auDA Domain Name News - Aug 20
20/Aug/2008
auDA Domain Name News is compiled by David Goldstein on auDA's behalf. The views expressed in the news items linked from auDA's website (Linked Documents), do not necessarily reflect the views of auDA. auDA does not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information contained in the Linked Documents, and assumes no liability to any person for any reliance placed upon any information contained in the Linked Documents.
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GOVERNANCE
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If you thought the internet was cool, wait until it goes space age by Vint Cerf
A founding father of the web says it's come a long way, but its potential for worldwide change can and will be greater still: The internet is still very young. It was only November 1977 when a group of computer scientists successfully connected three networks around the world, including one at University College London. It took until 1989 for the internet to become commercially available and about another decade after that for it to achieve widespread household use in Europe and the United States. Only then did we emerge from what I think of as the 'internet comma' days, when its mention in the media was always followed by a comma and a short description.
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/17/internet.google
www.telekritika.ua/daidzhest/2008-08-19/40076
Internet rights should be more prominent in IGF by Milton Mueller
There’s some concern that basic human rights to free expression, privacy, and other civil liberties might be getting pushed too far away from the center of the UN Internet Governance Forum’s (IGF) meeting agenda.
blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/16/3840677.html
India to host next UN global internet meet
The 3rd United Nations Meet on Internet Governance, to be held in Hyderabad later this year, will be on the theme of ‘Internet for All’.
www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k8/aug/aug148.php
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DOMAIN NAMES
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- ICANN
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The Future of ICANN: A Series of Regional Consultative Meetings
A series of regional consultative meetings about crucial changes to ICANN will take place over the next three months in an effort to reach out to and involve the organization’s global stakeholders.
icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15aug08-en.htm
Business seeks greater input into ICANN’s transition [news release]
ICC’s Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT) and Task Force on Internet and Telecoms Infrastructure and Services (ITIS) today called for greater business participation in ICANN, which is undergoing transformation.
iccwbo.org/policy/ebitt/index.html?id=23032
ICANN backs auction of disputed domains
The body behind the internet's addressing systems has said that it will settle disputes over who wins the right to new generic top level domains (gTLDs) by auction. ICANN has said that auctions will be used if two organisations vying for the right to a gTLD are tied on other grounds.
out-law.com/page-9356
www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/19/icann_backs_domain_auctions/
ICANN's Allocation Method for New TLDs by Alex Tajirian
ICANN recently commissioned a report from Power Auctions LLC to investigate the merits of auctioning new TLDs. Below I outline some of the issues related to stakeholder interests and mechanism design.
www.circleid.com/posts/icanns_allocation_method_for_new_tlds/
ICANN study favors auctions for new gTLDs
Are auctions the best solution for allocating a new TLD when there are several applicants? A study commissioned by ICANN and now made public says yes.
domainesinfo.fr/english/217/icann-study-favors-auctions-for-new-gtlds.php
ICANN auction policy raises serious questions
Under the latest ICANN's policy, who would like to bid the highest amount for the exclusive global rights to the new domain suffix .dubai? Such a suffix will create a powerful domain root that will corner some 180 services underneath it, like go.dubai, hotel.dubai, job.dubai, cars.dubai or fly.dubai. Who would be the next global cyber-branding leader of this new millennium?
www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/82/27438.html
Top Level Domains Face Auction
ICANN has announced that it proposes to settle disputes over who wins the rights to new top level domains by auction.
www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/5182-Top-Level-Domains-Face-Auction.htm
On the Pressing Need for a Signed Root by PIR
Attacks on the security of the Internet have been much in the news lately, and there is an increased urgency to take the technical steps to combat these attacks. .ORG has been doing its part to lead this process by taking introductory steps to implement DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions).
www.circleid.com/posts/88183_pressing_need_for_a_signed_root/
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- ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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A Case Study of Closing Down Spamvertised .hk Domains Registered in Hong Kong
With the implementation of a rapid delisting measure to handle spamvertised domains by the Hong Kong Domain Name Registration Company Limited (HKDNR) and the Office of the Telecommunications Authority of Hong Kong (OFTA), the number of spamvertised and phishing .hk domain names dropped drastically in July 2007.
www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=sa&id=1360
KENIC reduces cost of '.ke' domains [IDG]
Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC), the administrator of .ke top-level domains has reduced the cost of noncommercial domains and plans to reduce the cost of all domains within three years.
computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/08/18/kenic-reduces-cost-ke-domains
www.networkworld.com/news/2008/081808-kenic-reduces-cost-of-ke.html
cio.com/article/444446/KENIC_Reduces_Cost_of_.Ke_Domains
Telnic drafts in Edelman
Online phonebook outfit Telnic has hired Edelman as its retained global PR agency.
www.prweek.com/uk/sectors/publicsector/article/839577/telnic-drafts-edelman/
Sunrise for .tel Set for December 2008
Registration of a .tel domain will enable companies to provide a searchable list of their contact information in one location, somewhat of a universal online address book.
