[DNS] domain name news - 2 February

From: David Goldstein <david> Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2012 12:46:35 +1100 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:11 UTC

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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Are the days of hands-off Internet policies numbered?
http://gcn.com/articles/2012/02/01/internet-governance-world-conference-changes.aspx

Reduce "Unreachable" Whois Registrations By 50% In 1 Year?
http://www.icann.org/en/reviews/affirmation/whois-rt-reducing-unreachable-27jan12-en.htm

Reducing Unreachable ICANN Registrations BY Wout de Natris
http://www.circleid.com/posts/reducing_unreachable_icann_registrations/

Mickey Mouse Whois ban threat sparks privacy fears
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/30/whois_identity_privacy/

ARI Registry Services signs 21 contracts in the first week of applications
http://ariservices.com/news-ari_signs_21_contracts_in_the_first_week_of_applications.php

au: Aussie domain reseller Netfleet hacked
http://www.crn.com.au/News/288912,aussie-domain-reseller-netfleet-hacked.aspx

au: Hackers infiltrate domain name auction house
http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/security-it/hackers-infiltrate-domain-name-auction-house-20120201-1qtgk.html

Cybersecurity report: All countries lag behind the bad guys [IDG]
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/413846/cybersecurity_report_all_countries_lag_behind_bad_guys/

G'Day mate: Australia, New Zealand shake hands on cybersecurity
http://www.infosecurity-us.com/view/23544/gday-mate-australia-new-zealand-shake-hands-on-cybersecurity/

Joint Statement with the Prime Minister of New Zealand [news release]
http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/joint-statement-prime-minister-new-zealand

au: WORLD IPv6 DAY ? ?Best School Day Ever!?
http://www.isoc-au.org.au/Media/ISOC-AU_World_IPv6_Day_20110608.pdf

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GOVERNANCE
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Are the days of hands-off Internet policies numbered?
The Internet will be a major topic of discussion when world leaders convene late this year to review and revise the 24-year-old regulations governing international telecommunications.
http://gcn.com/articles/2012/02/01/internet-governance-world-conference-changes.aspx

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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Reduce "Unreachable" Whois Registrations By 50% In 1 Year?
Review Team Asks for Community Comment on Draft Recommendations that Could Bring Big Changes to Whois: Whois allows you to look up the name and contact information of whoever operates any website domain ? or at least, it should. But it isn't always accurate. In some cases, Whois contact information is patently false, listing as website operators.
http://www.icann.org/en/reviews/affirmation/whois-rt-reducing-unreachable-27jan12-en.htm

Selecting ICANN's Next CEO - Letter 2 by Jean-Jacques Subrenat
In November 2011, a group of "friends of ICANN" from various countries sent a letter to the Chair of ICANN's Board, expressing concern about the process used previously, and suggesting improvements. Towards the end of 2011, the ICANN Board set up a Search Committee, chaired by George Sadowsky, and some significant improvements have been integrated into the selection process.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/selecting_icanns_next_ceo_letter_2/

Reducing Unreachable ICANN Registrations BY Wout de Natris
Recently ICANN published a report on inaccurate registration data in her own databases. Now the question is presented to the world how can we mitigate this problem? There seems to be a very easy solution. ... The question to this answer seems simple. To know who has registered with an organisation. This makes it possible to contact the registered person or organisation, to send bills and to discuss policy with the members.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/reducing_unreachable_icann_registrations/

Mickey Mouse Whois ban threat sparks privacy fears
The days of pretending to be Mickey Mouse or Daffy Duck when you register a domain name could be numbered, following demands placed on ICANN by law enforcement agencies and governments.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/30/whois_identity_privacy/

ICANN Publishes Draft Final Report On Whois Policy
ICANN has published a DRAFT of final report of the ?Whois Policy Review Team?s?, whose mission was to ?review the extent to which ICANN?s Whois policy and its implementation are effective, meet the legitimate needs of law enforcement, and promote consumer trust.?
http://www.thedomains.com/2012/01/30/icann-publishes-draft-final-report-on-whois-policy-opens-it-up-for-public-comment/comment-page-1/

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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AFNIC partners with the forthcoming Barcamp on E-reputation
AFNIC is supporting the forthcoming Barcamp dedicated to E-reputation, taking place in Paris on 11 February 2012.
http://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/5652/show/afnic-partners-with-the-forthcoming-barcamp-on-e-reputation.html

.me beating .co in start-ups?
The .co TLD may have more registrations, but more tech start-ups are opting for .me domain names, according to an informal study.
http://domainincite.com/me-beating-co-in-start-ups/

