31 October 2006
US - Does e-voting need paper trails?
(CNET News)Fears of glitches and foul play on computerized voting machines have prompted widespread calls for paper receipts. After reports of a rocky primary election this year, Maryland's Republican governor called for a return to all-paper ballots.
Google buys JotSpot, dips into wiki world
(CNET News)Google has bought JotSpot, a 3-year-old company with a system for building collaborative Web pages called wikis. JotSpot CEO Joe Kraus announced the acquisition on a blog Tuesday morning, saying that being part of search giant Google will give JotSpot access to "world-class" data centers and engineers.
IGF: Druck auf Firmen wegen Zusammenarbeit mit autoritären Staaten
(Heise)Cisco, Microsoft, Yahoo und Google hatten sich in einer lebhaften Debatte beim Internet Governance Forum in Athen erneut gegen den Vorwurf zu wehren, sie würden mit den Machthabern autoritärer Staaten gemeinsame Sache machen – auf Kosten der Internetnutzer in Ländern wie China oder dem Iran.
WSIS - The Internet - key to freedom, democracy and economic development
(RAPDI)Speech by Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible for Information Society and Media, Internet Governance Forum Athens, 30 October 2006.
CN - China: We don't censor the Internet. Really
(ZDNet News)by Declan McCullagh. While many countries block off some Web sites, China has long drawn heightened scrutiny because of the breadth and sophistication of its Internet censorship. Which is why it came as a surprise when a Chinese government official claimed at a United Nations summit here that no Net censorship existed at all. The only problem: Few cases of Net censorship are as carefully and publicly documented as the Great Firewall of China. see also Firms defend dealings with China.
DK - New court setback for Allofmp3.com
(IFPI)A Danish court has delivered a fresh blow to illegal music website allofmp3.com in a ruling that will make it harder for users to access the site. Allofmp3.com sells and distributes copies of hundreds of thousands of songs by international and local artists without any permission to do so. The Danish court ordered the internet provider Tele2 to block its subscribers' access to the illegal Russian music service. The case was filed by IFPI Denmark, representing the Danish recording industry. The order sides unconditionally with IFPI Denmark and directs Tele2 to stop its subscribers' access to allofmp3.com.
UK - Gaming to be 'mark of quality'
(BBC)Online gambling sites registered in the UK would offer a "hallmark of quality" to people around the world, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has said. Signing up to the UK's regulatory code would enhance the sites' reputation and protect players, argued Ms Jowell. The UK hopes to become a "world leader" in internet gambling following a US ban on the activity. About 30 countries have pledged to ensure online gambling is not a source of crime and to protect consumers.
30 October 2006
UK - Open University offers free e-learning
(Silicon News)OpenLearn will allow anyone across the world to access, download and use the OU's educational resources for free. The online learning material is taken from Open University courses and uses technologies including videoconferencing, mind maps and instant messaging to get teachers and students interacting and learning.
Labels: Open_source_open_access
FR - L'édition française poursuit Google pour contrefaçon
(01net)Le Syndicat national de l'édition (SNE) poursuit en justice Google pour contrefaçon et atteinte au droit de la propriété intellectuelle. L'organisme, qui représente 90 % des éditeurs français, reproche à l'américain de numériser sans autorisation des oeuvres littéraires encore protégées par le droit d'auteur. Il en met des extraits à disposition - de façon aléatoire - sur son service « Google recherche de livres ». Plusieurs milliers d'ouvrages seraient concernés.
WSIS - World discusses internet future
(BBC)The future of the net is the ambitious topic under discussion at the first global Internet Governance Forum, being held in Athens over the next five days. It has been set up by the UN to give governments, companies, organisations and individuals space for debate. see Reporter's Log.
UK - Virgin ends ad campaign with anarchic site
(Guardian)Virgin has been forced into an embarrassing U-turn after a new viral advertising campaign backfired spectacularly. The company had asked readers of b3ta.com, an online community known for bad taste jokes, to create a new advert for the Virgin Money brand. Hundreds of entries were submitted, but last week the company pulled the competition from the internet after concerns over some of the submissions.
29 October 2006
US - Supreme Court to review Microsoft patent appeal
(CNET News)The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to wade into a patent case involving Microsoft and AT&T. The outcome could alter the scope of damages that software companies must hand over for infringing activity occurring abroad.
Labels: Copyright_trademarks_and_patents
UK - Copying own CDs 'should be legal'
(BBC)It is not the music industry's job to decide consumer rights, says Institute for Public Policy Research. The think-tank has called for outdated copyright laws to be rewritten to take account of new ways people listen to music, watch films and read books.
