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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Advisory: Registrar Implementation of the 2013 RAA's Whois Requirements
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-31jul13-en.htm>

AusRegistry and auDA add .auLOCKDOWN to key domain name assets
<http://www.ausregistry.com.au/news/ausregistry-and-auda-add-aulockdown-to-key-domain-name-assets>

On the Question of Closed Generics by Antony Van Couvering
<http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2013/07/29/on-the-question-of-closed-generics>

DotMusic loses LRO, and four other cases rejected
<http://domainincite.com/13925-dotmusic-loses-lro-and-four-other-cases-rejected>

uk: Clydesdale Bank domain name 'issue' hits account access
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-23506396>

Google?s Matt Cutts: Websites Using ccTLDs Should Contain Content Relevant To The Specific Country Code
<http://searchengineland.com/googles-matt-cutts-sites-with-geo-targeted-domains-should-contain-content-relevant-to-the-specified-country-168258>


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GOVERNANCE
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U.S. surveillance puts Internet governance at risk - Americans now face issue of lost trust by Michael Geist, Ottawa Citizen
One year ago, many users were engaged in a contentious debate over the question of who should govern the Internet. The debate pitted the current model led by a U.S.-based organization known as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN, supported by the U.S.) against a government-led, United Nations-style model under which countries such as China and Russia could assert greater control over Internet governance. The differences between the two approaches were never as stark as some portrayed since the current model grants the U.S. considerable contractual power over ICANN, but the fear of greater foreign government control over the Internet led to strong political opposition to UN involvement.
<http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/surveillance+puts+Internet+governance+risk/8723829/story.html>
<http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/surveillance+puts+Internet+governance+risk/8723829/story.html>

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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Applicant Update Webinar - Date/Time: 08 August 2013, 01:00 ? 2:30 UTC (07 Aug, 6:00pm ? 7:30pm PDT)
Information on evaluation progress and program developments. Additional updates on Community Priority Evaluation, Auctions and Extended Evaluation. Submit your questions now to gtld-communications at icann.org.
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/webinars#upcoming>

Advisory: Registrar Implementation of the 2013 RAA's Whois Requirements
This advisory is intended to help registrars understand which Whois fields must be populated pursuant to the 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement immediately upon their signing of the agreement and which are not required until 1 January 2014.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-31jul13-en.htm>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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AusRegistry and auDA add .auLOCKDOWN to key domain name assets
In June we launched .auLOCKDOWN, a new security measure that allows .au domain name owners to lock their domain?s nameserver delegations and prevent unauthorised changes.
<http://www.ausregistry.com.au/news/ausregistry-and-auda-add-aulockdown-to-key-domain-name-assets>

DNS.be attacked
Saturday night 27 July, DNS Belgium was again the victim of a defacement. Apparently, the hackers community turned their sights on our public website.
<http://dns.be/en/dnsbe-attacked>

IETF Meeting in Berlin sponsored by DENIC: Open Internet standards through technical excellence
More than 1,500 technical experts are coming together in Berlin from 28 July until 2 August at the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) Meeting to jointly work at the further evolution of the Internet and to develop tomorrow's protocol standards. 
<http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialogue/press-releases/press/3719.html>

Madrid Accounts For Quarter Of All .ES Domains
Spain?s ccTLD, .es, has grown by more than half in the last five years to reach 1,668,709 domain names registered as of the end of June 2013.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/07/31/madrid-es-domains/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/madrid-accounts-for-quarter-of-all-es-domains.html>

.IE Domains Grow 5% In 2012
The total number of .ie domain names grew by just over five percent in 2012, Ireland?s registry IEDR reported.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/08/01/ie-grow-2012/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/ie-domains-grow-5-in-2012.html>

New .ie registrations down 15% in 2012
IEDR, which manages .ie domain registrations, said that total .ie domains at the end of last year were 182,284, up 5.3% year-on-year.
<http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2013/0731/465657-new-ie-registrations-down-15-in-2012/>

IEDR Publish 2012 Domain Figures
IEDR have published their latest annual report which covers the period up to the end of 2012.
<http://www.internetnews.me/2013/07/31/iedr-publish-2012-figures-and-still-want-control/>

