[DNS] domain name news - 21 July

[DNS] domain name news - 21 July

From: David Goldstein <david§goldsteinreport.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:27:25 +1000
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.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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us: Commerce Secretary Strickling asks for help in Net policy global fight
http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/07/19/strickling-igf-usa-speech

An Empirical Analysis of Fair Use Decisions under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy by David A. Simon [Harvard Law School]
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1887888

DOC Indicates Warming Relations With ICANN and Strong Support for Multi-Stakeholder Internet Institutions
http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/279

ICA Urges UDRP Reform Through An Enforceable Standard Agreement With All Arbitration Providers
http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/278

If 41% of .co is parked, how many domains will expire today?
http://domainincite.com/if-41-of-co-is-parked-how-many-domains-will-drop-today/

Trademark owners can block misuse in .xxx domain [IDG]
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/071811-trademark-owners-can-block-misuse.html

ICM Registry Answers Hustler & Trademark Holders: You Can?t Sue Us
http://www.thedomains.com/2011/07/20/icm-registry-answers-hustler-trademark-holders-you-cant-sue-us/

Bnet interview with Chris Disspain about new gTLDs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uNbSsInqtk

Why we won?t see dotless domain names
http://domainincite.com/why-we-wont-see-dotless-domain-names/


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GOVERNANCE
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us: Commerce Secretary Strickling asks for help in Net policy global fight
US Assistant Commerce Secretary Larry Strickling yesterday used the latest in a series of speeches to call for help from the Internet community in promoting the 'multi-stakeholder' model.
http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/07/19/strickling-igf-usa-speech

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REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS
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An Empirical Analysis of Fair Use Decisions under the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy by David A. Simon [Harvard Law School]
Abstract: For over ten years, the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) has resolved nearly 20,000 domain-name disputes brought before the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations organization that arbitrates UDRP disputes. The UDRP allows the holder of a legally protectable trademark to initiate proceedings to cancel the domain name or have it transferred to the trademark owner. Domain-name holders, though, have a number of defenses, including using their domain names in a noncommercial, fair manner. Although several empirical studies have analyzed various aspects of the UDRP, none has specifically examined this fair use defense.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1887888

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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Proposed Revisions to Chapters 3 and 4 of the GNSO Council Operating Procedures Relating to Proxy Voting
The GNSO Council recently identified areas for improvement in the GNSO Council Operating Procedures that would simplify and clarify the procedures relating to proxy voting.
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-19jul11-en.htm

Reminder: Apply Now for the At-Large Advisory Committee, ALAC
Following the resignation of the ALAC representative from the North American region, appointed by ICANN's 2010 Nominating Committee (NomCom), the 2011 NomCom invites Statements of Interest for this important ICANN leadership position.
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-20jul11-en.htm

Letter from James L. Bikoff, Silverberg, Goldman and Bikoff, LLP to Kurt Pritz
Protecting the Olympic Words in the New gTLDs
http://www.icann.org/en/correspondence/bikoff-to-pritz-01jul11-en.pdf

DOC Indicates Warming Relations With ICANN and Strong Support for Multi-Stakeholder Internet Institutions
In an afternoon keynote address presented to the IGF USA meeting held July 18th at Georgetown University Law School in Washington, DC, Larry Strickling, the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce, indicated a much more favorable view of ICANN in the wake of its adoption of accountability and transparency recommendations, as well as approval of a Final Applicant Guidebook (AG) fo
http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/279

ICA Urges UDRP Reform Through An Enforceable Standard Agreement With All Arbitration Providers
This Spring ICANN staff released a Preliminary Issue Report on the Current State of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy, and followed up with a webinar featuring presentations by experts involved with all aspects of UDRP administration and representation. While the Report was of high quality, ICA was disappointed that the staff recommended that the GNSO refrain from authorizing further steps to reform the UDRP.
http://www.internetcommerce.org/node/278

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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If 41% of .co is parked, how many domains will expire today?
Today is the one-year anniversary of the .co TLD entering general availability. As you may recall, .co got off to a flying start, selling about 100,000 names in its first half hour and over 200,000 registrations during its first day.
http://domainincite.com/if-41-of-co-is-parked-how-many-domains-will-drop-today/

g.co, the official URL shortcut for Google websites
In the world of URLs, bigger is not always better. In 2009, we helped shrink up long, unwieldy URLs by launching our public URL shortener, goo.gl. Today, we?re announcing a new URL shortcut that will only link to official Google products and services: g.co.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/gco-official-url-shortcut-for-google.html

