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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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ICANN to reveal Registrant Rights & Responsibilities (and here?s a draft copy)
<http://domainincite.com/12025-icann-to-reveal-registrant-rights-responsibilities-and-heres-a-draft-copy>

IPC Weighs In Against ACDR?s UDRP Proposal
<http://internetcommerce.org/IPC_ACDR>

ICA Asks ICANN Board to Defer Action on New UDRP Provider
<http://internetcommerce.org/ACDR_UDRP>

Centr February News Roundup Available
<http://centr.org/news/roundup/02-28-2013/2603/february-news-roundup-available>

Survey launched to benchmark .au
<http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-25022013/>

.ORG Domain Registrations Increase By 12% In Second Half 2012
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/28/org-registrations-increase-12/>

Backing Out: Before Withdrawing a New gTLD Application, Consider the Costs
<http://www.gtldstrategy.com/ongoing-strategies/backing-out-before-withdrawing-a-new-gtld-application-consider-the-costs>

5 Reasons Why Closed Generic New gTLDs Should Be Opposed
<http://www.internetnews.me/2013/02/23/5-reasons-why-closed-generic-new-gtlds-should-be-opposed/>

The new gTLD program?s low attrition rate
<http://www.netnames.com/blog/2013/02/the-new-gtld-programs-low-attrition-rate/>


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GOVERNANCE
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Living in a talk-shop bubble: How the MAG is undermining the IGF's credibility
Despite increasing relevance in the uncertain post-WCIT world, the advisory group to the IGF remains incapable of fixing long-identified problems and is undermining its credibility.
<http://news.dot-nxt.com/2013/02/28/living-talk-shop-bubble>

NRO pledges continued support for IGF
The Number Resource Organization (NRO) has expressed its support for the IGF and pledged to continue its financial and technical support. The NRO is offering USD 100,000 to support the IGF Secretariat in 2013. The 2013 IGF will be held in Bali, Indonesia.
<http://www.nro.net/news/nro-pledges-continued-support-for-igf>

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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Objection Period Closing 13 March 2013
Objections to new gTLD strings must be submitted by 13 March 2013 at 23:59:59 UTC in order to be considered by Dispute Resolution Service Providers (DRSPs).
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-28feb13-en.htm>
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-2-28feb13-en>

Participants Needed for New gTLD Pre-Delegation Testing Pilot
ICANN and Pre-Delegation Testing (PDT) service provider Stiftelsen f?r Internetinfrastruktur (.SE) seek New gTLD applicant volunteers to participate in the Pre-Delegation Testing Pilot. Pilot participants will prepare and submit test materials in the coming weeks, well ahead of the planned 22 April 2013 start of Pre-Delegation Testing.
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-28feb13-en>

Implementation of Expired Registration Recovery Policy
ICANN is pleased to announce the implementation of the Expired Registration Recovery Policy ("ERRP"). This policy was developed from the Generic Name Supporting Organization ("GNSO")'s Post Expiration Domain Name Recovery ("PEDNR") recommendations, which were adopted by ICANN's Board of Directors on 28 October 2011. The policy was drafted in consultation with the GNSO's PEDNR Implementation Review Team and was posted for public comment on 11 October 2012.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-28feb13-en.htm>

ICANN to reveal Registrant Rights & Responsibilities (and here?s a draft copy)
ICANN is set to publish and start promoting a new Registrant Rights & Responsibilities charter at some point over the next couple of days, we hear.
<http://domainincite.com/12025-icann-to-reveal-registrant-rights-responsibilities-and-heres-a-draft-copy>

IPC Weighs In Against ACDR?s UDRP Proposal
Yesterday we posted a February 26th letter that ICA sent to ICANN urgently requesting that the ICANN Board defer action at its February 28th meeting on the pending proposal of the Arab Center for Dispute Resolution (ACDR) to be accredited as a UDRP arbitration provider -- and that ICANN published ACDR?s revised proposal for public comment before taking any final action.
<http://internetcommerce.org/IPC_ACDR>

ICA Asks ICANN Board to Defer Action on New UDRP Provider
Back in September 2010 ICANN invited public comment on the proposal of the Arab Center for Dispute Resolution (ACDR) of Amman, Jordan to become a UDRP arbitration provider. Most of the comments opposed approval or requested changes and clarifications. Nothing more was heard of the application ? until it showed up on the Consent Agenda for the ICANN Board meeting scheduled for February 28th!
<http://internetcommerce.org/ACDR_UDRP>

