[DNS] domain name news - 31 May

[DNS] domain name news - 31 May

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au>
Date: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 21:26:40 -0700 (PDT)
Check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the most recent edition
of the domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! Headlines from the most recent news include:



ICANN wants your comments on the Registry Failure Report | Building
Towards a Comprehensive Registry Failover Plan | ICANN Moves Forward
Towards Introduction Of Internationalized Top Level Labels in the DNS |
Security Through Obscurity as an Institution by Kurtis Lindqvist (on
.bank proposal) | ENUM service launches in Ireland



The domain name news is supported by auDA.

Don't forget to check out my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for regular updates in between postings.




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Cameroon strikes it rich on the internet with .cm TLD - an unexpected source of revenue
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1855377.ece

GoDaddy picks up domains of struggling competitor (IDG)
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/29/GoDaddy-picks-up-domains-of-struggling-competitor_1.html

RegisterFly held in contempt of court as injunction is made permanent
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/28/registerfly_icann_injunction_contempt/

VeriSign replaces CEO Sclavos (IDG)
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/29/VeriSign-replaces-CEO-Sclavos_1.html

Legal Issues About Trademarks And Domain Names
http://www.upublish.info/Article/Legal-issues-about-Trademarks-and-Domain-Names/17240

Cyberattack in Estonia--what it really means
http://news.com.com/2008-7349_3-6186751.html

Phishing URLs skyrocket: Cybercrooks try to overwhelm browser blacklists by multiplying malicious addresses
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9021641

Book Reviews: Sex.com
http://techworld.com/applications/features/index.cfm?featureid=3416
http://www.newswireless.net/index.cfm/article/3402


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RESEARCH PAPERS
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Development of a Self Enforceable Online Arbitration System Is the Key To Effective Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) by Jaynefrances Nabawanuka (University of Cape Town Lawspace)
This research dissertation looks at online dispute resolution. In part it looks at ICANN?s UDRP programme and notes it "has been successful because of ICANN?s advantage of being able to enforce the arbitral award by canceling or transferring domain name registrations. Although the UDRP does not produce decisions that are binding and enforceable by operation of law, it produces decisions that are binding and enforceable through technology- the decision is enforceable by the registrar, who is contractually bound to do so under the ICANN rules." The paper also looks at obstacles: "first the agreement to arbitrate, second the arbitration procedure, and finally the recognition and enforcement of the arbitral award. The process also faces obstacles that are outside the process like: the lack of consumer confidence in the process and consumer protection laws, lack of an ODR culture and limited connectivity."
http://lawspace.law.uct.ac.za:8080/dspace/handle/2165/295

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GOVERNANCE
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Informal consultation between ITU and civil society on the participation of all relevant stakeholders
An informal consultation between ITU and civil society on the participation of all relevant stakeholders, took place at ITU Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday May 18 2007. The meeting was opened by Dr Hamadoun TOURE, Secretary-General of ITU and Ms. Renate BLOEM, CONGO President, and it was chaired by Mr Thomas Schneider, BAKOM, Switzerland. This meeting was undertaken as part of the cluster of WSIS-related meetings in Geneva from 14-25 May 2007. Background documents, official contributions and meeting documents are all available.
http://www.itu.int/wsis/implementation/2007/civilsocietyconsultation/index.html

Kontrolle des Internet bleibt weiter ungekl?rt by Wolfgang Kleinw?chter
Wie die Konferenzen zur Informationsgesellschaft in Genf im Rahmen der WSIS-Agenda zeigten, bilden sich neue Koalitionen aus Regierungen, Zivilgesellschaft und Privatwirtschaft, aber nicht wenige Regierungen lauern darauf, Rechtfertigungen f?r eine st?rkere nationale Kontrolle des Internet zu bekommen
http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/25/25398/1.html

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DOMAIN NAMES
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Cameroon strikes it rich on the internet with .cm TLD - an unexpected source of revenue
The Republic of Cameroon is blessed with many natural riches ? among them copious quantities of coffee, cocoa and crude oil. To these more traditional sources of wealth the West African country has recently added a new income stream: the royalties from one of the most lucrative internet country codes in the world. Cameroon?s .cm suffix is a common mistyping of the most popular top level domain, .com, meaning that each day thousands of internet users searching for .com sites are directed Cameroonian web addresses which do not exist.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1855377.ece