Google Acquires G.CO to Launch Official Shortcut for Google Products and Services; 500 Startups to Rebrand Web Address from 500Startups.com to 500.CO
Today .CO Internet S.A.S. announced that Google has acquired the domain name G.CO and will use the URL to more easily connect, communicate and engage with customers by launching an official shortcut for Google?s products and services. The Registry also announced that well-known Silicon Valley Seed Fund and Incubator, 500 Startups, will be rebranding its web address from 500Startups.com to 500.CO.
http://www.cointernet.co/media/press-releases/gco-official-shortcut-google-products-and-services-500startups-rebrand

Google acquires G.co domain for shortened URLs [IDG]
Google has acquired G.co to use as the exclusive domain for shortened URLs of its sites, following in the footsteps of other major Internet companies that have bought .co domains recently and bypassing the crowded field of .com sites.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218499/Google_acquires_G.co_domain_for_shortened_URLs
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/google-acquires-gco-domain-so-it-can-utilise-shortened-urls
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/394031/google_acquires_g_co_domain_its_shortened_urls/

.ME Celebrates Exceptional Growth In Domain Registrations
It?s been three years since the .ME Registry first launched open registrations of the Montenegrin ccTLD on July 17, 2008.
http://www.domain.me/me-celebrates-exceptional-growth-in-domain-registrations

Legal fight breaks out over .pr domains
The University of Puerto Rico has accused the manager of the .pr TLD of hoodwinking ICANN in order to ?illegally? take over the registry.
http://domainincite.com/legal-fight-breaks-out-over-pr-domains/

Trademark owners can block misuse in .xxx domain [IDG]
Trademark owners can prevent their names from being misused in the new .xxx TLD by blocking these names, ICM Registry, the Florida-based registry operator for the .xxx TLD said.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/071811-trademark-owners-can-block-misuse.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/235906/trademark_owners_can_block_misuse_in_xxx_domain.html

ICM Registry Announces Launch Plan For .XXX Domains
ICM Registry, the company behind the .XXX sTLD, has publicly published the comprehensive plan and related policies for the launch of the .XXX domain. The complete details of the entire launch are located on ICM Registry?s website here. The newly updated plan for launching .XXX on September 7, 2011, includes extending the Sunrise A period due to stronger than expected demand. The launch plan for Sunrise A was originally planned for 30 days but was extended to assist adult companies prepare and implement the necessary requirements for qualified trademarks and matching domains, which is also known as ?Grandfathering.?
http://icmregistry.com/press/pressrelease14.php

XXX web page domain launch
CNN's Pauline Chiou talks with Stuart Lawley of ICM Registry about the XXX domain online gold rush.
http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/business/2011/07/18/chiou.xxx.web.domain.cnn

ICM Registry Answers Hustler & Trademark Holders: You Can?t Sue Us
The ICM Registry published a white paper today  entitled .XXX Domains and Trademark Issues. The paper seems to answer  threats like the one that came from Hustler last week that seemed to indicate that trademark holders are somehow going to try to hold the ICM Registry liable for trademark infringement.
http://www.thedomains.com/2011/07/20/icm-registry-answers-hustler-trademark-holders-you-cant-sue-us/

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 - NEW TLDS
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Bnet interview with Chris Disspain about new gTLDs
Chris Disspain, an ICANN board member, as well CEO of the .au domain administrator, talks about new gTLDs with Phil Dobbie in this episode of BTalk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uNbSsInqtk

Peter Dengate Thrush Discusses His New Role with Top Level Domain Holdings
Yesterday former ICANN Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush announced he was joining Top Level Domain Holdings (parent company of Minds + Machines) as Executive Chairman.
http://domainnamewire.com/2011/07/19/peter-dengate-thrush-discusses-his-new-role-with-top-level-domain-holdings/

Interview: Antony Van Couvering on the New TLD Opportunity by Christopher Parente
I recently caught up with a former colleague Antony Van Couvering. Many here on CircleID probably know him, he's been active in the domain name business since the late 1990's. With the new TLD issue so white hot and with Antony's firm right in the mix, I thought it was time to get his take via an interview. If anyone has questions (or challenges perhaps?) to anything below, I'm happy to forward to Antony for a response.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/interview_antony_van_couvering_on_the_new_tld_opportunity/