The URS Gets Real: ICANN Picks NAF
In an important announcement for trademark rights and the new gTLDs, ICANN announced that it has appointed the National Arbitration Forum (NAF) as the first service provider for the forthcoming Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS).
<http://isenbergondomains.com/2013/02/25/the-urs-gets-real-icann-picks-naf/>

Who should run the Internet Addressing system? And why don't they?
Those who read the comments below my blog yesterday will have observed my exchange with Chris Smith over how to interpret the result of the Nominet consultation over future plans for .UK. He does make one very good point: on the low turn out. I too was one of the 99 who attened meetings. I was very annoyed when a lawyer, apparently retained by a particular interest group, tried to hi-jack the meeting for government, public sector and consumer groups. In consequence I did my best to drum up responses but you lot ignored the call, or thought some-one else would...
<http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/when-it-meets-politics/2013/03/who-should-run-the-internet-ad.html>

Chehade to take charm offensive to ANA show
ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade has agreed to speak at an upcoming conference of the Association of National Advertisers, we?ve just been told.
<http://domainincite.com/12022-chehade-to-take-charm-offensive-to-ana-show>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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Centr February News Roundup Available
The latest edition of the CENTR Monthly Roundup is available and covers the following: Overview of ccTLD news from CENTR Members, Selected findings from a recent CENTR survey entitled "System Maintenances and Disturbances", Statistics on growth and renewals & Article on WTPF
<http://centr.org/news/roundup/02-28-2013/2603/february-news-roundup-available>

Survey launched to benchmark .au
auDA and AusRegistry have launched a survey aimed at the broader Australian community seeking their opinions about the .au namespace.
<http://www.auda.org.au/news-archive/auda-25022013/>

Canadians can have their say through Canadian Internet Forum
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), the organization that manages the .CA Internet domain, is kicking off its annual consultation with a feature event in Ottawa and an online forum, providing all Canadians with an equal voice to discuss the issues that impact the safe and fair use of the Internet.
<http://www.cira.ca/news/news-releases/2013-cif-2/>

DK Hostmaster now introduces EPP as a service for the registrars.
The project has been run with ongoing feedback from the registrars. The EPP-service opens up for the possibility of requesting registrations of danish domain names via a standardised protocol.
<https://www.dk-hostmaster.dk/english/news/news-single/artikel/dk-hostmaster-now-announces-epp-as-a-service/>

eu: Registrar Satisfaction Survey 2012 results
The results of our latest registrar satisfaction survey are now available. The most important finding of the survey is that 94% of the registrars that took part were either satisfied or extremely satisfied with our overall service. While this percentage is only up 1% from the 2011 survey, the result is actually an improvement, since the number of registrars giving us a rating of ?extremely satisfied? has increased significantly for the second year in a row (51% in 2012 compared to 43% in 2011).
<http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/registrar-satisfaction-survey-2012-results>

JPRS agrees on further cooperation with ICANN activities during visit by ICANN president
Japan Registry Services Co., Ltd. today announced that Mr. Fadi Chehade, President and CEO of ICANN and other officials visited JPRS on Feb. 19 2013. During the visit, ICANN officials expressed approval of the partnership with JPRS in activities in the Asian region and Japan. JPRS agreed on further cooperation with ICANN to reinforce links with local communities in the future.
<http://jprs.co.jp/en/press/2013/130226_2.html>

lu: Technical and legal aspects of domain names
It is a relatively new kind of conflict with its own specificities and characteristics. So it is important for any party involved in such issues to have some basic knowledge of how the Internet works, the nature of possible disputes and how they might be arbitrated. RESTENA Foundation has edited a guide destinated as a tool to provide some basic knowledge of eventual conflict resolution and the legal processes in this field.
<http://www.dns.lu/en/about-dnslu/news/>

.ORG Domain Registrations Increase By 12% In Second Half 2012
The number of .org domain names registered increased by 11.9 percent in the second half of 2012 to over 10.1 million according to the latest Dashbord report from the Public Interest Registry.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/02/28/org-registrations-increase-12/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/org-domain-registrations-increase-by-12-in-second-half-2012.html>