GoDaddy picks up domains of struggling competitor (IDG)
GoDaddy.com will take over more than 850,000 domain names from RegisterFly, a company involved in a dispute regarding its rights to register names. GoDaddy.com will notify RegisterFly customers of the move and automatically switch their domains. RegisterFly customers that don't hear from GoDaddy.com can contact GoDaddy.com for support. 
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/29/GoDaddy-picks-up-domains-of-struggling-competitor_1.html
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/052907-godaddy-picks-up-domains-of.html
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;946408338;fp;2;fpid;1

GoDaddy now RegisterFly's daddy, says ICANN
The RegisterFly clusterf**ck took a major step towards resolution today with the official announcement by ICANN that GoDaddy will take control of the approximately 850,000 domain names still in the clutches of RegisterFly CEO Kevin Medina. The internet rumors of a GoDaddy takeover turned out to be true, and Medina now can devote himself completely to fending off the angry public with whatever resources he has left.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/29/icann_registerfly_godaddy/

Go Daddy Assumes 850,000 RegisterFly Domains
Embattled registrar RegisterFly will transfer 850,000 domain names to GoDaddy.com, the world's largest domain registrar under an agreement brokered by ICANN, the parties announced today. The move will be welcome news to domain owners who have been unable to manage their names since RegisterFly collapsed into financial and management turmoil in February.
http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2007/05/29/go_daddy_assumes_850000_registerfly_domains.html
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/0529sr-godaddy0530-ON.html
http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=24725

GoDaddy Agrees to Run Domains in Limbo (AP)
GoDaddy.com has agreed to take over and manage more than 850,000 domain names belonging to customers of a troubled rival, officials announced
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/05/30/1180205262395.html
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_6012574
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_NAMES

GoDaddy to Adopt 850K Orphaned Domains
ICANN has agreed to transfer about 850,000 domain names to GoDaddy from RegisterFly, a struggling rival. Several weeks ago, a Federal judge granted ICANN the right to eliminate RegisterFly's accreditation and to transfer domains away from the company.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/business/57591.html

ICANN Welcomes GoDaddy.com Takeover of RegisterFly Data
ICANN has welcomed today's GoDaddy.com announcement that it will take over the entire portfolio of more than 850,000 gTLD names held by RegisterFly. "The RegisterFly situation has been extremely difficult -- first and foremost for registrants, as well as for the entire registry and registrar community," said Dr Paul Twomey, ICANN's President and CEO.
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-29may07.htm
http://blog.icann.org/?p=132

GoDaddy.com reaches agreement to help RegisterFly customers (news release)
GoDaddy.com reached an agreement with RegisterFly and ICANN to transfer over RegisterFly?s portfolio of Web site names to GoDaddy.com. The move will help resolve problems involving hundreds of thousands of domain names around the world.
https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/news/release_view.asp?news%5Fitem%5Fid=94&app%5Fhdr=

RegisterFly held in contempt of court as injunction is made permanent
Could the RegisterFly mess be wrapping up at last? That appears to be the case, according to ICANN's blog. ICANN announced Friday that RegisterFly and CEO Kevin Medina have been held in contempt of court, and that the preliminary injunction issued by United States District Court Judge Manuel L. Real issued on April 26 had been made permanent. RegisterFly and Mr. Medina now have until June 1 to hand over all registrant data to ICANN for transfer to a new registrar, which is rumored to be GoDaddy.com.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/28/registerfly_icann_injunction_contempt/

VeriSign replaces CEO Sclavos (IDG)
VeriSign has replaced CEO Stratton Sclavos with a member of its board of directors. William Roper Jr., a former executive vice president and chief financial officer at Science Applications International, will take over as VeriSign's president and CEO, the company said in a press release. Roper has served on the company's board of directors since November 2003. 
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/29/VeriSign-replaces-CEO-Sclavos_1.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132341-pg,1/article.html

