[eccr] QuickLinks 230 - 7 April 2002

HTML version: http://www.qlinks.net/quicklinks/latest.htm
Home Page: http://www.qlinks.net

Legal and regulatory issues

   Audiovisual
1. EU - The New Communications Directives and their benefits for the
Audiovisual Sector
2. EU - The Review of the Television without Frontiers Directive
3. UK - Media turmoil as owners pull plug on ITV Digital

   Cable and satellite
4. EU - GALILEO : YES, at last !

   Competition
5. EU - Commission suspects KPN of abusing its dominant position for
the termination of calls on its mobile network
6. USA - Breadth of accusations against Microsoft widens

   Computer crime
7. Canada - Ottawa urged to tighten porn laws
8. UK - Hi-Tech Crime Unit faces collapse
9. USA - 2nd Circuit Rejects Computer Ban for Possessor of Child
Pornography

   Consumer protection
10. USA - Online fraud squad touts success

   Content regulation
11. Bahrain blocks opposition websites
12. Cuba tests online waters
13. Deutschland - Bundesprüfstelle will Computer-Spieler anhören
14. Deutschland - Düsseldorfer Demonstration gegen Netzzensur

   Convergence of telecommunications, media and information technology
15. Deutschland - Regulierer legt Frequenzzuteilung für
Digitalfernsehen fest
16. USA - Consumer Groups Blast FCC Over Planned Open-Access Shift
17. USA - High-Tech Industry Split On Broadband Policy

   Copyright, trademarks and patents
18. An end to digital piracy?
19. China and Japan to tackle product piracy
20. Dutch court clears Web music swapping
21. EU - Conditional access services: Commission refers four
countries to Court of Justice
22. UE - Les mesures techniques de protection du droit d'auteur et
des droits voisins
23. USA - Appeals Court Affirms Napster Shut-Down Order
24. USA - DVD Group Wants California Supreme Court To Reverse DeCSS
Ruling
25. USA - Movie Distributors Win Injunction In Online Previews Case
26. USA - Overture sues Google over search patent
27. USA - RIAA Files Piracy Suit Against Thomson Unit

   Data Protection (privacy)
28. Canadian privacy law's ins and outs
29. Is your e-mail watching you?
30. Kazaa network: Are you concerned?
31. USA - Study finds Web sites prying less

   Domain names
32. EU - Commission welcomes adoption of Regulation for ".eu"
Internet domain names
33. ICANN - Computing Group asks it to scale back mission
34. New Path to Web for Pornography

   e-Government
35. UK - E-government 'risks wasting millions'

   Electronic commerce
36. EU - Regulations not keeping up with technology
37. UK - Government to regulate online gambling

   Health
38. New Zealand Chases Fraudulent Medical Web Sites

   Interception
39. Echelon dossier
40. USA - Judge Orders FBI To Turn Up More Carnivore Data

   Junk mail (spam)
41. USA - AOL Says Spam Case Victory Sets 'Landmark' Precedent

   Liability, jurisdiction and applicable law
42. UK - Trimble wins libel action against Amazon

   Market
43. Europe - Level media playing field

   Mobile and wireless
44. Netherlands - Opta has new rules for mobile phone operators
45. UK mobile phone groups to make charges clearer

   Protection of minors
46. Deutschland - Jugendschützer beanstanden 650 deutsche Porno-Sites
47. Deutschland - Ministerium verbietet Porno-Website
48. France - Filtrage : un exploitant de sites web pornos est condamné
49. UK - Net creates new breed of paedophile
50. UK - Online lifeline for children
51. USA - 'Legal child porn' under fire

   Racism and xenophobia
52. Council of Europe - Revised draft Protocol on racism
53. Deutschland - Anstieg rechter Propaganda im Internet
54. EU - International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination
55. Les jeux vidéo prennent le risque de la banalisation du mal

   Rating and filtering
56. Australia - Net Filters 'No Substitute For Good Parenting' - Study
57. Schweiz - Kollateralschäden bei freiwilligen Internetsperrungen
58. USA - Judges weigh library filtering law

   Safer Internet awareness
59. EU - Commission adopts extension of Action Plan to Make the
Internet a Safer Place
60. France - L'espace junior de la CNIL