Public Interest Registry Releases Report Revealing Continued Growth of the .ORG Domain
Public Interest Registry ? the not-for-profit operator of the .ORG domain ? today released the results of its bi-annual domain name report, ?The Dashboard,? detailing the increased growth of .ORG from July to December. The report reveals that new .ORG registrations increased by 11.9 percent in the second half of 2012.
<http://pir.org/pr/2013/2H2012dashboard>

10.1 Million .ORG Domains and Counting
Today, PIR is releasing the results of our bi-annual domain name report, ?The Dashboard,? which outlines the growth of .ORG in the second half of 2012. Overall, we had a remarkable year. Most notably, we hit a major milestone in June with the registration of the 10 millionth .ORG domain!
<http://pir.org/blog/2013/2h2012dashboard>

Public Interest Registry Targets International Markets for .org Growth
New .org registrations increased by 11.9 percent in the second half of 2012, according to a new report from the non-profit operator of the .org domain, Public Interest Registry.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/public-interest-registry-targets-international-markets-for-org-growth>

ru: 244 malicious domains were neutralized in January
Coordination Center and Company Group?IB continue to cooperate within the framework of the Agreement on counteracting unauthorized use of domains .RU and .??. In January 2013, 254 applications were received claiming to cancel the delegation of malicious domain names. As a result, 244 domain names were removed from delegation in the accounting period and 10 domain names are still the delegation process.
<http://cctld.ru/en/news/news_detail.php?ID=4373>

uk: Nominet to revise second-level .uk proposal after domainer outrage
Nominet has temporarily killed off its plan to allow people to register second-level .uk domain names, after vocal opposition from domain investors.
<http://domainincite.com/12008-nominet-to-revise-second-level-uk-proposal-after-domainer-outrage>

Nominet halts '.uk' domain proposal after doubts raised over benefits
UK Internet registry Nominet has temporarily halted plans to create a shorter ?.uk? domain name as an alternative to the current ?.co.uk? in the face of disagreement about the benefits and cost.
<http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=7565883C-95BD-EE7C-DD6AC93648408BCF>

xxx: ICM?s claims against Manwin thrown out of court
ICM Registry has suffered a blow in its ongoing lawsuit with porn merchant Manwin Licensing, with a judge this week dismissing all of the registry?s counterclaims against the YouPorn owner.
<http://domainincite.com/12011-icms-claims-against-manwin-thrown-out-of-court>

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 - NEW TLDS
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Backing Out: Before Withdrawing a New gTLD Application, Consider the Costs
General Motors? decision to withdraw three of its five new gTLD applications, which became public last week when the status of those applications changed on ICANN?s website, left many of those connected to the New gTLD Program ? both applicants and observers ? scratching their heads.
<http://www.gtldstrategy.com/ongoing-strategies/backing-out-before-withdrawing-a-new-gtld-application-consider-the-costs>

Nutty DotConnectAfrica gives DI a good kicking
New gTLD applicant DotConnectAfrica is not happy with DI, again. The nutty .africa applicant took issue with a recent post describing the company as ?nutty? and trying to make sense of a rambling conspiracy-laden letter it had sent to the US Congress.
<http://domainincite.com/12044-nutty-dotconnectafrica-gives-di-a-good-kicking>

Barnes & Noble Weigh In On Amazon?s New TLDs
Some pretty big companies are beginning to show an active interest in ICANN?s new TLD project. The most recent of them is bookseller Barnes & Noble.
<http://www.internetnews.me/2013/02/28/barnes-noble-weigh-in-on-amazons-new-tlds/>

5 Reasons Why Closed Generic New gTLDs Should Be Opposed
I?m on the record multiple times over the last few months for my opinions on ?closed generics?. I first posted about it here back in June of last year:
<http://www.internetnews.me/2013/02/23/5-reasons-why-closed-generic-new-gtlds-should-be-opposed/>

The new gTLD program?s low attrition rate
The big new gTLD news of the hour is American carmaker General Motors? decision to withdraw the full set of its new gTLD applications.
<http://www.netnames.com/blog/2013/02/the-new-gtld-programs-low-attrition-rate/>

Preparing for March Madness by Elisa Cooper
If you are a new gTLD applicant, or if you follow ICANN, or if you just like being in a constant state of confusion, then the recent barrage of ICANN activity has probably been enough to make your head spin. Let?s take a look at what we have hurtling towards us, like an out-of-control asteroid, in the next month:
<https://www.markmonitor.com/mmblog/preparing-for-march-madness/>

