. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/dec/18/ebook-price-wars ********************** MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Innovation will help poor, says visiting Bill Gates Bill Gates says innovations in medicine and agriculture still have a long way to run, with scientists and financiers now in the vanguard of the fight against global poverty and disease. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/innovation-will-help-poor-says-visiting-bill-gates/story-e6frg8zx-1226223413378 nz: Massive website letdown The collapse of Dean Letfus' Massive Action seminar business has left scores of investors unhappy over internet marketing schemes they bought through the company. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/6157963/Massive-website-letdown ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Telstra to extend reach into key Asian markets Telstra has laid the groundwork for an international telecommunications network after extending its reach into Asia with the acquisition of two new telco operating licences in Singapore and Japan. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telecommunications/telstra-to-extend-reach-into-key-asian-markets/story-fn4iyzsr-1226223369061 nz: Telco users' group queries pricing study findings The Telecommunications Users Association has questioned some of the negative findings of the Commerce Commission's annual benchmarking study of the industry. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/6148498/Telco-users-group-queries-pricing-study-findings nz: Schools need help with ultra-fast broadband - report [news release] A new report released today by the 2020 Communications Trust reveals that while most schools are ready and eagerly awaiting the roll-out of the government's ultra-fast broadband initiative, principals believe they will need help in making full use of the network capabilities. http://www.2020.org.nz/index.php/latest-news nz: Meet the new ICT Minister Much has been made of the fact that our new Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Amy Adams, tweets. http://www.techday.co.nz/itbrief/news/meet-the-new-ict-minister/21739/7/ New Zealand schools happy with ICT, awaiting fast broadband A report by the 2020 Communications Trust in New Zealand showed schools putting considerable investment into ICT and now eagerly awaiting the roll-out of the government's ultra-fast broadband initiative to loosen the internet bottleneck. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/new-zealand-schools-happy-with-ict-awaiting-fast-broadband ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** Europol says massive child pornography ring busted; 112 arrests in 22 countries, 269 suspects [AP] Police arrested 112 people in 22 countries after a yearlong investigation into child pornography, Europol said Friday, warning that technology is making combating the spread of child abuse images ever more difficult. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europol-says-child-pornography-ring-busted-19-men-arrested-in-denmark/2011/12/16/gIQAX3ymxO_story.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/europol-says-major-child-pornography-ring-busted-20111217-1oz8s.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/europol-says-major-child-pornography-ring-busted-20111217-1oz8s.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2011 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david at 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 FlanneryReceived on Sun Dec 18 2011 - 22:17:01 UTC
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