VeriSign CEO suddenly resigns, stumping analysts (AP)
VeriSign said Tuesday that Chief Executive Stratton Sclavos has resigned for undisclosed reasons. Analysts were startled by the abrupt departure. The company gave little information about the reason for Sclavos departure after 12 years as CEO.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/05/30/1180205290918.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18923563/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/29/AR2007052901575.html

VeriSign's CEO Sclavos resigns
Stratton D. Sclavos, CEO and board member of digital infrastructure vendor VeriSign Inc., resigned from the company today. No reason was given for the resignation.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9021678
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/30/verisign_sclavos_quits/
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/05/29/verisigns-ceo-steps-down
http://news.com.com/2110-7350_3-6187078.html
http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/05/verisign_ceo_ab.html
http://www.domaineditorial.com/archives/2007/05/30/stratton-sclavos-ceo-of-verisign-resigns/
http://techconfidential.thedealblogs.com/2007/05/verisign_on_the_block.php

VeriSign Board of Directors Elects William A. Roper, Jr. as Chief Executive Officer and Edward A. Mueller as Chairman (news release)
VeriSign announced that its Board of Directors has elected William A. Roper, Jr. as President and Chief Executive Officer. He has served as the Board?s lead independent Director and replaces Stratton D. Sclavos, who resigned from the company. The Board also elected Edward A. Mueller as Chairman of the Board.
http://www.verisign.com/press_releases/pr/page_042136.html

Legal Issues About Trademarks And Domain Names
Trade marks are a name or symbol that are used to distinguish the goods of services of a particular company from others. Similar to copyrights and other signs of intellectual property, the effects of the trademark system is territorial. This means, that each country has its own trademark system. A brand name like Machine Head may be owned by one person in the United Kingdom and by another, totally unrelated, person in the United States. ... The One In A Million company?s basis of argument was that domain name registrations were first come, first served?, thus, the trademark owners do not have any rights to the domain names. Based on the two actual court cases we can build up a clear picture about the interrelation of trademarks and domain names. In general, domains that have no trademark significance can be acquired by the entity who registered them first. Continuous use of this non-trademarked name will allow the holder to build a reputation on the name. When the situation
 is between to legitimate companies who have a right to the name then, as with the stipulation of most laws in most countries, the first person who registers will get the domain. However, a registrant to a domain that is also a subject of a trademark and who does not have any entitlements is going to be forbidden based on the laws of most countries.
http://www.upublish.info/Article/Legal-issues-about-Trademarks-and-Domain-Names/17240

Cyberattack in Estonia--what it really means
When it comes to denial-of-service attacks, Jose Nazario has seen just about everything. As senior security researcher at Arbor Networks, Nazario closely monitors network attacks. A denial-of-service, or DoS, attack occurs when someone directs a large number of requests to a target URL so quickly that the Web server can't respond, and the site becomes inaccessible.
http://news.com.com/2008-7349_3-6186751.html
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6187133.html

Phishing URLs skyrocket: Cybercrooks try to overwhelm browser blacklists by multiplying malicious addresses
The number of phishing Web URLs nearly tripled from March to April, a security group said, as cybercriminals returned to a late-2006 tactic designed to do an end run around browser-based antiphishing filters. In one month, the number of unique sites soared 166%, from 20,871 in March to 55,643 in April, said the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), an association of more than 1,600 companies and government agencies.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9021641
http://www.circleid.com/posts/phishing_urls_browser_blacklists/

au: Jobs.com.au - something is on the nose
Something stinks over at auDA with the recent purchase and transfer of the Jobs.com.au domain name. A whois on the domain shows it has been transferred to ?Internet Marketing Australia?.  Some digging around showed this company is linked to (no doubt part of) the Boomerang.com.au ?domain name monetisation? business.  i.e. those sites you go to in good faith and find google adwords or affiliate programs all over them.  Those bottom dwelling time wasting polluters of the internet.
http://blog.nowhiring.com.au/index.php/2007/05/26/jobscomau-something-is-on-the-nose/

