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internet news - 30 August
I'll see your domain name in Court!
Two little-noticed and otherwise unremarkable decisions from the US
4th Circuit Court of Appeals, decided on 23 August 2002, now affirm a
principle that is perhaps worrying for those 20 million or so .com
domain name registrants who live outside the USA.
http://www.demys.net/news/02_aug_29_porsche.htm
Misleading domain name ads stopped
In the first case of its kind the OFT has stopped two companies from
publishing misleading advertisements for website domain names that
are difficult to view on the world wide web. The OFT worked alongside
the US Federal Trade Commission on this case.
http://www.oft.gov.uk/News/Press+releases/2002/PN+53-02+Misleading+domain+name+ads+stopped.htm
Australian to chair domain group
AN Australian has been appointed chair of one of the key internet
domain name advisory bodies.
Bruce Tonkin, chief technical officer at Melbourne IT, was last night
appointed chair of the Names Council - part of the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,5000460%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html
Canada: "Confusingly Similar" in the Canadian Domain Name Dispute
Resolution Policy" (Mondaq - detailed registration)
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has adopted a
domain name dispute resolution policy for the .ca registry. The CIRA
Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (CDRP) and its related
procedural rules, the CIRA Domain Name Dispute Resolution Rules
(Rules), became operative on June 27, 2002.1 The CDRP provides a
domain name dispute resolution procedure that adopts many aspects of
the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy2(UDRP) adopted by the World
Intellectual Property Organization in 1999. However, there are a
number of very important differences from the UDRP. The first group
of differences is directed to Canadian issues, including the Canadian
Presence Requirements for Registrants.3 The second category of
variations relates to the significantly narrower scope of complaint
which can be decided under the CDRP. The third group is directed to
procedural variations. These differences, which permeate the CDRP and
the Rules, require careful attention by those who seek to initiate a
proceeding, registrant who must respond to a complaint, and those who
counsel others in connection with the CDRP. While other articles have
discussed the CDRP,4 this article focuses on the interpretation of
the term "confusingly similar" in the basis for a complaint under the
CDRP.
http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=17690&product_id=4&company_id=19
http://www.mondaq.com/article_preview.asp?a=17668&p=5&c=1634&e=on
BA wins rights to britishairways.info
British Airways has had a .info domain awarded to it by the World
Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) after its initial
registrant refused to sell it.
http://www.electricnews.net/news.html?code=8612503
From http://www.verisign.com/services/cdns/news/nl_200208.html#news
Brazilian Registry Releases Domain Names
The registry for .COM.BR, Brazil's ccTLD, has announced that until
8:00 PM (Brazilian time) September 8, 2002, it is making a number of
domain names available through a "liberalization process."
Fromhttp://www.udrplaw.net/
4th Cir. Says ACPA in rem Proceedings Allow For Infringement &
Dilution Claims Aug. 29, 2002
On August 23, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued
an important decision on the in rem provisions of the
AntiCybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. §1125(d).
Harrods v. Sixty Internet Domain Names, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 17530
(4th Cir. Aug. 23, 2002).
http://pacer.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinion.pdf/002414.P.pdf
NAF Panel Issues Alt-TLD Decision, Condemns Reverse Cybersquatting
Aug. 29, 2002
Yesterday, the National Arbitration Forum released the first decision
involving a non-ICANN approved domain name. The case, brought under
the "Model Dispute Resolution Policy," involved the name Sex.shop.
http://www.arbforum.com/domains/decisions/114371.htm
New Netscape targets Microsoft
The latest version of the Netscape browser hopes to challenge the
dominance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2223794.stm
AOL to Launch Next Version of Netscape Browser
America Online, the Internet unit of media behemoth AOL Time Warner
Inc. said it plans to launch its new Netscape Web browser on
Thursday, marking its latest effort to challenge the dominance of
Microsoft Explorer as the standard tool for surfing the Internet.
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=internetnews&StoryID=1384714
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-955850.html
http://virus.idg.net/ic_942297_1794_9-10000.html
World Cup ticket fraud warning
Organisers of next year's Rugby Union World Cup in Australia warned
yesterday that Internet fraudsters were attempting to peddle fake
tickets for the event at exorbitant prices.
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/2002/08/29/FFXR01K4E5D.html
http://www.planet-rugby.com/LATEST_NEWS/story_21866.shtml
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,4991668%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html
OECD Governments Launch Drive to Improve Security of Online Networks
OECD governments have drawn up new Guidelines for the Security of
Information Systems and Networks in the wake of last year's September
11 attacks in the United States, in order to counter cyberterrorism,
computer viruses, hacking and other threats.
http://www.oecd.org/EN/document/0,,EN-document-13-nodirectorate-no-12-33186-13,00.html
Cartoon Turtle Enlisted for Web Safety Campaign
When U.S. officials wanted to keep kids from littering, they enlisted
a cartoon owl named "Woodsy," and to help prevent forest fires, they
recruited a bear by the name of "Smokey."