Why we won?t see dotless domain names
Will any of the hundreds of .brand gTLDs expected to be approved by ICANN in its first round of new TLDs resolve without dots?
http://domainincite.com/why-we-wont-see-dotless-domain-names/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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World Attorneys-General focus on cyber crime
Combating the growing threat of cyber crime was a key focus at the 'quintet' meeting of Attorneys-General from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/blogs/top_stories/archive/2011/07/17/world-attorneys-general-focus-on-cyber-crime.aspx

Lulz Security Says It Hacked News Corporation Sites
The hacking group Lulz Security claimed responsibility for a string of attacks on Web sites belonging to the News Corporation on Monday. Among the attacks, the hacking group planted a fake article about the death of Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of the News Corporation, on one of the company?s newspaper sites.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/18/lulz-security-says-it-hacked-news-corporation-sites/

Sun website hacked by LulzSec
News International websites for the Times and the Sun were taken down last night after hackers targeted the Sun's web pages and redirected traffic to another page falsely reporting that Rupert Murdoch had been found dead.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/sun-website-hacked-lulzsec

Google Sounds Alarm on Malware Problem
Google said late Tuesday that it will use its search engine to respond to an outbreak of malicious software, or malware, that the company recently uncovered.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/07/19/google-sounds-alarm-on-malware-problem/

Companies Use Web Data to Fight Cybercrime
On Tuesday, July 19, Google announced a new feature that alerts web surfers when their PCs might be infected with malware. It?s hardly the only company using big data to fight cybercrime. We?ve covered a handful of them of over the past couple years. Here are five that stand out:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/companies-use-web-data-to-fight-cybercrime-07212011.html

Internet Explorer 9 utterly dominates malware-blocking stats
Internet Explorer 9's dual-pronged approach to blocking access to malicious URLs?SmartScreen Filter to block bad URLs, and Application Reputation to detect untrustworthy executables?provides the best socially engineered malware blocking of any stable browser version, according to NSS Labs' latest report. Internet Explorer 9 blocked 92 percent of malware with its URL-based filtering, and 100 percent with Application-based filtering enabled. Internet Explorer 8, in second place, blocked 90 percent of malware. Tied for third place were Safari 5, Chrome 10, and Firefox 4, each blocking just 13 percent. Bringing up the rear was Opera 11, blocking just 5 percent of malware.
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/07/internet-explorer-9-utterly-dominates-malware-blocking-stats.ars

Internet Explorer 9 hammers rivals in download blocking test
The in-house reputation system used in Internet Explorer 8 and 9 is markedly superior at blocking social-engineering attacks than the Google equivalent used by Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox, Apple's Safari, an independent test by NSS Labs has found.
http://news.techworld.com/security/3291639/internet-explorer-9-hammers-rivals-in-download-blocking-test/
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/internet-explorer-9-hammers-rivals-in-download-blocking-test-240

Microsoft Browser Best At Blocking Malware
Credit where it is due. Microsoft have listened to the near constant complaining about their browsers and have produced (finally) what is turning out to be a very good browser.
http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/07/18/microsoft-browser-best-at-blocking-malware/

Google adds malware warning to search results
Google announced today it is instituting a malware warning system on its search results page to alert users to the possibility that their computer is infected.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20080917-83/google-adds-malware-warning-to-search-results/

us: Cyber Strategies: National Security Versus Child Pornography
Does the FBI have its cyber priorities and investigative strategies straight? That's one of the questions raised by an audit of the FBI's computer intrusion investigation capabilities, released earlier this year, which painted an unflattering picture of the bureau's ability to investigate cyber crime, especially cases involving national security. Notably, the audit, conducted by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG), suggested that the FBI was failing to properly train and support its cyber investigators.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/231002001

us: Competition pushing rates down for cyberinsurance
Rates for cybersecurity insurance edged lower in the last few months despite surging demand, as heavy competition brewed among insurers rushing into the market in search of the next profitable product, insurance brokers Marsh said on Wednesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/20/us-insurance-cyber-idUSTRE76J6W920110720

au: Attorney-General outlines cyber security strategy
To protect the nation's digital economy, the Attorney-General has said collaboration and flexibility must be included in the Australian government's cyber security strategy.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/394302/attorney-general_outlines_cyber_security_strategy/

Police arrest 'hackers' in US, UK, Netherlands
Police in the US, Britain and the Netherlands have detained more than 20 people as part of an investigation into major cyber attacks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14212110