Nominet proposes new code of rules for members
The internet registry for .uk domain names has proposed a new code that would allow it to prevent members associating themselves with its brand if they display a lack of professionalism, integrity or accountability.
http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/january-/nominet-proposes-new-code-of-rules-for-members/

vn: International domain names best for business expansion
Businesses should buy international domain names now if they planned to penetrate the world market to avoid costs later on, said Nguyen Tu Quang, general director of internet security company Bkav.
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Economy/220176/international-domain-names-best-for-business-expansion.html

xxx: Major UK companies still not blocking porn namesakes
The XXX domain suffix was launched last September to provide a voluntary ?responsible? home for adult sites; but daily.co.uk has noted that 90% of the UK?s fastest growing companies have not yet protected their brands.
http://www.infosecurity-us.com/view/23609/major-uk-companies-still-not-blocking-porn-namesakes/

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 - NEW TLDS
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ARI Registry Services signs 21 contracts in the first week of applications
ARI Registry Services today announced it signed contracts to provide technical registry services for 21 new TLDs within the first week of applications opening.
http://ariservices.com/news-ari_signs_21_contracts_in_the_first_week_of_applications.php
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=16840
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/01/30/ari-registry-services-signs-21-contracts-in-the-first-week-of-applications/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/ari-registry-services-signs-21-contracts-in-the-first-week-of-applications.html

ARI signs up 21 new gTLD clients
ARI Registry Services says it signed up 21 new gTLD clients in the first week after ICANN opened the program earlier this month.
http://domainincite.com/ari-signs-up-21-new-gtld-clients/

ARI signs contracts for 21 new gTLDs 
ARI Registry Services signed 21 gTLD clients within one week of the application period opening on January 12, chief executive Adrian Kinderis said today.
http://www.managingip.com/Article/2969549/News-In-Brief-Trade-marks/ARI-signs-contracts-for-21-new-gTLDs.html

ICANN advertises new gTLDs on Twitter
ICANN has really ramped up the social marketing of its new gTLD program for the last few weeks, and today it started plugging new gTLDs with some Twitter advertising.
http://domainincite.com/icann-advertises-new-gtlds-on-twitter/

Value or Love for New gTLDs? by Alex Tajirian
ICANN has started its historic and controversial program to expand the number of gTLDs. This essay outlines the factors needed for the program to create economic value, warns against a cognitive trap that complicates selection of a new gTLD and considers the value contribution of the registries. I will not go into relevant macro measures, but I examine the problems associated with the popular measure of simply counting the number of registrations.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/value_or_love_for_new_gtlds/

StarHub to Acquire '.starhub' New Top-Level Domain
StarHub, a fully integrated info-communications company in Singapore, today announced it will apply for its own branded slice of Internet real estate as part of the revolutionary new TLD program, which is set to change the way Internet users navigate the web.
http://www.ariservices.com/news-starhub_to_acquire_starhub_new_tld.php

StarHub applies for TLD name
StarHub has became the first local telco to join others seeking to apply for their own branded domain name, following in the footsteps of other corporate brands such as Canon, Deloitte and Hitachi.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/starhub-applies-for-tld-name-62303682.htm

StarHub confirms dot-brand gTLD bid
Singapore telecommunications firm StarHub will become the fifth company to publicly reveal plans for a ?dot-brand? gTLD.
http://domainincite.com/exclusive-starhub-confirms-dot-brand-gtld-bid/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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4 Ways to Prevent Domain Name Hijacking
On the night of Monday, January 23, the hacktivist group UGNazi hijacked Coach.com, the Internet domain name of luxury goods manufacturer Coach. For several hours, fashionistas who wanted to ogle Coach's new Willis handbag on Coach.com or get a deal on its Penelope shoulder bag at Coachfactory.com were redirected to UGNazi's cryptic website. Imagine the confusion--and frustration--the redirect must have caused in their coiffed little heads--not to mention the wear and tear on their manicured nails as they typed and retyped coach.com and coachfactory.com into their browser windows.
http://www.cio.com/article/699206/4_Ways_to_Prevent_Domain_Name_Hijacking_
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/020112-4-ways-to-prevent-domain-255616.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/249160/4_ways_to_prevent_domain_name_hijacking.html

au: Aussie domain reseller Netfleet hacked
Customers of Sydney-based domain trader Netfleet may have had their personal details and encrypted credit cards compromised after hackers infiltrated the reseller?s database, CRN has learned.
http://www.crn.com.au/News/288912,aussie-domain-reseller-netfleet-hacked.aspx