IE Domain Registry Limited (IEDR) 2006 Financial Results
The IE Domain Registry (IEDR) reports that 2006 was a year of significant success delivering continued growth in customer numbers, reduced prices and an improved, faster service with further consolidation of financial performance. ... Strong new registration volume growth of 41%, net 30%, offset the impact of the price reduction, resulting in registration income only decreasing by 2%. ... Volume registration in early 2007 continues to grow strongly and is 27% ahead of the same period last year. In March 2007, registrations exceeded 2,700 in a month.
http://www.iedr.ie/NEWS/News-30May07.php

Update on the 2007 ICANN Nominating Committee
This is an update on the 2007 ICANN Nominating Committee (Nom Com). The Nom Com received 93 Statements of Interest from candidates worldwide during an open nomination period that ran from 1 February 2007 to 18 May 2007. 12 candidates are female, 81 are male.
http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-30may07.htm

SEX.COM - a story of an Internet villain. But is the villain Stephen Cohen? (book review)
OK, I'm going to let you in on some of the secrets of how the Internet was built. No? OK. So, let's see: It's about the American legal system and how it can crush innocent.... still not interested? How about the growth, and theft, of the pioneering porn site, SEX.COM ? Yes, web porn, the inside dope! - Ah, thought that might get your attention! OK, that's what Kieren McCarthy's book is about.
http://www.newswireless.net/index.cfm/article/3402

Book Review: Sex.com
There are two types of computer books: there are the instructional ones, and then there are the ones that are of such general interest that even non-techies will buy them. This is definitely the latter, but that's not to say that there's nothing of interest to techies. It might not give programming hacks or give detailed information as to how to set up security, but that doesn't render this valueless.
http://techworld.com/applications/features/index.cfm?featureid=3416

TRA to host APTLD meeting in Dubai
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) is hosting and organising the Asia Pacific Top Level Domain Association (APTLD) Meeting', at Grand Hayatt Dubai, on June 3- 6, 2007.
http://khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2007/May/business_May960.xml&section=business&col=

Defendant iREIT?s Answer in the Verizon Case by George Kirikos
Defendant iREIT filed its answer on May 25, 2007, to the recent complaint by Verizon alleging cybersquatting. As in the prior article, these are the public court documents and nothing has been proven by either side in a court of law. Hopefully the ICANN community can learn from these kinds of cases, as UDRP reform is discussed within the GNSO and at the Board level.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/ireit_answer_verizon_case/

3-Letter .Com Domain Draws $100,000 at Sedo in This Week's Top Sale 
Sedo.com sailed to the top of this week's Top 20 domain sales chart by handling a $100,000 deal for AMT.com.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2007/domainsales05-29-07.htm

Tire giant's trademark suit vs. Chelmsford man adds up to zero
Italian tire giant Pirelli & C. SpA was unsuccessful in its bid to take the domain name zero.us from Chelmsford domain name speculator Christian Zouzas.
http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2007/05/28/story15.html

This ain't no cheap porn
Company pays $11.4 million for the domain name www.porn.com (Our reporters read the articles thoroughly to bring you this story.) They say that sex sells, and it would seem the dotcom industry wholeheartedly agrees with this sentiment. In a recent sale, the Web domain www.porn.com was bought in cash for a cool $US9.5 million (AUS$11.4 million). Or to put it another way, over 100,000 Playboy magazines.
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1460784407;fp;2;fpid;2

Disputed Sunrise .INFO names to be released by the registry
Today is going to be a big day for all .info lovers. The drop includes names such as bank.info. If you remember back the .INFO sunrise period where trademark owners were allowed to process early domain registrations related to trademarks they own, you might remember the disaster it turned out to be.
http://www.domaineditorial.com/archives/2007/05/30/disputed-sunrise-info-names-to-be-released-by-the-registry/

.info premium drops not happening
It seems that the registry realized that they would lose out on a lot of money if they were to let today?s .info drop happen normally. Hence they decided to hold the drop. Now we just need to wait for the registry announcement about the premium .info auctions, .mobi style.
http://www.domaineditorial.com/archives/2007/05/30/info-premium-drops-not-happening/