Stop ICANN's Plans for Closed Generic Domains
As I noted recently in the context of the BBC inexplicably supporting the introduction of DRM into the HTML5 specification, openness lies at the heart of the Web and the Internet. One of the problems with true openness is that it has to be at every level: if any part of a system is closed, it interferes with the openness of the whole.
<http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2013/03/stop-icanns-plans-for-closed-generic-domains/index.htm>

The new domains are coming! ? Time to round up the trademarks
ICANN, the body that regulates the Internet?s domain name system, began accepting applications for new gTLDs in January 2012. By May 2012, ICANN had received more than 1,900 applications for new gTLDs, consisting of many ?generic? names such as .sale, .software, .insurance, .shoes, .social, .tires, etc.
<http://www.seyfarth.com/publications/OMM022813>

Defensive New gTLD Registration for the Small Business Owner ? Protect Your Brand and Your Bottom Line
Unless you're some kind of crazy nut, who loves spending money when you don't need to, the prospect of new gTLDs might be worrying you. After all, it's not ntld defend your trademarkpossible for the average business owner to register a brand extension, and now that almost two thousand applications are finishing evaluation, there's more concern about how to protect your brand than ever.
<http://www.name.com/blog/ntlds/2013/02/defensive-new-gtld-registration-for-the-small-business-owner-protect-your-brand-and-your-bottom-line/>

Internet investors to expand domains
TECHNOLOGY group Top Level Domain Holdings recently struck a funding deal to give it significant firepower as it competes to build its business. The Aim-listed company is focused on the expanding market for TLDs ? such as .com ? and has secured an agreement with an investor which it said would enable it to compete at auctions for domain rights without diluting shareholder value.
<http://www.scotsman.com/business/management/internet-investors-to-expand-domains-1-2818931>

An Update on the Closed Generics Debate by Mary Iqbal
ICANN is currently seeking public comment on the subject of "closed generic" TLD applications. A "Closed Generic" is a TLD that is a generic term, but domains within that TLD will not be sold to the public. There are those who object to generic terms such as .book being operated as closed registries, which means that domain names within the .book TLD as proposed by Amazon would not be sold to the public, but instead, Amazon.com would own and operate all domain names within the .Book TLD.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130103_an_update_on_the_closed_generics_debate/>

Amazon pushes for cloud dominance; will ICANN give in?
Amazon is on a land grab mission. Is the industry going to sit back and let it call the shots over the .cloud domain?
<http://www.cloudpro.co.uk/cloud-essentials/cloud-security/5341/amazon-pushes-cloud-dominance-will-icann-give>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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An Introduction to Security and Reliability - What Does It Really Mean? by Brett Watson
I co-authored a book in 2005, titled "Extreme Exploits: Advanced Defenses Against Hardcore Hacks." My chapters focused on securing routing protocols such as BGP, and securing systems related to DMZs, firewalls, and network connectivity. As I look back over those chapters, I realize that the basic fundamentals of network security really haven't changed much even though technology has advanced at an incredible pace. "Defense in depth" was a hot catch phrase seven years ago, and it still applies today.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130228_introduction_to_security_and_reliability_what_does_it_really_mean/>

RSA: IT security managers skeptical on Big Data Security proposition
While "Big Data Security" is now the industry buzzword and defines a way to get enterprise customers into a new method of threat detection based on mining massive amounts of security-event and business data to pinpoint threats, the response from a few IT shops seems to be"thanks, but no thanks."
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/022813-rsa-big-data-security-267220.html>
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/455151/rsa_it_security_managers_skeptical_big_data_security_proposition/>

China claims most cyber-attacks on its military websites have US origin
Two Chinese military websites were subject to about 144,000 hacking attacks a month last year, almost two-thirds of which came from the US, China's defence ministry has said.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/28/china-cyber-attacks-military-website-us>

China Alleges Cyberattacks Originated in U.S.
China's Ministry of Defense said two military websites were the victims of an average of 144,000 cyber attacks a month in 2012, with almost two-thirds originating in the United States.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323293704578331832012056800.html>

China's Cyberespionage Will Continue Unabated, Say Experts
Reports that blame China for the vast majority of information-stealing attacks and cyberespionage are accurate, but companies should not expect the public naming of China to offer much respite from the attacks, security experts told attendees on Tuesday at the RSA Security Conference.
<http://www.darkreading.com/advanced-threats/167901091/security/security-management/240149632/china-s-cyberespionage-will-continue-unabated-say-experts.html>