These days the concern is Internet safety and security, and the U.S.
Federal Trade Commission is turning to a new messenger -- a savvy
little turtle named "Dewie" with a hardened shell that won't get
crushed on the Information Superhighway.
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=internetnews&StoryID=1383443
http://rtnews.globetechnology.com/servlet/ArticleNews/tech/RTGAM/20020829/gtturtle/Technology/techBN/
Rapist guilty of chatroom trick
A convicted rapist out of prison on licence tried to trick an
11-year-old girl into meeting him after speaking in an internet
chatroom.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/2224059.stm
Alston blasted for broadband porn comments
Pundits from across the IT industry in Australia have defended the
more legitimate uses of broadband in the wake of comments made by the
Federal Minister for Communications Information Technology and the
Arts Senator Richard Alston on the ABC's Inside Business program.
When asked about his scepticism with regards to broadband, the
minister attributed the high take-up of broadband in South Korea to
pornography.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/communications/story/0,2000024993,20267735,00.htm
Internet child porn king jailed for four years
A man who ran an international child porn club and had the biggest
collection of computer child porn images ever detected in Australia
has been jailed for four years.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/30/1030508121294.html
New Regulations Govern UK Web Hosts, ISPs
Web sites and hosting firms in the United Kingdom now have a new set
of specific accountabilities to consider after new e-commerce
regulations were introduced this week. The regulations, part of the
Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002, address several
issues surrounding Web hosting in the UK, including site content and
tax regulations.
http://thewhir.com/features/new-regulations.cfm
http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/20022013.htm
Sony finally pulls plug on Betamax VCRs
Sony closed the final chapter of its legendary battle with Victor Co.
of Japan to dominate the home video machine market, when it announced
Tuesday that it would discontinue its Betamax VCRs.
http://www.nando.net/technology/story/513815p-4081835c.html
http://www.vnunet.com/News/1134628
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,54788,00.html
The Web's oldest profession
What's the hottest high-tech item these days? That's easy: Anything
that fights spam. Spamming — the Web's oldest profession — has
generated a backlash of puritanical proportions against all those
offers of cheap Viagra, pornography or enlarged body parts. My inbox
is now flooded with offers of new ways to stop the spam.
http://rtnews.globetechnology.com/servlet/ArticleNews/tech/RTGAM/20020823/gtcybaug23/Technology/techBN/
You've got spam, and more spam
Corporate networks are becoming increasingly clogged by e-mail
pitches for pornography, money-making schemes and health products,
and there's little relief on the horizon.
http://news.com.com/2100-1001-955842.html
http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/ebusiness/story/0,2000024981,20267797,00.htm
Malaysia starts anti-CD piracy drive
The government in Malaysia believes educating the public is the only
way to tackle rampant piracy of CDs and DVDs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2221922.stm
North Koreans beginning to use e-mail
Young North Koreans have clicked on to the e-mail craze but are using
domestic computer networks as the World Wide Web is still out of
reach to most people in the reclusive country.
http://www.nando.net/technology/story/514773p-4088918c.html
China winning Internet war against dissidents for now, group says
Contrary to some predictions, the Internet is unlikely to spark major
political change in China in the near future, an influential U.S.
research institution said Thursday.
http://www.nando.net/technology/story/516413p-4100130c.html
Cyber-Attack Fears Stir Security Officers
Nearly half of corporate security officers expect terrorists to
launch a major strike through computer networks in the next 12
months, a poll released on Thursday showed.
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=internetnews&StoryID=1386304
http://www.nando.net/technology/story/516460p-4100198c.html
http://virus.idg.net/ic_942362_1793_1-1681.html
http://virus.idg.net/ic_942365_1794_9-10000.html
U.S. Wireless Internet Users Reach 10 Million
Nearly 10 million active Internet users in the United States check
e-mail or surf the Web for news or local services via mobile phones
and handheld computers, a research group said on Wednesday.