Labels: Copyright_trademarks_and_patents
U.N. summit revives concerns about Net control
(CNET News)A long-simmering dispute over whether the U.S. government has too much control over the Internet's underpinnings will heat up again next week at a United Nations summit in Greece. Officially, the inaugural meeting of the United Nations' Internet Governance Forum is designed to explore topics like free speech, security, spam and multilingualism. But the diplomatic subtext is more pointed: Does the U.S. government have too much influence over how Internet addresses are allocated and domain names are assigned?
Labels: Domain_names, Spam
(Digital Media Wire)
EMI Music boss Alain Levy says CDs are dead and soon, music companies won't be able to sell them without 'value-added' material. Some 60% of consumers put CDs into PCs to transfer the contents to digital music players, he declared.
EMI Music boss Alain Levy says CDs are dead and soon, music companies won't be able to sell them without 'value-added' material. Some 60% of consumers put CDs into PCs to transfer the contents to digital music players, he declared.
28 October 2006
U.K. pushes global rules on gambling
(International Herald Tribune)The British government plans to seek international support for legalized, regulated online gambling, emphasizing a trans-Atlantic difference on the issue after the Bush administration's recent move to outlaw transactions with Internet gambling services. During a conference at the Royal Ascot racecourse, the British government plans to seek adoption of a broad code of principles on Internet gambling. Officials from more than 30 countries are expected to attend, though the U.S. Justice Department has declined to send a representative.
UK - Digital divide could be deepening
(BBC)The number of people in the UK who have no intention of getting internet access has risen. Net refuseniks account for 44 percent - or 11.2 million - of UK households. Of those, more than 70 percent say they have little or no intention of getting connected.
27 October 2006
WSIS - Free speech online 'under threat'
(BBC)Bloggers are being asked to show their support for freedom of expression by Amnesty International. The human rights group also wants web log writers to highlight the plight of fellow bloggers jailed for what they wrote in their online journals. The organisation said fundamental rights such as free speech faced graver threats than ever before.
Most countries issue passports with radio tags
(CNET News)Despite security and privacy concerns, all but three of the countries required by the U.S. to issue passports with radio tags are now doing so, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday. Except for Andorra, Brunei and Liechtenstein, all of the 27 countries whose citizens can travel to the U.S. without a visa are now issuing "e-Passports," the department said in a statement. The passports include a radio frequency identification, or RFID, chip with the holder's information and a biometric identifier, such as a digital photograph.
Labels: RFID
CA - Entwistle on a copyright policy that encourages innovation
(Michael Geist)Telus CEO Darren Entwistle: A voice for a copyright policy that encourages innovation, compensation for artists, and full respect for consumer rights. It is not everyday that the CEO of a major Canadian company says "lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it is time to update our copyright regime" and then proceeds to outline a vision that focuses on robust fair use rather than dangerous anti-circumvention legislation.
Labels: Copyright_trademarks_and_patents
26 October 2006
Google offers personal searches
(BBC)A bespoke search engine that can be included on people's websites or blogs is the latest offering from Google. Google Custom Search Engine, as the tool is known, allows users to choose which webpages to search.
UK - Web watchdog outlines porn battle
(BBC)More than 30,000 websites containing child pornography have been removed in the last 10 years, new figures show. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said the key to addressing the problem was a partnership between the public, global authorities and web providers. The number of these sites from the UK and containing illegal material fell from 18% to 0.2% in the decade. The figures marked the IWF's first 10 years and its chief executive Peter Robbins said reporting porn was vital. See IWF Press Release.
Labels: Child_abuse_images
UK - Tackling the threat of child abuse online
(BBC)by Peter Robbins, Chief executive, Internet Watch Foundation. It is exactly 10 years since the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) was set up by the internet industry to combat potentially illegal content online. Today sees the launch of our first consumer advertising campaign followed by a national series of conferences.
24 October 2006
EU - Details trickle out about EC Vista probe
(CNET)A senior Microsoft executive has revealed details of the European Commission's anti-competition probe into the upcoming Windows Vista operating system. He said that regulators noted four aspects of the Windows update as raising potential anti-competition concerns. Microsoft and the EC have been in protracted discussions regarding Vista since March, over regulators' concerns that parts of Vista may violate anti-competition laws.
IBM: Amazon violates our patents
(CNET)Big Blue files suit, saying mega e-tailer is infringing intellectual property ranging from advertising to hyperlink technology. IBM has targeted Amazon.com with two patent infringement lawsuits filed Monday, claiming that the online retail giant is willfully exploiting a number of its patents.
