auDA Domain Name News - 18 January
18/Jan/2010
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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Internet Governance 2010: Future Of The IGF, Competition Among Institutions [sub req'd]
The future design of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the role of the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in internet governance and the ability of ICANN to resolve issues from new generic top-level domains to further internationalisation - these are the top policy issues in internet governance in 2010 and they are all linked to the question about how many governments and how much “multi-stakeholderism“ effective internet governance needs.
www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2010/01/15/internet-governance-2010-future-of-the-igf-competition-among-institutions/
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DOMAIN NAMES
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- ICANN
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Public Comment Requested on Draft 2010-2013 Strategic Plan
As the next element of consultation on the Strategic Plan, ICANN invites comments from the community on a first draft of the plan based on material presented to the community at the Seoul meeting. In particular, we are seeking the views of the community on the following issues:
icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-01dec09-en.htm
Bulk Transfer of Hosting365 Inc. Domains to Blacknight Internet Solutions Ltd
ICANN has authorized a bulk transfer of Hosting365 Inc.’s gTLD domain names to Blacknight Internet Solutions Ltd., due to a compliance action taken by ICANN that resulted in the de-accreditation of registrar Hosting365 Inc.
icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15jan10-en.htm
Call for Applicants for the Position of Volunteer Review Team Member
The Affirmation of Commitments calls for a periodic review of four key ICANN objectives, namely: 1. Ensuring accountability, transparency and the interests of global Internet users; 2. Preserving security, stability and resiliency of the DNS; 3. Promoting competition, consumer trust and consumer choice; 4. Whois policy.
icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-13jan10-en.htm
Debate swirls around ICANN plan to fast-track new top-level domains
A controversial plan to introduce hundreds of new top-level domains into the Internet has reached a crossroads: The plan will either be accelerated or delayed based on public comments due at the end of January.
www.networkworld.com/news/2010/011510-icann-domain.html
www.itworld.com/networking/92932/debate-swirls-around-icann-plan-fast-track-new-top-level-domains
www.thestandard.com/news/2010/01/15/debate-swirls-around-icann-plan-fast-track-new-top-level-domains
news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=32F3DC89-1A64-6A71-CE227FEDD3F23F75
www.cio.com/article/516913/Debate_Swirls_Around_ICANN_Plan_to_Fast_Track_New_Top_Level_Domains
China, a Country which has turned into a Rogue State
The recent incidents that have indicated that the Chinese Government is behind attacks on the Indian Prime Minsiter’s Office, trying to steal sensitive information is yet another indication that China poses a serious risk to the Global order through its pursuance of the “Cyber Super Power” doctrine. ... As a part of this strategy, India should move for isolation of China from Cyber Space by working thorugh ICANN so that China is prevented from tapping into any Internet data from outside its borders without surveillance from the global alliance.
www.bloggernews.net/123545
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- ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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Situation in Haiti and the DNS - .HT domain continues to function by Kim Davies
We have received a lot of communication concerning the devastation in Haiti, particularly its impact on Internet function and the .HT top-level domain. Here are the basic facts:
blog.icann.org/2010/01/haiti/
.HT ccTLD Continues to Function Despite Impact of Earthquake
Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti this week telecommunication services have been hit hard, like all other aspects of infrastructure. However writing on the ICANN blog, Kim Davies says the .HT ccTLD has largely continued to function.
goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10099
www.domainpulse.com/2010/01/16/ht-cctld-continues-to-function-despite-impact-of-haiti-earthquake/
Haiti Top Level Domain Mostly Functional
In the wake of earthquakes in Haiti, the country’s top level domain name remains functional with some limitations, ICANN reported on its blog today.
domainnamewire.com/2010/01/14/haiti-top-level-domain-mostly-functional/
FCCN makes .PT more secure and is among the first ccTLDs in the world to use DNSSEC
At the very beginning of 2010, the FCCN (Foundation for National Scientific Computing), the entity that manages the DNS system for attributing domain names on the Internet under .PT, signed the .PT top-level domain using the DNSSEC standard, joining Portugal to the small group of countries that have adopted this standard for their top-level domains. The DNSSEC standard consists of security extensions to the DNS protocol, thereby introducing security mechanisms that enable a number of the main problems in this area to be resolved.