IEDR Reports Solid Core Trading Performance in 2012
The IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the not-for-profit public organisation that manages Ireland?s top level Internet domain, .ie, today reported a solid core trading performance for 2012.
<https://www.iedr.ie/wednesday-31st-july-2013-iedr-reports-solid-core-trading-performance-in-2012/>

Afilias wants registrar ownership ban lifted on .mobi and .pro
Afilias has applied to ICANN to have its ban on owning registrars in two of its own gTLDs, .mobi and .pro, lifted.
<http://domainincite.com/13911-afilias-wants-registrar-ownership-ban-lifted-on-mobi-and-pro>

Polish CERT Polska and NASK Pull the Plug On .pl TLD On Malicious Registrar, Domain Silver by Neil Schwartzman
Today we publish an overview of domains registered through Domain Silver, Inc, a registrar operating in the .pl domain. This Registrar started operating in May 2012. Since that time, the CERT Polska team started to observe a large increase in the amount of malicious domains registered in .pl and to receive many complaints concerning domains registered through Domain Silver.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130731_polish_cert_polaska_and_nask_pull_the_plug_on_pl_tld_domain_silver/>

.pw becomes the first TLD to adopt the Uniform Rapid Suspension rights protection mechanism
The .pw Registry is pleased to announce its adoption of ICANN?s latest rights protection mechanism, the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS).
<http://registry.pw/pw-becomes-the-first-tld-to-adopt-the-uniform-rapid-suspension-rights-protection-mechanism/>

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 - NEW TLDS
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URS ?goes live? as gTLD objections fall like dominos
This week the ?.pw? registry became the first TLD to adopt the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) system. Meanwhile, WIPO has rejected a new batch of legal rights objections filed against gTLD applications. For brand owners, these developments will have a direct impact both short and long-term.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=79ec9d43-8c15-4bcb-9fab-cb1de6865aed>

On the Question of Closed Generics by Antony Van Couvering
The debate over so-called "closed generic" TLDs has revealed that rarest of semi-mythical beasts, a creature often emblazoned in ICANN heraldry but as elusive as the unicorn on the UK royal coat of arms: an argument on principle. Occasionally an issue arises out of the muck of self-interested manoeuvring to reveal the deep idealism that moves most ICANN participants.
<http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2013/07/29/on-the-question-of-closed-generics>

URS ?goes live? as gTLD objections fall like dominos
This week the ?.pw? registry became the first TLD to adopt the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) system. Meanwhile, WIPO has rejected a new batch of legal rights objections filed against gTLD applications. For brand owners, these developments will have a direct impact both short and long-term.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=79ec9d43-8c15-4bcb-9fab-cb1de6865aed>

The Domain Name Battle for 35 Percent of the World
GoDaddy.com Senior Director, Icann Policy & Planning James Bladel discusses Icann's domain expansion and overhaul plans. He speaks with Emily Chang on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg West."
<http://www.bloomberg.com/video/the-battle-for-dot-book-dot-search-3Lh0MIC5TjGAB_NsHpHtLA.html>

DotMusic loses LRO, and four other cases rejected
Constantine Roussos has lost his first Legal Rights Objection over the flagship .music gTLD.
<http://domainincite.com/13925-dotmusic-loses-lro-and-four-other-cases-rejected>

Objection against Google?s .music bid rejected
DotMusic Limited?s legal rights objection to Google?s application for the .music TLD has been rejected.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/31/objection-against-googles-music-bid-rejected/>

Donuts details second private gTLD auction list
Donuts has committed 68 of its new gTLD applications to a set of private auctions due to commence August 13.
<http://domainincite.com/13919-donuts-details-second-private-gtld-auction-list>

L?Oreal takes the red pill, withdraws .matrix bid
L?Oreal has withdrawn another of its dot-brand new gTLD applications.
<http://domainincite.com/13908-loreal-takes-the-red-pill-withdraws-matrix-bid>

How right-to-left domain names work in practice
When ICANN unveiled the list of TLD applications at a media event in London last summer, some in the community were upset that Arabic IDNs were presented left to right instead of right to left.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/29/how-right-to-left-domain-names-work-in-practice/>

Is social media the answer to the dot-brand problem?
With many dot-brand gTLD applicants still unsure about how they will use their new namespaces, the maker of the Kred reputation service is proposing social media as the answer.
<http://domainincite.com/13899-is-social-media-the-answer-to-the-dot-brand-problem>