Anti spam Spamhaus decides to fight first US court action
(OUT-LAW News)Anti spam organisation Spamhaus will recognise an Illinois court's authority when it fights a $11.7 million order against it. Previously the London based not-for-profit had argued that the court has no jurisdiction over it. The company has filed papers with the Illinois court room saying that it will fight the case brought against it by email marketing company e360insight. E360 claims that it is a reputable email marketing company and sued Spamhaus because it was put on the 'blocklist' which Spamhaus operates in order to identify spammers and keep their messages out of inboxes.
Labels: Spam
(New York Times)
As Google has grown into the world's most popular search engine and, probably, the most powerful internet company, it has become entangled in scores of lawsuits touching on many legal questions. These include copyright violation, trademark infringement and its method of ranking websites.
As Google has grown into the world's most popular search engine and, probably, the most powerful internet company, it has become entangled in scores of lawsuits touching on many legal questions. These include copyright violation, trademark infringement and its method of ranking websites.
Labels: Copyright_trademarks_and_patents
23 October 2006
EU - Picture of competition in EU telecoms now virtually complete
(RAPID)The Commission has assessed 500 notifications from Member States reviewing competition in their electronic communications markets. The most recent EETT notification concerned low speed narrowband access to fixed telephone networks in Greece. The Commission now has a clearer picture of the state of competition in all Member States, in time for the review of the regulatory framework.
(Times)
As who understood the myriad byways of authors' copyright, Charles Clark was a rarity among publishers. But before he turned to the legal wrangles of the media, he had made his name with Penguin Books in the 1960s. see also Daily Telegraph [Ed: Charles Clark was a member of the Commission's Legal Advisory Board for the Information Market. He was the author of the phrase "the answer to the machine is in the machine".]
As who understood the myriad byways of authors' copyright, Charles Clark was a rarity among publishers. But before he turned to the legal wrangles of the media, he had made his name with Penguin Books in the 1960s. see also Daily Telegraph [Ed: Charles Clark was a member of the Commission's Legal Advisory Board for the Information Market. He was the author of the phrase "the answer to the machine is in the machine".]
Labels: Copyright_trademarks_and_patents
22 October 2006
UK - Mobiles have 'key role for young'
(BBC)More parents than ever now see mobiles as vital tools in supervising children's behaviour, giving them peace of mind, and making young people feel safer. Despite fears over 'happy slapping', text bullying and mobile crime, parents say that young people are safer with them than without, say researchers.
Labels: Cyber-bullying, Mobile_and_wireless
US - Yale Student's Resume Video Raises Wall Street Eyebrows
(New York Sun)Thousands of Ivy Leaguers circulate their resumes each year to New York's investment banks, but few garner as much attention as Aleksey Vayner, who last week submitted an 11-page resume and video to UBS's human resources department. By the week's end, the Yale University senior's video had raised scores of eyebrows and sparked much laughter in nearly every firm on Wall Street.
WSIS - Internet Governance Forum News
(ITU)The first meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be held in Athens, Greece from 30 October - 2 November 2006. A couple of related websites have been unveiled: Australian academic Jeremy Malcolm has established IGFWatch and has also joined with UK journalist Kieren McCarthy to establish the IGF Community Site for interaction before, during and after the event. CircleID has a related article asking What Will Be the Outcome of the Internet Governance Forum Meeting in Athens?
O2 slashes European roaming rates
(ZDNet UK)02 is introducing a new roaming scheme for voice calls in Europe, whereby incoming calls - currently costing 35p per minute - will be free in exchange for a monthly supplement. Starting immediately with UK customers roaming in Spain, the new tariff is planned to extend to 35 European territories by mid-2007. see also Talk as long as you like, but carry a big stick.
JP - YouTube cuts 30,000 illegal clips
(BBC)Video-sharing service YouTube has wiped nearly 30,000 files from its website after Japanese media companies said their copyright was being infringed. The Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers found 29,549 music video, movie and TV clips had been posted without permission. YouTube was recently bought by search giant Google for $1.65bn.
Labels: Copyright_trademarks_and_patents
20 October 2006
(Berkman Center)
If you're interested in 'the future of the Internet,' the long-term trend of parsing out Internet functions to specialized devices, or the One Laptop Per Child Initiative, check out this summary of Prof. Jonathan Zittrain's presentation on the future of the Internet at LSE.
If you're interested in 'the future of the Internet,' the long-term trend of parsing out Internet functions to specialized devices, or the One Laptop Per Child Initiative, check out this summary of Prof. Jonathan Zittrain's presentation on the future of the Internet at LSE.
IR - Iran bans fast internet to cut west's influence
(Guardian)Iran's Islamic government has opened a new front in its drive to stifle domestic political dissent and combat the influence of western culture - by banning high-speed internet links. Service providers have been told to restrict online speeds to 128 kilobytes a second and been forbidden from offering fast broadband packages.