How Much Does A Botnet Cost?
The cost of a botnet is contingent largely upon the physical location of the malware-infected computers inside of it. Therefore, a botnet containing only American or European machines is worth more than one with machines from less prosperous nations.
<http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/how-much-does-botnet-cost-022813>

Editorial: An Eerie Silence on Cybersecurity
Apart from a few companies like Google, which revealed that Chinese hackers had tried to read its users? e-mail messages, American companies have been disturbingly silent about cyberattacks on their computer systems ? apparently in fear that this disclosure will unnerve customers and shareholders and invite lawsuits and unwanted scrutiny from the government.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/opinion/eerie-silence-on-cybersecurity.html>

Return of CISPA: Cybersecurity boon or privacy threat?
Rights advocacy groups and security practitioners remain on opposite ends of the spectrum on the merits of sharing information as a means to improve cyber security.
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9237262/Return_of_CISPA_Cybersecurity_boon_or_privacy_threat_>
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/030113-return-of-cispa-cybersecurity-boon-267300.html>

au: Cyber war crucial to edge in regional arms race [subscription]
Australia risks falling behind in a regional arms race unless closer links can be forged on emerging challenges like countering cyber attacks, the country?s peak defence industry group has warned.
<http://www.afr.com/p/national/cyber_war_crucial_to_edge_in_regional_9iXE9ux1Njz4mnmLBykREM>

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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US Court about Free Speech Rights in Texas Domain Lawsuit The Legal Brief by Laura Lipinski
The Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decided that a domain name may be protected speech under the First Amendment in an opinion released October of 2012 in the Texas case Gibson v. Texas Dept. of Insurance ? Division of Worker?s Compensation.
https://sedo.com/us/news/3258/US-Court-about-Free-Speech-Rights-in-Texas-Domain-Lawsuit/

Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy: UDRP WIPO vs. NAF Arbitration. Which Should I Choose?
A UDRP complaint seeking arbitration to transfer a domain name which you believe is infringing your trademark mark to you and to obtain control of that domain name. A common question we often have is whether or not there is a difference between the various arbitration authorities who can hear your UDRP dispute.
<http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2013/02/uniform-domain-name-dispute-resolution-policy-udrp-wipo-vs-naf-arbitration-which-should-i-choose.html>

nz: Cybersquatters grab iwi names
The Maori Internet Society is taking aim at a new wave of cybersquatters. Chairperson Karaitiana Taiuru says problems are emerging not just in Maori but in the new TLDs.
<http://news.tangatawhenua.com/archives/21107>

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Matt Cutts Talks Location And ccTLDs
In Google?s latest Webmaster Help video, Matt Cutts discusses location and ccTLDs. Specifically, he responds to the following user-submitted question: We have a vanity domain (ran.ge) that unfortunately isn?t one of the generic TLDs, which means we can?t set our geographic target in Webmaster Tools. Is there any way to still target our proper location?
<http://www.webpronews.com/matt-cutts-talks-location-and-cctlds-2013-02>

RIPE NCC Response to Government Interest in an Arab RIR
Over the past weeks and following on from talks at last year's ITU WTSA and WCIT events, both AFRINIC and the RIPE NCC have been asked to participate in discussions concerning the possibility of establishing a new Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for the Arabic-speaking community.
<http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/announcements/ripe-ncc-response-to-government-interest-in-an-arab-rir>

APNIC History draft available for comment
Draft of APNIC's History from 1992-1995 available for comment.
<http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2013/apnic-history-draft>

APNIC IP Resource Application Fee reduction
The APNIC Executive Council has announced a 50% reduction in the IP Resource Application Fee.
<http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2013/ip-resource-application-fee-reduction>

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 - WEBHOSTING
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Netcraft March 2013 Web Server Survey
In the March 2013 survey we received responses from 631,521,198 sites. Microsoft showed a noticeable gain of 9M sites this month, increasing its market share by 1.42 percentage points to 18.01%. Much of this growth was seen at Go Daddy, which alone gained 2.6M sites powered by Microsoft web servers. Microsoft also fared well amongst the top million busiest sites, where its market share grew by 0.74 percentage points to 13.60%, increasing its narrow lead over its closest rival, nginx.
<http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2013/03/01/march-2013-web-server-survey.html>

