Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Bulgaria 'Battles' Brazil for Cyrillic BG Domain Name http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=111832 Two candidates for Bulgarian internationalised top domain level http://www.sofiaecho.com/2010/01/11/840532_two-candidates-for-bulgarian-internationalised-top-domain-level Baidu hacked by 'Iranian cyber army' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8453718.stm au: Bid to take risk out of pricing domain names [sub req'd] http://www.afr.com/p/business/technology/bid_to_take_risk_out_of_pricing_dwjnxjfeky5rRCSbbyL7tK ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Application Round Opens for Brussels Meeting Fellowships ICANN has launched the 10th round of Fellowship program applications for its 38th International Public Meeting to be held in Brussels, Belgium on 20-25 June 2010. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-11jan10-en.htm Trademark Group Hijacks New TLD Comments INTA asks members to submit comments in opposition to Expressions of Interest for new TLDs. Last month ICANN opened up a comment period on its Draft Expressions of Interest/Pre-Registrations Model (EOI), which I?ve written about before. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/01/12/trademark-group-hijacks-new-tld-comments/ Logs don't lie: Which tech execs have the White House's ear? Who has the ear of the White House when it comes to tech issues? Judging from the White House visitor logs, President Obama and his team have a soft spot for FCC Chair Julius Genachowski, who visited 48 times between June and September. Not that it was all business; Genachowski checked in to use the White House bowling alley and to attend a poetry reading. ... Many of the visitors were other government technology people, such as Casey Coleman (CIO of the General Services Administration) and Gopal Khanna (CIO for the state of Minnesota). Some were executives, like Rod Beckstrom, the head of ICANN. But more interesting were the lobbyists, think tankers, and public interest personalities who attended meetings with various technology policy staff members. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/01/logs-reveal-which-tech-execs-have-the-white-houses-ear.ars http://www.ethiopianreview.com/news/10988 [2010 trends] 10 global trends this year ... # Domainisation: If several key languages other than Roman alphabets are allowed, it will make the Internet really global. It will be a dynamic adjustment, colourful and yet at times extremely confusing, so what should brand name holders do? Scream foul in other languages; buy dictionaries, or simply go exploring on world trips? http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/423/43579.html ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Bulgaria 'Battles' Brazil for Cyrillic BG Domain Name The characters "bg" and "bgr" are the most popular for Bulgaria's national internet address in Cyrillic, according to the results of an online poll conducted by the Ministry of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications (MTITC) in December 2009. http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=111832 http://www.novinite.com/newsletter/print.php?id=111832 Two candidates for Bulgarian internationalised top domain level Bulgaria was likely to apply for two different internationalised top domain names, Deputy Transport Minister Parvan Rousinov said at a media conference, where he presented the outcome of an online poll, held on the Transport Ministry's website. http://www.sofiaecho.com/2010/01/11/840532_two-candidates-for-bulgarian-internationalised-top-domain-level CNNIC Closes Overseas Registration Of .CN Website Domain Names According to information from foreign domain name registration service providers, China Internet Network Information Center has required these providers to suspend new registrations for .CN website domain names. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2010/01/12/11369-cnnic-closes-overseas-registration-of-cn-website-domain-names nl: SIDN implements Whois changes from 12 January 2010 In line with our announcement of 28 November 2009, SIDN?s Whois service has been modified with effect from this morning. Less information is now available about each .nl registrant. The changes are designed to protect registrants? privacy, as requested by the local internet community during the 2008 Domain Name Debate. http://www.sidn.nl/ace.php/c,728,6253,,,,SIDN_implements_Whois_changes_from_12_January_2010.html ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Africa opts for slow DNSSEC adoption [IDG] Africa's Top Level Domain registries have opted for a slow adoption of Domain Name System Security Extensions, hoping to learn lessons from countries that pioneered the process. http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=1B06E42F-1A64-6A71-CE34573B1B83E59B http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/01/10/africa-opts-slow-dnssec-adoption http://www.infoworld.com/d/applications/africa-opts-slow-dnssec-adoption-177 Baidu hacked by 'Iranian cyber army' China's most popular search engine, Baidu, has been targeted by the same hackers that took Twitter offline in December, according to reports. A group claiming to be the Iranian Cyber Army redirected Baidu users to a site displaying a political message. The site was down for at least four hours on Tuesday, Chinese media said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8453718.stm Baidu Search Engine Unavailable; Hacking Suspected Baidu Inc., China's top search engine, was unavailable early Tuesday in China, and some Internet users reported seeing signs of an attack on the site by Iranian hackers. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126327083052325899.html Group behind Twitter hack takes down Baidu.com [IDG] The group that took down Twitter.com last month has apparently claimed another victim: China's largest search engine Baidu.com. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9143919/Group_behind_Twitter_hack_takes_down_Baidu.com http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/01/11/urnidgns852573C400693880002576A9000ED188.DTL Researcher: Baidu probably attacked from US domain registrar The attack that took China's biggest search site offline yesterday was most likely carried out by modifying Baidu's records at Register.com, the search engine's official domain registrar, a security researcher said today. http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/01/12/researcher-baidu-probably-attacked-us-domain-registrar ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Cybersquatters face fines in Utah A Utah State Senator?s proposed Act would allow trade mark owners to sue infringing registrants of domains and their affiliates http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2368688 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Date set for AusNOG-04 in Sydney ... The event follows the annual NZNOG conference, also sponsored by Vocus Communications, which will be held on January 27 to 29 and includes talks by ICANN DNS group director, Joe Abley, DrPeering.net founder, William B. Norton, and Cisco CTO consulting engineer, Philip Smith. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/332349/ http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=292A0F35-1A64-67EA-E45D5328F91C2644 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011310-date-set-for-ausnog-04-in.html http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/01/13/date-set-ausnog-04-sydney http://www.infoworld.com/d/networking/date-set-ausnog-04-in-sydney-744 ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** au: Bid to take risk out of pricing domain names [sub req'd] Entrepreneur Libby Harris is hoping to break records this month with the sale of a piece of online real estate she has held for more than five years.... http://www.afr.com/p/business/technology/bid_to_take_risk_out_of_pricing_dwjnxjfeky5rRCSbbyL7tK Auction Shows Top .Asia Domain Names Not Worth Much If you invested in English-language .asia domain names, you probably haven?t seen much of a return on your investment. Five .asia auctions that closed at Sedo today didn?t add up to much: http://domainnamewire.com/2010/01/12/auction-shows-top-asia-domain-names-not-worth-much/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** 'I See a Giant Monopoly Developing That's Reminiscent of Microsoft' German Justice Minister on Google Street View: "I have a hedge as a noise and visual barrier. If the images go beyond that, it will not be unproblematic from a legal standpoint.": In a SPIEGEL interview, German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger discusses her concerns about the threat of a global Google monopoly and the debate over the use of full-body scanners at airports following the recent terror attempt near Detroit. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,671426,00.html Australia goes wild for wireless internet Use of wireless broadband services mushroomed during the past year to reach more than two million subscribers, driven by the popularity of wireless modems and mobile devices such as the iPhone. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/nation-goes-wild-for-wireless/story-e6frg996-1225818578791 http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/australia-goes-wild-for-wireless-broadband-services/story-e6frg2rc-1225818726715 Broadband billions left hanging as wireless bites back Australians are flocking to 3G mobiles and wireless broadband devices, bringing into question some of the assumptions behind the Rudd Government's $43 billion national broadband network. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/broadband-billions-left-hanging-as-wireless-bites-back-20100112-m4u7.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/technology-news/broadband-billions-left-hanging-as-wireless-bites-back-20100112-m4u7.html http://sj.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/broadband-billions-left-hanging-as-wireless-bites-back/1723924.aspx http://nqr.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/broadband-billions-left-hanging-as-wireless-bites-back/1723924.aspx http://nqr.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/broadband-billions-left-hanging-as-wireless-bites-back/1723924.aspx http://theland.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/broadband-billions-left-hanging-as-wireless-bites-back/1723924.aspx http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/broadband-billions-left-hanging-as-wireless-bites-back/1723924.aspx http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/broadband-billions-left-hanging-as-wireless-bites-back-20100112-m4u7.html Mobile broadband and internet services take off [news release] During 2008-09 Australians continued to demonstrate their thirst for flexible communications. Take-up continued across a range of platforms and technologies, with the use of 3G mobile and wireless broadband services growing by 162 per cent. At the same time, general internet use continues to grow and diversify strongly, with Australians downloading ever-increasing amounts of data and more of us going online for business and personal transactions. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312017 ACMA Communications Report 2008?09 The ACMA Communications Report 2008?09 fulfils the ACMA's statutory reporting requirements under section 105 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 to report to to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy on matters relating to the performance of carriers and carriage service providers including consumer satisfaction, consumer benefits and quality of service. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311972 Europe's Internet kids like to keep it real - survey They've never known a world without the Internet, but they still prefer to meet their friends offline. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-45315520100111 http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE60A43N20100111 Downloading porn 'more acceptable' for Kiwis More Kiwis think it's acceptable to download porn than to illegally download copyrighted material, according to a survey. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3223330/ Porn 'more acceptable' than pirated videos: survey Three times as many New Zealanders think it is morally acceptable for a single person to view pornography on the internet than to download copyrighted video, according to a new poll. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10619736 au: Online travel business begins to take off The number of travellers in Australia using online services to book flights has soared in the past 12 months, but traditional face-to-face agencies are still bringing in big bucks. http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/online-travel-business-begins-to-take-off-20100112-m4u3.html Why playing in the virtual world has an awful lot to teach children A YouGov poll has suggested that computer games can damage children's ability to communicate, but Tom Chatfield argues that gaming imparts a range of new, vitally important skills http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/10/playing-in-the-virtual-world Microsoft IE's downfall 'far fetched,' says researcher Talk of Internet Explorer's demise is "far fetched," a researcher said Monday, citing data showing that more than 80% of enterprise PCs run Microsoft's browser during the workday. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9143918/Microsoft_IE_s_downfall_far_fetched_says_researcher http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/tech/F5827A7CD814D0DBCC2576A90067CDC8 http://www.pcworld.com/article/186712/.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Privacy no longer a social norm, says Facebook founder The rise of social networking online means that people no longer have an expectation of privacy, according to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/11/facebook-privacy ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Internet on TV is a highlight at Consumer Electronics Show The Consumer Electronics Show can look like a circus, a flea market or a fraternity rush, but it's best viewed as a venture-capital pitch. But instead of suit-clad investors, the audience is anybody who might throw down a credit card at an electronics store. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/08/AR2010010803775.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ 2009: ACMA web investigations peak In 2009 the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) took action over more offshore hosted websites than in any year prior, as well as referring over 900 cases to overseas law enforcement agencies. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/2009-ACMA-web-investigations-peak-/0,130061791,339300406,00.htm Artists are being used as scapegoats for the State Government's inability to stem the tide of child pornography, says a visual arts lobby group. http://www.smh.com.au/national/artists-a-soft-target-as-regulators-tighten-rules-on-child-porn-20100111-m2s5.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/artists-a-soft-target-as-regulators-tighten-rules-on-child-porn-20100111-m2s5.html Anti-Net filtering group aims to bring protestors closer together Giving Internet filtering protestors an avenue for collaboration and promoting education to end-users are top priorities for Electronics Frontiers Australia?s latest recruit. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/331811/ au: Girl fight videos posted on internet amid violence surge A MASSIVE spike in violent attacks by young Queensland girls has been blamed on internet "fight sites" where videos of the attacks are posted. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,26578386-3102,00.html http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26579015-911,00.html Web filters mean bad news for business Filtering at the Internet service provider (ISP) level will result in businesses experiencing speed reductions, higher access fees and the possibility of being unintentionally blocked, according to industry observers. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62060456,00.htm ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** InternetNZ continues to oppose disconnection penalty InternetNZ is continuing to oppose disconnection as a penalty for online copyright infringement and is arguing that any such penalty should be limited to a period of a week. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/A1F08CA1C39D1237CC2576A8006E6485 http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/feature/BE8BE36FD76F117DCC2576A9006FB031 http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/01/12/internetnz-continues-oppose-disconnection-penalty http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=239C36E0-1A64-6A71-CE9ABA7BA7A64815 http://www.infoworld.com/t/regulation/internetnz-continues-oppose-disconnection-penalty-466 au: AFACT v iiNet: Decision timing still uncertain The timing of the verdict in the much-publicised civil court case between the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) and ISP, iiNet, is still unclear some six weeks after closing arguments were given. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/332129/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011110-afact-v-iinet-decision-timing.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/186707/.html EU urged to crack down on internet piracy European trade unions and industry groups from TV, film and radio have joined Bono, Lily Allen and other big-name artists in calling for wider legal crackdowns on internet piracy. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/10/eu-illegal-internet-piracy-filesharing US court OKs Internet music sales lawsuit [AP] A federal appeals court revived an antitrust lawsuit Wednesday that accuses major record labels controlling 80 percent of U.S. digital music sales of scheming together to charge high prices. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/us-court-oks-internet-music-sales-lawsuit-20100114-m78n.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/us-court-oks-internet-music-sales-lawsuit-20100114-m78n.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Complaints greet Google Nexus One phone Google is being inundated with complaints about its Nexus One phone. ... But confusion over who should answer customer queries has led many to file complaints on support forums. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8451473.stm Hey Google, Anybody Home? Google?s celebrated algorithms may power the Web?s most popular search engine, but they have not yet been programmed to answer a call when a customer has a problem. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/technology/companies/13google.html Google's Nexus One won't shake Apple's iPhone to the core? yet Last Tuesday, Google finally confirmed it was entering the hardware market by launching its own mobile phone handset. The Nexus One is made to Google's specifications by HTC, a Taiwanese firm, and runs the latest version of Google's Android software, an open source operating system already running on a number of handsets, including ones made by HTC and Motorola. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/10/google-nexus-one-apple-iphone ********************** SPAM ********************** Spammers taking advantage of free online hosters Security giant McAfee warned today that spammers are increasingly exploiting online hosting companies that provide free domains and web hosting, in order to bypass anti-spam filters. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2255934/spammers-taking-advantage-free McAfee Labs? January Spam Report Angelina Jolie and Barack Obama are the #1 celeb subjects of choice for spammers, according to our January Spam Report. The report also reveals: http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/index.php/2010/01/11/mcafee-labs-january-spam-report/ ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Free web-access scheme rolled out across England The rollout of a ?300m government scheme to provide free computers, software and broadband for 270,000 low-income families in England kicked off on Monday. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39985178,00.htm ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** us: ISP operators among 19 arrested in cyber-fraud case [IDG] The owner of a Dallas-based Internet service provider that was raided last April has been charged with participating in a conspiracy to defraud more than US$15 million from companies such as Verizon, AT&T and XO Communications. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9143938/ISP_operators_among_19_arrested_in_cyber_fraud_case http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011210-isp-operators-among-19-arrested.html Baidu hacked by 'Iranian cyber army' China's most popular search engine, Baidu, has been targeted by the same hackers that took Twitter offline in December, according to reports. A group claiming to be the Iranian Cyber Army redirected Baidu users to a site displaying a political message. The site was down for at least four hours on Tuesday, Chinese media said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8453718.stm Baidu Search Engine Unavailable; Hacking Suspected Baidu Inc., China's top search engine, was unavailable early Tuesday in China, and some Internet users reported seeing signs of an attack on the site by Iranian hackers. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126327083052325899.html Group behind Twitter hack takes down Baidu.com [IDG] The group that took down Twitter.com last month has apparently claimed another victim: China's largest search engine Baidu.com. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9143919/Group_behind_Twitter_hack_takes_down_Baidu.com http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/01/11/urnidgns852573C400693880002576A9000ED188.DTL Researcher: Baidu probably attacked from US domain registrar The attack that took China's biggest search site offline yesterday was most likely carried out by modifying Baidu's records at Register.com, the search engine's official domain registrar, a security researcher said today. http://www.thestandard.com/news/2010/01/12/researcher-baidu-probably-attacked-us-domain-registrar ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Google 'may end China operations over Gmail breaches' Internet search company Google says it may end operations in China over alleged breaches of the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. It said in a blog post it had detected a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China". "A primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists", it added. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8455712.stm Google: A new approach to China First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses--including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors--have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S. authorities. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html Google threatens to quit China over cyber-attacks Google last night made the dramatic threat to shut down its business in China after discovering that hackers had been trying to spy on human-rights campaigners using its email system. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/google-threatens-to-quit-china-over-cyberattacks-1866220.html Google to end censorship in China over cyber attacks Google, the world's leading search engine, has thrown down the gauntlet to China by saying it is no longer willing to censor search results on its Chinese service. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/12/google-china-ends-censorship Google counts cost of censorship and draws red line under China Google's decision to lift its censorship in China brings to an end four years of controversy that have left the company ? and its reputation ? battered and bruised. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/13/google-china-censorship-index Google and China: Google's plan to withdraw from China may be as much about poor business prospects as ethics ?We're in this for the long haul?, wrote a Google executive four years ago when the internet giant launched a self-censored version of its search engine for China. Now Google says it might have to pull out of the country because of alleged attacks by hackers in China on its e-mail service and a tightening of restrictions on free speech online. http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15267915 Google Would Abandon a Lucrative Market Google threatened on Tuesday to pull out of China after it learned of immense security attacks and attempts to gain access to the Gmail accounts of Chinese dissidents and human rights activists. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/technology/companies/13hacker.html Google's Threat Echoed Everywhere, Except China Google?s declaration that it would stop cooperating with Chinese Internet censorship and consider shutting down its operations in the country ricocheted around the world Wednesday. But in China itself, the news was heavily censored. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/asia/14beijing.html Google Warns of China Exit Over Hacking Google said it may leave China after an investigation found the company had been hit with major cyber attacks it believes originated from the country - a move that would amount to a high-profile rebuke of China by a major US firm. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126333757451026659.html http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/google-to-build-great-wall-in-wake-of-cyber-attack/story-e6frg90x-1225818914737 Google Threat Jolts Chinese Internet Industry Google Inc.'s threat to walk away from China sent shockwaves through the country's fast-growing Internet industry Wednesday, with users, executives and analysts trying to gauge the potential fallout. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704362004575000440265987982.html Google Gets On the Right Side of History: The Chinese people will learn who their real friends are by Rebecca MacKinnon One night in the mid-1990s when I was working as a journalist in Beijing, I went out to dinner with some Chinese friends. I had just finished reading a book called "The File" by the British historian Timothy Garton-Ash. It's about what happened in East Berlin after the Berlin Wall came down and everybody could see the files that the Stasi had been keeping all those years. People discovered who had been ratting on whom?in some cases neighbors and co-workers, but also lovers, spouses and even children. After I described the book to my Chinese dinner companions?a hip and artsy intellectual crowd?one friend declared: "Some day the same thing will happen in China, then I'll know who my real friends are." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704362004575000442815795122.html U.S., Google and China square off over Internet Google's threat to quit China over censorship and hacking intensified Sino-U.S. frictions on Wednesday as Washington said it had serious concerns and demanded an explanation from Beijing. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE60B5S620100113 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-45344620100113 How will Microsoft, Yahoo respond to Google's China challenge? Google's move to challenge Chinese censorship demands and threaten to pull its business from the country could pressure search rivals like Microsoft and Yahoo to follow suit. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9144398/How_will_Microsoft_Yahoo_respond_to_Google_s_China_challenge_ China faces backlash from 'netizens' if Google leaves Google's threat to shut down its Chinese Web site and offices over cyber-attacks and censorship puts the government here in the awkward position of choosing between its devotion to restricting information and the possible ire of the roughly 80 million Chinese who use the search engine. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011301168.html Google threatens to log off from China over hacking attempts Google is fed up with the government of the People's Republic of China and may walk away from the entire country if things don't improve. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2010/01/google_threatens_to_log_off_fr.html China's internet crackdown forced Google retreat Google's retreat from China comes amid an intensifying crackdown on the country's internet that has seen websites blocked, an entire region closed down and self-censorship become increasingly widespread. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jan/13/google-retreat-china-crackdown-censorship Google may leave China in wake of hacker attacks In a rare corporate rebuke of Asia's economic superpower, Google Inc. on Tuesday said it might leave China and the country's 350 million Internet users after it was the victim of a series of cyber attacks that originated from that nation. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-google-china13-2010jan13,0,5678657.story Google, Citing Attack, Threatens to Exit China Google said Tuesday that it would stop cooperating with Chinese Internet censorship and consider shutting down its operations in the country altogether, citing assaults from hackers on its computer systems and China?s attempts to ?limit free speech on the Web.? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/asia/14beijing.html Clinton calls on China to explain cyber attacks as Google threatens to pull out US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today called on Beijing to explain cyber attacks originating from China against internet search giant Google and at least 20 other firms. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/google-mulls-china-exit-after-cyber-attack/story-e6frg996-1225818786765 Google threatens to leave China after attacks on activists' e-mail Google said Tuesday that it may pull out of China because of a sophisticated computer network attack originating there and targeting its e-mail service and corporate infrastructure, a threat that could rattle U.S.-China relations, as well as China's business community. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011300359.html Google defies Chinese censors after cyberattacks on Gmail accounts of activists Google has defied Chinese internet censors and risked banishment from the lucrative market in outrage at what it called "highly sophisticated" cyber attacks aimed at Chinese human rights activists. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6985857.ece China shuts down, blocks 15,000 porn websites: state media [AFP] China shut down or blocked more than 15,000 pornographic websites last year as part of a campaign to crack down on sexual content online, state media reported Tuesday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-shuts-down-blocks-15000-porn-websites-state-media-20100113-m4zt.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-shuts-down-blocks-15000-porn-websites-state-media-20100113-m4zt.html The Beaver magazine in Canada renamed to end porn filter mix-up [AFP] Canada's second-oldest magazine, The Beaver, is changing its name after 90 years because the title is too often censored by online porn filters, preventing it from reaching new online readers. http://www.news.com.au/technology/the-beaver-magazine-in-canada-renamed-to-end-porn-filter-mix-up/story-e6frfro0-1225818657732 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Google could be granted copyright immunity in UK law Proposed amendment to the Digital Economy Bill exempts search engines from copyright infringement claims from third parties ? Rupert Murdoch presumably included http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/jan/12/google-could-be-granted-copyright-immunity Peer proposes copyright exemption for search engines A Conservative peer has proposed creating a new exemption from copyright law for search engines that create copies of web pages in order to perform their search duties. http://out-law.com/page-10658 UK government amends plan for ministerial power to change copyright law The Government has modified its proposal to allow ministers to change copyright law without going through a full legislative process. The move follows a campaign against the powers waged by opposition parties. http://out-law.com/page-10662 Economics backs net neutrality, say researchers Net neutrality is not just the fairest way to organise the internet but the most economically effective, according to two US academics. Their economic analysis of the policy claims that it is the best way to encourage investment in online services. http://out-law.com/page-10661 Conroy sells NBN at CES The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has talked up the Federal Government?s ICT projects and its proposed separation of Telstra in a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/332006/ Views of the public sought on Australian wireless spectrum A crucial piece of wireless spectrum needed to advance the nation's mobile broadband services could soon be added to the government's "digital dividend" auction block after the communications watchdog put out a public call for how the spectrum band should be best used. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/views-of-the-public-sought-on-wireless-spectrum/story-e6frg8zx-1225818583093 ACMA releases discussion paper on review of the 2.5 GHz spectrum band [news release] The Australian Communications and Media Authority today released a discussion paper as part of its review of the pricing, planning and licensing arrangements for spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band. The 2.5 GHz band is currently used primarily by free to air TV broadcasters for electronic news gathering (ENG). http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_312015 au: Mobiles to gain greater capacity THE mobile-phone industry will gain access to vital wireless capacity under the proposed reallocation of a chunk of radio spectrum. http://www.theage.com.au/business/mobiles-to-gain-greater-capacity-20100112-m4qy.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/mobiles-to-gain-greater-capacity-20100112-m4qy.html http://www.smh.com.au/business/mobiles-to-gain-greater-capacity-20100112-m4qy.html http://www.watoday.com.au/business/mobiles-to-gain-greater-capacity-20100112-m4qy.html http://www.businessday.com.au/business/mobiles-to-gain-greater-capacity-20100112-m4qy.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Google to Work With Chinese Authors on Book-Scanning Project Google has agreed to hand over a list of books by Chinese authors that it has scanned in recent years, company executives said Monday, in an apparent effort to placate writers who say their works were digitized without their permission. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/technology/companies/12google.html Google Apologises to Chinese Authors Google has agreed to hand over a list of books by Chinese authors that it has scanned in recent years, company executives said Monday, in an apparent effort to placate writers who say their works were digitized without their permission. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/technology/companies/12google.html France plans Google books rival [AP] France's culture minister has unveiled a plan for adapting the country's literary patrimony to the digital age by developing what he hopes will prove a uniquely Gallic competitor to Google Books. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3226117/ Watching TV shortens life span, study finds Australian researchers find that each hour a day spent in front of television is linked with an 18% greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and an 11% greater risk of all causes of death. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-tv12-2010jan12,0,7430950.story Watching TV Linked to Higher Risk of Death If you're reading this sitting down, you might consider standing up. In a provocative look at the impact of sedentary behavior on health, a new study links time watching television to an increased risk of death. One of the most surprising findings is that it isn't just couch potatoes who were affected?even for people who exercised regularly, the risk of death went up the longer they were in front of the TV. The problem was the prolonged periods of time spent sitting still. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704055104574652340708172608.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2010 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery __________________________________________________________________________________ See what's on at the movies in your area. Find out now: http://au.movies.yahoo.com/session-times/Received on Wed Jan 13 2010 - 15:22:20 UTC
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