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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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?Risky? gTLDs could be sacrificed to avoid delay
<http://domainincite.com/13800-risky-gtlds-could-be-sacrificed-to-avoid-delay>

5 Things to Know About Engaging With gTLDs: Generics Preparing to Launch by Jennifer Wolfe
<http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2283453/5-things-to-know-about-engaging-with-gtlds-generics-preparing-to-launch>

In the wake of .amazon, IP interests turn on the GAC
<http://domainincite.com/13772-in-the-wake-of-amazon-ip-interests-turn-on-the-gac>

Jewish groups battle over $17 billion kosher domain name
<http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/.premium-1.536823>

Here is .NYC: How The Big Apple Can Use Its New TLD To Entice Tourists ? And Why Its Economy May Depend On It
<http://domainnamestrategy.com/2013/07/17/here-is-nyc-how-the-big-apple-can-use-its-new-tld-to-entice-tourists-and-why-its-economy-may-depend-on-it/>

Network Solutions Loses Customers Over Outage
<http://stream.wsj.com/story/latest-headlines/SS-2-63399/SS-2-280802/>


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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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GAC Communiqu? Issued at ICANN 47
The Governmental Advisory Committee meeting at ICANN 47 in Durban, South Africa has issued its Durban Communique?. It is available for review at:
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-18jul13-en.htm>
<https://gacweb.icann.org/download/attachments/27132037/Final_GAC_Communique_Durban_20130717.pdf>

Cristiana De Paoli (Executive Board | European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online (eNACSO)) to Fadi Chehad?
Child Safety and .kid, .kids, .game, .games, .juegos, .play, .school, .toys New gTLDs
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/de-paoli-to-chehade-17jul13-en>

GeoTLDs (Geographic gTLD Applicants) to Fadi Chehad?, Steve Crocker, Cherine Chalaby and Heather Dryden
Launch and Eligibility Plans for Geographic gTLDs
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/geotlds-to-chehade-et-al-12jul13-en>

Young, African and New to ICANN by Lynn Lipinski
I love talking with newcomers at ICANN meetings, particularly when they are as fresh, excited and eager to learn as the South African students and lifelong learners invited to join us in Durban. They brought unique perspectives about the realities of Internet access and use on the continent. Instead of evangelizing about all of the benefits of the Internet, I was reminded that building its infrastructure has to happen first.
<http://blog.icann.org/2013/07/young-african-and-new-to-icann/>

Reappointment to second term as Ombudsman
... Resolved (2013.07.17.11), in accordance with Article V, Section 1.2 of the ICANN Bylaws, the Board hereby reappoints Chris LaHatte as the ICANN Ombudsman for a second two-year term from 28 July 2013 through 27 July 2015, and authorizes the General Counsel and Secretary to execute an agreement with Mr. LaHatte.
<https://omblog.icann.org/?p=977>

ICANN leader shares vision for growth and a global Internet
In his first year heading ICANN, Fadi Chehade has tried to establish a more international ICANN by opening hubs in Turkey, Singapore, Beijing, and Geneva.
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/2044839/icann-leader-shares-vision-for-growth-and-a-global-internet.html>

Tuesday at ICANN 47, Durban
At the ICANN public meeting in Durban, the ICANN Board held a session with its Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) and covered the following major topics:
<http://www.gtldstrategy.com/marketing-strategies/tuesday-at-icann-47-durban>

ICANN?s Durban Meeting Begins with Signing of New Agreements
The first group of internet registries and registrars has signed new agreements with ICANN, bringing new gTLDs into the home stretch of going live online.
<http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/icann-s-durban-meeting-begins-with-signing-of-new-agreements/153638/>
<http://allafrica.com/stories/201307180510.html>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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Dutch registrar to revive three African TLDs
Freedom Registry has taken up operating the TLDs for Mali, Gabon and Central African Republic, aiming at creating international interest in them by providing free domains.
<http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/internet/3459647/dutch-registrar-to-revive-three-african-tlds/>
<http://www.itworld.com/internet/365779/dutch-registrar-revive-three-african-tlds>

be: New legal dossier available
In our new legal report, we focus on the responsibility of service-providers on the Internet. This topic concerns registrants, registrars as well as third parties.
<http://dns.be/en/new-legal-dossier-available>