3 ways to track new TLD applications
Three resources for tracking and reviewing new TLD applications. As of right now there are 1,824 active new TLD applications covering 1,353 different strings.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/30/3-ways-to-track-new-tld-applications/>

Donuts willing to send 68 strings to auction in August
Donuts, the largest applicant for new TLDs, has committed up to 68 strings to the next new TLD ?private? auction held by Applicant Auction next month.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/30/donuts-willing-to-sent-68-strings-to-auction-in-august/>

Food Network loses food fight for .food top level domain name
The company behind the Food Network and Food.com, Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc., has lost an objection against a rival applicant for the TLD .food.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/30/food-network-loses-foodfight-for-food-top-level-domain-name/>

Three More Legal Rights Objections Thrown Out By WIPO: .Food, .Cam, .Vip
Its looking like filing an Legal Rights Objection with WIPO was a huge waste of time and money as three more decisions are out today all in favor of the new gTLD applicants.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/07/30/three-more-legal-rights-objections-thrown-out-by-wipo-food-cam-vip/>

>From gTLD risks and social media exploitation to brand resilience and the benefits of a fluid approach: inside INTA 2013
WTR looks back at the practical takeaways from this year?s International Trademark Association annual meeting, held in Dallas, Texas
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/issues/article.ashx?g=a8b15284-f0ce-452c-8b44-b1c70e308304>

NXDOMAINS, SSAC's SAC045, and New gTLDs (Part 4 of 5) by Danny McPherson
In 2010, ICANN's Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) published SAC045, a report calling attention to particular problems that may arise should a new gTLD applicant use a string that has been seen with measureable (and meaningful) frequency in queries for resolution by the root system. The queries to which they referred involved invalid TLD queries (i.e., non-delegated strings) at the root level of DNS, queries which elicit responses commonly referred to as Name Error, or NXDomain, responses from root name servers.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20130731_nxdomains_ssacs_sac045_and_new_gtlds_part_4_of_5/>

Where Will Registrants For New gTLD?s Come From?
Last week Andrew from DomainNameWire asked in a blog post ?Whats The Market Size For A TLD?. The post basically asked where are the new gTLD?s going to get their registrants from, so I thought I would join the conversation. Here is where I see registrations for new gTLD?s coming from:
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/07/31/where-will-registrants-for-new-gtlds-come-from/>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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APWG Report: Phishing Attack Numbers Drop 20 Percent from Historical Highs [APWG news release]
The APWG reports in its Q1 2013 Phishing Activity Trends Report that phishing attack frequency declined 20 percent from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013, due to a precipitous drop in virtual server phishing attacks. Statistics indicate that phishing levels are returning to the levels seen prior to the record-setting highs of 2012.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2013/08/01/apwg-phishing-drop/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/en/apwg-report-phishing-attack-numbers-drop-20-percent-from-historical-highs.html>

eu: New penalties for cyber attacks by businesses to be introduced
New rules have been backed by EU ministers that will introduce a range of new penalties that could be levied on businesses should they engage in cyber attacks.
<http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2013/july/new-penalties-for-cyber-attacks-by-businesses-to-be-introduced-/>

DDoS Attacks Getting Bigger But Shorter in Duration
Hacktivist group Izz ad-Dim al-Qassam Cyber Fighters's strategy said to be driving up raw number of attacks and depressing their duration.
<http://www.cio.com/article/737313/DDoS_Attacks_Getting_Bigger_But_Shorter_in_Duration>

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Yahoo gets patent for prioritizing cybersquatting cases
Yahoo logoThe U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted patent number 8,499,032 to Yahoo for a ?System and method for compiling a set of domain names to recover?.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/30/yahoo-gets-patent-for-prioritizing-cybersquatting-cases/>

NameCheap Wins $1.3 Million CyberSquatting Judgement
A Federal District Court has awarded NameCheap.com $1.3 Million Dollars in a cybersquatting suit.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2013/07/29/namecheap-wins-1-65-million-cybersquatting-judgement/>