16 Arrested as F.B.I. Hits the Hacking Group Anonymous
In the most visible law enforcement response to a recent spate of online attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday announced the arrests of 16 people across the country in connection with strikes carried out by a loose, secretive federation of hackers called Anonymous.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/technology/16-arrested-as-fbi-hits-the-hacking-group-anonymous.html

FBI targets Anonymous hacking group in series of raids on homes
A 16-year-old boy was arrested in London Tuesday night while the FBI detained at least 14 people after raiding homes across the US as part of an international operation targeting the hacking activist groups Anonymous and LulzSec.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/19/anonymous-hackers-arrested-fbi-raids

U.S. Signs Cybersecurity Pact With India
The United States and India signed an agreement on Tuesday designed to ensure the two countries collaborate on cybersecurity efforts.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/07/us-signs-cybersecurity-pact-wi.php
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110719_3252.php

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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A Harvard Law School Professor Publishes A Study Of UDRP Decisions Involving ?Fair Use? & Finds Cases Turn On Nationality
A professor from Harvard has just released a 48 page study he conducted on UDRP decision involving ?Fair Use? of a trademarked term.
http://www.thedomains.com/2011/07/20/a-harvard-law-school-professor-publishes-a-study-of-udrp-decisions-involving-fair-use-finds-cases-turn-on-nationality/

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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Six weeks after World IPv6 Day, what have we learned?
Last month's World IPv6 Day created some excitement about IPv6. Once it was over, however, everyone went back to work?which for most people doesn't include anything IPv6-related.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/07/world-ipv6-day-is-so-last-month.ars

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Assigning 32-bit ASNs by Mirjam Kuehne
With 16-bit Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), 65,536 unique numbers are possible. Just like 32-bit IP addresses, these 16-bit ASNs are becoming a scarce resource. Therefore, in 2007 the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) developed a new format, 32-bit ASNs (RFC 4893), which increases the supply of ASNs to four billion.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110718_assigning_32_bit_asns/

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INTERNET USE
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China reaches 485 million Internet users as growth slows
China added 27 million Internet users over the last six months, bringing the total number to 485 million, but the growth of China's Internet population continues to slow, according to official statistics released on Tuesday.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/394132/china_reaches_485_million_internet_users_growth_slows/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/071911-china-reaches-485-million-internet.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/235978/china_reaches_485_million_internet_users_as_growth_slows.html

Google Says It Will Restore Belgian Newspapers to Search Site
Google Inc. is putting back Belgian newspaper content onto its search engine, Bill Echikson, a Google spokesman said in an interview today.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-18/google-says-it-will-restore-belgian-newspapers-to-search-site.html

Belgium proves a headache for Google
A strange episode in the long-running battle between Google and Belgian newspaper groups over the weekend highlighted the complex and delicate relationship that exists between the search engine company and the media.
http://blogs.ft.com/fttechhub/2011/07/belgium-proves-a-headache-for-google/

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Privacy Isn?t Dead. Just Ask Google+
Some people have a very hard time trusting Facebook. After dozens of privacy problems over the years, they?ve grown extremely weary of what the company is doing with my personal information. I, for one, rarely use Facebook anymore, beyond a rare comment or ?Like.?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/18/privacy-isnt-dead-just-ask-google/

Google+ will be squeezed out of social world, says LinkedIn CEO
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner raised a few eyebrows Monday when he forecast the demise of Google+, which has been attracting attention and gaining momentum.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218515/Google_will_be_squeezed_out_of_social_world_says_LinkedIn_CEO

LinkedIn Boss is Down on Google+
LinkedIn Boss is Down on Google+Google+ isn't going to catch on because social networks take too much time out of our days, according to LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/235981/linkedin_boss_is_down_on_google.html

Google+ Improves on Facebook
Google, the most popular Web site on earth, is worried about the second-most popular site. That, of course, would be Facebook.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/14/technology/personaltech/google-gets-a-leg-up-on-facebook.html

Social Media History Becomes a New Job Hurdle
Companies have long used criminal background checks, credit reports and even searches on Google and LinkedIn to probe the previous lives of prospective employees. Now, some companies are requiring job candidates to also pass a social media background check.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/technology/social-media-history-becomes-a-new-job-hurdle.html

Facebook Rankings Reflect National Stereotypes
Users of the social networking site Facebook often obsess over numbers of virtual friends and update their status on the hour. But the popularity contest is no longer limited to people's profiles. Companies are playing close attention to countries' most popular Facebook pages for brands -- which often reflect national stereotypes.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,763776,00.html