www.melbourneitdbs.com/news.php?article=4&title=Sunrise%20for%20.tel%20Set%20for%20December%202008&year=2008&month=08
750,000 .se domains has been registrered [news release]
.SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) ... has registered .SE domain number 750,000 - tailorrama.se. Magnus Kronqvist in Gothenburg registrered the domain name just after midnight on August 8, to be used by Tailor-Rama, a web site were you will be able to by tailormade clothes.
iis.se/about/press?id=154
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- DNS SECURITY
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Battle for South Ossetia fought in cyberspace
The six-day war between Russia and Georgia may have seemed a scruffy, bloody, almost 19th-century nationalist conflict, but it saw the deployment of what will be a major weapon in the wars of the future: the internet. South Ossetia was, say experts in both technology and military studies, the world's first cyberwar.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/battle-for-south-ossetia-fought-in-cyberspace-899772.html
An Army of Ones and Zeroes - How I became a soldier in the Georgia-Russia cyberwar by Evgeny Morozov
As Russian and Georgian troops fight on the ground, there's a parallel war happening in cyberspace. In recent weeks, Georgia's government Web sites have been besieged by denial-of-service attacks and acts of vandalism. Just like in traditional warfare, there's a lot of confusion about what's going on in this technological battle—nobody seems to know whether this is a centralized Russian attack, the work of a loose band of hackers, or something else. Having read so many contradicting accounts, I knew that the only reliable way to find out what was really happening was to enlist in the Russian digital army myself.
www.slate.com/id/2197514/
Georgia cyberattacks lead to questions about risk to US
Much of the cyberwarfare discussion over the past week has focused directly on Georgia, but the United States may be just as vulnerable. Shifting security scenarios and the rapid pace of worldwide technological advancement are factors that make it dangerous for America—or any country—to rest on its security laurels.
arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080818-georgia-cyberattacks-lead-to-questions-about-risk-to-us.html
Anti-Georgia spammers building new botnet [IDG]
Hackers targeting Georgia in the midst of its conflict with Russia have started sending out a new batch of malicious spam messages, apparently with the aim of building a new botnet network of remote-controlled computers.
computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/DF8EE5F7E50AC803CC2574A800729C80
computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1930835245
VeriSign Reveals First of Its Kind Real-Time Protection Against ‘Pump and Dump’ Stock Trading Fraud [news release]
Perpetrators of “pump and dump” stock manipulation schemes are facing new barriers, thanks to new protection from stock trading fraud. The safeguard was unveiled today by VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world.
www.verisign.com/press_releases/pr/page_044055.html
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- DOMAIN DISPUTES
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WIPO Decision on nrma.mobi
www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2008/d2008-0872.html
Typosquatting as Corporate Espionage [PC World]
Typosquatting, that seedy practice of registering domain names similar to legit sites but with typos in the name, has a new twist.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/14/AR2008081402990.html
au: Pastor nets premier websites [AAP]
A central Queensland church pastor has bought two internet domains bearing the name of Premier Anna Bligh. Pastor David Alley, of the Mountain of the Lord Christian Church in Mount Morgan, bought the domains annabligh.org and annabligh.net last September, just as Ms Bligh took over from Peter Beattie.
www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,24200014-5003402,00.html
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24200014-12377,00.html
www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Qld-pastor-buys-AnnaBligh-net/0,130061791,339291330,00.htm
Trying To Cash In On Bond - IanFleming.com UDRP
One of the more recent WIPO decisions caught my eye as it was for the domain ianfleming.com
www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/08/13/trying-to-cash-in-on-bond-ianflemingcom-udrp/
Eurekapd.org a lesson in domain-name awareness
If nuts and kernels, leather garments or electric shavers are of interest, www.eurekapd.org has what you’re looking for. Despite no longer being operated by the actual Eureka Police Department after the ownership of the Web address was allowed to expire in September 2007, the now-Russian-owned eurekapd.org is currently listed as “the official site of the Eureka Police Department” and has links to advertisements for a variety of goods for sale.
eurekareporter.com/article/080817-eurekapdorg-a-lesson-in-domain-name-awareness
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- IPv4/IPv6
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Death knell looms for IPv4
The global explosion of technology as the new medium for business could grind to a halt within 18 to 30 months as Internet addresses dry up. Australia's telecommunications experts say the rapid exhaustion of available IP addresses is comparable to the global food and petrol shortage, but has largely slipped beneath the radar of those outside the coal face of IT.
computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;44197467
Arbor: Nobody's Transitioning to IPv6
Arbor Networks has released the largest analysis to date of IPv6 traffic on the Internet…and finds there's almost none. During July 2008, there was about 600 Mbps of interdomain IPv6 traffic measured on the Internet, compared to four Tbps of old-school IPv4 Internet traffic. Put another way, IPv6 traffic accounted for just 0.0026 percent of total Internet traffic for the month.
news.digitaltrends.com/news-article/17596/arbor-nobody-s-transitioning-to-ipv6
We're running out of IPv4 addresses. Time for IPv6. Really.