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Amazon.com, HP, Ford among those lobbying Washington about domain names
LobbyingIt?s been a couple years since I?ve done a round up of how much domain name companies are spending on lobbying in Washington. I just ran an updated analysis and made two key observations.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/30/amazon-com-hp-ford-among-those-lobbying-washington-about-domain-names/>

uk: Clydesdale Bank domain name 'issue' hits account access
The Clydesdale Bank has confirmed that customers were unable to access their online accounts over the past few days because of an issue relating to its domain name.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-23506396>

Two banks go down after forgetting to renew domains
Two UK banks suffered downtime over the weekend after apparently failing to renew their domain name registrations.
<http://domainincite.com/13923-two-banks-go-down-after-forgetting-to-renew-domains>

Melbourne IT sells court recording division for $6.3m
Melbourne IT has sold its digital recording division to Record Holdings for $6.3 million, resulting in a $1.2 million loss to Melbourne IT.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/522529/melbourne_it_sells_court_recording_division_6_3m/>

Why Your URL Bar Matters, and Why Silicon Valley Should Take Note
If you use the Internet, you've likely used something in the last month, but it's not something at the top of your lips: the URL bar. It's also called the "address bar" or the "direct navigation bar" among techies. Here's why it matters -- a lot.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/neil-seeman/why-the-url-bar-matters-a_b_3635718.html>

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Google?s Matt Cutts: Websites Using ccTLDs Should Contain Content Relevant To The Specific Country Code
In his latest video, Google?s head of search spam Matt Cutts addresses whether or not it is a good idea for a website to use a ccTLD.
<http://searchengineland.com/googles-matt-cutts-sites-with-geo-targeted-domains-should-contain-content-relevant-to-the-specified-country-168258>

Google Talks Geotargeting And Generic ccTLDs
Google?s latest Webmaster Help video deals with ccTLDs and geotargeting ? specifically Google?s view of a developer grabbing a ccTLD that is generally associated with a country they?re not actually in.
<http://www.webpronews.com/google-talks-geotargeting-and-generic-cctlds-2013-07>

Matt Cutts and choosing domain names for SEO (Video)
I'm not suggesting that you choose a domain name for SEO purposes, but when it comes to ranking in the search engines, it's wise that you don't choose a domain name that is typically reserved for another country or sovereign state.
<http://www.examiner.com/article/matt-cutts-and-choosing-domain-names-for-seo>

Matt Cutts releases new video about using ccTLDs for generic purposes
Google?s SEO/Webspam leader Matt Cutts has released a new video about using a ccTLD for a website not targeted to that country.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/29/matt-cutts-releases-new-video-about-using-cctlds-for-generic-purposes/>

Oversee.net launches TrafficMatch to pitch domain traffic to advertisers
Oversee.net, the parent company of DomainSponsor, somewhat quietly launched TrafficMatch last month.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2013/07/29/oversee-net-launches-trafficmatch-to-pitch-domain-traffic-to-advertisers/>

3-Letter .Com Sells for 6 Figures to Top This Week's Domain Sales Chart
For the second time since 2009, RSS.com has changed hands for six figures. In October 2009 Ron Sheridan picked up the domain for $125,000 via Sedo. This year Sheridan, who is involved in several other start up businesses including Pixt.com, decided RSS.com no longer fit into his plans so this past week he sold it in a private transaction for $135,000. That was more than enough to take the top spot on our latest weekly all extension Top 20 Sales Chart.
<http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2013/20130731.htm>

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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Twitter: We're not blind to the reality of abusive tweets
Twitter appeared to respond to increased pressure to deal with abusive and offensive material on Monday by claiming it is exploring ways to make it easier to report abuse.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/29/twitter-facebook>

Twitter Will Make It Easier to Report Abusive Posts
Twitter announced on Monday that it would add a button to report abusive tweets to all major versions of its software, making it easier for users to report offensive messages that have been posted on the site.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/29/twitter-will-make-it-easier-to-report-abusive-posts/>