https://online.dns.pt/dns_2008/do?com=DS;2217917768;111;+PAGE(4000002)+K-NOTICIA(1022)
.PT Signed with DNSSEC
At the beginning of 2010, the FCCN signed the .PT ccTLD with DNSSEC and we would therefore like to inform all those whose domains are delegated under .PT about any possible impacts and potential consequences of this signing. The DNSSEC consists of a series of security extensions to the DNS protocol which now enable data in a DNS zone to have a digital signature, enabling the end customer to authenticate this data and its origin.
https://online.dns.pt/dns_2008/do?com=DS;2217917768;111;+PAGE(4000002)+K-NOTICIA(1021)
Saudi Arabia: 300,000 Requests to Block Websites Annually
Dammam, Asharq Al-Awsat- There are between 700 and 1000 requests from internet users to block websites in Saudi Arabia per day, a source at the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) told Asharq Al-Awsat. An average of 850 requests per day means that there are 300,000 requests annually. The same source confirmed that over 93 percent of blocked websites are pornographic.
aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=7&id=19528
Shaping the future of .uk - update
Following your feedback on the consultation on shaping the future of .uk, we are today presenting a number of proposed changes to our constitution in the form of draft formal resolutions. We are seeking comments on the draft resolutions until 25 January after which we will present the final resolutions to our Members.
www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/?contentId=7016
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- DNS SECURITY
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How Do We Respond to Chinese Cyber Aggression?
... US can take its own action as it deems fit. However India should move ICANN along with US and other countries to declare China as a “Rogue Cyber Country” and “Banish China from Cyber Space.”
www.bloggernews.net/123537
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- DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Surge of new Haiti domain names registered as experts warn potential donors of aid scam risks [AP]
Scammers emerge as predictably as earthquake aftershocks following natural disasters, making it imperative for consumers to be wary of unsolicited appeals to aid victims in Haiti.
www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-us-haiti-avoiding-scams,0,3155367.story
www.sun-sentinel.com/business/nationworld/sns-ap-us-haiti-avoiding-scams,0,3181911.story
FBI Warns of Domain Name Scammers Following Haiti Earthquake
Domain name scammers who register domain names to take advantage of disasters and misfortune around the world have been quick to take advantage of the misery in Haiti with the FBI issuing a Haitian earthquake relief fraud alert.
goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=10082
www.domainpulse.com/2010/01/15/fbi-warns-of-domain-name-scammers-following-haiti-earthquake/
www.domainnews.com/en/fbi-warns-of-domain-name-scammers-following-haiti-earthquake.html
Swiss Federal Railways Domain Case is One Big Train Wreck
Swiss Federal Railways has lost its case at World Intellectual Property Organization to get the domain name SBB.com.
domainnamewire.com/2010/01/14/swiss-federal-railways-domain-case-is-one-big-train-wreck/
Trung Nguyen says its name misused on Australian web domain
Vietnam’s top coffee processor has said a different company is confusing customers by using its name for an internet domain in Australia.
www.thanhniennews.com/business/?catid=2&newsid=54677
Trung Nguyen coffee domain name row rumbles on
The dispute over the domain name of Trung Nguyen coffee domain in Australia has got even more complicated. The latest development sees the owner of trungnguyen.com.au display evidence of its status as the official distributor of Trung Nguyen coffee in Australia.
english.vietnamnet.vn/ITTelecom/201001/Trung-Nguyen-coffee-domain-name-row-rumbles-on-889466/
Bitter coffee row brewing following domain name spat
The Trung Nguyen Coffee Company has accused Viet Thai International JS Company of stealing a domain name. It follows the discovery that the website trungnguyen.com.au now includes information about rivals Viet Thai’s Highlands Coffee product. When it registered the trungngueyn domain name in Australia, Trung Nguyen Coffee Company discovered that the Hinchliffe Trust Company had already registered the domain. This domain leads to a website distributing Highland Coffee products by Vietnam-based Viet Thai International Company.