Registration Opens for 2007 Domain Roundtable
Registration for Name Intelligence?s 2007 Domain Roundtable is now open. This year?s conference will again take place in Seattle but this year will be in Summer (August 13-15).
http://domainnamewire.com/2007/05/30/registration-opens-for-2007-domain-roundtable/

Single registry for .za domain names welcomed (sub req'd)
The .za Domain Name Authority (.zaDNA) and the Internet Society of SA (ISOC-ZA) have welcomed Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri's directive that SA should have a single registry model for .za domain names.
http://www.legalbrief.co.za/article.php?story=20070530075634974

Every good domain is taken. Here?s why.
Kevin Ham built a $300 million web company in Vancouver you?ve probably never heard of. You are likely familiar with his work as you drop vowels from the domain names of your favorite web startups such as Flickr or Tumblr, or try selecting a name for your new company or product.
http://agoravox.com/article.php3?id_article=6119

uk: Newsquest wins right to Banbury Cake web name
A company which registered a website named after the Banbury Cake has been ordered to transfer the domain name to the newspaper's owner, Newsquest.
http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/news/2007/online/070529ban.shtml

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OTHER RESEARCH PAPERS
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eMusic ? Legal issues concerning downloading music over the Internet by Thomas Bechle (University of Cape Town Lawspace)
Sharing music with friends and family has always been a popular activity. Under most copyright laws, sharing physical media with friends and family has always been seen as a ?fair use? ? a set of usage patterns that have been traditionally considered to be exceptions to copyright law. With the advent of digital music in the early 1990?s sharing of music became redefined. Whereas sharing of physical media meant that only one person could use the media at the same time, sharing digital music involved permanent reproduction of the music files. Thus, sharing digital music equated to reproduction and distribution of music. With the invention of the mp3 standard, the size of digital music files became much smaller without a noticeable compromise of quality. Thus reproduction and distribution of digital music became faster and even easier.
http://lawspace.law.uct.ac.za:8080/dspace/handle/2165/276

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OTHER INTERNET NEWS
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China cracks down on college campus porn sites (Reuters)
A Chinese campaign to clean up online pornography has reached college campuses with the Education Ministry lashing out at some school Web sites for making money from porn.
http://australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,21812577-16123,00.html

YouTube site 'blocked' in Morocco
Internet users in Morocco who have been unable to access YouTube have voiced concern that it is being deliberately blocked by the authorities.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6702973.stm

Moroccans able to access YouTube again (AP)
Moroccans were able to access the video-sharing site YouTube on Wednesday for the first time since access was blocked last week.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-05-30-morocco-youtube_N.htm

Buddha G-strings taken off site after Thai fury (Reuters)
An American Web site offering G-string underwear and T-shirts for dogs emblazoned with picture of Buddha dropped them from its sales list on Wednesday after protests by predominantly Buddhist Thailand.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKBKK22267620070530

th: Government blocks two pro-Thaksin websites
Two popular websites supporting ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, www.hi-thaksin.net and www.saturdayvoice.com, have been blocked. The Council for National Security (CNS) has authorised the Information and Communications Technology Ministry to ban political websites found to contain provocative messages.
http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-southeastasia.asp?parentid=70818

uk: Bullies stalking the world of cyberspace
People who are bullied at work or school may not be able to escape their tormentors in the virtual world, researchers said yesterday. Millions of people have logged on to Second Life, an internet craze that allows a user to create an online alter ego. But researchers from the University of Nottingham claim that bullying, known in cyberspace as griefing, is as big a problem in the virtual world as is in the real world.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/31/nbully31.xml
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/science_technology/cyberbullying+on+the+increase/538057

uk: Antisocial behaviour the biggest talking point on mobiles
People in Britain are less anxious about the potential health risks of mobile phones than they are about ?social? issues such as using them while driving, research shows. ... The research, the latest in a series of Concerned Consumers surveys for The Times, will put pressure on mobile groups to do more to appease fears about ?social? issues. So far the major operators have largely steered clear of problems such as cyber-bullying, claiming that it is not their responsibility. However, separate research has shown that intimidation or bullying by children is on the increase. A recent study by York St John University found that one fifth of girls had been sent nasty messages last year by either text or e-mail.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/money/consumer_affairs/article1857144.ece