au: Hackers infiltrate domain name auction house
COMPUTER hackers have penetrated the database of Australia's biggest internet domain name auction house, possibly accessing client home addresses and encrypted credit card numbers.
http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/security-it/hackers-infiltrate-domain-name-auction-house-20120201-1qtgk.html
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/it-pro/security-it/hackers-infiltrate-domain-name-auction-house-20120201-1qtgk.html
http://www.watoday.com.au/it-pro/security-it/hackers-infiltrate-domain-name-auction-house-20120201-1qtgk.html
http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/security-it/hackers-infiltrate-domain-name-auction-house-20120201-1qtgk.html

Cybersecurity report: All countries lag behind the bad guys [IDG]
The US and UK are relatively well prepared for cyberattacks, compared to many other developed nations, but everyone has more work to do, according to a new cybersecurity study from McAfee and Security & Defence Agenda (SDA).
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/413846/cybersecurity_report_all_countries_lag_behind_bad_guys/
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9223836/Cybersecurity_report_All_countries_lag_behind_the_bad_guys
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/013012-cybersecurity-report-all-countries-lag-255498.html

Israel tops cyber-readiness poll but China lags behind
Israel, Finland and Sweden are seen as leading the way in "cyber-readiness", according to a major new security report.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16787509

China, India lag in cyber-readiness
China and India are lagging behind in cyberdefense and the ability to defend themselves against emerging attacks.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/china-india-lag-in-cyber-readiness-62303654.htm

U.S. lags Finland, Sweden and Israel in cybersecurity
The United States and China are less prepared for disruptive computer attacks than smaller countries such as Finland and Israel, according to the first-ever ranking of individual nations' cybersecurity postures.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20120130_9902.php

57% Believe a Cyber Arms Race is Currently Taking Place, Reveals McAfee-Sponsored Cyber Defense Report [news release]
McAfee and the Security & Defence Agenda (SDA) today revealed the findings from a report; Cyber-security: The Vexed Question of Global Rules that paints, for the first time, a global snapshot of current thinking about the cyber-threat and the measures that should be taken to defend against them, and assesses the way ahead. The SDA, the leading defense and security think-tank in Brussels, interviewed leading global security experts to ensure that findings would offer usable recommendations and actions. The report was created to identify key debate areas and trends and to help to governments and organizations understand how their cyber defense posture compares to those of other countries and organizations.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/mcafee/20120130005063/en/57-Cyber-Arms-Race-Place-Reveals-McAfee-Sponsored

US House Panel Approves Cyber Bill As Senate Version Faces Delay
A House subcommittee kicked off this year's cybersecurity agenda by approving a bill designed to protect "critical infrastructure" from cyberattacks, even as a Senate bill waits in the wings.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2012/02/house-panel-approves-cyber-bil.php

Google, Facebook, Bank Of America Behind New Email Security Standard
Google, Microsoft, Facebook, the Bank of America, and PayPal are among a group of 15 companies that have banded together to help fill a major security gap in email, today releasing a specification for curbing phishing and other abuses of legitimate email domains.
http://www.darkreading.com/authentication/167901072/security/application-security/232500733/google-facebook-bank-of-america-behind-new-email-security-standard.html

Technology Companies Confront a Scourge of the Internet
For all the engineer-poaching and trash-talking going around Silicon Valley these days, there has also been a surprising amount of behind-the-scenes collaboration.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/30/technology-companies-pair-up-to-confront-the-scourge-of-internet/

Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Bank of America team to wipe out phishing
Can industry heavyweights Google, PayPal, Microsoft and AOL -- along with 11 others in high-tech such as Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as the financial world's Bank of America and Fidelity Investments -- succeed in stopping phishing attacks right in their tracks? In uniting behind an effort called DMARC.org unveiled today, the group says it can through policy-based steps filter out spoofed email that attackers use for phishing.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/013012-dmarc-255432.html
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/413760/google_microsoft_facebook_bank_america_team_wipe_phishing/

us: Senate Cyber Legislation Facing Industry Resistance Over Cost
A Senate measure aimed at compelling operators of vital U.S. utility and other networks to strengthen cybersecurity drew resistance from some business groups concerned that the bill would raise companies? costs.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-31/senate-cyber-legislation-facing-industry-resistance-over-cost.html