Most Reliable Hosting Company Sites in February 2013
In its third month being publicly monitored by Netcraft, Hyve Managed Hosting had an almost perfect record: only two requests failed out of the 30,000 requests we made in February. hyve.co.uk is served by nginx, a web server well-known for its performance.
<http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2013/03/01/most-reliable-hosting-company-sites-in-february-2013.html>

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Sedo and DomainNameSales Trade Punches in Sweeping 9 of the Top 10 Spots on This Week's Sales Chart
In a battle reminiscent of a heavyweight championship fight, popular domain aftermarket sales platforms Sedo and DomainNameSales traded punches in a duel that ended with 9 of this week's 10 biggest domain sales being split between those two combatants. Sedo scored first - and scored big with #1 Partners.com, brokered by Dave Evanson, putting $125,000 on their side of the ledger.
<http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2013/20130227.htm>

Great Value, Beautiful Location and Timely Agenda Has Domaining Spain 2013 Set Up for Another Sellout 
Domaining Spain 2013 is now less than 8 weeks away. This annual conference in beautiful Valencia, Spain, that is co-produced by show founder Dietmar Stefitz and veteran event producer Jodi Chamberlain, is a phenomenal value (one reason people came to last year's show from 23 different countries around the world). The registration cost for the 3-day event that returns to the Hotel Sorolla Palace in Valencia April 25-27, is just ?600 and that includes lunches and dinner.
<http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2013/dailyposts/20130301.htm>

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INTERNET USE
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Chrome hits 17-month low, Windows 8 still only creeping upward
Microsoft's browser did as well as Google's browser did badly in February. Internet Explorer's share is the highest it's been in a year and a half. Chrome's is the lowest it's been in almost as long.
<http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/03/chrome-hits-17-month-low-windows-8-still-only-creeping-upward/>

Twitter in Pyongyang: how North Korea got the mobile internet
"Hello world from comms center in #Pyongyang." That Twitter missive, sent Monday from Koryolink's main service centre in downtown Pyongyang using my iPhone, marked a milestone for North Korea: it was believed to be the first tweet sent from a mobile phone using the country's new 3G mobile data service.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/28/twitter-north-korea-mobile-internet>

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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Is Twitter Really Worth $10 Billion?
I spent the last week trying to write a column that proved Twitter wasn't worth $10 billion. Then the facts intervened.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323384604578328303487784818.html>

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Google compression algorithm Zopfli may lead to faster Internet
Algorithm promises faster data transfer speeds and reduced Web page load times by compressing content up to 8 percent smaller than zlib.
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57571982-93/google-compression-algorithm-zopfli-may-lead-to-faster-internet/>

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
*********************************
Apple blocks emails containing phrase 'barely legal teen' from iCloud in new 'anti-pornography' move
Apple is deleting all emails on its iCloud service that contain the phrase 'barely legal teen,' according to an investigation by a computing magazine.
<http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/apple-blocks-emails-containing-phrase-barely-legal-teen-from-icloud-in-new-antipornography-move-8517285.html>

nz: Son of former Split Enz drummer wanted by Oz police
The son of a former Split Enz drummer is under investigation by Australian police for internet stalking and is said to be "inciting hatred" online from his New Zealand home. ... Netsafe executive director Martin Cocker said it was his opinion that Barker's actions were "inciting acts of hatred".
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10868824>

nz/au: Unmasked: Tristan Barker, Australia's worst internet troll, being investigated by police
THE son of a top musician has been unmasked as this country's most prolific internet troll and is being investigated by detectives for online "stalking".
<http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/unmasked-tristan-barker-australias-worst-internet-troll-being-investigated-by-police/story-fn5h1vlf-1226589087674>

nz: Rock-star dad backs son's humour
The son of the former drummer for Split Enz wanted in Australia for alleged cyber bullying has been defended by his father - who says his son's satirical sense of humour is often misunderstood.
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/internet/news/article.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10868967>

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ONLINE TV, MUSIC & PIRACY
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uk: Online piracy: ISPs ordered to block access to three file-sharing websites
BSkyB, BT, Virgin Media and three other UK broadband providers have been ordered by the high court to block access to three music and movie file-sharing websites as content owners redouble efforts to stem online piracy.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/feb/28/online-piracy-isps-block-access>

Court orders UK ISPs to block more piracy sites
The High Court has ordered the UK's major internet service providers to block three websites offering links to pirated material.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21601609>