Sedo Report Details Success of .CO Domains on Third Anniversary, Revealing Roadmap for New TLDs
Sedo, the world?s largest premium domain marketplace and monetization provider, today unveiled a report, detailing the growth and success of the .CO domain extension three years after its launch.
<http://www.cointernet.co/media/press-releases/sedo-report-details-success-co-domains-third-anniversary-revealing-roadmap-new->

.DE: Redemption Grace Period proposal revised
As we already reported, the DENIC e.G., the registry for .DE domains, plans to introduce a Redemption Grace Period (RGP) and asked for feedback on the suggested RGP process
<http://brandshelter.com/english/news/current-news/index.php?article_id=49&clang=1&id=276>

Secure transfer method for DNSSEC-secured domain names already out to successful use
Until recently, DNSSEC ? the security extension to the Domain Name System widely rolled out in the .nl domain ? had one major unresolved drawback. Transferring a DNSSEC-secured domain name from one DNS operator to another was a major headache. Now SIDN, the company that administers the .nl domain, has come up with a unique solution: 'key relay'. On the day that key relay was introduced to .nl, two registrars immediately put the mechanism to successful use.
<https://www.sidn.nl/en/news/news/article/secure-verhuizen-van-dnssec-beveiligde-domeinnamen-nu-al-succesvol-in-gebruik-1/>

"I Love .SG" National Day Promotion 2013
The "I Love .SG" promotion is back yet again as SGNIC joins in the nationwide celebration for Singapore's 48th birthday!
<http://nic.net.sg/news/i-love-sg-national-day-promotion-2013>

uk: A time for change by Lesley Cowley
We are now two weeks into our consultation on second level registrations, which proposes the biggest change to the .uk namespace since it began. Those following this closely will know that we made some significant changes to the original proposal put forward last year.
<http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/blog/time-change>

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 - NEW TLDS
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?Risky? gTLDs could be sacrificed to avoid delay
Google and other members of the New gTLD Applicant Group are happy to let ICANN put their applications on hold in response to security concerns raised by Verisign.
<http://domainincite.com/13800-risky-gtlds-could-be-sacrificed-to-avoid-delay>

5 Things to Know About Engaging With gTLDs: Generics Preparing to Launch by Jennifer Wolfe
Marketers should apply the following key criteria to determine whether specific generics represent valuable Internet real estate investments that are worth the time to acquire and maintain.
<http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2283453/5-things-to-know-about-engaging-with-gtlds-generics-preparing-to-launch>

In the wake of .amazon, IP interests turn on the GAC
Intellectual property interests got a wake-up call at ICANN 47 in Durban this week, when it became clear that they can no longer rely upon the Governmental Advisory Committee as a natural ally.
<http://domainincite.com/13772-in-the-wake-of-amazon-ip-interests-turn-on-the-gac>

Jewish groups battle over $17 billion kosher domain name
Five kosher-certification groups have banded together to oppose a rival?s application to register 'dot-kosher? as a domain name.
<http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/.premium-1.536823>

Here is .NYC: How The Big Apple Can Use Its New TLD To Entice Tourists ? And Why Its Economy May Depend On It
The Mayor of New York City recently announced that .NYC had been approved as a new, gTLD by ICANN. As Mayor Bloomberg explained in a press release, ?Having our own unique, TLD ? .NYC ? puts New York City at the front of the digital landscape and creates new opportunities for our small businesses.?
<http://domainnamestrategy.com/2013/07/17/here-is-nyc-how-the-big-apple-can-use-its-new-tld-to-entice-tourists-and-why-its-economy-may-depend-on-it/>

ICANN Signs First New gTLD Contract by Antony Van Couvering
Nearly seven years since the new gTLD program was approved by the GNSO, ICANN's policy-making body, and nearly two years since its Board of Directors approved the program, ICANN signed a contract for the first of over a thousand new gTLDs.
<http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2013/07/14/icann-signs-first-new-gtld-contract>

The TMCH doesn?t yet have its house in order
After two days of positivity in Durban, the doom-mongers have at last got something to get their teeth into. The ICANN meeting started with some positive noises about the GAC advice and then stepped up a notch with the very public signing of the Registry Agreements by Donuts amongst others. Then came the news that ICANN could be ready to delegate the first name within the next six weeks, bringing reality to the dream of a new dawn of the internet.
<http://www.netnames.com/blog/2013/07/the-tmch-doesnt-yet-have-its-house-in-order/>