Cybersecurity Disaster Seen in U.S. Survey Detecting Insufficient Spending
Companies including utilities, banks and phone carriers would have to spend almost nine times more on cybersecurity to prevent a digital Pearl Harbor from plunging millions into darkness, paralyzing the financial system or cutting communications, a Bloomberg Government study found.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-31/cybersecurity-disaster-seen-in-u-s-survey-citing-spending-gaps.html

G'Day mate: Australia, New Zealand shake hands on cybersecurity
Australia and New Zealand signed an agreement on Sunday that expands their cooperation on cybersecurity.
http://www.infosecurity-us.com/view/23544/gday-mate-australia-new-zealand-shake-hands-on-cybersecurity/

Joint Statement with the Prime Minister of New Zealand [news release]
Prime Ministers Julia Gillard and John Key met for the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders? meeting in Melbourne on 29 January. Their meeting was followed by the second Joint Meeting of Australian and New Zealand Cabinet Ministers. ... The Prime Ministers announced further steps to deepen cooperation on national security and emergency management cooperation. They agreed: to strengthen cooperation against the shared and growing challenge of cyber security through a regular Australia New Zealand Cyber Dialogue;
http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/joint-statement-prime-minister-new-zealand

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Verizon to cybersquatters: Get off our Verizon-like domains
Verizon has filed a lawsuit against a Web site and domain name registrar, alleging that they are exploiting its name by placing ads on Verizon-like Web addresses.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57368498-94/verizon-to-cybersquatters-get-off-our-verizon-like-domains/

Did you know...You must prove rights in a domain name complaint under New Zealand's DRSP?
At the end of May 2011, New Zealand's Dispute Resolution Service Policy (DRSP) for .nz domain name registrations celebrated its fifth birthday. In that time, 76 complaints have resulted in transfer orders for the subject domain name(s), while 13 complaints were dismissed by experts.
http://www.mondaq.com/NewZealand/x/162772/

Cybersquatters face jail time in the Philippines
Cybersquatting is about to be criminalized in the Philippines, and you?re not going to believe the penalties.
http://domainincite.com/cybersquatters-face-jail-time-in-the-philippines/

James Brown estate doesn?t ?feel good? after domain dispute
The estate of James Brown has lost a domain arbitration case for the domain name JamesBrown.com.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/02/01/james-brown-com/

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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au: WORLD IPv6 DAY ? ?Best School Day Ever!?
?The successful Australian test of IPv6 ? the next generation of Internet Protocol ? has cleared the way for full implementation?, said Narelle Clark, Vice President of the Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU) and coordinator of Australia's activities.
http://www.isoc-au.org.au/Media/ISOC-AU_World_IPv6_Day_20110608.pdf

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Spain Declares War on Online Pirates: A controversial anti-Internet-piracy law passes in Spain
As 2012 began?and less than two months after winning control over the Spanish parliament?the right-leaning Partido Popular passed a controversial new anti-Internet-piracy law that will impose strict penalties on website owners who fail to remove copyrighted material from their sites. ... The Sinde law will be just as tough to enforce, according to Professor Sanz: "Even blocking domain name system [DNS] sites," she says, "would just encourage users to use alternative and unregulated DNS servers. In other words, there is a real problem of applying the law because it [is] so easy to circumvent the technical barriers used to block users from reaching the websites."
http://spectrum.ieee.org/telecom/internet/spain-declares-war-on-online-pirates

.eu?s General Manager speaking at Domain Pulse 2012, Germany
EURid, the .eu registry, is attending the Domain Pulse 2012 conference in Hamburg, Germany (13-14 February 2012) where Marc Van Wesemael, General Manager, will present .eu?s recent website usage research. The study reveals that different TLDs have clearly different profiles.
http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-s-general-manager-speaking-domain-pulse-2012-germany

Moniker and SnapNames join Key-Systems stable
KeyDrive has acquired rival registrar Moniker and rival aftermarket player SnapNames from Oversee.net, according to a statement on the company?s web site.
http://domainincite.com/moniker-and-snapnames-join-key-systems-stable/

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Go Daddy Joins SedoMLS Network, Doors Open at DOMAINfest Global Today & DomainAdvisors Racking Up Big Sales Off the Radar
The SedoMLS Network announced a major expansion this morning - a new partnership with the world's leading registrar, Go Daddy. Domains that are listed at Sedo with Buy Now prices are now available to Go Daddy customers, many of them end users who can now purchase premium names directly from within their Go Daddy account. With no need to leave GoDaddy, or even create a Sedo account before buying, the rate of sales conversions is expected to take a significant jump.
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2012/dailyposts/20120130.htm 