www.english.vietnamnet.vn/ITTelecom/201001/Bitter-coffee-row-brewing-following-domain-name-spat-889191/
Forbes Russia Wins Domain Name and $300,000 Award
Forbes Media and Axel Springer Russia, the group that publishes the Forbes magazine and Forbes Online in Russia under license from Forbes Media, have won a case against a cybersquatter for the domain Forbes.ru. Not only did the plaintiffs pick up the domain name, but the court also awarded it a $300,000 fine from the defendant, travel company Landmark VIP Service.
domainnamewire.com/2010/01/15/forbes-russia-wins-domain-name-and-300000-award/
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- MISCELLANEOUS
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ENUM: Dragging telephone numbers into the Internet Age
E-mail, IM, Facebook, phones—what if all of these ways to reach you over a network could be condensed into a single, unique number? The ENUM proposal aims to do just that, by giving everyone a single phone number that maps to all of their identifiers. Here's how it works, and why it isn't already widely used.
arstechnica.com/business/news/2010/01/enum-dragging-telephone-numbers-into-the-internet-age.ars
Dutch government buys thegoatisbeingmilked.nl and other bizarre domain names by Michel van Eeten
The Dutch Ministry of the Interior has been preemptively buying domain names. Several hundreds of them. Some of them are outright bizarre, such as degeitwordtgemolken.nl ('thegoatisbeingmilked.nl') or hetbrooddesemiszuur.nl ('thesourdoughbreadissour.nl'). What is going on?
blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/1/15/4429071.html
Minds and Machines Launch New City TLD Site
Minds and Machines have launched a new site targetted at prospective candidates for "city TLDs".
www.newtldguide.com/2010/01/minds-and-machines-launch-new-city-tld-site.html
WHOIS Privacy Considered “Material Falsification”: A recent decision by the Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
A recent decision by the Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has determined that using WHOIS privacy on domains may be considered “material falsification” under federal law. The defendants in US v. Kilbride (9th Cir., 2009) were convicted under the CAN-SPAM Act in a case that involved criminal charges of intentional email spamming. Enacted by the US Congress in 2003, the CAN-SPAM Act prohibits false or misleading transmission information, deceptive headers, and requires email solicitations to give an easy opt-out method and be labeled as an advertisement, including the senders physical post address. Commercial emails that use false or misleading headers, or violate other CAN-SPAM provisions, such as falsified registration information, are subject to fines of up to $11,000 for each unsolicited email sent.
www.sedo.com/links/showlinks.php3?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&Id=2575
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- DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Latona’s Auction Platform is ready for TRAFFIC Las Vegas auction next week [news release]
Latona’s Domain Brokerage & Auction House announced that as of 14 January their new auction platform is ready and willing for their upcoming auction at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Las Vegas.
www.domainpulse.com/2010/01/15/latonas-auction-platform-is-ready-for-traffic-las-vegas-auction-next-week/
www.domainnews.com/en/latonas-auction-platform-is-ready-for-traffic-las-vegas-auction-next-week.html
One to Four Character Domains and One-word ccTLDs Featured in Snapnames Showcase Auction
The current SnapNames Showcase Auction features one to four character domains and one-word ccTLDs. The auction ends on Tuesday January 19 at 3:15 EST (USA).
www.domainpulse.com/2010/01/15/one-to-four-character-domains-and-one-word-cctlds-featured-in-snapnames-showcase-auction/
www.domainnews.com/en/one-to-four-character-domains-and-one-word-cctlds-featured-in-snapnames-showcase-auction.html
CookingGames.com Serves Up $350,000 Sale at NoktaDomains as 2009 Domain Sales Season Comes to a Close
The final week of the 2009 domain sales season saw the kind of light overall activity you expect over the holidays but it still produced a pair of impressive six-figure sales. Setting the pace was a $350,000 deal for CookingGames.com at NoktaDomains. Nokta had a second entry in the first five on our new all extension Top 20 Sales Chart, scoring again with #4 ValentinesDayGifts.com at $31,000.
dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2009/20100113.htm