uk: Children 'meet net friends often'
Many children are meeting up with people they first encountered on the internet - and their parents know nothing about it, a study claims. Web security firm Garlik surveyed hundreds of eight to 15-year-olds and found 20% have met an online friend in person - and one-in-20 do so regularly. Just 7% of parents were aware of their child's behaviour, the study suggested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6706565.stm

au: Cyber bullying on the increase
Police have revealed they receive complaints about cyber bullying almost every day as the State Government yesterday admitted the problem was increasing.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21803244-910,00.html

nz: Schools ban bebo site
More than 2000 schools across the country have taken steps to limit student access to the web as concern grows over social networking sites like bebo.com.
http://stuff.co.nz/4074708a11.html
http://redorbit.com/news/technology/948455/schools_ban_bebo_site/

In Estonia, what may be the first war in cyberspace
A three-week battle forced the Estonian authorities to defend their small country from a data flood they say was set off by orders from Russia or ethnic Russian sources in retaliation for the removal of a statue.
http://iht.com/articles/2007/05/28/business/cyberwar.php

An Explosion in Cyber crime Sets off Alarms in Europe
A video circulates on the Internet linking several individuals accused of the largest terrorist attack in Europe, the 2004 Madrid train bombings, to the incident. It is attributed to Iraqi-based, terrorist organization Ansar el Islam. The video shows pictures of an alleged planner and several of the suspected executers of the attack. It also shows graphic images of the attack and its aftermath as well as maps of the Madrid train system and of Al-Andalus, the area of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims centuries ago. This video and similar websites are said to be used by terrorists to recruit supporters for their cause. The European Union wants Member States, third countries and the private sector to join forces to put an end to the use of cyberspace for criminal purposes, including the incitement to terrorism.
http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=1768

Legal wrangles over porn billing software
MBS's popups seeking payment for access to websites have caused concern, but it could be you breaking the law, not them
When Liz Humby allowed her two sons, aged seven and nine, to use her new laptop, they did more than she bargained for. Although she thought them well-briefed about safe surfing, her eldest accidentally installed the program developed by Micro Bill Systems (MBS) of Leeds which provides a subscription to sexxxpassport, a pornography site. Within days, that was generating popups which stalled the machine for longer and longer, and demanding payment of ?19.99.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2091354,00.html

uk: When it comes to swaying a jury, remember the Google factor
Most trials take place many months after the offending publications, the argument goes, and jurors don't remember what they've read a long time ago when faced with real witnesses giving live evidence. But does the fade factor really work that way? Studies in other countries have suggested that juries aren't much affected by pre-trial publicity about an accused, but many psychologists and lawyers disagree. What has been strangely absent from the argument is the effect of the internet. A juror can Google the accused's name and read all the prejudicial publicity accompanying his arrest. Any research on the fade factor which doesn't take this into account is likely to prove useless.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2089417,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/story/0,,2089415,00.html

uk: Bloggers risk the sack, says survey
More than a third of employees who keep personal blogs are posting information about their employer, workplace or colleagues and risk dismissal, according to new research.
http://out-law.com/page-8097

uk: New law to kill off scams
A blitz on scams, rogue traders and aggressive sales methods was announced today. A new law will protect consumers against a host of deceptive and intimidating sales practices that are unfair but not currently illegal.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/consumer/article.html?in_article_id=420796

China Crafts Cyberweapons
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) continues to build cyberwarfare units and develop viruses to attack enemy computer systems as part of its information-warfare strategy, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) warned in a report released on Friday.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132284-c,onlinesafety/article.html

us: Teen Finds Internet Privacy Impossible
College pole vaulter Allison Stokke, whose picture is on thousands of Web sites, finds it difficult to control the content and context of her own online representation. "I just want to find some way to get this all under control," Stokke told her coach.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/28/AR2007052801370.html