   Security and encryption
61. eBay security draws scrutiny
62. USA - Government Agencies Exposed Internal Databases
63. USA - New hot line links CEOs to White House

   Telecommunications
64. EU - Telecom Council, Brussels, 25 March 2002
65. EU to name markets with poor record on deregulation
66. USA - FCC To Refund $2.8 Billion In Spectrum Auction Deposits
67. USA - Groups Challenge FCC On High-Speed Cable Ruling

   Terrorism
68. Terror's Confounding Online Trail

Market & Technology

   Convergence of telecommunications, media and information technology
69. USA - Interactive TV Arrives, Sort of

   Electronic commerce
70. Hotels enter online booking fray

   Internet access and use
71. Bloggers slip the surly bonds of print

   Market
72. Bertelsmann makes bid for control of Napster
73. IBM beefs up digital rights software
74. Service changes baffle Yahoo customers
75. Websites are watching what visitors do very closely

   Multimedia content and tools
76. Millions of web pages disappear every year

   Portals, browsers and search engines
77. Search engines try to become 'Google killer'

   Statistics
78. UK - Online retailers report strong growth
79. USA - Study: More Americans become e-citizens
80. Web Search Patterns Are Evolving - Study

1. EU - The New Communications Directives and their benefits for the
Audiovisual Sector (RAPID)
Mr Erkki Liikanen, Member of the European Commission, responsible
for Enterprise and the Information Society, European Voice Conference
"Television without Frontiers". Brussels, 21 March 2002
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13437.htm

2. EU - The Review of the Television without Frontiers Directive
(RAPID)
Viviane Reding Member of the European Commission responsible for
Education and Culture, European Voice Conference on "Television
without Frontiers", Brussels, 21 March 2002.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13438.htm

3. UK - Media turmoil as owners pull plug on ITV Digital (FT)
ITV Digital, the world's biggest and most expensive digital
terrestrial TV project, was forced into administration, throwing
government broadcasting policy into turmoil and the future of lower
league football into doubt. Granada and Carlton Communications said
they were "throwing a lifeline" to their loss-making pay-TV platform,
by putting the business in the hands of administrators at Deloitte &
Touche.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13431.htm

4. EU - GALILEO : YES, at last ! (RAPID)
Following on from the unanimous conclusions of the Barcelona
European Council on 13-14 March, the Council of Transport Ministers
released the ¬ 450m needed to develop GALILEO, Europe's satellite
navigation and positioning system, and at the same time adopted the
regulation establishing the joint undertaking responsible for
operating it. The GALILEO project, which has been developed in
conjunction with the European Space Agency, will enable users to
accurately determine their positions in time and space at any given
time.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13444.htm

5. EU - Commission suspects KPN of abusing its dominant position for
the termination of calls on its mobile network (RAPID)
The European Commission has sent to Dutch incumbent
telecommunications operator Koninklijke KPN NV a statement of
objections alleging that KPN has abused its dominant position
regarding the termination of telephone calls on the KPN mobile
network through discriminatory or otherwise unfair behaviour. The
case stems from a complaint by MCI WorldCom. Studies show that fixed
to mobile termination rates in Europe can be ten times higher than
the average charge for fixed to fixed interconnection. This results
in undue barriers for newcomers to the market and high prices for
consumers.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13443.htm

6. USA - Breadth of accusations against Microsoft widens (FT)
An interactive television software group accused Microsoft of
attempting to use its $12.4bn worth of holdings in the global cable
television and telecoms industry to stifle competition. Liberate
Technologies warned that a large competitor such as Microsoft could
eliminate competing technology either by explicitly requiring cable
and satellite companies to use its software, or by establishing
biased criteria that tilted the selection process in its favour.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13405.htm

7. Canada - Ottawa urged to tighten porn laws (Toronto Globe and Mail)
The Manitoba Premier joined child-advocate groups calling on Ottawa
to remove a loophole in the legislation after Mr. Justice Duncan Shaw
of the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that violent and sexual
fictional writings about children meet the legal definition of
artistic merit and were not criminal.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13453.htm