UK - Government plans could block release of controversial information
(out-law;com)Changes planned to the rules surrounding Freedom of Information legislation will prevent the most controversial information from being made public, according to legal and political experts. The media is likely to be hardest hit by proposed changes, they said.
DE - Nachbesserungen beim Jugendmedienschutz für die mobile Welt geplant
(Heise)Nach Providern und Webanbietern will die Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz (KJM) nun auch die Mobilfunkbetreiber stärker in die Verantwortung nehmen, um die Verbreitung jugendschutzrelevanter Inhalte einzuschränken.
Labels: Mobile_and_wireless
19 October 2006
MP3 Web site in Russia goes from cheap to free amid legal battles
(IHT)A Web site based in Moscow that the U.S. Commerce Department has branded as the world's highest- volume online seller of pirated music plans to release hundreds of thousands of albums free, the site said. Low prices and ease of use have made AllofMP3 a consumer favorite among music download sites, but the site - which claims to operate legally under Russian copyright law - faces ongoing legal battles with the music industry and harsh criticism from the U.S. government.
Labels: Copyright_trademarks_and_patents
EU - Ce que Microsoft a modifié dans la version européenne de Vista
(Yahoo News)Microsoft a procédé à quelques modifications pour se conformer aux exigences de Bruxelles. Internet Explorer 7 pourra ainsi être paramétré avec n'importe quel moteur de recherche et le centre dé sécurité sera en partie désactivé.
17 October 2006
EU - Commission takes Sweden to Court for failure to end broadcasting services monopoly
(RAPID)The European Commission has decided to refer Sweden to the European Court of Justice for its failure to change rules giving state-owned company Boxer TV-Access AB a monopoly to provide access control services in Sweden's digital terrestrial broadcasting network. According to the Directive on competition in the markets for electronic communications networks and services (Commission Directive 2002/77/EC), Sweden had to abolish all monopoly rights for broadcasting transmission services by July 2003. However, Sweden has so far failed to abolish Boxer TV-Access AB?s monopoly. The referral to the Court is the final stage of the infringement procedure under Article 226 of the EC Treaty.
16 October 2006
(International Herald Tribune) Google's search engine became a cultural phenomenon and a verb back around 2003. Since then, Google has introduced more than two dozen applications and tools. Last week it bought YouTube, the video-sharing site, one of the most habit-forming services on the Web. The acquisition gives Google's regular users - 41 percent of those who search the Internet - one more reason to feel they are living on Planet Google.
EU - Commission requests Greece to adopt new framework for broadcasting services
(RAPID)The European Commission has formally requested Greece to take the appropriate national measures regarding broadcasting services in order to comply with a Court of Justice ruling of 14th April 2005. The Court ruling confirmed that Greece had failed to transpose within the deadline the electronic communications liberalisation Directive 2002/77/EC. The Commission has asked Greece to reply before the end of December to its request.
EU - RFID: Why we need a European policy
(RAPID)Speech by Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible for Information Society and Media. EU RFID 2006 Conference: Heading for the Future, Brussels, 16 October 2006. see also Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID): Frequently Asked Questions on the Commission?s Public onsultation.
Labels: RFID
EU - Radio tags spark privacy worries
(BBC)A perceived threat to privacy posed by radio tags has emerged as the main fear in an EU study of the technology. Unveiling the study, EU commissioner Viviane Reding said citizens needed re-assuring that radio tags would not lead to large-scale surveillance. Many of those contributing to the EU study also wanted the radio frequency ID tags to be turned off if needed. Ms Reding said she was ready to draft new laws to control how the radio frequency tags could be used.
US - MySpace Predator Caught by Code
(Wired)A police investigation grew from 1,000 lines of computer code I wrote and executed some five months earlier. The automated script searched MySpace's 1 million-plus profiles for registered sex offenders - and soon found one that was back on the prowl for seriously underage boys. MySpace could do more. It should more diligently employ its technical resources to look for the signs of predation, perhaps automatically scanning the contents of private and public messages between adults and children for sexual content, backed up by a manual inspection.
15 October 2006
BE - MSN is latest target of Belgian copyright complaint
(IDG)Looking to avoid Google's legal tangles, Microsoft's MSN division in Belgium is in talks with Copiepresse, a group of newspaper publishers, over the rights to publish their content on its Web site. The group has asked MSN to stop posting Belgian newspaper articles to its Web site without permission.