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Google Looks for the Next Google
Google thinks it can be young and crazy again. And it is betting $200 million that it is right. In the hottest market for technology start-up companies in over a decade, the Silicon Valley behemoth is playing venture capitalist in a rush to discover the next Facebook or Zynga.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/technology/google-spending-millions-to-find-the-next-google.html

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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Video: ICM's Stuart Lawley Discusses .XXX on CNN
ICM Registry CEO Stuart Lawley appeared on a CNN international broadcast discussing the launch of the recently approved .XXX TLD. ... CNN asked how .XXX helps parents keep children away from adult websites and that some feel the new TLD will actually make this kind of content easier to find. ?In fact the opposite is true. Each .XXX TLD ? unlike the counterparts in dot.com ? includes the latest worldwide web consortium W3C labeling technology that makes it a snip to help filter out these sites at the desktop level using parental controls,? Lawley said.
http://newswire.xbiz.com/view.php?id=136449

Major effort under way to fight child pornography in Illinois
A major effort is under way in Illinois to fight child pornography, even as authorities say more people than ever are being prosecuted for such crimes, including a rash of high-profile cases such as the conviction of a former State Police trooper who admitted he viewed kiddie porn on his state-issued laptop computer while on duty.
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/6575374-417/major-effort-under-way-to-fight-child-pornography-in-illinois.html

Survey: Most college kids sext, some then forward
Anthony Weiner, your parents may have gotten your name right, but man, you were born a generation too soon. Because while the pundits and researchers expound on the many reasons sexting is bad for us as individuals and a society, and while state legislators draft bills to expel students who sext from school, or to define sexting between minors as child pornography, it seems that these days, the student who sexts is far more common than the student who doesn't.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-20081104-247/survey-most-college-kids-sext-some-then-forward/

us: Facebook Etiquette to be Taught in School to Avoid Cyber Bullying
Parents and online experts are pushing for an 'urgent' proposal to teach social networking etiquette in schools to tackle cyber bullying.
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/182111/20110718/facebook-social-networking-cyberbullying-schools-children-kids-p-and-c.htm

nz: Man with child porn keeps name supression [NZPA]
The Court of Appeal has ruled a Manawatu man guilty of possessing images of child rape should have his name kept secret to protect his family members.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5315696/Man-with-child-porn-keeps-name-supression
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10739739

au: Internet censorship machine quietly revs up
As Australia's biggest internet providers begin blocking an Interpol list of child abuse websites, the communications regulator is quietly compiling its own similar blacklist.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/internet-censorship-machine-quietly-revs-up-20110720-1ho0y.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/internet-censorship-machine-quietly-revs-up-20110720-1ho0y.html

Filtering is the job of ISPs not NBN: govt
Although it was technically possible for the National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) to filter internet content over the heads of internet service providers (ISPs), the government has said that it will still force the responsibility onto ISPs.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/filtering-is-the-job-of-isps-not-nbn-govt-339318828.htm

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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China's Biggest Search Engine, Known for Illegal Downloads, Makes Music Deal
Baidu, the dominant Chinese Internet search engine, on Tuesday announced a major licensing deal with three of the world?s largest music companies that would allow Chinese Web users to legally download and stream hundreds of thousands of songs free.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/technology/baidu-chinas-search-giant-announces-music-licensing-deal.html

China's top search engine agrees deal to pay record labels for music
China's 470 million internet users will soon be able to legally download more than half a million songs including hits ranging from Lady Gaga's Boys Boys Boys to Frank Sinatra's My Way.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jul/19/music-industry-downloads-china-baidu

UK High Court asks ECJ if streaming service breaks copyright laws
The UK High Court is to ask the European Court of Justice (ECJ) if streaming live TV programmes over the internet is an act subject to copyright laws after provisionally ruling that it is.
http://out-law.com/page-12096

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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HTC?s patent troubles: Android alert
Until a few years ago HTC was pretty small and relatively obscure. But the Taiwanese company's recent growth has been remarkable. In the second quarter it sold 11m smartphones, more than doubling its revenues compared with a year earlier. HTC's main rivals, Nokia, Samsung and Apple, still sell around twice as many smartphones. But HTC's rapid growth, especially in Apple's American home turf, has made it a competitor worth worrying about.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2011/07/htc?s-patent-troubles-2

Mobile networks near capacity, survey finds [IDG]
Mobile networks in North America are filled to 80 percent of capacity, with 36 percent of base stations facing capacity constraints, according to a survey by investment bank Credit Suisse.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218502/Mobile_networks_near_capacity_survey_finds

