general internet news - 25 August

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*Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre 
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*Nanyang Technological University, Singapore    *
*http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/			          *
*Internet in Asia blog: sirc.blogspot.com		          *
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***********************
CENSORSHIP & CONTENT REGULATION
***********************
Yahoo must face French legal action
In a decision that could expose U.S.-based Web sites
to free speech laws of other nations, a federal
appeals court on Monday found that Yahoo could not
escape legal action in France for violating a French
ban on the sale of Nazi-related items.

http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/9480237.htm

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,10551330%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html

http://news.findlaw.com/ap_stories/high_tech/1700/8-24-2004/20040824063005_71.html
 http://iht.com/articles/535636.html

http://reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=ABMAO351DP0EGCRBAEOCFFA?type=internetNews&storyID=6050177
US-Gericht: Yahoo an französisches Recht gebunden
 http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/50310

http://newsbyte.ch/start.cfm?gruppe=news&rubrik=alle&startid=61898&action=1

Iran blocks three reformist websites (req req'd)

http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/24/1093246498879.html

Looking Behind the "Great Firewall" of China
A new bulletin from the OpenNet Initiative (a research
partnership of the Citizen Lab, the Berkman Center,
and the Advanced Network Research Group) peels back
some of the layers of Internet censorship in China.
ONI researchers conducted a probe of the filtering
practices of the two most popular search engines in
China, Baidu.com and Yisou.com, and found a complex
matrix of content-blocking that extends beyond
filtering search results. In searching for various
combinations of the words "free" and "Tibet," the
study reveals that certain searches found no results
while others do lead to websites, most of which are
then blocked through upstream filtering. This initial
study sheds some light on what might be the most
advanced regime of Internet filtering.

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/home?wid=10&func=viewSubmission&sid=415

United States and censorship
The world's dominant Internet player, the United
States sees itself as the champion of online free
expression. But US legislation has increasingly
trampled on the civil liberties of Internet users
since the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United
States. And US senators, while launching a programme
to combat Internet censorship worldwide, refuse to
rein in US companies that help equip dictatorships
with online surveillance and filtering equipment.
 http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10612

us: L.A. Imposes Regulations on Cybercafes
A new city law designed to prevent violence at
cybercafes quietly took effect Saturday, but
authorities had no inspections planned to check for
compliance with the tighter rules.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23542-2004Aug22.html

*******************
LEGAL AND SECURITY
*******************
DCIA Members Lead Initiative to Deter (news release)
The Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA)
is expanding its initiative to combat child
pornography through law enforcement support,
deterrence, and user education programs. The DCIA is a
trade association dedicated to the advancement of file
sharing to benefit consumers as well as technology and
entertainment companies.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-22-2004/0002236444&EDATE=
 http://crime-research.org/news/23.08.2004/582/

Polish Cops Bust 100-Member Computer Piracy Gang
Polish police have broken up a gang of more than 100
hackers who sold pirated music and films, using
academic computer systems around the world to store
their wares, a police spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

http://reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=G0GLKBDIQQ0DOCRBAEOCFFA?type=technologyNews&storyID=6058171

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,10551302%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html

Big German banks hit by phishing attacks
Fraudsters discover the non-English speaking world

http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/UNID/8FCBBD5A5282016ECC256EFA00164FBF

******
POLICY
******
us: Regulatory Uncertainty Stifling Internet
Innovation, CEOs Say
The lack of clear direction for regulation of advanced
IP and telecom services is holding back corporate and
public-market investments in the field, industry
leaders said.

http://internetweek.com/allStories/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=29116949

*****
SPAM
*****
US tops league of e-mail spammers
The US is the biggest spammer, despite efforts to
combat unwanted e-mail, according to net security
experts.
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3593702.stm

nz: Submissions favour spam law
Submissions received in response to a government
discussion document are overwhelmingly in favour of
making it illegal to send spam but show differing
views on how spam should be defined.
 http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3010964a28,00.html

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_technology_story_skin/442715?format=html

************
INTERNET USE
************
Samoa plans internet for all
The Pacific island nation of Samoa is looking to the
internet as a way of developing its economy.
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3590354.stm

us: Users Connect Online with Offline
By integrating online and offline activities, Internet
users have been able to extend their reach beyond
their previously one-dimensional capabilities. A late
2003 study conducted by Pew Internet & American Life
Project found that the majority of Internet users have
become reliant on the Internet for a number of tasks,
but some activities are better conducted offline.