Labels: Copyright_trademarks_and_patents
(Economist)
The past couple of years have seen a series of huge takeovers and mergers among network operators and makers of telecoms equipment around the world. All of these transactions were prompted by a single underlying trend that has become the industry's new mantra: convergence. What this means, roughly, is the coming together of previously separate communications and entertainment services: fixed and mobile telephony, broadband internet access and television. But more often the word is used in a quasi-mystical way to evoke information heaven.
The past couple of years have seen a series of huge takeovers and mergers among network operators and makers of telecoms equipment around the world. All of these transactions were prompted by a single underlying trend that has become the industry's new mantra: convergence. What this means, roughly, is the coming together of previously separate communications and entertainment services: fixed and mobile telephony, broadband internet access and television. But more often the word is used in a quasi-mystical way to evoke information heaven.
Labels: Convergence, Mobile_and_wireless
IT - Sky football exclusivity extends to Internet
(Repubblica)E' illegale la diffusione gratuita dei link delle partite di calcio sulle quali Sky vanta un diritto di esclusiva. Lo ha stabilito la corte di Cassazione che ha disposto un nuovo processo nei confronti di due milanesi indagati per avere 'illecitamente diffuso e trasmesso via internet eventi sportivi' rispetto ai quali Sky vantava, appunto, l'esclusiva. [Patrizio Menchetti comments: The Italian court of cassation held that it is a criminal offence to link to the web site of a Chinese TV where football matches are streamed which in Italy are protected by exclusive broadcasting rights. The judgment reversed the judgment of a lower court which had acquitted the offenders, who had put the links on their web site, on the basis that the Chinese TV had paid full broacasting rights for the events. The case was raised by Sky TV which broadcasts the events in Italy on an encrypted paying channel].
14 October 2006
US - Gaming firms plan for US upheaval
(BBC)A new law effectively making internet gambling illegal in the US. Legislation which makes it a federal offence for firms to accept or handle money obtained from online gaming in the US was signed into law by President George W Bush. There is still some uncertainty about the scope of the law and how it will be implemented. The government has 270 days in which to issue regulations stating that banks and other institutions must block gaming-related transactions.
EU - European Commission threatens legal action on gambling
(Guardian)The European Commission has threatened legal action against France, Italy and Austria for restricting sports betting and gambling services, including banning foreign online gaming and casino operators. Its move, bringing to nine the number of EU countries whose gambling legislation is under investigation, was hailed as a shot in the arm by the €50bn European betting sector - several of whose leading executives have been prosecuted for offering cross-border services. see Commission Press Release.
EU telecoms rules: 9 new infringement cases opened, while 8 cases go into the second round
(RAPID)The European Commission has opened nine new infringement cases against Member States for possible infringements of EU telecoms rules. The Commission is also sending a reasoned opinion, thereby opening the second stage of infringement proceedings, to eight Member States. The majority of cases in this new round concern a failure to complete market reviews to assess the status of competition on national telecom markets or the lack of caller location information to emergency authorities. The Commission also closed 9 cases, following satisfactory implementation of EU legislation in the Member States concerned. see also New round of infringement proceedings in electronic communications: What are the issues?
(Europa)
To obtain a detailed overview of the legal and economic aspects of gambling and games of chance, the Commission asked the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law to carry out a study into the sector. The study is the result of close to two years work and provides an analysis of the legal regimes governing gambling and games of chance in the European Union. The study also attempts to give indications on the economic development of the sector. The study confirms that in all Member States the sector is subject to rules and regulations aimed at safeguarding public interest objectives. While pursuing broadly similar aims the national laws and regulations vary considerably and often lead to barriers to the freedom to provide services and the freedom of establishment that are incompatible with Community law.
To obtain a detailed overview of the legal and economic aspects of gambling and games of chance, the Commission asked the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law to carry out a study into the sector. The study is the result of close to two years work and provides an analysis of the legal regimes governing gambling and games of chance in the European Union. The study also attempts to give indications on the economic development of the sector. The study confirms that in all Member States the sector is subject to rules and regulations aimed at safeguarding public interest objectives. While pursuing broadly similar aims the national laws and regulations vary considerably and often lead to barriers to the freedom to provide services and the freedom of establishment that are incompatible with Community law.
Labels: Video_games
EU - Commission statement on Microsoft Vista
(RAPID)The European Commission has been informed of Microsoft?s intention to deliver its Vista operating system worldwide, with no delay in Europe. The Commission has not given a 'green light' to Microsoft to deliver Vista because, as the Commission has consistently stated, Microsoft must shoulder its own responsibilities to ensure that Vista is fully compliant with EC Treaty competition rules and in particular with the principles laid down in the March 2004 Commission anti-trust decision concerning Microsoft. In line with the Commission's obligations under the EC Treaty and its practice, the Commission will closely monitor the effects of Vista in the market and, in particular, examine any complaints concerning Vista on their own merits.