Is desktop security broken beyond repair?
At the AusCERT 2007 conference in Queensland last week, keynote speaker Ivan Krstic, who is the director of security architecture for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, told attendees that desktop security was fundamentally broken. We asked several security experts who attended the conference if they agreed and how the problem could be fixed.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Is-desktop-security-broken-beyond-repair-/0,130061733,339277930,00.htm

Google Chairman Dismisses Privacy Issue (AP)
Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said Wednesday that U.S. regulatory approval of his company's proposed acquisition of DoubleClick will not be hindered by concerns over privacy. Analysts tend to agree.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/30/AR2007053000340.html
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-05-30-google-doubleclick-privacy_N.htm
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_6021134

Data protection watchdogs? letter to Google goes public
A letter from an influential group of privacy experts in Europe saying that Google?s new privacy policies appear to breach the requirements of the EU?s data protection regime was published
http://out-law.com/page-8099

Researcher: Don't trust toolbars for Firefox
Makers of some of the most popular extension software used by the Firefox browser are not doing enough to secure their software, a security researcher said
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/30/Researcher-do-not-trust-Firefox-Toolbars_1.html
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9022058

au: Pollies chase the youth vote on MySpace
MySpace Australia has confirmed it has enlisted various Federal Government ministers and shadow ministers to create MySpace profiles before the election.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/05/29/1180205227617.html

EU states share monitoring of militant Web sites (Reuters)
European Union states have started sharing monitoring of militant Web sites, including sites linked to al-Qaeda, a draft statement agreed by the bloc's ambassadors on Wednesday shows.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL3050468120070530
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132406-pg,1/article.html

us: FTC investigating Google-DoubleClick deal
The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating Google's proposed US$3.1 billion purchase of DoubleClick
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/12F3A718E102F7AACC2572EA007136F2
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9021664
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/5cb21102-0dc0-11dc-8219-000b5df10621.html

us: House Bill: Spyware Solution or Limp Legislation?
Antispyware legislation awaiting Senate action offers little promise of meaningful prosecution against violators, said Ron O'Brien, a senior security analyst with antispyware firm Sophos. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed an antispyware bill that would impose specific penalties for scammers accessing computers without authorization while attempting to commit other federal crimes. The bill, sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans, would make the fraudulent use of spyware a crime punishable by to up to five years in prison.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/57609.html

The internet will revolutionise the very meaning of politics by Jonathan Freedland
The web could yet bypass government and existing political communities, and either expand democracy in the process - or stifle it
So the Washington journalist who warned me 10 years ago that the internet was doomed, that it would collapse under the weight of all those pages, was wrong. The internet is here and changing everything, the way we work, shop, communicate, even fall in love. But what of society itself? The industrial revolution changed politics completely, leading to universal suffrage, as well as modern socialism, communism and fascism. What will the internet revolution do for the politics of our own age?
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/columnist/story/0,,2091023,00.html

uk: Tiscali e-mail 'hit' by spammers
Spammers have knocked out the e-mail service for many of Tiscali's customers, the net service provider says.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6704003.stm
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39287286,00.htm

us: Internet 'Spam King' arrested
US prosecutors said they captured on Wednesday a nefarious Internet marketer responsible so much junk email they called him "Spam King".
http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2883&iArticleId=5016764

Stark disparity in firms' tracking of website visits
In the chaotic world of modern marketing, the Internet is touted as the best medium for determining the effectiveness of ads. So why is there so much controversy over a measurement as simple as how many people visit a website? The independent firms that measure online traffic have been accused of undercounting minority Web surfers, overestimating visitors by more than double and ignoring Web users at work.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-webads29may29,1,128746.story

au: Support program reaches anxious teens via Internet
University of Queensland researchers in Brisbane are using the Internet to help teenage anxiety suffers in country Australia.
http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1938446.htm

Google takes big step to make Web work offline (Reuters)
Google Inc. said on Wednesday it had created Web software that runs both online, and offline, marking a sea change for the Internet industry by letting users work on planes, trains, spotty connections and even in the most remote locations.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN3046226320070531
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/30/Googlegears_1.html
http://news.com.com/2100-7345_3-6187596.html