8. UK - Hi-Tech Crime Unit faces collapse (vnunet)
The National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) has warned that if more
companies do not come forward with information about cyber security
breaches the service will not survive. Speaking at the launch of new
web security guidelines from the Alliance for Electronic Business,
NHTCU industry liaison officer Tony Neate also said that a shake-up
of the Computer Misuse Act was needed to help tackle criminal
activity across the internet.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13401.htm

9. USA - 2nd Circuit Rejects Computer Ban for Possessor of Child
Pornography (New York Law Journal)
A man convicted of possessing child pornography cannot be barred
from using a computer during his period of supervised release, the
2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled. The court said in United
States v. Sofsky that the ban on computer usage "inflicts a greater
deprivation of Sofsky's liberty than is reasonably necessary."
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13415.htm

10. USA - Online fraud squad touts success (Reuters)
The Internet Enforcement Task Force, also called Netforce, was
formed two years ago by the FTC and several states including
Washington, Alaska and Oregon to fight online fraud and deceptive e-
mail, or "spam." Netforce used its news conference to say the FTC was
taking legal action in four new cases of alleged consumer fraud, and
to issue a progress report that said it had handled 63 cases of Web-
based scams and had sent more than 500 warnings letters to senders of
deceptive e-mails.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13404.htm

11. Bahrain blocks opposition websites (BBC)
Authorities in Bahrain have blocked access to some opposition and
other internet sites which they say have been inciting sectarianism
and carrying offensive content.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13423.htm

12. Cuba tests online waters (BBC)
Cuba has been gripped by internet fever. But going online is tightly
controlled by the communist government, as Thembi Mutch writes in the
first of three reports from Havana. see also Cuba's wired generation.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13388.htm

13. Deutschland - Bundesprüfstelle will Computer-Spieler anhören
(Heise)
Bei der Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Schriften (BPjS)
läuft derzeit ein Verfahren zur Indizierung des First-Person-Shooters
Counter-Strike. Nachdem die Spieler bereits eine Online-Petition
gegen die Indizierung an die BPjS ins Leben gerufen haben, will die
Bundesprüfstelle nun die Meinung der Spieler im
Entscheidungsverfahren anhören.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13434.htm

14. Deutschland - Düsseldorfer Demonstration gegen Netzzensur (Heise)
Mittlerweile rufen zahlreiche Bürgerinitiativen und Bewegungen im
Netz zum Protest auf, meist in Form von E-Mail-Kampagnen und Online-
Unterschriftenaktionen. Doch die heutige Kundgebung in Düsseldorf war
anders: Illustre Netzbewohner hatten auf einer Website zur
Demonstration gegen die Düsseldorfer Bezirksregierung mobilisiert.
siehe auch Chinesische Verhältnisse in Deutschland? (Spiegel).
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13390.htm

15. Deutschland - Regulierer legt Frequenzzuteilung für
Digitalfernsehen fest (Heise)
Die Regulierungsbehörde für Telekommunikation und Post (Reg TP) gab
die Eckpunkte für die Vergabe von Sendefrequenzen für das
terrestrische digitale Fernsehen (DVB-T) bekannt.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13399.htm

16. USA - Consumer Groups Blast FCC Over Planned Open-Access Shift
(Newsbytes)
A quartet of consumer groups accused the Federal Communications
Commission of attempting to eviscerate rules intended to spur
competition in the high-speed Internet market. see also Consumer
groups pan ISP proposal (CNET).
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13371.htm

17. USA - High-Tech Industry Split On Broadband Policy (Newsbytes)
The rift among high-tech sector heavyweights over the proper
regulatory treatment for high-speed Internet services grew even more
pronounced with the launch of two divergent coalitions formed to
lobby federal policymakers on broadband issues - the High Tech
Broadband Coalition and the Competition Working Group.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13395.htm

18. An end to digital piracy? (CNET News.com)
Jack Valenti is the Hollywood blockbuster of Washington lobbyists.
As the chief executive of the Motion Picture Association of America,
he talks in apocalyptic terms unmatched by lesser peers. Belying his
genteel drawl, his pronouncements are the equivalents of celluloid
fireballs, warning of catastrophe for the industry.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13396.htm

19. China and Japan to tackle product piracy (FT)
China and Japan are working together to crack down on counterfeiting
of Japanese products in what marks a potential shift in Beijing's
attitude towards the protection of intellectual property rights,
according to Japanese officials.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13373.htm