UK - Operators switch on mobile TV trial - vnunet.com
(vnunet.com)Mobile operators 3 UK, Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone have launched a joint mobile TV trial. The technology adopted by the firms for the test broadcasts is TDtv. TDtv is designed to enable mobile operators to deliver multiple TV channels to an unlimited number of customers. Mobile operators deploying TDtv would also be able to deliver digital audio, multicast or other IP datacast services.
Labels: Mobile_and_wireless
13 October 2006
Microsoft changes Vista over antitrust concerns
(CNET News)Microsoft said it has made changes to its Windows Vista operating system in response to concerns raised by antitrust officials in Europe and Korea. Microsoft officials said they now feel comfortable that they have addressed the three main concerns European Commission regulators raised last month.
Microsoft Vista licence restrictions hit hardware hard
(The Inquirer)SOFTWARE colossus Microsoft has confirmed that licences for its Vista operating system will be extremely limiting. According to Techweb, the licences will limit the number of times that it is possible to transfer the operating system to another device.
UK - Internet banking security criticised
(BCS)Britain's major banks have been criticized in a new study for failing to adequately protect their online banking customers. A report by Heise Security claims that many ebanking sites contain vulnerabilities and flaws that can be exploited by web criminals. The company also states that security holes can make it easier for phishing scammers to create more convincing attacks and employ frame spoofing techniques.
Change in Windows Vista licensing terms
(Ed Bott's Blog)Microsoft's new Software License Terms says that you may "reassign the license to another device one time" or "make a one time transfer of the software, and this agreement, directly to a third party." That limitation on retail licenses is a remarkable change. Previously, a retail license could be removed from one computer and reinstalled on another with no limits. Now, you get to reinstall one time and one time only.
12 October 2006
US - Class action suit over ID theft tossed out
(CNET News)A federal judge has thrown out a class action lawsuit against Acxiom, which exposed massive amounts of Americans' personal information in a high-profile Internet security snafu three years ago. Even though a spammer had downloaded more than one billion records from the company, U.S. District Judge William Wilson ruled that there was no evidence that Acxiom's purloined database had been used to send junk e-mail or postal mail.
EU - Mandelson mulls WTO case against China over piracy
(OUT-LAW News)European Union trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has threatened to take China to the World Trade Organisation over patent infringements. Mandelson says that he "reserves the right to take a case to the WTO" over patent piracy.
11 October 2006
Google buys YouTube for $1.65bn
(Guardian)Google has acquired YouTube in a $1.65bn all share deal making the 18-month-old video-sharing website one of the fastest internet success stories ever. The deal, which dwarfs the $580m that Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation paid for social networking website MySpace last year, puts Google ahead of its rivals as the internet moves into the video generation. see also Google faces copyright fight over YouTube. Dick Parsons, the chairman and chief executive of Time Warner, fired a shot across the bows of Google, saying his group would pursue its copyright complaints against the video sharing site YouTube.com.
UK - Net crime 'big fear' for Britons
(BBC)More Britons fear net crime than they do burglary, a survey suggests. The Get Safe Online study released by the government found 21% of respondents felt most at risk from net crime, while 16% worried most about being burgled.
UK - Carphone Warehouse buying AOL UK
(BBC)Carphone Warehouse has won the auction to buy the UK's third-largest internet provider, AOL UK. BBC business editor Robert Peston said Carphone Warehouse, owner of the TalkTalk broadband and phone offering, was paying £370m for the operation. AOL UK has 2.1 million customers across the country - 600,000 on dial-up and 1.5 million with broadband connections.
2006-11-01 UK, London The database state?
(Ian Brown)The UK government is pushing ahead with an ambitious programme of wide-spread sharing of personal data and building massive national databases on both adults and children. Is widespread data sharing a panacea for effective 21st century government? Is it legal within the European privacy framework?
2006-11-13 UK, London Blocking Denial of Service Attacks on the Internet
(Communications Research Network)This workshop will bring together a range of experts to discuss technical, legal, regulatory and contractual measures that would have a real effect in reducing Denial of Service attacks on-line. Denial of Service attacks, where high-profile websites are overwhelmed with a flood of traffic from compromised machines on the Internet, are becoming a real problem for UK business and government. Organised criminals are getting involved, using the threat of attacks to extort large sums of money from a range of organisations in the UK and overseas.
10 October 2006
UK - Thousands of Brits fall victim to data theft
(CNET News)U.K. police struggle to contact people whose passwords and credit card details have been stolen. The police said that a computer seized in the U.S. had been found to contain personal information from around 2,300 PCs based in Britain. This included e-mail addresses, passwords, credit card numbers and details of online transactions.