Apple wins patent ruling against HTC - and may be able to extend it to Android
Apple has won a preliminary ruling from a US trade panel judge that Taiwanese handset maker HTC Corp infringed on two of the California company's patents.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jul/18/apple-htc-android-patent-infringement

Mobile devices to lead consumer electronics growth - report
More customers than ever will buy tablet computers and smartphones this year, driving consumer electronics revenue to a record high of $190 billion in 2011, according to a new forecast from a leading industry trade group.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/07/18/idINIndia-58316920110718
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/18/oukin-uk-consumerelectronics-idUKTRE76H2TB20110718

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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World Attorneys-General focus on cyber crime
Combating the growing threat of cyber crime was a key focus at the 'quintet' meeting of Attorneys-General from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/blogs/top_stories/archive/2011/07/17/world-attorneys-general-focus-on-cyber-crime.aspx

Lulz Security Says It Hacked News Corporation Sites
The hacking group Lulz Security claimed responsibility for a string of attacks on Web sites belonging to the News Corporation on Monday. Among the attacks, the hacking group planted a fake article about the death of Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of the News Corporation, on one of the company?s newspaper sites.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/18/lulz-security-says-it-hacked-news-corporation-sites/

Sun website hacked by LulzSec
News International websites for the Times and the Sun were taken down last night after hackers targeted the Sun's web pages and redirected traffic to another page falsely reporting that Rupert Murdoch had been found dead.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/sun-website-hacked-lulzsec

Google Sounds Alarm on Malware Problem
Google said late Tuesday that it will use its search engine to respond to an outbreak of malicious software, or malware, that the company recently uncovered.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/07/19/google-sounds-alarm-on-malware-problem/

Companies Use Web Data to Fight Cybercrime
On Tuesday, July 19, Google announced a new feature that alerts web surfers when their PCs might be infected with malware. It?s hardly the only company using big data to fight cybercrime. We?ve covered a handful of them of over the past couple years. Here are five that stand out:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/companies-use-web-data-to-fight-cybercrime-07212011.html

Internet Explorer 9 utterly dominates malware-blocking stats
Internet Explorer 9's dual-pronged approach to blocking access to malicious URLs?SmartScreen Filter to block bad URLs, and Application Reputation to detect untrustworthy executables?provides the best socially engineered malware blocking of any stable browser version, according to NSS Labs' latest report. Internet Explorer 9 blocked 92 percent of malware with its URL-based filtering, and 100 percent with Application-based filtering enabled. Internet Explorer 8, in second place, blocked 90 percent of malware. Tied for third place were Safari 5, Chrome 10, and Firefox 4, each blocking just 13 percent. Bringing up the rear was Opera 11, blocking just 5 percent of malware.
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/07/internet-explorer-9-utterly-dominates-malware-blocking-stats.ars

Internet Explorer 9 hammers rivals in download blocking test
The in-house reputation system used in Internet Explorer 8 and 9 is markedly superior at blocking social-engineering attacks than the Google equivalent used by Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox, Apple's Safari, an independent test by NSS Labs has found.
http://news.techworld.com/security/3291639/internet-explorer-9-hammers-rivals-in-download-blocking-test/
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/internet-explorer-9-hammers-rivals-in-download-blocking-test-240

Microsoft Browser Best At Blocking Malware
Credit where it is due. Microsoft have listened to the near constant complaining about their browsers and have produced (finally) what is turning out to be a very good browser.
http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/07/18/microsoft-browser-best-at-blocking-malware/

Google adds malware warning to search results
Google announced today it is instituting a malware warning system on its search results page to alert users to the possibility that their computer is infected.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20080917-83/google-adds-malware-warning-to-search-results/

us: Cyber Strategies: National Security Versus Child Pornography
Does the FBI have its cyber priorities and investigative strategies straight? That's one of the questions raised by an audit of the FBI's computer intrusion investigation capabilities, released earlier this year, which painted an unflattering picture of the bureau's ability to investigate cyber crime, especially cases involving national security. Notably, the audit, conducted by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG), suggested that the FBI was failing to properly train and support its cyber investigators.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/231002001

us: Competition pushing rates down for cyberinsurance
Rates for cybersecurity insurance edged lower in the last few months despite surging demand, as heavy competition brewed among insurers rushing into the market in search of the next profitable product, insurance brokers Marsh said on Wednesday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/20/us-insurance-cyber-idUSTRE76J6W920110720

