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And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for regular updates and also with RSS feeds. ********************************************************** Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/ Sponsored by EuroDNS and AsiaDNS - for your domain name registration http://www.eurodns.com/ ********************************************************** Web conduct code to be drawn up http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/964230 Companies, Groups Address Global Civil Liberties Challenges (news release) http://www.cdt.org/press/20070118press-humanrights.php my: Newspaper sues Internet bloggers for defamation http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=61629 MySpace is sued over child safety http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6277633.stm Belgian Newspapers to Challenge Yahoo Over Copyright Issues http://ecommercetimes.com/story/55249.html *************** RESEARCH PAPERS *************** Censorship by Proxy: The First Amendment, Internet Intermediaries, and the Problem of the Weakest Link by Seth F. Kreimer (University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Nov 2006) The rise of the Internet has changed the First Amendment drama, for governments confront technical and political obstacles to sanctioning either speakers or listeners in cyberspace. Faced with these challenges, regulators have fallen back on alternatives, predicated on the fact that, in contrast to the usual free expression scenario, the Internet is not dyadic. The Internets resistance to direct regulation of speakers and listeners rests on a complex chain of connections, and emerging regulatory mechanisms have begun to focus on the weak links in that chain. Rather than attacking speakers or listeners directly, governments have sought to enlist private actors within the chain as proxy censors to control the flow of information. http://www.pennumbra.com/issues/article.php?atid=109 Elephants and Mice Revisited: Law and Choice of Law on the Internet by Peter P. Swire (University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Jun 2005) This Article seeks to explain those mysterious mechanisms. It does not primarily address the prescriptive task of saying what the optimal rules should be for resolving conflicting national laws that affect the Internet. Instead, it takes on a descriptive task. It treats choice of law on the Internet as a dependent variable; the task is to explain when and how choice-of-law rules actually matter on the Internet. That choice-of-law question, in turn, overlaps considerably with the even broader questionwhen and how does any rule of law actually matter on the Internet? http://www.pennumbra.com/issues/article.php?atid=58 Technology and Internet Jurisdiction by Joel R. Reidenberg (University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Jun 2005) This Essay argues that the initial wave of cases seeking to deny jurisdiction, choice of law, and enforcement to states where users and victims are located constitutes a type of denial-of-service attack against the legal system. Internet separatists use technology-based arguments to deny the existence of sufficient contacts for jurisdiction and the applicability of rules of law interdicting certain behavior. >From this perspective, the attackers seek to disable states from protecting their citizens online. The Essay next shows that innovations in information technology will undermine the technological assault on state jurisdiction. This counterintuitive effect is born out of the fact that more sophisticated computing enlists the processing capabilities and power of users computers. This interactivity gives the victims state a greater nexus with offending acts and provides a direct relationship with the offender for purposes of personal jurisdiction and choice of law. Some of these same innovations also enable states to enforce their decisions electronically and consequently bypass the problems of foreign recognition and enforcement of judgments. Finally, the Essay argues that the exercise of state power through assertions of jurisdiction can and should be used to advance the development of more granular technologies and new service markets for legal compliance. Technologies should be available to enable Internet participants to respect the rule of law in states where their Internet activities reach. Assertions of state jurisdiction and electronic enforcement are likely to advance this public policy. http://www.pennumbra.com/issues/article.php?atid=57 *********** CENSORSHIP *********** Web conduct code to be drawn up Technology companies Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and Vodafone are in talks with human rights and press freedom groups to draw up an internet code of conduct to protect free speech and privacy of Web users. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/964230 http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/8777/53/ Companies, Groups Address Global Civil Liberties Challenges (news release) CDT has joined with a broad group of companies, investors, academics, and human rights groups to address the free expression and privacy challenges facing companies that do business internationally. That process -- which aims to produce a set of principles guiding company behavior when faced with laws, regulations and policies that interfere with the achievement of human rights -- marks a new phase in efforts that the groups began in 2006. The joint process represents the merging of several concurrent efforts by companies, academics and public interest advocates to address the issues. One of those efforts was a series of consultations coordinated by CDT last year. http://www.cdt.org/press/20070118press-humanrights.php my: Newspaper sues Internet bloggers for defamation The pro-government New Straits Times is suing two popular internet bloggers for defamation, in the first case of its kind in Malaysia. http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=61629 Egyptian blogger stands trial, accused of insulting Islam, inciting strife An Egyptian blogger went on trial Thursday on charges of insulting Islam and causing sectarian strife with his Internet writings. Egypt's first prosecution of a blogger came as Washington has backed away from pressuring its Mideast ally to improve its human rights record and bring democratic reform. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/16491266.htm Iranian bloggers on web restrictions Iranian bloggers have reacted with anger and scorn to a new law requiring them to register their websites and blogsites with the authorities. It is being seen as the latest attempt by the Iranian government to control the media. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/syndication/6252737.stm ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ MySpace is sued over child safety MySpace is being sued by the families of five teenage girls who it is claimed were sexually assaulted by men they met through the social networking website. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6277633.stm http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1994438,00.html http://iht.com/articles/2007/01/18/business/techbrief.php http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/18/myspace_sued/ us: MySpace sued over sex predators Four families have sued News Corp. and its MySpace social-networking site after their underage daughters were sexually abused by adults they met on the site, lawyers for the families said. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/01/19/1169095944765.html us: School Safety: Technology Outpacing the Law After threatening to assassinate his assistant principal on MySpace.com last spring, a 15-year-old student at Bednarcik Junior High School in Oswego, Ill., was charged with harassment through electronic communication, a felony. His threats on the popular social networking Web site drew action by the police, but under Illinois law, officials may discipline students for misbehavior on school property or at school-sponsored events, but they have little authority over what students do off campus or online. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/55261.html za: SA children increasingly exposed to porn South African children are increasingly logging on and getting access to the Internet. Experts warn the more than four million pornographic websites available online are not strictly viewed by the adult market. http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/general/0,2172,142239,00.html uk: E-safety in teacher training 16 January 2007 (news release) Childnet announced today the start of an important pilot programme to help teachers in their initial teacher training become aware of the e-safety issues relating to their pupils use of the internet in both the classroom and outside of the school. http://www.childnet-int.org/news/articles/160107.html *************************************** CYBERCRIME, CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY *************************************** After Microsoft and Google, Belgian editors go after Yahoo After taking action against Microsoft and Google, Belgium's French-speaking newspapers are seeking redress from another Internet search engine, Yahoo, their lawyer has said. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/01/18/1169095915054.html http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BELGIUM_YAHOO http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6151609.html Belgian Newspapers to Challenge Yahoo Over Copyright Issues A group of Belgian newspapers has asked Yahoo to remove links to their archived stories from its Web search service, claiming they infringe copyright laws, their lawyers confirmed Friday. The move follows a legal challenge by the group against Google that has seen Belgian newspaper content stripped from Google News pending a court ruling expected early this year. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/55249.html us: Feds offer cybercrime tips to local cops Police trying to learn how to use the Internet to investigate everything from cyberstalking to spam and illegal hacking have some new advice, thanks to the U.S. Department of Justice. http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6150676.html us: Pa. Court Withdraws Holding on Internet Viewing of Child Porn The Superior Court of Pennsylvania has withdrawn its recent first-impression holding that merely to look at child pornography on the Internet -- without intentionally saving or downloading any images viewed -- does not amount to "knowing possession" of child pornography as proscribed under state law. The court also granted a prosecution request for an en banc re-argument. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1168941736750 US court withdraws 'legal child porn' opinion A US court has withdrawn its controversial recent opinion that viewing child pornography is legal as long as it is not intentionally saved. The judge had said there was ambiguity in the law over what constitutes "knowing possession" of material. http://out-law.com/page-7677 eu: Storm chaos prompts virus surge Experts say they are surprised how quickly computer virus writers take advantage of the European storms http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6278079.stm uk: Cyber-bullying affecting 17% of teachers, poll finds Nearly one-fifth of teachers are being bullied by mobile phone, email or over the internet, a new survey on cyber-bullying has revealed. http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,1994403,00.html au: Net nasties on the rise International crime gangs are ready to tap our phone calls in the latest scam to hit the internet. Online fraud is now a multi-billion global criminal enterprise. Australian companies are spending billions of dollars a year to combat it. A special investigation has revealed a sophisticated array of new threats to internet users. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21095165-661,00.html se: Bank loses US$1.1m to online fraud Internet fraudsters have stolen around 8m kronor (US$1.1m) from account holders at Swedish bank Nordea. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6279561.stm http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39285547,00.htm Website offers whistleblowers chance to go global The internet could become even more difficult for governments to regulate with a new website, Wikileaks, promising to provide a safe haven for whistleblowers to upload confidential documents. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/01/19/1169095977590.html Beijing Olympic officials not amused by online pranks (Reuters) Beijing Games organizers have threatened legal action against online pranksters who poke fun at official Olympic symbols after a rash of digital spoofs appeared on the Internet. http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6151025.html nl: Dutch prosecutors ask for jail terms for botnet gang Dutch prosecutors are pursuing jail terms for two men charged in a large-scale computer hacking scheme in which more than 1 million computers may have been infected with adware and other malicious programs. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/DBE9FE733202F02DCC2572670071FDA9 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** eu: CONFERENCE: Broadband Gap 2007 The Information Society offers enormous benefits to Europe's less developed regions and rural and isolated areas, yet commercial investment in broadband infrastructure for these areas is problematic. Launched by four European Commissioners, this Conference and Exhibition will investigate how the strategic use of ICT can support regional and local development, ease infrastructure and geographical handicaps and make these areas more attractive to business and individuals alike. http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/broadband_gap_2007/index_en.htm eu: Is a communications collapse possible in Europe? (news release) The European Commission is seeking feedback on how best to safeguard our electronic networks against disruption from attack or natural hazards. This follows today's public presentation of the findings of a study which identifies a range of important issues for ensuring that our future networks are sufficiently protected and resilient. As the services and processes that they support become increasingly interconnected and interdependent, the consequences of the failure of or criminal attack on a single network or sub-system could potentially be propagated more widely and faster than ever before. Protective measures need to be put in place to ensure that critical services and infrastructure are not vulnerable to such failures, and that there can be no "domino effect" that might otherwise result in a major technological collapse of communications and the many services they support. http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/59&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en us: Cybercrime Treaty: Is It Effective Law Enforcement Or An Affront To U.S. Sovereignty? The U.S. Senate recently approved an international treaty designed to combat computer crime. The treaty has been touted by Senate leaders as enhancing the U.S. ability to cooperate with foreign governments in fighting terrorism, computer hacking, money laundering and child pornography, among other crimes. However, a detailed review of the treaty reveals that it is largely symbolic, because U.S. law already includes much of what the treaty requires. http://www.localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/biotech/story/1168048/ ***************************** INTERNET & NEW TECHNOLOGY USE ***************************** Pakistanis like Indian porn Pakistanis are most inclined towards Indian porn, entertainment and 'masala' websites on the Internet, the rating website Alexa said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/World/Pakistan/Pakistanis_like_Indian_porn/articleshow/1319852.cms http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=82594 Big Medias Crush on Social Networking With a wink and a flirt, big media companies have developed a full-bore teenage crush on social networking businesses. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/business/yourmoney/21frenzy.html Meet Grace, she'll be running your home: Computers in Microsoft house of the future will suggest recipes and offer fashion tips The door to the future is unexpectedly plain, a bare wood surface indistinguishable from thousands of others in Microsoft's functional headquarters. It gives no clue to the flights of fancy hidden inside. Step through it and you are immersed in a world of virtual wallpaper, intelligent fridges, talking recipe books, wardrobes that dispense fashion advice and the entire human catalogue of art, film and literature on demand. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1995392,00.html *************** DIGITAL DIVIDE *************** CONFERENCE: eLearning Africa This event focuses on ICT for development, education and training in Africa. It will establish a network of decision makers from governments and administrations with universities, schools, governmental and private training providers, industry, and important partners in development cooperation. This year's edition focuses on "Building Infrastructures and Capacities to Reach out to the Whole of Africa", reflecting the significant efforts of African countries to set up their national and regional ICT infrastructures to create access to education, training and services for all. The conference will be accompanied by an exhibition. http://elearning-africa.com/ sg: Digital divide between homes in public and private estates narrows The digital divide between income groups in Singapore has narrowed, according to the 2006 household survey conducted by the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA). http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/253322/1/.html ************ FILE SHARING ************ Lobby group tells ISPs to cut off customers As illegal file-sharing eats into its battered revenues, the music industry is taking its anti-piracy fight to the world's major internet service providers. Big names such as BT, Tiscali and NTL will be in the sights of global lobby group IFPI as it urges them to disconnect customers who share music illegally or else face government rules. http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1993045,00.html http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/music-industry-declares-war-internet/story.aspx?guid={0D43D22C-F418-4947-95AE-82A44A2B55DB} Google, Service Providers and the Future of P2P In a non-operational NANOG discussion about Google bandwidth uses, several statements were made. It all started from the following post by Mark Boolootian: "Cringley has a theory and it involves Google, video, and oversubscribed backbones..." The following comment has to be one of the most important comments in the entire article and its a bit disturbing. http://www.circleid.com/posts/google_service_providers_and_the_future_of_p2p/ Indie labels sign MySpace deal International independent music labels have grouped together in a deal that enables them to start selling tunes on MySpace, the social networking website owned by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ca8c1e42-a980-11db-9185-0000779e2340.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Father of internet warns against Net Neutrality Robert Kahn, the most senior figure in the development of the internet, has delivered a strong warning against "Net Neutrality" legislation. Speaking to an audience at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California at an event held in his honour, Kahn warned against legislation that inhibited experimentation and innovation where it was needed. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/18/kahn_net_neutrality_warning/ Peaks, valleys and vistas: Microsoft The launch of a new version of Microsoft Windows, called Vista, is not quite the event it used to be. Has the software giant reached the pinnacle of its power? http://economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8550569 An end to that blue screen of death? Microsoft's latest upgrades should make PC users happier (AFP) IT IS an old chestnut, but a telling one: if carmakers built vehicles as Microsoft produces software, they would come in only one colour, the dashboard would be incomprehensible and they would crash a lot. Microsoft's latest products mean that its users should no longer double as crash-test dummies. http://economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8550580 in: Google and Microsoft plan data centres The internet arms race between Google and Microsoft took a new twist as the companies announced plans to spend more than $1bn between them on new data centres to handle future rapid growth in online traffic. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d4b5a41a-a818-11db-b448-0000779e2340.html Digital archivists look to porn, Flash for tips How can society preserve digital art on the Internet the way brick-and-mortar museums can for Picassos and van Goghs? Oddly enough, at least one preservationist believes the answer might be found in an expression that most curators don't consider art--online pornography. http://www.zdnetindia.com/news/communication/stories/168648.html ******************* TELECOMMUNICATIONS ******************* ITU: Voice Revenues in the Telecommunications The ITU workshop The Future of Voice held on the 15th and 16th of January 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland looked, inter alia, at the voice traffic and revenue trends in the last fifteen years. On the global level, local and national long-distance reported telephone minutes per capita were growing in the 1990s and stably falling since the beginning of the new decade. A notable exception of the general rule is the US experiencing continuous growth in the number of local minutes: in 15 years, the number of local minutes per capita has grown four-fold. The international outgoing traffic grew significantly over the last fifteen years: in the Republic of Korea, in 2005 it was 15 times more intensive than in 1990, in the US five times. Even though, since the beginning of the new century, the international voice traffic tends to slowly decrease. http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/newslog/Voice+Revenues+In+The+Telecommunications+.aspx ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** Arrests and confiscations in Croatian child porn raids Croatian police said on Friday that they arrested one man and raided the homes of 23 others in a nation-wide operation against child pornography carried out with help from Interpol and several European countries. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2885&iArticleId=3639830 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the most recent edition of the domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! The domain name news is supported by auDA. See http://lists.technewsreview.com.au/mailman/listinfo/technewsreview for an archive of recent newsletters and to subscribe to the domain name and general internet news. Also see http://technewsreview.com.au/ for recent news updates. Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2006 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David @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 Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ apple mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.apnic.net/mailman/listinfo/apple