US - Investor outlines SCO-Microsoft link
(CNET News)Microsoft exec discussed ways to "guarantee" $50 million investment in SCO by BayStar Capital, a firm partner says. A former investor in the SCO Group has identified a Microsoft executive who, he said, worked to "backstop" a funding deal that ultimately helped SCO pursue its legal case against the Linux operating system.
09 October 2006
EU - Vote on proposals to harmonise patent litigation across Europe
(Theregister)The European Patent Office (EPO) is ramping up its PR activity ahead of this week's parliamentary vote on proposals to harmonise patent litigation across Europe's states. EPO president Alain Pompidou addressed the annual EPO online services conference in Lisbon arguing for an "enhanced patent culture" in Europe.
Hackers find use for Google Code Search
(IDG News Service)Google has inadvertently given online attackers a new tool. The company's new source-code search engine, unveiled as a tool to help simplify life for developers, can also be misused to search for software bugs, password information and even proprietary code that shouldn't have been posted to the Internet.
EU - European voting machines flawed, easily manipulated
(INQUIRER newsdesk)VOTING MACHINES used in Europe look like they may be as dodgy as those that have caused such a rumpus on the far side of the Pond. A paper published on a Web site named, "Wij vertrouwen stemcomputers niet" (translation: We don't trust voting machines) details a bunch of flaws researchers claim to uncovered in machines used in Holland Germany and France.
EU - Intel expected to face Commission antitrust action
(OUT-LAW News)European competition officials are close to presenting their antitrust case against Intel. The five year investigation of Intel centres on its behaviour in a market that it dominates. The company has 80% of the world's micro chip market and the Commission is investigating whether or not it abused that power.
08 October 2006
(Jonathan Zittrain)
The public's dislike of Icann comes partly from the opinion that it exercises too much control over the internet, but that's not the case.
The public's dislike of Icann comes partly from the opinion that it exercises too much control over the internet, but that's not the case.
Labels: Domain_names
(IPKat)
The Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, published by OUP, is looking for bright, enthusiastic volunteers to review some of the titles that the journal is receiving. The journal also reviews blogs, articles in other journals - even films. If you'd like to be considered for a review, email Jeremy and tell him, in brief, what your areas of interest or expertise are. He'll pass all serious responses on to the Review editor, Phill Johnson, who handles the allocation of reviews in person. If you are an author or publisher and want JIPLP to review your book, read the details .
The Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, published by OUP, is looking for bright, enthusiastic volunteers to review some of the titles that the journal is receiving. The journal also reviews blogs, articles in other journals - even films. If you'd like to be considered for a review, email Jeremy and tell him, in brief, what your areas of interest or expertise are. He'll pass all serious responses on to the Review editor, Phill Johnson, who handles the allocation of reviews in person. If you are an author or publisher and want JIPLP to review your book, read the details .
07 October 2006
ES - Teléfono móvil para educar a niños a partir de seis años
(PC World Digital)Imaginarium ha llegado a un acuerdo con Movistar para el lanzamiento en España de Mo1. Se trata de un teléfono móvil adaptado a niños a partir de seis años y pensado para ayudar a los padres a educar a sus hijos en el correcto uso de este sistema de comunicación, cada vez más presente en la vida familiar de la sociedad actual.
US - Magazine and schools to help MySpace educate parents
(Reuters)Social-networking site MySpace.com plans to unveil a campaign to educate parents, schools and teenagers about Internet safety as it moves to protect many of its young users. MySpace will announce a partnership with Seventeen magazine, the National School Boards Association and the National Association of Independent Schools to offer parents tips on how to protect minors online.
Labels: Social_networking
EU - Commission requests more market data on the German wholesale leased lines markets
(Europa)The Commission has informed the German telecom regulator Bundesnetzagentur ("BNetzA") that it has serious doubts as regards the compatibility of the notified draft measures for the German wholesale leased lines markets with Community law. It will call for and assess further market data from BNetzA and market players. On the basis of the additional data received, the Commission will decide whether BNetzA will need to withdraw or whether it can adopt the proposed regulatory measure.
UK - British politician falls victim to cybersquatters
(Reuters)The leader of Britain's Conservative Party has fallen victim to cybersquatters and some people trying to access his Internet blog have found themselves entering the world of a little-known Australian poet. David Cameron, modernizing leader of the opposition party, launched his blog www.webcameron.org.uk over the weekend in a bid to appeal to younger voters and revamp the image of his party. But the party did not take the precaution, common in such circumstances, of securing the domains of similar Web site names including www.webcameron.info and www.webcameron.co.uk.