Twitter abuse: what can be done to stop trolling?
As Twitter has become more central to the lives of its 500 million-plus users worldwide, so its problems with disruptive users have grown. There are now more than 500m tweets sent every day. Once its prime problem was spammers trying to push porn or gadgets, its newest problem is trolls ? people who use their accounts to write abusive messages targeting individuals.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/29/twitter-abuse-dealing-with-trolls-options>

uk: Twitter chiefs to face MP committee over abusive threats to women
Twitter bosses are to be questioned by MPs about complaints that they have failed to do enough to protect women from users posting violent and abusive threats.
<http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jul/30/twitter-mp-committee-threats-women>

uk: Twitter users and the law ? timeline
Libel, racism, threats, harassment and the naming of people in defiance of court orders
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/29/twitter-users-law-timeline>

uk: Police chief challenges social media firms to tackle online abuse
A senior police chief has said that people have the right to use Twitter and Facebook without being subjected to harassment and abuse, as he challenged social media companies to crack down on rape threats and other offences committed using their services.
<http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jul/29/police-chief-social-media-abuse>

Governments, Led by U.S., Seek More Data About Twitter Users
The number of requests for Twitter user data from governments around the world continued to grow in the first half of 2013, the microblogging service said in its semiannual transparency report, released Wednesday.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/governments-led-by-u-s-seek-more-data-about-twitter-users/>

Government requests for Twitter users' data on the rise
Twitter is under increasing pressure from governments around the world to release user's private information, with requests rising 40 percent in the first six months of the year, the microblogging company said Wednesday in its semi-annual transparency report.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/08/01/uk-twitter-data-idUKBRE97002L20130801>
<http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/08/01/twitter-data-idINDEE97001H20130801>

Facebook turns on secure browsing by default [IDG]
Facebook turned on a key security feature by default on Wednesday that scrambles data sent by users to the company's servers, following similar moves in recent years by Web services such as Google and Twitter.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/080113-facebook-turns-on-secure-browsing-272423.html>

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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How did Estonia become a leader in technology?
When Estonia regained its independence in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, less than half its population had a telephone line and its only independent link to the outside world was a Finnish mobile phone concealed in the foreign minister's garden. Two decades later, it is a world leader in technology. Estonian geeks developed the code behind Skype, Hotmail and Kazaa (an early file-sharing network). In 2007 it became the first country to allow online voting in a general election. It has among the world?s zippiest broadband speeds and holds the record for start-ups per person. Its 1.3m citizens pay for parking spaces with their mobile phones and have their health records stored in the digital cloud. Filing an annual tax return online, as 95% of Estonians do, takes about five minutes. How did the smallest Baltic state develop such a strong tech culture?
<http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/07/economist-explains-21>

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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Microsoft introduces Bing pop-up warning for child abuse search terms
Microsoft?s Bing search engine has become the first to introduce pop-up warnings on sites containing images of child abuse.
<http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/microsoft-introduces-bing-popup-warning-for-child-abuse-search-terms-8734781.html>

Cyber-safety or cyber-maturity? Teaching ethics in a virtual world by Michael Salter, Lecturer in Criminology at University of Western Sydney
Sexting is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. Multiple incidents of teenagers circulating explicit images of other teenagers are under investigation in Victoria. It has emerged that Queensland police have charged 240 children for producing and distributing child pornography so far in 2013.
<http://theconversation.com/cyber-safety-or-cyber-maturity-teaching-ethics-in-a-virtual-world-16081>

U.K. Debates Internet Freedoms
Here are two conflicting opinions about Internet censorship. Can you guess which government said which? You can chose from the following: China, the U.S., and the U.K.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323681904578639821400334756.html>

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ONLINE TV, MUSIC & PIRACY
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Google asked to remove 100 million 'piracy' links in 2013
Google has received requests to remove more than 100 million links since January 2013 for web pages deemed to be in breach of copyright laws.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23489363>

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Living room TV is 'making a comeback', says Ofcom
UK families are more likely to watch TV together now than they have been in over a decade, according to a study.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23521277>

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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uk: Thousands of abusive electronic message cases reach court
More than 1,700 cases involving abusive messages sent online or via text message reached English and Welsh courts in 2012, the BBC has learned after a Freedom of Information request.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23502291>

UK 'losing fight' against internet crime, warn MPs
The UK must do more to stop online fraud and deter state-sponsored cyber-espionage or risk losing the fight against e-crime, MPs have warned.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23495121>

Britain is losing the war against internet crime, says MP report
Britain is too complacent about the war against internet crime, which it is losing, a committee of MPs said on Tuesday.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/30/britain-losing-war-against-internet-crime>