A little over a year ago, I wrote an article about the IPv4 address consumption with the subtitle IPv4 Address Space: 2.46 Billion Down, 1.25 Billion to Go. A week ago, we reached the magic number of 2.7 billion IPv4 addresses used. With 3.7 billion possible addresses,¹ this means we now have less than a billion unused IPv4 addresses left.
arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080817-were-running-out-of-ipv4-addresses-time-for-ipv6-really.html
Largest Study to Date of IPv6 Traffic on the Internet
Security and network management company, Arbor Networks, in partnership with more than ninety network services and content providers from around the world, has published an extensive study of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) traffic on the Internet.
www.circleid.com/posts/88181_largest_study_of_ipv6_traffic/
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- MISCELLANEOUS
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An Interview with Xavier Buck, co-founder and CEO of EuroDNS
DomainInformer: Mr. Buck, would you tell us a few words about yourself and your professional background? How long have you been working in the domain industry?
www.domaininformer.com/interviews/interview/0808InterviewWithXavierBuck.html
New TLDs: Business as Usual for EuroDNS! by Xavier Buck
Over the last weeks a number of people wondered about “the ICANN Paris announcement on new extensions ”(1) and how it could affect the market in general and our projects in particular.
www.domaininformer.com/guides/General_Information/articles/080815BusinessasUsualforEuroDNS.html
ARIN Board Adopts Policy Proposal 2007-17
On 11 August 2008, the ARIN Board of Trustees adopted the following policy proposal as amended by the ARIN Advisory Council: 2007-17: Legacy Outreach and Partial Reclamation: The AC removed the following sentence: "ARIN should reject any transaction which staff judges is not in the interests of the community." The AC replaced that sentence with: "Transactions should only be accepted under this policy if they are in the interests of the community (e.g. they improve aggregation or result in a net reclamation of space)."
www.arin.net/announcements/20080815.html
Melbourne IT on track for profit growth [AAP]
Domain name manager and online services provider Melbourne IT Ltd says it is on track to deliver a sixth consecutive year of growth in revenue and profit after booking a 20 per cent lift in half year profit.
www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=507449
Melbourne IT spends up on systems
Domain name and hosting specialist Melbourne IT today unveiled plans to embark on a year-long major technology refresh project, targeting everything from its accounting, billing and provisioning systems to its storage network and data centre.
www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Melbourne-IT-spends-up-on-systems/0,130061791,339291367,00.htm
Domain-name owner sees link to profits in towns' old Web sites
$2.6 million. If pizza could rake in those numbers, how much do you think Somers Point is worth? The very first thing that comes up when you do a Google search for Somers Point, N.J., is the old Somers Point city Web site - and now that site, along with the old, out-of-use sites for Northfield, Linwood and Ocean City, can be yours for the right price.
www.pressofatlanticcity.com/179/story/231496.html
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- DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Update: Domain Parking Still Converting
Here’s more proof that domain parking converts for advertisers. About a month ago I wrote about how the domain channel at Google was converting well for me, even though a number of advertisers would tell you otherwise.
domainnamewire.com/2008/08/15/update-domain-parking-still-converting/
Howe About That! The Inside Story of One Man's Rise From Low Budget Domain Flipper to Million Dollar Dealmaker
I've known Page Howe ever since he showed up on DNForum.com in early 2003 looking to rebound from a .com bust that had decimated his extensive Internet business ventures. Howe was there hoping to climb his way back up the ladder by buying domains, often for under $100, and flipping them for $1,000 or more.
dnjournal.com/cover/2008/august.htm
Dutch Treat: Shoppen.nl Gives ccTLD From the Netherlands the Top Spot on This Week's Domain Sales Chart
No six-figure blockbuster sales were reported this week, leaving the door open for a pair of non .com domains to slip into the first two spots on our latest Top 20 chart. The #1 position goes to Shoppen.nl ("shopping" in Dutch), a ccTLD representing the Netherlands, that commanded €45,000 ($69,750) in a private transaction. The same Amsterdam based buyer also purchased #13 Shoppen.com for €13,000 ($20,150) at Sedo.com this week giving them a lock on the Dutch keyword.
dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales08-12-08.htm
Oversee.net Cuts 10% of Employees
Oversee.net has confirmed that the company has let go of 10% of its staff as of Friday. The company blames the downturn in the economy. A spokesperson told SocalTech “the cuts were in response to the general economic weakness and pressures in the industry.” According to the report cuts were made across all divisions including SnapNames, DomainSponsor and Moniker.
www.domainnamenews.com/news/overseenet-cuts-10-of-employees/1987
Analysis: Oversee.net Cutbacks a Sign of the Times
Oversee cuts 10%; domain companies need to tighten the ship.
domainnamewire.com/2008/08/18/analysis-overseenet-cutbacks-a-sign-of-the-times/