Palm unveils compact portable computer
Palm introduced a compact portable computer to accompany its Treo smartphone, seeking to regain its competitive edge in the crowded high-end handheld device market.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN3048270120070530
http://blogs.pcworld.com/techlog/archives/004514.html

Microsoft unveils table computer
Microsoft has unveiled a new touch-sensitive coffee table-shaped computer called "Surface".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6703249.stm
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN2819912120070530
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/05/30/1180205323100.html

Micosoft thinks big in next generation PCs
Eschewing trend for smaller, more personal and portable PCs, Microsoft unveils coffee-table-sized machine
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article1859294.ece

How the 'Milan' table PC was born
The notion of a table-like computer had garnered interest within Microsoft since at least 2001, but it wasn't until industrial designer Allan Han went to Ikea in January 2003 that the effort really kicked into high gear.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6186928.html

Reducing the Global Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa
Diego Rumiany of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs discusses possible policy actions to bridge the Global Digital Divide: The purpose of this article is to show that this reasoning is not necessarily true in Sub-Saharan Africa, where other political and economic factors need to be taken into consideration, and where empirical evidence shows that more elementary needs must be addressed first in order to increase the success rate of GDD national policies. In the first section, I define both GDD and the common benefits and obstacles argued by existing literature. In the second section, I describe some structural elements of Sub-Saharan Africa and suggest why the current "Bridge Logic" needs to be replaced. Finally, I conclude and suggest some policy implications.
http://globalenvision.org/library/7/1406/1/

Viacom v. YouTube: the Future of Online Video Sharing and Copyrights
Viacom's $1 billion lawsuit against YouTube is still pending before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. On March 13th this year, Viacom, a global entertainment content company, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against YouTube and Google. Viacom alleges that "YouTube appropriates the value of creative content on a massive scale for YouTube's benefit without payment or license." This case, if not settlement agreement is reached, would constitute a landmarking decision on copyrights v. online video sharing practices.
http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=1770

Where?s the Other Half of Your Music File?
As storage gets cheaper and download speeds faster, digital music files are moving closer to CD quality.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/31/technology/31basics.html

Home pages, such a quaint old-fashioned notion ...
"Most news sites put far too much effort into the home page - as few as 20% of daily visitors see it, because they arrive, instead, via search or links"
The Guardian's website has a new home page and I am among those who like it. But I also think it looks of a piece with other newspaper.com redesigns of late, with a balance of white space and blue type and clean organisation similar to what you see at the Times, the Telegraph, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and News.com.au. Perhaps that means - as with newspaper front pages in black and white about 60 years ago, and in colour about 25 years ago - that we have arrived at a common visual grammar for news home pages.
http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,2089337,00.html

Cisco wants to be a household name among consumers
Long known inside technology circles for the hardware that connects computers to one another on the Internet, Cisco wants to link consumer digital devices like television set-top boxes, printers, phones, stereos and even refrigerators.
http://iht.com/articles/2007/05/30/business/ptend31.1-63688.php

au: G9 plan shows Labor broadband proposal a waste: Coonan
A private sector proposal to build a high-speed broadband network shows a Labor plan to spend public funds on building a network is unnecessary, according to federal Communications Minister Helen Coonan.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/G9-plan-shows-Labor-broadband-proposal-a-waste-Coonan/0,130061791,339278017,00.htm

Attackers get chatty on VoIP
The recent spate of malware attacks propagating throughout the user base of the Skype Internet calling system illustrates a broader trend toward cyber-criminals moving to take advantage of VoIP platforms as they become increasingly popular.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/30/Attackers-get-chatty-on-VoIP_1.html

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Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>.

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(c) David Goldstein 2007

 
--------- 
David Goldstein
 address: 4/3 Abbott Street
           COOGEE NSW 2034
           AUSTRALIA
 email: Goldstein_David &#167;yahoo.com.au
 phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (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





      
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Received on Mon Jun 04 2007 - 04:26:40 UTC

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