au: Attorney-General outlines cyber security strategy
To protect the nation's digital economy, the Attorney-General has said collaboration and flexibility must be included in the Australian government's cyber security strategy.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/394302/attorney-general_outlines_cyber_security_strategy/

nz: Police computer system 'not immune'
An internet safety expert says the police computer system is not immune to hackers. ... Martin Crocker from Netsafe says while the database is secured appropriately, "it doesn't mean it's not possible" to get into the system.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/police-computer-system-not-immune-4315786

nz: Computer virus scam exposed
Around 30% of New Zealanders have received calls from scammers running a computer-based con ? and around one in 20 are falling for it, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
http://www.techday.co.nz/netguide/news/computer-virus-scam-exposed/20627/

nz: Overseas scammers dupe Telecom staff
Telecom call centre staff have set up additional mobile phone numbers for existing customers - only to find the "customers" were overseas scammers.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10739542

nz: Police computer not hacker-proof - expert
An IT security expert says it is very difficult to "secure every little corner" of the police national computer.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/police-computer-not-hacker-proof-expert-4317184

Police arrest 'hackers' in US, UK, Netherlands
Police in the US, Britain and the Netherlands have detained more than 20 people as part of an investigation into major cyber attacks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14212110

16 Arrested as F.B.I. Hits the Hacking Group Anonymous
In the most visible law enforcement response to a recent spate of online attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday announced the arrests of 16 people across the country in connection with strikes carried out by a loose, secretive federation of hackers called Anonymous.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/technology/16-arrested-as-fbi-hits-the-hacking-group-anonymous.html

FBI targets Anonymous hacking group in series of raids on homes
A 16-year-old boy was arrested in London Tuesday night while the FBI detained at least 14 people after raiding homes across the US as part of an international operation targeting the hacking activist groups Anonymous and LulzSec.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/19/anonymous-hackers-arrested-fbi-raids

U.S. Signs Cybersecurity Pact With India
The United States and India signed an agreement on Tuesday designed to ensure the two countries collaborate on cybersecurity efforts.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/07/us-signs-cybersecurity-pact-wi.php
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110719_3252.php

us: Open-Access Advocate Is Arrested for Huge Download
A respected Harvard researcher who also is an Internet folk hero has been arrested in Boston on charges related to computer hacking, which are based on allegations that he downloaded articles that he was entitled to get free.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/us/20compute.html

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PRIVACY
**************************
Australian Attorney-Generals to probe kids' privacy on Facebook
The nation's attorneys-general will discuss whether laws should be introduced to allow parents access to their children's Facebook accounts and social networking sites, allowing them to legally breach their privacy.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/a-gs-to-probe-kids-privacy-on-facebook/story-fn59niix-1226098613068

au: Parents might get greater access to kids' Facebook
A meeting of the nation's Attorneys-General in Adelaide will consider whether parents should be given legal rights to check on their children's Facebook accounts.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-21/attorneys-facebook-suppressions-internet/2804018

Australian public expects review of privacy laws, says Privacy Minister Brendan O'Connor
Privacy Minister Brendan O'Connor says there is a "public expectation" that privacy laws be re-examined in Australia in light of the UK phone hacking scandal, but concedes there is no suggestion of similar journalistic misconduct here.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/news-corp-culture-needs-to-change-mp/story-e6frg996-1226098868620

Phone-hacking scandal proves we need more laws to protect privacy by Brendan O'Connor
Every so often there's a scandal that captures the attention of not just a nation but the world.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/phone-hacking-scandal-proves-we-need-more-laws-to-protect-privacy/story-e6frg6zo-1226098600372

Canberra to move on privacy law
Australians could secure new rights to defend their privacy in the wake of the phone hacking scandal that has engulfed Rupert Murdoch's media empire.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/canberra-to-move-on-privacy-law-20110720-1hp19.html

Push for tougher privacy laws
Australians are set to win the right to sue for serious breaches of privacy after the government decided to act on concerns about the phone hacking scandal in Britain.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/push-for-tougher-privacy-laws-20110720-1hp06.html

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CENSORSHIP
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Telex to help defeat web censors
Data smuggling software could help citizens in countries operating strict net filters visit any site they want. Developed by US computer scientists the software, called Telex, hides data from banned websites inside traffic from sites deemed safe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14199218