Trademark Clearinghouse tops 5,000 registrations
More than 5,000 trademarks have been registered in the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) since it launched in March, financial services company Deloitte revealed on Tuesday.
<http://www.worldipreview.com/news/trademark-clearinghouse-tops-5-000-registrations>

90 new gTLDs pass IE. Two more withdrawals
ICANN has published its weekly run-down of new gTLD Initial Evaluation results and this week 90 applications have passed.
<http://domainincite.com/13801-90-new-gtlds-pass-ie-two-more-withdrawals>

ICANN still considering IGO protections, but adds deadline to discussions
One of the Governmental Advisory Committee?s (GAC) requests for new TLDs is that both the names and acronyms of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) be protected from second level registrations.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/19/icann-still-considering-igo-protections-but-adds-deadline-to-discussions/>

GAC?s Final Word from Durban
ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) issued its traditional communiqu? at the conclusion of ICANN's public meeting in Durban, but the most sought-after information was absent.
<http://www.gtldstrategy.com/marketing-strategies/gacs-final-word-from-durban>

GAC plays God with the Durban Communiqu?
The Governmental Advisory Committee has released its Durban Communiqu?, summarizing what it did during this week?s meeting in Durban and its advice to ICANN?s board.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/18/gac-plays-god-with-the-durban-communique/>

Amazon Rejected as Domain Name After South American Objections
A group of Latin American countries appears to have succeeded in an effort to block Amazon, the online retailer, from using .amazon as a new suffix for Internet addresses.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/18/amazon-rejected-as-domain-name-after-south-american-objections/>

gTLD Objections Rejected
Of the three dispute providers selected by ICANN, WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization) is the first out of the gates to hand down decisions against legal rights objections to gTLDs and in favor of applicants.
<http://www.gtldstrategy.com/brand-protection-strategies/gtld-objections-rejected>

USPS loses to Amazon.com on .Mail top level domain objection
The United States Postal Services? Legal Rights Objection to Amazon.com?s bid to run the .mail TLD has been denied by a World Intellectual Property Organization panelist.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/19/usps-loses-to-amazon-com-on-mail-top-level-domain-objection/>

Validation and Auction partners needed for .cymru and .wales
In preparation for the launch of new gTLDs .cymru and .wales Nominet is seeking partners to provide online Validation and Auction services.
<http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/validation-and-auction-partners-needed-cymru-and-wales>

Pinterest over control of .pin
Amazon.com, which earlier this week lost its bid to control the domain extension .amazon, has been handed a victory over another TLD: .pin.
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57594463-93/amazon-scores-victory-against-pinterest-over-control-of-.pin/>

Frank Schilling?s Uniregistry Withdraws Two More New gTLD Applications: .Media & .Country
Frank Schilling?s Uniregistry withdrew applications for two new gTLD?s today reflected on ICANN?s site. The application were for .Media and .Country.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/07/18/frank-schillings-uniregistry-withdraws-two-more-new-gtld-applications-media-country/>

Over ?1M Deposit Required To File A New gTLD Objection With The ICC, Partridge IP Law Tells ICANN
At the ICANN Open Forum today at Durban An attorney Mark Partridge took the floor to tell ICANN how much money an objector has to tie up to get their objection heard by the ICC.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/07/18/over-e1m-deposit-required-to-file-a-new-gtld-objection-with-the-icc-partridge-ip-law-tells-icann/>

GAC Mucks Around But Leaves Durban With Hundreds Of New gTLD Apps Hanging In The Wind
The Government Advisory Counsel (GAC) just issued a summary of what it did during the ICANN meeting in Durban and issued what now appears to be a trend for ICANN meetings by issuing a ?Communique? in this case forever to be known as the Durban Communique in which it addressed a few new gTLD applications but left the elephant in the room as Pink as ever.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/07/18/gac-mucks-around-but-leaves-durban-with-hundreds-of-new-gtld-apps-hanging-in-the-wind/>