6 questions to be answered at DOMAINFest this week - A preview of the week ahead in Santa Monica.
The largest domain name conference, DOMAINfest, takes place in Santa Monica this week. There?s a lot to look for in the 2012 edition. Here are six questions that will be answered before the end of the week.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/01/30/domainfest-2012/

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REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS
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Measuring Digital Local Content [OECD report]
This paper discusses the ways to quantify the local content that can be delivered through the internet. Several indicators are proposed; for each indicator the paper discusses available data, presents strengths of a given measure and outlines its potential drawbacks.
http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/content/workingpaper/5kg0s294n9kf-en

OECD Communications Outlook 2011
The OECD Communications Outlook 2011 examines recent developments in the communications sector, which has emerged from the global financial crisis with a resilience and underlying strength reflecting its critical role in today?s economies.
http://www.oecd.org/sti/telecom/outlook

The Future of the Internet Economy: A Statistical Profile - June 2011 update
The Internet has grown rapidly... There are 327 million fixed Internet subscriptions in OECD countries, equivalent to 27% of total population. This number has doubled over the past 10 years.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/24/5/48255770.pdf

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INTERNET USE
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Australian technologist predicts cleaner internet
The internet could be on the verge of a revolution as internet providers use new technology to filter out pirated material, child pornography and malware and buddy up with copyright owners to bolster their own revenues, an Australian technologist has forecast.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6344708/Technologist-predicts-cleaner-internet
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/australian-technologist-predicts-cleaner-internet-20120201-1qrzk.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/australian-technologist-predicts-cleaner-internet-20120201-1qrzk.html

Controversy remains after South Korea's implementation of gaming curfew
It has been more than two months since South Korea's controversial online gaming curfew went into force, but the question remains as to how effective it actually is.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2012-01/31/c_131384140.htm

Google to Korea: Show Yourself on the Web
It?s hard to believe that anybody with a Web site would not want use a global search engine to attract attention to it. But then, the South Korean government isn?t anybody.
http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2012/01/31/google-to-korea-show-yourself-on-the-web/

The big tip for 2012: convergence is here
Multichannel strategy has been on the agenda for the past few years, it is not a new phenomenon.
http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/8809-the-big-tip-for-2012-convergence-is-here

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Personal Data's Value? Facebook Is Set to Find Out
Facebook, the vast online social network, is poised to file for a public stock offering on Wednesday that will ultimately value the company at $75 billion to $100 billion, cashing in on the fuel that powers the engine of Internet commerce: personal data.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/technology/riding-personal-data-facebook-is-going-public.html

Facebook Has 845 Million Users, Each Worth $4.39 in Revenue
Facebook had 845 million monthly active users at the end of 2011, it said today when it filed to go public.
http://allthingsd.com/20120201/facebook-has-845-million-users/

Facebook Files for an I.P.O.
It sure pays to have friends. Facebook, the vast online social network, took its first step toward becoming a publicly traded company on Wednesday as it filed to sell shares on the stock market. The service, hatched in a Harvard dormitory room nearly eight years ago, is on track to be the largest Internet initial public offering ever ? trumping Google?s in 2004 or Netscape?s nearly a decade before that.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/facebook-files-for-an-i-p-o/

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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uk: Phones exposing children to smut
Around 1.2 million children have looked at violent or pornographic websites on their mobile telephones, according to a study that reveals the extent to which parents struggle to monitor their offspring?s activity online.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/9048371/Phones-exposing-children-to-smut.html

Is the internet harmful to teenage girls?
Few people are as experienced at generating controversy as American essayist Caitlin Flanagan, who has previously incited female ire with her takes on everything from housewives ("Women have a deeply felt emotional connection to housekeeping") and working mothers ("At a certain point a mother must choose between her work and her child") to the flaws of Joan Didion.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/30/internet-harmful-teenage-girls

Social networking sites fuelling stalking, report warns
New forms of digital technology and social networking sites such as Facebook are increasingly putting people at risk of stalking, according to a report published on Wednesday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/01/social-media-smartphones-stalking