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=internetnews&StoryID=1382767
ISPs have to give cancelation notice under bill
Internet service providers would be required to notify customers 30
days before canceling their service or transferring them to another
provider under a bill passed by the state Senate Wednesday.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/3956125.htm
Ex-WorldCom finance boss indicted
The former chief financial officer of WorldCom is indicted in
connection with the accounting fraud at the disgraced US telecoms
giant.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2222137.stm
Backflip on mobile phone cancer as new study finds no danger
Radiation from mobile phones does not increase the likelihood of
cancer, according to the largest and most rigorous animal study yet
of the question.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/29/1030508099203.html
http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,5000089%255E2,00.html
Bridging the Tech-Education Gap
Many tax-paying parents want their kids to have access to technology
in school. Their kids also want to use the Net more in class. But a
computer doesn't automatically mean a good education, says one
educator.
http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,54791,00.html
Europe's 3G hopes fade
Europe's bold hopes for third-generation mobile-phone services have
come crashing down to earth. By one estimate, perhaps half of the
licenses that West European companies bought two years ago for fast
networks will never be used - meaning $50 billion will have been
spent for nothing.
http://www.iht.com/articles/69229.html
Government sites 'not practical enough'
Whitehall departments need to make more "useful" services available
on the internet if they are to interest the public in e-government,
according to the public accounts committee.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/internetnews/story/0,7369,781907,00.html
Put thirst first, demands Mandela
Nelson Mandela took the earth summit by the scruff of its neck
yesterday, urging politicians to make access to clean water a basic
human right and to put water and sanitation much higher up the
political, economic and social agendas.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldsummit2002/story/0,12264,782109,00.html
Summit launch for new aid schemes
The US takes the lead in proposing new aid partnerships with poorer
states but ecologists at the world summit in Johannesburg are
sceptical.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2222678.stm
Prescott warns that Earth Summit failure would wreak global havoc
Failure at the Earth Summit would cause the whole international
negotiating system built up over the past 50 years to "unravel", John
Prescott has told The Independent.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/environment/story.jsp?story=328726
Save the planet? It's rich vs. rich
For days now, the battle between rich and poor nations has dominated
the United Nations talks here on the environment and development,
with marches and fiery debates over how to reduce poverty. But one of
the fiercest struggles has been raging behind the scenes as the
United States and the European Union clash over strategies to
preserve the planet.
http://www.iht.com/articles/69142.html
The US must play its part - by Gerhard Schröder
The devastating floods in Europe and China are not just terrible
forces of nature. They are also glaring warning signals. We only have
one planet and our survival will depend on how we treat its
resources.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,783169,00.html
Glass shape affects wine's chemistry
Wine connoisseurs have always claimed that the shape of the glass
matters because it affects how close your nose gets to the wine and
also how easily volatile aromatic compounds can escape. But Kari
Russell of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville wondered if the
shape of the glass affects the wine's chemistry as well.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992733
And finally...
>>> SARAH LEFT ON THE INTERNET (from The Guardian's The Informer)
A friend in Chicago emailed me today to inform me of her new Excite
mail account, to which all non-business email must now be addressed.
Any personal emails will be intercepted by an administrator, who will
read her personal business before deciding whether to forward it on
to her. She expects to be able to check her Excite account about once
a week, as its use will also be monitored.
The Big Brother email policy is becoming something of a nasty trend.
A
colleague here at the Guardian recently emailed a banker friend an
invitation to a barbeque. The email swiftly landed back in her inbox
with the accompanying notice: "The message contains prohibited
text... Should the email be a business related message, please
respond to this advice which then provides the necessary
authorisation for the e-mail to be manually reviewed and subsequent
release [sic] to the intended recipient."
Big brother software is an admission of incompetence on the part of
management. If personal email is taking up too much of an employee's
time, that employee should be pulled up personally. Managers should
notice the lack of work accomplished, for whatever reason, from job
dissatisfaction to drug abuse to moving house. "We're too lazy to
take much notice of our employees' productivity," such software says,
"so instead we'll try to close off all possible avenues for not doing
work."
I await the day the water cooler and coffee machine are removed, and
inter-office conversation is slapped down by an automated tannoy
system that scans for phrases such as "How was your weekend?" and
booms out "Get back to work!" in Ann Widdecombe's voice.
Aside from the total denial of a personal life, the reasoning behind
such policies is flawed. Business colleagues - with their mass-mailed
irrelevant requests and demands - waste far more employee time than
friends and family. The invitations to meetings you need not attend,
the cult of forwarding on information not understood or not necessary
to others in your organisation: these all take more minutes and brain
power to process than your sister-in-law's Christmas plans.
If big brother software is the only way you can get your employees to
work, your company has problems bigger than barbeque invitations.
For those stuck with such systems, try this: simply work out a code
of
misspelling with your friends, so that keywords including 'fun' do
not send your weekend plans to the wrong hands. Well-placed asterisks
work wonders. In fact, invite a friend to the p*b right now. Go on,
Winston. Rebel.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The web page for subscribers, or to subscribe, to the internet news
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=====
David Goldstein
email: Goldstein_David@yahoo.com.au
phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 0015 - home
http://digital.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Digital How To
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