20. Dutch court clears Web music swapping (Reuters)
In a setback for efforts to halt copyright abuse, a Dutch appeals
court told a technology firm it could distribute a software program
that is designed to let users share music and films on the Internet.
The ruling in the case between Internet software company KaZaA and
Dutch music rights organization Buma Stemra overturned a decision in
November in favor of the music industry.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13427.htm

21. EU - Conditional access services: Commission refers four
countries to Court of Justice (RAPID)
The European Commission has decided to refer Belgium, Greece
Luxembourg and Spain to the European Court of Justice for failure to
notify national measures to implement Directive 98/84 on the legal
protection of conditional access services. Conditional access
services are television, radio and on-line services offered to the
public at a distance and subject to payment.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13436.htm

22. UE - Les mesures techniques de protection du droit d'auteur et
des droits voisins (droit-technologie.org)
par Anne-Catherine Lorrain. Quel rôle pour les Etats membres? La
Directive européenne du 22 mai 2001 sur le droit d'auteur encourage
le mécanisme de l'autorégulation dans la recherche d'équilibre entre
droits et exceptions.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13382.htm

23. USA - Appeals Court Affirms Napster Shut-Down Order (Newsbytes)
In a ruling that has little immediate impact but establishes a
potentially wide-reaching legal precedent, a California federal
appeals court upheld a lower court's order shutting down rogue music-
swapping service Napster. A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc. (9th
Cir. March 25, 2002) [PDF]. see also FindLaw Investigations: Napster,
Napster Says No Time Frame Set For Re-Launch and Napster Gets A Year
To Build Antitrust Case Against Labels (Newsbytes).
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13409.htm

24. USA - DVD Group Wants California Supreme Court To Reverse DeCSS
Ruling (Newsbytes)
The DVD Copy Control Association has asked the California Supreme
Court to reverse a lower court's decision that blocked the
publication of the source code for DeCSS technology, which
circumvents digital copy protection systems.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13410.htm

25. USA - Movie Distributors Win Injunction In Online Previews Case
(Newsbytes)
A U.S. District Court has granted a request for a preliminary
injunction by Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Miramax Film
Corporation against video preview company Video Pipeline to cease
streaming videoclip compilations that copied scenes from Disney and
Miramax movies. Video Pipeline v. Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13381.htm

26. USA - Overture sues Google over search patent (CNET News.com)
Paid-search listing company Overture Services has filed a patent
infringement lawsuit against Google. At issue is Google's method for
selling and displaying advertising, which is keyed to search terms
and appears alongside and above search results on its Web site. A
service called AdWords Select that allows marketers to bid for higher
placement in marked sections--a tactic that has some similarities to
Overture's search-listing auctions.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13376.htm

27. USA - RIAA Files Piracy Suit Against Thomson Unit (Newsbytes)
The Recording Industry Association of America has sued Thomson
Multimedia unit Technicolor, accusing it of pirating CDs by big-name
artists, adding yet another battle in its war against online and
offline violation of music copyrights.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13379.htm

28. Canadian privacy law's ins and outs (Toronto Gobe and Mail)
by Michael Geist. Canada's privacy law landscape has been a busy
place in recent months. With Canada's Privacy Commissioner George
Radwanski issuing new reports and making speeches, and the Ontario
government releasing draft privacy legislation, there are some
important new lessons on what is "in" and what is "out" in Canadian
privacy law
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13383.htm

29. Is your e-mail watching you? (CNET News.com)
Web sites have long planted bits of code called "cookies" on
consumers' hard drives to tailor Internet pages for returning
visitors and better target ads. Now, enhanced messages that share the
look and feel of Web pages are being used to deliver the same bits of
code through e-mail, in many cases without regard for safeguards that
have been developed to protect consumer privacy on the Web.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13377.htm

30. Kazaa network: Are you concerned? (CNET News.com)
The file-swapping program and its parent company, Sharman Networks,
say file-traders' machines could be used to host and distribute other
companies' content. But some Kazaa users are concerned that the added
software will violate their privacy.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13370.htm

31. USA - Study finds Web sites prying less (CNN)
A new study of online privacy policies found that Web sites are
collecting less personal information from Internet users, either
directly or through third-party cookies.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13432.htm