Hollywood targets "rogue" mobile apps in war on pirated content
Hollywood studios, which for years have waged a war against online piracy, are now going after so-called "rogue" mobile apps that use images from movies and television shows without their permission.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/03/01/uk-hollywood-apps-idUKBRE92003I20130301>

us: ISPs plan to hijack browsers and limit Internet access to combat copyright piracy
Comcast has confirmed that it will prevent repeat file sharers from browsing the Web until they call the company to resolve the matter.
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/2029569/isps-plan-to-hijack-browsers-and-limit-internet-access-to-combat-copyright-piracy.html>

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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U.S. Judge Reduces Apple's Patent Award in Samsung Case
Apple Inc.'s $1 billion patent win over Samsung Electronics Co. is a lot smaller now.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323478304578334540541100744.html>

Judge Cuts Sum Owed to Apple Over Patents
A federal judge on Friday weakened the blow from Apple?s legal victory in a patent case against Samsung, lopping more than 40 percent off the damages a jury awarded Apple last year.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/01/judge-slashes-jury-award-in-apple-samsung-case/>

Samsung loses Japan iPhone battle but gains help of ex-judge
Samsung has failed to secure a iPhone ban in Japan in its latest patent fight with Apple. The Galaxy smartphone maker had claimed Apple had infringed the rights to one of its 3G technologies.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21613152>

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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Demand for Internet and mobile services rising due to lower prices ? UN report [news release]
There will soon be as many mobile cellular subscriptions as the 7 billion people inhabiting the planet, according to figures released today by the United Nations, which show that strong sustained demand for information and communication technology services is being encouraged by falling prices for broadband Internet.
<http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44242>

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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us: Open Letter to House Judiciary: Investigate Patent Trolls: EFF and High-Tech Innovators Demand Hearings on SHIELD Act
A coalition of entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators have joined the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Engine Advocacy today in requesting that Congress schedule hearings on patent trolls and the SHIELD Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to quash the rash of patent lawsuit abuse.
<https://www.eff.org/press/releases/open-letter-house-judiciary-investigate-patent-trolls>

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SECURITY
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An Introduction to Security and Reliability - What Does It Really Mean? by Brett Watson
I co-authored a book in 2005, titled "Extreme Exploits: Advanced Defenses Against Hardcore Hacks." My chapters focused on securing routing protocols such as BGP, and securing systems related to DMZs, firewalls, and network connectivity. As I look back over those chapters, I realize that the basic fundamentals of network security really haven't changed much even though technology has advanced at an incredible pace. "Defense in depth" was a hot catch phrase seven years ago, and it still applies today.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130228_introduction_to_security_and_reliability_what_does_it_really_mean/>

RSA: IT security managers skeptical on Big Data Security proposition
While "Big Data Security" is now the industry buzzword and defines a way to get enterprise customers into a new method of threat detection based on mining massive amounts of security-event and business data to pinpoint threats, the response from a few IT shops seems to be"thanks, but no thanks."
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/022813-rsa-big-data-security-267220.html>
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/455151/rsa_it_security_managers_skeptical_big_data_security_proposition/>

China claims most cyber-attacks on its military websites have US origin
Two Chinese military websites were subject to about 144,000 hacking attacks a month last year, almost two-thirds of which came from the US, China's defence ministry has said.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/28/china-cyber-attacks-military-website-us>

China Alleges Cyberattacks Originated in U.S.
China's Ministry of Defense said two military websites were the victims of an average of 144,000 cyber attacks a month in 2012, with almost two-thirds originating in the United States.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323293704578331832012056800.html>

China's Cyberespionage Will Continue Unabated, Say Experts
Reports that blame China for the vast majority of information-stealing attacks and cyberespionage are accurate, but companies should not expect the public naming of China to offer much respite from the attacks, security experts told attendees on Tuesday at the RSA Security Conference.
<http://www.darkreading.com/advanced-threats/167901091/security/security-management/240149632/china-s-cyberespionage-will-continue-unabated-say-experts.html>

How Much Does A Botnet Cost?
The cost of a botnet is contingent largely upon the physical location of the malware-infected computers inside of it. Therefore, a botnet containing only American or European machines is worth more than one with machines from less prosperous nations.
<http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/how-much-does-botnet-cost-022813>