http://www.clickz.com/stats/big_picture/demographics/article.php/3398361

au: Website spells end to teacher's 35-year career
(reg req'd)
Greg Frawley has taught for 35 years, but after being
named last month on a student website he doubts he
will enter a classroom again.

http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/25/1093246581969.html

Web scribe ranks Olympic losers
For those who believe the adage "all Olympic athletes
are winners," a Canadian man has dedicated the past 10
days to proving you wrong. At his "blog" site
(http://www.mcwetboy.net/dfl), Jonathan Crowe has been
chronicling those Olympic athletes who finished dead
last in their respective events.

http://reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=ABMAO351DP0EGCRBAEOCFFA?type=internetNews&storyID=6058280

Germans shun violent video games
Germans' reluctance to play violent video games and to
spend much in a subdued consumer climate are proving
stubborn obstacles to the growth of Europe's
least-developed games market.

http://reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=ABMAO351DP0EGCRBAEOCFFA?type=internetNews&storyID=6045615

******************
ONLINE MUSIC & P2P
******************
Record companies, schmecord companies say the Pixies
College radio favourites the Pixies are back, having
recently reformed and released the first new song in
13 years, ''Bam Thwok" as a download exclusively on
the iTunes.
 http://dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=2706

******************
RESEARCH ARTICLES
******************
us: The Internet as a Unique News Source: Millions go
online for news and images not covered in the
mainstream press
During some of the most turbulent weeks of the Iraq
war nearly one quarter of Internet users (24%) went
online to view some of most graphic war images that
were deemed too gruesome or horrific for newspapers
and television to display. Further, of those who have
seen the images, 28% actively sought them out.

http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/130/report_display.asp

http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_News_Images_July04.pdf
(report)

************************
COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
************************
Internet2: 2004 and beyond
High-bandwidth, low-latency Internet2 network
showcases what's coming soon for the average Net user

http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040824.gtnet2aug24/BNStory/Technology/

http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/0,2000061702,39157237,00.htm

Linux guide designed for developing nations
A United Nations-funded organization has produced a
Linux desktop manual for novice PC users as part of an
effort to encourage developing countries to use
open-source software.

http://news.com.com/Linux+guide+designed+for+developing+nations/2100-1016_3-5322002.html

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020390,39164367,00.htm

Browser campaign slams IE
A group that prodded browser makers toward better
standards compliance is urging people to abandon
Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

http://news.com.com/Browser+campaign+slams+IE/2100-1032_3-5322759.html

us: Google at Bottom of ISS Governance Ranking
Google Inc. tried to democratize the IPO process
through its unusual auction, but its corporate
governance is anything but shareholder-friendly,
according to an influential proxy adviser.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GOOGLE_GOVERNANCE?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Esther Dyson: Google's courageous, clumsy debut
Contrary to many on Wall Street, Release 1.0 editor
Esther Dyson believes the Google IPO worked. Here are
her ideas about what went right - and what this highly
publicised offering will mean to future floats.
 http://comment.silicon.com/0,39024711,39123363,00.htm

Microsoft Quits a U.N. Standards Group
Microsoft withdrew from a United Nations software
standards group for commerce, citing "business
reasons."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/24/technology/24soft.html
 http://iht.com/articles/535590.html

Email still trumped by face-to-face communication
Email often leads to misunderstandings, while
face-to-face and phone communications are still quite
popular, according to a government survey.

http://management.silicon.com/itpro/0,39024675,39123329,00.htm

Athens 2004 website restrictions spark legal debate
Olympic organizers in Athens seeking to control which
websites can link to the official Games site have
detailed a procedure that runs roughshod over the
free-linking foundation of the Internet, legal
observers say.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040820.gtrolym20/BNStory/

We're ready for Olympics on Web, but IOC isn't
Television viewers now have more choice in watching
the Olympic Games than ever before, but the coverage
is still a long way from the holy grail of couch
potato athletes: being able to watch any Olympic event
you want, live, in its entirety.

http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040824.wwebol0824/BNStory/Business/

************************
CHILD PROTECTION ARRESTS
************************
au: Student jailed under Net sex laws
A STUDENT was jailed yesterday under Queensland's new
child sex Internet laws, despite claims police had
"inspired" him to commit the majority of his offences.

http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10544865%255E421,00.html

ca: Three men face child-porn charges
Three men have been arrested on child-pornography
charges in three days. Each arrest stemmed from a
separate investigation, said Detective Ian Lamond of
the Toronto police force's child-exploitation section.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1093299011345&call_pageid=976163513378&col=969048863474

ca: olice make multiple child pornography arrests
During the week of Aug. 16 to 22, 2004, the child
exploitation section of the sex crimes unit charged
three residents of Toronto with child pornography
offences.