Britain losing battle against internet crime, MPs say
Britain is losing the battle against cyber crime and needs a new crack crime unit to fight the growing problem in cooperation with its global partners, particularly the European Union, a panel of MPs said in a report on Tuesday.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/29/uk-britain-cybercrime-report-idUKBRE96S15020130729>

ACC report finds organised crime rips $15 billion from economy each year
The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) has found global crime syndicates gouge about $15 billion a year from the economy.
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-30/organised-crime-costs-australia-15-billion-a-year-report/4852978>

Organised crime - more pervasive, more powerful and more complex than ever before [news release]
Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice, Jason Clare today released Organised Crime in Australia 2013 - the Australian Crime Commission's report on serious and organised crime in Australia.
<http://www.ministerhomeaffairs.gov.au/Mediareleases/Pages/2013/Third%20Quarter/30July2013-Organisedcrimemorepervasivemorepowerfulandmorecomplexthaneverbefore.aspx>

au: National Plan to Combat Cybercrime [news release]
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus QC and Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General Shayne Neumann today announced a comprehensive plan for a more collaborative national effort to tackle cybercrime.
<http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/Mediareleases/Pages/2013/Third%20quarter/29July2013-NationalPlantoCombatCybercrime.aspx>

Hackers attack NZ government party websites to protest spy law
Hackers disabled several websites of New Zealand's ruling party on Tuesday, protesting a planned law to widen the surveillance powers of the country's spy agency but the action was criticised by Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom as counter-productive.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/30/uk-newzealand-hacking-idUKBRE96T02D20130730>
<http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/07/30/newzealand-hacking-idINDEE96T01920130730>

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PRIVACY
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Google's Data-Trove Dance - Internal Debates Arise Over Using Collected Information and Protecting Privacy
In 2011, Google Inc. Chief Executive and co-founder Larry Page asked executives to develop a new, simplified privacy tool that would act as a kind of sliding scale, allowing users to designate whether they wanted minimal, medium or maximum collection of information about them in all of Google's services, and how much the information would be shielded from being viewed by other users.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324170004578635812623154242.html>

Internet privacy in an age of surveillance
The chasm between technology and the law continues to widen. On one side are massive stores of personal data maintained by the Internet services we use and the sophisticated analysis tools the companies apply to monetize that data. On the other are privacy advocates groping for legal protections against misuse of that private data -- by government agencies and businesses alike.
<http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57596008-285/internet-privacy-in-an-age-of-surveillance/>

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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EU regulator intensifies scrutiny of Google search results
EU antitrust regulators sharpened their scrutiny of how Google ranks its web search results, asking rivals whether their lower rankings affected the number of visitors to their sites, a European Commission questionnaire showed.
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/07/30/uk-eu-google-idUKBRE96T13C20130730>
<http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/07/30/eu-google-idINDEE96T0GI20130730>

Why NSA Surveillance Will Be More Damaging Than You Think
The real threat from terrorism is not the harm it inflicts directly but the over-reaction it provokes. We saw that with the invasion of Iraq. We're seeing it with security-state overreach.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/07/why-nsa-surveillance-will-be-more-damaging-than-you-think/278181/>

Surveillance, Legal Access Could Weaken Internet Infrastructure
The pervasive bulk surveillance performed by the NSA and other government agencies that?s been revealed in recent weeks relies on court orders, as do other kinds of legal access operations, such as wiretapping or lawful intercepts. Those orders are shrouded in secrecy and the organizations that receive them often comply immediately without asking any questions, a response that can sometimes be a mistake.
<http://threatpost.com/surveillance-legal-access-could-weaken-internet-infrastructure/101549>

us: Senators strongly criticise intelligence chiefs over NSA data collection
On the eve of a major US Senate hearing on the National Security Agency's bulk surveillance, two senators called for major reforms of the NSA's collection of phone records and accused US intelligence leaders of misleading the public about its impact on privacy.
<http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/31/us-senate-wyden-udall-nsa>

us: Senate Panel Presses N.S.A. on Phone Logs
Senators of both parties on Wednesday sharply challenged the National Security Agency?s collection of records of all domestic phone calls, even as the latest leaked N.S.A. document provided new details on the way the agency monitors Web browsing around the world.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/01/us/nsa-surveillance.html>