Editorial: An Eerie Silence on Cybersecurity
Apart from a few companies like Google, which revealed that Chinese hackers had tried to read its users? e-mail messages, American companies have been disturbingly silent about cyberattacks on their computer systems ? apparently in fear that this disclosure will unnerve customers and shareholders and invite lawsuits and unwanted scrutiny from the government.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/opinion/eerie-silence-on-cybersecurity.html>

Return of CISPA: Cybersecurity boon or privacy threat?
Rights advocacy groups and security practitioners remain on opposite ends of the spectrum on the merits of sharing information as a means to improve cyber security.
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9237262/Return_of_CISPA_Cybersecurity_boon_or_privacy_threat_>
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/030113-return-of-cispa-cybersecurity-boon-267300.html>

Hackers breach Evernote securityMan types on laptop
US-based online information storage firm Evernote asks all its 50 million users worldwide to reset their passwords following a security breach by hackers.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-21644317>

Evernote hit in hacking attack, users must reset their passwords
Evernote, which makes business and consumer productivity software for things like taking notes and doing research, is forcing all of its 50 million users to change their passwords after detecting a hacker intrusion on its sytems.
<http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9237288>

au: Cyber war crucial to edge in regional arms race [subscription]
Australia risks falling behind in a regional arms race unless closer links can be forged on emerging challenges like countering cyber attacks, the country?s peak defence industry group has warned.
<http://www.afr.com/p/national/cyber_war_crucial_to_edge_in_regional_9iXE9ux1Njz4mnmLBykREM>

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PRIVACY
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eu: Google to be summoned over data grab 'excesses'
Google representatives are to be summoned to appear before European data protection officials over concerns about the way it collects data on web users.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/feb/28/google-summoned-data-grab-excesses>

Figuring out the future of online privacy
What level of privacy will we have online in the future? Will people share their personal data freely in exchange for more customized service? Or will they become fiercely protective of private information, using tools and browsers that protect their identity from advertisers and other third parties?
<http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/28/tech/web/online-privacy-policies/index.html>

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CENSORSHIP
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cn: Censorship?s Many Faces
Censorship in China conjures the image of rigid, unsmiling authority, but that disapproving scowl can give way to a different expression ? and not always a consistent one. A film, for example, might be banned for 20 years, while the novel on which it is based sells briskly throughout that same period.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/opinion/yu-censorships-many-faces.html>

China's Internet Censors for Sale
What happens when a country's government censors the entirety of its domestic web, with no oversight or transparency? It turns out that politicians aren't the only ones with an interest in repressing free expression--and given a lever of control, a black market of censors quickly emerges.
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/02/chinas-internet-censors-sale>

Iceland's porn ban 'conflicts with the idea of a free society', say critics
Anti-censorship campaigners have called on Iceland to ditch its proposals to ban pornography online and in print, labelling the plans "an affront to the basic principles of society".
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/28/iceland-porn-ban-free-society>

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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German lawmakers back Internet copyright, Google critical
German lawmakers approved a bill on Friday that aims to protect publishers' copyright on the Internet but critics branded it too weak for failing to make search engines such as Google pay for displaying news snippets.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/03/01/uk-germany-internet-idUKBRE9200RL20130301>

German Copyright Law Targets Google Links
German lawmakers approved legislation on Friday that grants publishers the right to charge search engines and other online aggregators for reproducing their content but continues to allow the free use of text in links and brief summaries.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/technology/german-copyright-law-targets-google-links.html>

us: Internet Gambling Scores Its Biggest Win
New Jersey on Tuesday became the biggest state yet to allow regulated online gambling, establishing a template that proponents hope other states will follow for a business that federal authorities long treated as a criminal enterprise.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323884304578328293465612224.html>

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MISCELLANEOUS
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nz: Exclusive: Vikram Kumar on his Mega move
When Vikram Kumar joined Kim Dotcom?s Mega, there was a collective gasp from the industry. Some of it in shock, other of it in awe; after all, go ahead and describe Dotcom as controversial and colourful, but don?t accuse him of being clean cut and universally respected like Kumar is. A month into the job, Techday rang up the former InternetNZ head honcho asked him a couple of questions. This is what he has to say.
<http://techday.com/telco-review/news/vikram-kumar-takes-on-a-mega-task/159211/>

Web code weakness allows data dump on PCs
Gigabytes of junk data could be dumped onto PCs via a loophole in web code, a developer has found. The loophole exploits a feature of HTML 5 which defines how websites are made and what they can do.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21628622>

---------
David Goldstein

email: david at goldsteinreport.com
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