32. EU - Commission welcomes adoption of Regulation for ".eu"
Internet domain names (RAPID)
The European Commission welcomes the adoption by the EU's Council of
Telecommunications Ministers of the Regulation to implement the '.eu'
Internet top-level domain, allowing European citizens, organisations
and businesses to have '.eu' web-site and e-mail addresses. see .eu
page.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13441.htm

33. ICANN - Computing Group asks it to scale back mission (Newsbytes)
One of the world's oldest and largest computing organizations is
calling on the body that manages the Internet's addressing system to
scale back its role in creating global Internet policy. In a letter
to the leaders of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN), members of the Association for Computing Machinery
(ACM) urged the entity - which manages the Domain Name System (DNS) -
to narrow its focus. see also ICANN Seeks Suggestions On
Restructuring (Newsbytes).
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13393.htm

34. New Path to Web for Pornography (New Yor Times)
In the last six months, creators of pornography sites have adopted
hundreds if not thousands of recently expired domain names.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13428.htm

35. UK - E-government 'risks wasting millions' (Guardian)
A revolution in leadership is needed if public services are to avoid
wasting millions of pounds of public money on internet technology
that fails to engage the public, says Better Public Services through
e-government , an official report by the National Audit Office into
the progress of e-government. see also Academic Article in support of
Better Public Services through e-government.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13386.htm

36. EU - Regulations not keeping up with technology (Europemedia.net)
The European Union's directives on e-commerce and electronic
signatures should help legal certainty in e-commerce. But those
directives start to show their weaknesses when put into practice,
accoring to a report Framework conditions for e-commerce: all in good
order? (Deutsche Bank).
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13419.htm

37. UK - Government to regulate online gambling (Guardian)
Internet bookmakers may be awarded quality guarantee Kitemarks under
government proposals to stimulate and liberalise gambling, it was
announced .
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13429.htm

38. New Zealand Chases Fraudulent Medical Web Sites (Newsbytes)
The New Zealand Ministry of Health is taking action against ten
local Web sites it says are breaking laws protecting New Zealanders
from misleading or fraudulent medical practices. The ministry's
Medsafe unit took part in an international sweep of Web sites
promoting health products last month, and found a number of local
sites are breaking the law.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13430.htm

39. Echelon dossier (UNESCO)
Echelon: Legal, Ethical, Political, and Economic Issues of
International Surveillance.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13421.htm

40. USA - Judge Orders FBI To Turn Up More Carnivore Data (Newsbytes)
A federal judge this week ordered the U.S. Justice Department to
turn over more information about a controversial FBI e-mail
surveillance device known as "Carnivore."
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13414.htm

41. USA - AOL Says Spam Case Victory Sets 'Landmark' Precedent
(Newsbytes)
Officials at America Online believe the Internet giant's legal
victory over a large "spam" distributor lays the groundwork for other
Internet providers to more effectively combat unsolicited e-mail on
their own networks.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13375.htm

42. UK - Trimble wins libel action against Amazon (Guardian)
Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble has successfully sued
Amazon.co.uk for libel for a second time after a high court judge
ruled the retailer published defamatory comments about him on its
website.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13408.htm

43. Europe - Level media playing field (FT)
Editorial comment. Q: What is the link between David Beckham's pay
and a reclusive Bavarian media mogul? A: They are symptoms of a
crisis in the worlds of broadcasting and sport that is threatening to
ruin football clubs and TV providers alike - and to redraw the map of
media ownership in Europe.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13374.htm

44. Netherlands - Opta has new rules for mobile phone operators (FT)
Opta, the Dutch telecommunications regulator, is introducing new
rules to force mobile phone operators in the Netherlands to cut call
charges from fixed lines to mobile phones. Opta is taking action
against KPN Mobile and the Dutch arm of Vodafone, arguing that
operators' so-called "termination charges" - the charges mobile phone
operators levy for accepting calls from fixed line networks - are too
high.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13424.htm

45. UK mobile phone groups to make charges clearer (FT)
Mobile phone operators have offered to make call charges easier to
understand in an attempt to stave off the threat of regulation by the
UK's Competition Commission. In official submissions to the
regulator, some operators have proposed that they flag more clearly
"call termination rates" - the cost of calls from mobile phones to
fixed lines as well as calls between rival operators.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13406.htm