us: Senators Push to Curb NSA's FISA Authorities
Amid growing concerns about loose oversight and insufficient transparency associated with the government's electronic surveillance operations, lawmakers on Thursday plan to introduce legislation that would rein in the authorities of the secret court operating under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
<http://www.cio.com/article/737366/Senators_Push_to_Curb_NSA_s_FISA_Authorities>

us: Administration to reveal order on Americans? phone records
The Obama administration has declassified a secret order directing Verizon Communications to turn over a vast number of Americans? phone records, and it plans to disclose the document Wednesday morning in time for a Senate hearing, according to senior U.S. officials.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/administration-to-reveal-order-on-phone-records/2013/07/30/88c62600-f97f-11e2-afc1-c850c6ee5af8_story.html>

Momentum Builds Against N.S.A. Surveillance
The movement to crack down on government surveillance started with an odd couple from Michigan, Representatives Justin Amash, a young libertarian Republican known even to his friends as ?chief wing nut,? and John Conyers Jr., an elder of the liberal left in his 25th House term.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/29/us/politics/momentum-builds-against-nsa-surveillance.html>

Now That It?s in the Broadband Game, Google Flip-Flops on Network Neutrality
In a dramatic about-face on a key internet issue yesterday, Google told the FCC that the network neutrality rules Google once championed don?t give citizens the right to run servers on their home broadband connections, and that the Google Fiber network is perfectly within its rights to prohibit customers from attaching the legal devices of their choice to its network.
<http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/07/google-neutrality/>

nz: Spy-bill a threat to industry, says Microsoft
New Zealand's IT industry could fall behind like the British car industry did last century if the Government presses ahead with proposed new surveillance laws, Microsoft has warned.
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/8986501/Spy-bill-a-threat-to-industry-says-Microsoft>
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/technology/8986501/Spy-bill-a-threat-to-industry-says-Microsoft>

nz: GCSB Bill voices heard
Thousands of protesters took to the streets nationwide to oppose the controversial GCSB Bill on Saturday.
<http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/western-leader/8979990/GCSB-Bill-voices-heard>

au: Commonwealth Ombudsman warns metadata warrants will strain resources
The Australian Commonwealth Ombudsman has said that requiring warrants for every access of telecommunications metadata will result in its office needing a boost in resources for overseeing the issuing of the warrants.
<http://www.zdnet.com/au/commonwealth-ombudsman-warns-metadata-warrants-will-strain-resources-7000018836/>

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MISCELLANEOUS
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Apple accused of further labour violations: new suppliers 'even worse' than Foxconn
Apple is again being accused of contracting work to overseas suppliers guilty of exploitative labour practices. A new report from US non-profit China Labour Watch (CLW) has detailed ?at least? 86 labour right violations in three factories operated by the Pegatron Group, a major supplier to Apple.
<http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/apple-accused-of-further-labour-violations-new-suppliers-even-worse-than-foxconn-8736504.html>

Apple supplier accused of labour violations
A China labour watchdog has accused Pegatron, a big supplier to Apple, of employing underage workers and pressuring employees to work illegal overtime in its factories.
<http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/ddc0ea56-f820-11e2-b4c4-00144feabdc0.html>

Apple investigates new claims of China factory staff mistreatment
Apple has been accused of benefiting from the exploitation of more than 70,000 Chinese factory workers in conditions described as even worse than those at Foxconn, the supplier hit by employee suicides and accusations of excessive working hours.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/29/apple-investugates-claims-china-factory>

Worker Group Alleges Abuses at Apple Supplier in China - China Labor Watch Alleges Safety and Pay Issues at Pegatron Plants
A new report from a Chinese workers-rights group alleges labor abuses at a major Apple Inc. contractor the company has been using more as it shifts some work from longtime supplier Foxconn.
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324170004578633951552047928.html>

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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Southern Cross Cable Network rolls out 100G expansion
Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN) has implemented Ciena?s 100G transmission equipment across its submarine network to meet demands for data networking services.
<http://www.computerworld.co.nz/article/522426/southern_cross_cable_network_rolls_100g_expansion/>
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/522426/southern_cross_cable_network_rolls_100g_expansion/>

------
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