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=5cc50e87-3475-42d7-baae-dee0845d1a07

German police accused of swapping email porn (reg
req'd)
Twenty-four German police officers suspected of using
office computers to exchange pornographic emails and
messages have been placed under investigation.

http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/25/1093246580473.html

de: Pornografische Bilder auf Bremer Polizei-Computern
Mehrere Bedienstete der Polizei Bremen haben die
Computer an ihren Arbeitsplätzen dazu benutzt,
"Material, das den Grenzbereich zwischen erlaubten
Abbildungen und pornografischen Darstellungen
überschritten haben könnte", per E-Mail zu
verschicken. Das teilt die Pressestelle der Polizei
Bremen mit. Betroffen seien insgesamt etwa 80
Polizeibeamte, wobei gegen 24 von ihnen ein
Ermittlungsverfahren der Staatsanwaltschaft Bremen
eingeleitet worden ist.
 http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/50324

us: Defense in child porn case wants evidence out
Software that erases information from a computer hard
drive was running when police arrived at Joshua
Delcore's home looking for child pornography, a
detective said during a court hearing Monday.

http://www.dailyherald.com/cook/main_story.asp?intID=38223118

us: Hundreds will honor slain Broward officer
The jailed boyfriend of accused killer Kenneth Wilk
said Monday he thinks law enforcement harbored a
vendetta against the couple that caused his partner to
snap on Thursday, leaving one Broward County sheriff's
deputy dead and another injured. ... Jones and Wilk
appear to have developed a persecution complex toward
police officers after the Law Enforcement Against
Child Harm, or LEACH, Task Force first arrested Jones
in an undercover sting in February 2001.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pcfatta24aug24,0,4998326.story

us: Man facing 29 additional counts of child
pornography
A rural Rapid City man charged in April with
possessing child pornography now faces 29 additional
counts.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2004/08/24/news/local/news08.txt

us: Trucker arrested on child pornography charges
F-B-I agents says a trucker has been arrested on child
pornography charges after he tried to develop film at
a Woodland Wal-Mart.
 http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=2214774

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/10491213p-11410535c.html

us: Man facing 29 additional counts of child
pornography
A rural Rapid City man charged in April with
possessing child pornography now faces 29 additional
counts.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2004/08/24/news/local/news08.txt

us: $10 million bond in ex-UAB computer specialist
child porn case
Bond was increased to $10 million for a former
University of Alabama at Birmingham computer
specialist accused of possessing child pornography.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040824/APN/408240992

us: Ex-Quakertown priest admits possessing child porn
A former Quakertown priest pleaded guilty to child
pornography charges on Monday, the day before his
trial was set to begin, according to federal
prosecutors.

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-priest0824,0,4224102.story

us: Priest To Plead Guilty To Child Porn Charges
A Roman Catholic priest agreed to plead guilty to
child pornography charges on Monday, the day before
his trial was set to begin, federal prosecutors said.

http://kyw.com/Local%20News/local_story_237115230.html

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-08242004-353856.html
 http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=2211191

us: Ex-Barrington High coach snared in pornography
sting
A wide-ranging sting by a bureau of the Department of
Homeland Security resulted in the arrests of hundreds
of alleged purchasers of child pornography.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/city/w24delcore.htm

Former USA professor gets short sentence in child porn
case
A retired University of South Alabama professor, who
pleaded guilty to possessing 10 computer discs of
child pornography, was sentenced to one year and a day
in federal prison, much shorter than prosecutors
sought.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040824/APN/408240837
 http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=2212565

us: November trial set in child porn case
A Rhinelander man accused of possession of child
pornography is headed for trial. During a brief
appearance in Oneida County Circuit County Tuesday
attorneys representing Paul D. Mack, 31, and the state
of Wisconsin, told the court they have been unable to
negotiate a plea bargain in the case.

http://rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2004/08/24/news/local_news/news3.txt

us: Man Convicted Of Possessing Child Pornography
An Excelsior man was convicted Friday of three felony
counts of possessing child pornography.
 http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_234141458.html

us: Three men charged in child porn cases
Door County authorities have cracked a string of child
pornography and exploitation cases in recent weeks.
Two Fish Creek men and one Sturgeon Bay man have been
charged during the last three weeks in the alleged
crimes based on information developed by the Door
County Sheriff’s Department.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/local_17481702.shtml


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Sources include Quicklinks (www.qlinks.net) and BNA
Internet Law News (www.bna.com/ilaw)".

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(c) David Goldstein 2004

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