World's largest banks join forces to stamp out child internet porn
(Guardian)Large banks in the UK are being asked to join a financial coalition against child pornography, and back its 'light a million candles' awareness campaign, by Standard Chartered, the London-based bank which does most of its business in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and which led the series of meetings at the IMF. Mike DeNoma, Standard Chartered's head of consumer finance, wrote to the British Bankers' Association urging it to join the international campaign.
Labels: Child_abuse_images
06 October 2006
EU - Commission begins public consultation on media literacy
(RAPID)To cultivate and improve media literacy in the digital age, the European Commission has opened an EU-wide survey of best practices, and will set out its findings and proposals in a Communication in 2007. The survey questionnaire seeks the public's views on media literacy in connection with digital technologies, and information about initiatives in commercial communications, film and the online world. The deadline for replies is 15 December.
Google launches literacy portal
(BBC)Search engine Google has launched a portal to connect literacy organisations around the world. The Literacy Project enables teachers, organisations, and those interested in literacy to use the internet to search for and share literacy information. Users can search for information in digitised books and academic articles, and share information through blogs, videos and groups.
EU - Music licensing for the 21st century
(RAPID)Speech by Charlie McCreevy, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Music Publishers' Congress Brussels, 3 October 2006.
EU - Commission renders commitments by music publishers and collecting societies legally binding
(RAPID)The European Commission has made legally binding under EC Treaty competition rules the commitments given by the five major music publishers (BMG, EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner) and thirteen European collecting societies (AEPI, AustroMechana, GEMA, MCPS, MCPSI, NCB, SABAM, SDRM, SGAE, SIAE, SPA, STEMRA, SUISA), the signatories of the Cannes Extension Agreement, regarding Central Licensing Agreements. The commitments ensure that record producers can continue to receive rebates from collecting societies on royalties paid in the context of Central Licensing Agreements. These rebates are currently the only form of price competition among collecting societies.
Passenger data deal for US and EU
(BBC)The US and the European Union have struck a new deal for sharing airline passenger data. The new interim agreement will replace a deal struck down by the European Court of Justice in May. EU officials described the deal, as a "very important result" for the EU.
05 October 2006
UK - Child plea made to games industry
(BBC)A government minister has made a plea to the games industry to get involved in the debate surrounding children and playing videogames. Experts recently warned that young people were spending too many hours in front of consoles and missing out on healthy childhoods. Creative industries minister Shaun Woodward said the industry had to deal with its image problem. He added that videogames also had a vital role to play in the UK economy.
Labels: Video_games
04 October 2006
Music online: new content and services for the digital age
(Europa)Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible for Information Society and Media, 1st Music Publishers' EU Congress, Brussels, 3rd October 2006
03 October 2006
ICANN - Commission welcomes move towards full private-sector management
(RAPID)The United States government's decision to give more autonomy to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was welcomed by the European Commission. On 30 September, a highly prescriptive Memorandum of Understanding between the US Department of Commerce and ICANN expired. It has now been replaced by lighter arrangements intended to end definitely by 2009. The European Commission has been working for several years on a system of internet governance entrusted fully to the private sector without government interference in the internet's day-to-day management.
EU - Commission announces support for media-literacy mission
(EurActiv)The European Charter for Media Literacy, set up to help citizens play a full role in 21st-century European culture, democracy and social life has been endorsed by the Commission. The charter website at www.euromedialiteracy.eu has been online since April 2006 and has already collected more than 100 signatories from a wide range of countries, institutions and individuals.
02 October 2006
EU welcomes autonomy plan for Net governance
(CNET)The European Commission welcomed on Monday U.S. government moves to make the company that manages Internet domain names independent by 2009, but said it would monitor the process carefully.
Labels: Domain_names
EU - European Commission to review Distance Selling Directive
(OUT-LAW News)Consumer confidence in cross-border retailing may have been undermined by the rash of laws that followed the European Commission's Distance Selling Directive, according to Europe's consumer protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou. The Commission has announced that it will conduct a review of the Directive to assess how much it needs to be updated. The Directive, which is critical in laying down the legal parameters of internet retailing in Europe, was passed in 1997.
US Government lobbied EU Commissioner on Microsoft's behalf
(OUT-LAW News)The US Government directly lobbied the EU's Competition Commissioner in an attempt to influence her on Microsoft's behalf. Commissioner Neelie Kroes has said that the intervention was not welcome and that that behaviour is "not done". Kroes went ahead and fined Microsoft ?280.5 million in July.
ICANN : Internet control 'nears autonomy'
(BBC)Icann looks after many of the net's basic functions The US government says it will maintain oversight of the internet but with far less hands-on involvement.