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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OSCE: Internet disconnection breaches free expression rights, says co-operation body
Countries that block internet access on copyright infringement grounds are stifling freedom of expression and the free flow of information, according to a new report on the internet and freedom of speech.
http://out-law.com/page-12097

OSCE media freedom representative calls on governments to recognize access to the Internet as a human right [news release]
Dunja Mijatovi?, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, called on governments to treat Internet access as a human right that should be enshrined in their constitutions, in testimony today at the U.S. Helsinki Commission.
http://www.osce.org/fom/81006

Offshore gambling operators to be regulated in UK, says Government
All gambling operators selling or advertising their products in the UK will have to obtain a licence from the Gambling Commission no matter where they are based, the Government has announced.
http://out-law.com/page-12090

nz: Submissions on Copyright Act document show variety of views
Submissions on regulations associated with the Copyright (Infringing File-Sharing) Act, belatedly released after the Ministry of Economic Development had made its decisions, show a number of people and organisations were still trying to change the government?s mind on provisions of the legislation outside the administrative aspects the MED asked them to comment on.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/submissions-on-copyright-act-document-show-variety-of-views

nz: Copyright law won?t cover streaming: MED
The Ministry of Economic Development (MED) has confirmed that the new Copyright (infringing file sharing) Amendment Act 2011 will target file sharing through peer-to-peer protocols, and not streaming sites such as YouTube, when it comes into force on September 1.
http://www.techday.co.nz/netguide/news/copyright-law-wont-cover-streaming-med/20623/
http://www.techday.co.nz/telecommunicationsreview/news/copyright-law-wont-cover-streaming-med/20623/6/

InternetNZ: scope of copyright law changes limited to P2P
New Zealand internet advocacy group InternetNZ has obtained clarification from the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) on the scope of the copyright act amendment.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/internetnz-scope-of-copyright-law-changes-limited-to-p2p

*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
U.S. to Close 800 Computer Data Centers
The federal government plans to shut 40 percent of its computer centers over the next four years to reduce its hefty technology budget and modernize the way it uses computers to manage data and provide services to citizens.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/technology/us-to-close-800-computer-data-centers.html

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
eu: Commission starts legal action against 20 Member States on late implementation of telecoms rules
The European Commission has sent requests for information to twenty EU Member States which have not yet notified measures to implement in full new EU telecoms rules into national law. The deadline set by the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers for implementing the new rules was 25th May 2011. The requests for information take the form of letters of formal notice under EU infringement procedures.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/905

European Commission begins legal action against countries that have still to implement telecoms laws
Most EU countries have two months to explain why they have not yet implemented new telecoms laws, the European Commission has said.
http://out-law.com/page-12098

Dutch telecom hikes rates after net neutrality law [AP]
The Netherlands' largest telecommunications company announced big price hikes for mobile Internet customers on Tuesday, less than a month after Parliament approved one of the world's strongest "net neutrality" laws.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/dutch-telecom-hikes-rates-after-net-neutrality-law-20110719-1hn39.html
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-technology/dutch-telecom-hikes-rates-after-net-neutrality-law-20110719-1hn39.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/dutch-telecom-hikes-rates-after-net-neutrality-law-20110719-1hn39.html

uk: Ofcom plan for cheap rural internet access criticised
Claims that millions of people in rural locations will get cheaper internet access after BT was told to slash wholesale charges to internet service providers (ISPs) have been challenged, on the basis they will just cut investment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jul/20/ofcom-internet-access-rural-plan

Better value rural broadband [news release]
Millions of homes and businesses in rural parts of the UK could receive better value broadband services by the end of this year. This follows Ofcom?s decision to reduce significantly the prices that BT Wholesale can charge internet service providers (ISPs) in primarily rural, less densely populated areas.
http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2011/07/20/better-value-rural-broadband/

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION
**********************************
au/us: Child abuse images described as frightening
Police in the United States have described child abuse images which led to the arrest of a Perth man as "frightening".
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-19/lobban-facing-extradition-to-us/2800748

nz: Name suppression for child porn man criticised
A Court of Appeal decision granting name suppression to a man guilty of possessing images of child rape is a blow to child rape victims here and around the world, says a group fighting sexual violence against children.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/5315328/Name-suppression-for-child-porn-man-criticised

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(c) David Goldstein 2011


------
David Goldstein

 email: david&#167;goldsteinreport.com

 web:   http://goldsteinreport.com/
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 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
Received on Thu Jul 21 2011 - 00:27:25 UTC

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