46. Deutschland - Jugendschützer beanstanden 650 deutsche Porno-
Sites (Heise)
Die Länder-Organisation jugendschutz.net hat beim Kampf gegen
Pornografie im Internet im vergangenen Jahr bei rund 430 deutschen
Anbietern eine Änderung ihrer Internet-Angebote erreicht. Insgesamt
wurden etwa 650 deutsche Anbieter aufgefordert, pornografische
Inhalte nur noch geschützt zu präsentieren. In 187 Fällen reagierten
die Website-Betreiber nicht. Jugendschutz.net informierte daraufhin
die jeweils zuständige Staatsanwaltschaft.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13433.htm

47. Deutschland - Ministerium verbietet Porno-Website (Spiegel)
Das hat es in Deutschland noch nicht gegeben: Wegen Jugendgefährdung
ließ das brandenburgische Bildungsministerium eine Porno-Seite von
ihren Inhalten reinigen. Macht der Betreiber nackt (und ungeschützt)
weiter, drohen ihm 500.000 Euro Strafe.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13452.htm

48. France - Filtrage : un exploitant de sites web pornos est
condamné (NetEconomie)
Un exploitant de sites web pornographiques a été condamné par la
cour d'appel de Paris pour ne pas avoir interdit l'accès aux mineurs
à ses services.Un homme âgé de 38 ans, exploitant de sites Internet à
caractère pornographique, a été condamné pour ne pas voir mis en
place un système efficace de filtrage qui interdise l'accès à ses
services aux mineurs
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13451.htm

49. UK - Net creates new breed of paedophile (BBC)
A stark warning about the dangers lurking on the web has been issued
by UK child abuse experts as police involved in the search for
missing teenager Amanda Dowling turn to the family's computer for
clues.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13387.htm

50. UK - Online lifeline for children (BBCC)
Children suffering abuse or other problems will soon be able to chat
to a counsellor online as the children's charity NSPCC launches a new
website. There4me.com is the first website in the UK to offer one-to-
one real-time counselling online.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13417.htm

51. USA - 'Legal child porn' under fire (MSNBC)
A growing number of "preteen model" sites operating in the legal
gray area between innocent imagery and child pornography have drawn
the attention of the Justice Department and prompted a congressman to
declare war on the "reckless endangerment" of children by their
parents and Web site operators.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13418.htm

52. Council of Europe - Revised draft Protocol on racism (CoE)
The Committee of experts on the criminalisation of acts of a racist
or xenophobic nature committed through computer systems (PC-RX)
decided to publish a revised version of this draft First Additional
Protocol to the Convention on cybercrime concerning the
criminalisation of acts of a racist or xenophobic nature committed
through computer systems.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13435.htm

53. Deutschland - Anstieg rechter Propaganda im Internet (Heise)
Das Internet wird immer mehr zum Propagandainstrument für deutsche
Rechtsextremisten. Binnen Jahresfrist hat sich die Zahl der
rechtsextremistischen Internet-Seiten nach Erkenntnissen des
nordrhein-westfälischen Verfassungsschutzes von 800 auf 1.300 erhöht.
Gegenüber 1999 habe sie sich sogar fast vervierfacht, teilte das
Düsseldorfer Innenministerium mit.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13400.htm

54. EU - International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination (RAPID)
Speaking on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination, 21 March 2002, Commissioner Anna
Diamantopoulou said "The European Union bases its very existence on
the idea that all men and women are born free and equal and
constitute a sole human family". She expressed her concern about the
rise in hostility towards migrants and ethnic minorities and called
upon the international community and the Member States to step up the
fight racism and xenophobia and to implement the commitments made at
the World Conference Against Racism in Durban last year.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13439.htm

55. Les jeux vidéo prennent le risque de la banalisation du mal (Le
Monde)
Une nouvelle génération de Doomlike prend le risque de faire
endosser aux joueurs des uniformes nazis, suscitant émotion et
réactions
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13426.htm