Constantine Roussos Says ICC Must Disregard Any New Policies/Changes & GAC Advice Made After Objection Deadline
In a letter sent to ICANN by Constantine Roussos on behalf of DotMusic, Limited who objected to other applications for the .Music new gTLD it urges ICANN to tell the ICC that is must disregard any new polices, changes and GAC advice given after the deadline for filing formal objection which was April 12, 2013.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/07/18/constantine-roussos-says-icc-must-disregard-any-new-policieschanges-gac-advice-made-after-objection-deadline/>

.Amazon May Not Be Dead Yet As Trademark Groups Urge ICANN To Follow International Law Not GAC Advice
Trademark Groups urged ICANN to follow International Law not GAC advice and to approves the new gTLD application for .Amazon
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/07/18/amazon-may-not-be-dead-yet-as-trademark-groups-urge-icann-to-follow-international-law-not-gac-advice/>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Network Solutions Loses Customers Over Outage
Some customers are switching to new providers after their websites were knocked offline for several hours, Wednesday, due to an outage at Network Solutions LLC, a subsidiary of Web.com Group Inc.
<http://stream.wsj.com/story/latest-headlines/SS-2-63399/SS-2-280802/>

Network Solutions recovering from DDoS
Network Solutions customers experienced outtages this week due to a DDoS attack.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/19/network-solutions-recovering-from-ddos/>

Network Solutions Customer Site Compromises and DDoS
Network Solutions is a domain name registrar that manages over 6.6 million domains. As of July 16, 2013, the Network Solutions website is under a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. Recently, Network Solutions has been a target for attackers; in a previous outage, domain name servers were redirected away from their proper IP addresses. This was reported to be a result of a server misconfiguration while Network Solutions was attempting to mitigate a DDoS attack. It is possible that the DDoS attacks are related.
<http://blogs.cisco.com/security/network-solutions-customer-site-compromises-and-ddos/>

Styx Crypt Makers Push DDoS, Anti-Antivirus Services
I recently published a piece that examined the role of several Ukrainian men likely responsible for making and marketing the Styx Pack malware exploit kit. Today?s post will show how this same enterprise is linked to a DDoS protection scheme and a sprawling cybercrook-friendly malware scanning service that is bundled with Styx-Crypt.
<http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/07/styx-crypt-makers-push-ddos-anti-antivirus-services/>

DDoS Attacks Increase 20 Percent in Q2 2013: Prolexic Report
DDoS attacks rose by 20 percent last quarter, and have risen across the board in size, strength, and duration, according to the latest report from DDoS mitigation provider Prolexic.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/ddos-attacks-increase-20-percent-in-q2-2013-prolexic-report>

>From cyber espionage to new era of cyber attack
The next generation of cyber threats will have physical ramifications on networks and other assets, says an espionage expert.?Most of the unpleasant cyber events we?ve experienced to date are most accurately described as ?cyber espionage?,? says Michael Hayden.
<http://www.afr.com/p/national/from_cyber_espionage_to_new_era_YE9N6nXpK6YoWyYEuXQGfJ>

Conficker worm continues to evolve, confound researchers
The Conficker worm has been wreaking havoc on the Internet for several months now, and despite the concerted efforts of dozens of security organizations around the world, it is showing no signs of fading. A new analysis of Conficker by SRI International shows that the worm?s authors have added further code obfuscation and other mechanisms to avoid analysis and removal.
<http://threatpost.com/conficker-worm-continues-evolve-confound-researchers-032009/72386>

UN warns on mobile cybersecurity bugs in bid to prevent attacks
A United Nations group that advises nations on cybersecurity plans to send out an alert about significant vulnerabilities in mobile phone technology that could potentially enable hackers to remotely attack at least half a billion phones.
<http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/07/21/mobile-hacking-idINDEE96K06K20130721>

nz: DDoS Attack Targets Web Drive Client, Brings Down Entire Network
New Zealand web hosting provider Web Drive went down on Monday afternoon, after a DDoS attack directed at one of its high-profile customers, according to a report by the National Business Review on Wednesday.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/ddos-attack-targets-web-drive-client-brings-down-entire-network>

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst
Even though the result in this case ended in a transfer, we are reminded that just because a UDRP Respondent fails to submit a response doesn?t mean that a decision will automatically be made in favor of the complainant.
<http://domainnamestrategy.com/2013/07/19/hope-for-the-best-prepare-for-the-worst/>