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Dutch to go after ISPs that allow file sharing
The Netherlands plans to crack down on Internet service providers that allow access to file-sharing sites such as Pirate Bay, though it will not make it an offence for individuals to download from these sites.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/01/30/dutch-internet-idINDEE80T0A520120130
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/30/oukin-uk-dutch-internet-idUKTRE80T0LG20120130

au: Sports deals at risk from TV broadcast ruling
Exclusive rights deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars to broadcast live events could be at risk after a court ruled yesterday that shows could be recorded and screened "near live" without breaching copyright.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/sports-deals-at-risk-from-tv-broadcast-ruling/story-e6frg996-1226260036928

au: Online rights case deals financial body blow to league and AFL
The NRL and AFL are set to lobby the federal government to pass legislation to protect their online broadcasting rights after a landmark court ruling that threatens to cost the football codes hundreds of millions of dollars.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/online-rights-case-deals-financial-body-blow-to-league-and-afl-20120201-1qtil.html

au: Optus snaffles free footy
Optus has won a landmark copyright case that changes television and internet broadcasting in Australia. The Federal Court ruled that the company can record and transmit free-to-air television shows over the internet to consumers.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/optus-snaffles-free-footy-20120201-1qti6.html

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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BlackBerry Under Siege in Europe
The iPhone has taken a big bite out of the BlackBerry in a market where the older phone once dominated: business customers in North America.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/30/technology/blackberry-under-siege-in-europe-from-rivals.html

EU probes Samsung over possible patent rights 'abuse'
Samsung's patent deals are being looked into by the European Commission. Competition regulators are investigating whether the firm used some of its intellectual property rights to "distort competition in European mobile device markets".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16811628

German court upholds ban of Samsung's older tablet
Samsung Electronics lost a bid to overturn a ruling barring its local unit from selling its Galaxy 10.1 tablets in Germany, handing a symbolic legal victory to Apple Inc in efforts to keep its lead spot in the tablet computer market.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/31/us-samsung-apple-idUSTRE80U0G320120131
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/31/oukin-uk-samsung-apple-idUKTRE80U0GD20120131

Apple Loses German Court Bid to Ban Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1N, Nexus Phone
Apple Inc. failed to get a preliminary ban on sales of Samsung Electronics Co.?s Galaxy 10.1N and Galaxy Nexus mobile phone from a German court.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-01/apple-loses-german-court-bid-to-ban-samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1n-nexus-phone.html

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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nz: Opinion: Sympathy for the devil
I'm sure more than a few Computerworld readers will share my sense of unease about the recent events surrounding the file storage site Megaupload, its founder Kim Dotcom and the other alleged copyright infringement conspiracists.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/forum-sympathy-for-the-devil
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/413877/opinion_sympathy_devil/

Megaupload user content safe for two more weeks
Efforts are intensifying to retrieve data belonging to potentially millions of users of Megaupload's online storage service following the company's dramatic shuttering by U.S. law enforcement authorities earlier this month.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9223856/Megaupload_user_content_safe_for_two_more_weeks

Megaupload users may lose data by Thursday
Federal prosecutors in the US have said data from users of Megaupload could start being deleted by Thursday ? but the lawyer for its founders says if the servers are wiped his clients will be less able to defend themselves in court.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/30/megaupload-file-sharing

Megaupload Users Face Possible Deletion of Data
Federal prosecutors are warning users of the now-defunct Megaupload.com website that private server companies could begin deleting files once stored by the file-sharing site as early as Thursday.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204740904577193094039722380.html

nz: Little chance of recovering Megaupload data
Megaupload customers have little chance of ever recovering access to personal files they uploaded to the cloud-based storage service despite an agreement by its hosting partners not to delete the data for the time being.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6341841/Little-chance-of-recovering-Megaupload-data

Loss of legitimate Megaupload files probable ? InternetNZ boss
Customers of Kim Dotcom?s Megaupload.com got a stay-of-execution for their files yesterday. ... InternetNZ boss Vikram Kumar told NBR the decision was likely just delaying the inevitable.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/loss-legitimate-megaupload-files-probable-?-internetnz-boss-ck-108684

nz: Finding the best use for Dotcom's talents
Now, I don't know whether Kim Dotcom is guilty or not! Both the prosecution and the defence put forward plausible cases, though I did find it hard to believe Dotcom "collects" credit cards like some of us might collect postage stamps!
http://www.zdnet.com.au/finding-the-best-use-for-dotcoms-talents-339330624.htm

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SECURITY
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Cybersecurity report: All countries lag behind the bad guys [IDG]
The US and UK are relatively well prepared for cyberattacks, compared to many other developed nations, but everyone has more work to do, according to a new cybersecurity study from McAfee and Security & Defence Agenda (SDA).
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/413846/cybersecurity_report_all_countries_lag_behind_bad_guys/
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9223836/Cybersecurity_report_All_countries_lag_behind_the_bad_guys
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/013012-cybersecurity-report-all-countries-lag-255498.html