Down, But Not Out
A National Arbitration Forum (NAF) Panel recently denied a UDRP complaint, filed by Quirk Productions, Inc. against TobyClements.com, LLC over the domain name quirk.com.
<http://domainnamestrategy.com/2013/07/15/down-but-not-out/>

Sports organizations need to think about protecting their domains
Summer has arrived in the northern hemisphere and major sporting events are underway. The French Open and Wimbledon in tennis, The Ashes in cricket, the Formula One circus is making its way around Europe and the Tour de France is currently underway.
<http://www.netnames.com/blog/2013/07/sports-organizations-need-to-think-about-protecting-their-domains/>

au: Pub crawl refunds for customers
... In November last year, Fair Trading withdrew the pub crawl's domain name after Mr Gregory failed to provide satisfactory information that he was running the business in accordance with the Australian Consumer Law.
<http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1647857/pub-crawl-refunds-for-customers/>

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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SWITCH new Gold Sponsor of Swiss IPv6 Council
The latest statistics once again reveal strong growth in IPv6 traffic, and Switzerland currently leads the world in terms of IPv6 users. With this in mind, the SWITCH foundation, a partner of the Swiss universities, has decided to become a Gold Sponsor of the Swiss IPv6 Council. IPv6 has been in use on SWITCH?s academic network since 2006, and the aim is now to allow a wider audience to benefit from this experience.
<http://www.switch.ch/about/news/2013/goldsponsoring-ipv6.html>

Moving to IPv6: Rebuilding the Heart of the Internet Without Missing a Beat
Within the coming decade, IPv6 will be key to enabling 50 billion connections among people, processes, data, and things in the Internet of Everything (IoE). But how we get there from here is not a simple matter. I?m very pleased to invite Mark Townsley, Cisco Fellow and recognized industry expert on IP, to discuss this important transition in the second of our three-part blog series on IPv6. The first blog in Mark?s series was ?Demystifying IPv6?.
<http://blogs.cisco.com/ioe/moving-to-ipv6-rebuilding-the-heart-of-the-internet-without-missing-a-beat/>

vn: ISPs find difficult to develop new subscribers on the lack of IPv4
CMC Telecom and FPT Telecom have complained about the lack of IPv4 addresses to develop new subscribers, saying that the reserved addresses do not correspond to the current growth and the broadband market share.
<http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/science-it/79658/isps-find-difficult-to-develop-new-subscribers-on-the-lack-of-ipv4.html>

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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CENTR and LACTLD present on DNS Trends and Challenges
On 12 July CENTR and LACTLD gave a joint presentation on "Trends, opportunities and challenges on the domain name market in Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean? at the African DNS Forum in Durban, South Africa.
<http://centr.org/news/07-14-2013/2903/centr-and-lactld-present-dns-trends-and-challenges>

CENTR Launches Nominations for 2013 CENTR Award
Triggered by a presentation made in CENTR's General Assembly held in Lisbon in early 2013, CENTR have launched nominations for the 2013 CENTR Awards. Nomination is open to all Full and Associate Members under the following categories;
<http://centr.org/news/07-14-2013/2904/centr-launches-nominations-2013-centr-award>

RIPE NCC Report: Law Enforcement Agency Requests in 2012
In 2012, the RIPE NCC received 21 requests from Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in nine countries. A recently published transparency report details the nature of these requests and the actions that were taken as a result. This report will be published annually from now on.
<http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/about-ripe-ncc-and-ripe/ripe-ncc-report-law-enforcement-agency-requests-in-2012>

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INTERNET USE
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Internet-service providers clamour for a fairer contribution from content firms
The raid by the European Commission?s antitrust gumshoes this month on Orange (formerly France Telecom), Deutsche Telekom and Telef?nica of Spain seemed to come out of the blue. The companies professed a surprise verging on stupefaction. Even some Brussels insiders were caught on the hop.
<http://www.economist.com/news/business/21582022-internet-service-providers-clamour-fairer-contribution-content-firms-congestion>

AltaVista is dead. Here?s why it?s so hard to compete with Google.
Altavista, one of the leading search engines of the 1990s, died this week. It was 18 years old. It had languished for years before its owner, Yahoo, finally pulled the plug.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/07/11/altavista-is-dead-heres-why-its-so-hard-to-compete-with-google/>

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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ITU Readies New 1Gbit/s Broadband Standard
G.fast, a new ITU broadband standard, that promises up to 1 Gbit/s over existing copper telephone wires, is one step closer following a meeting of ITU-T Study Group 15 this week. G.fast is designed to deliver superfast downloads up to a distance of 250 meters, thereby eliminating the expense of installing fibre between the distribution point and people?s homes.
<http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2013/30.aspx>

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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Prime Minister David Cameron to press Google over ?complicity? in porn 
David Cameron will tomorrow step up the pressure on Google, Facebook and other internet companies over online porn, suggesting they are complicit in allowing indecent images to be hosted and accessed.
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/prime-minister-david-cameron-to-press-google-over-complicity-in-porn-8723050.html>

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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Exposed: The dark side of the internet, where you can buy drugs, sex and indecent images
In a hidden corner of the web, the Silk Road site quietly earns millions as an illegal-drug marketplace ? a kind of ?amoral eBay?. But start-up Atlantis wants a share, and it?s pulling in business fast with ads on YouTube. Paul Peachey reports on a cybercrime turf war
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/exposed-the-dark-side-of-the-internet-where-you-can-buy-drugs-sex-and-indecent-images-8723048.html>

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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NSA?s phone and web snooping more far-reaching than thought
The US?s National Security Agency, the electronic eavesdropping body, has disclosed that its telephone and internet data collection is far greater than previously known in the face of unusually sharp congressional questioning.
<http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/007932a2-ef2e-11e2-bb27-00144feabdc0.html>

Apple, Google and other tech giants demand spying openness
Apple, Google and dozens of other technology companies have urged US authorities to let them divulge more details about security requests.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23374867>

Inquiry into snooping laws as committee clears GCHQ
Parliament's intelligence and security committee (ISC) is to mount an inquiry into whether the laws on "state snooping" on private communications are adequate to regulate Britain's spy agencies in the internet age.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/17/prism-nsa-gchq-review-framework-surveillance>

ISC report recognises that internet snooping laws are not fit for purpose
The report from the intelligence and security committee (ISC) is the first recognition that the laws surrounding GCHQ's use of the Prism intelligence-gathering programme may well be inadequate.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/17/prism-isc-laws-internet-snooping-not-fit>

How Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages
Microsoft has collaborated closely with US intelligence services to allow users' communications to be intercepted, including helping the National Security Agency to circumvent the company's own encryption, according to top-secret documents obtained by the Guardian.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data>

German Intelligence Used NSA Spy Program
Angela Merkel and her ministers claim they first learned about the US government's comprehensive spying programs from press reports. But SPIEGEL has learned that German intelligence services themselves use one of the NSA's most valuable tools.
<http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-intelligence-agencies-used-nsa-spying-program-a-912173.html>

Bipartisan Backlash Grows Against Domestic Surveillance
The Obama administration faced a growing Congressional backlash against the National Security Agency?s domestic surveillance operations on Wednesday, as lawmakers from both parties called for the vast collection of private data on millions of Americans to be scaled back.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/18/us/politics/bipartisan-backlash-grows-against-domestic-surveillance.html>

What Will Japan's Entry Into TPP Mean for Internet Users?
The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement threatens the rights of Internet users in all its potential signatories, from Peru to Canada to the United States. This week as part of the 18th round of meetings in Kota Kinabulu, Malaysia, a new country, Japan, officially joins the negotiations. Japan is arriving late to the TPP table, but its participation already risks making Japanese law harsher while demolishing the hard-won victories of copyright reformers in the country.
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/07/what-will-japans-entry-tpp-mean-internet-users>

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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OECD broadband statistics update
New OECD data on broadband subscriptions, up to December 2012, show a steady trend increase in fibre adoption, with the share of fibre subscriptions in fixed broadband increasing to 14.9% (up to 48.7 million fibre broadband lines). Fibre grew by 12.7% in 2012, four times as much as fixed broadband at 3.27%.
<http://www.oecd.org/sti/broadband/broadband-statistics-update.htm>


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David Goldstein

 email: david at goldsteinreport.com

 web:   http://goldsteinreport.com/
            http://davidgoldstein.tel/
 phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9663 3430 - 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