56. Australia - Net Filters 'No Substitute For Good Parenting' -
Study (Newsbytes)
CSIRO, Australia's national scientific research agency, conducted
the investigation into Web filtering software at the behest of the
Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA), the country's broadcasting
and Internet content regulator. Under Australia's Internet content
regulations, ISPs must have filtering software available for their
clients and block local Web sites when so directed by the ABA. The
study was certainly extensive, testing filtering software against
almost 900 Web sites in 28 content categories. Effectiveness of
Internet Filtering Software Products (ABA) [Ed: very clearly written
with explanations of the technical aspects of filtering which are
comprehensible for the non-technical reader. Highly recommended]
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13445.htm

57. Schweiz - Kollateralschäden bei freiwilligen Internetsperrungen
(Heise)
Kunden der Schweizer Internetprovider IP-Plus/Swisscom und Sunrise
erhalten eine Fehlermeldung, wenn sie versuchen, die URL
www.butlerweb.com aufzurufen. Grund für die Blockierung des Zugangs
für die Kunden der beiden Internetprovider ist die "Aktion Kinder des
Holocaust" (AKDH), die vor einem Jahr erreicht hatte, dass mehrere
Schweizer Internetprovider wegen der ungeklärten Rechtslage
freiwillig mittels IP-Sperrung die Website front14.org unzugänglich
machten. Inzwischen ist allerdings www.front14.org offline.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13391.htm

58. USA - Judges weigh library filtering law (Reuters)
A trial to determine how far the government can go to protect
children from pornography ended with judges openly concerned about
whether the latest online smut law from Congress infringes on free-
speech rights. see  American Library Association Complaint and
Children's Internet Protection Act [PDF]. see also Judges Blast
Library Filtering (Wired), Porn Trial Expert Says Blocking Software
Limited (Reuters) and Govt. Witnesses Wrap Up First Week Of Filtering
Trial (Newsbytes).
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13378.htm

59. EU - Commission adopts extension of Action Plan to Make the
Internet a Safer Place (RAPID)
The European Commission has decided to extend the Safer Internet
Action Plan for an additional period of two years. The EU has been a
forerunner in the fight against illegal and harmful content on the
Internet since 1996. The Safer Internet Action Plan is a cornerstone
of the EU's action in this field. The Commission now proposes a new
phase of the current Action Plan ensuring it to run until the end of
2004.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13442.htm

60. France - L'espace junior de la CNIL (Le Monde)
Un site pour aider les enfants à surfer en toute sécurité. A
l'occasion de la Fête de l'Internet, la Commission nationale de
l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL) a rappelé que son rôle n'était
pas seulement de sanctionner mais aussi d'éduquer. L'espace junior du
site de la CNIL a précisément pour vocation de prodiguer des conseils
aux enfants afin de se protéger lorsqu'ils se promènent sur la Toile.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13425.htm

61. eBay security draws scrutiny (CNET News.com)
Unlike most leading e-commerce sites, eBay does not automatically
encrypt much of the data sent between customers' computers and eBay's
servers, which means that when customers type their password into
eBay's Web site, that information can be viewed by hackers. see also
eBay plugs password security hole (MSNBC)
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13416.htm

62. USA - Government Agencies Exposed Internal Databases (Newsbytes)
Four U.S. government Web sites left the contents of internal
databases open to Web surfers, French security experts revealed.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13413.htm

63. USA - New hot line links CEOs to White House (CNET News.com)
A high-security communications network linking government leaders to
some of technology's biggest names in the event of a national
disaster will be unveiled early next month.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13397.htm

64. EU - Telecom Council, Brussels, 25 March 2002 (RAPID)
Commission Press Release prior to Council.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13440.htm

65. EU to name markets with poor record on deregulation (Total
Telecom)
The European Commission is planning to identify and suggest remedies
for areas within the European Union that have been slow to open their
markets to competition. The EC is to publish before the end of this
month two Recommendations (official guidelines) identifying areas of
the EU telecommunications sector where it believes competition is not
yet effective, and where new regulatory obligations should be imposed.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13384.htm

66. USA - FCC To Refund $2.8 Billion In Spectrum Auction Deposits
(Newsbytes)
The Federal Communications Commission will refund approximately $2.8
billion in down payments that mobile carriers paid for the rights to
disputed airwave licenses.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13411.htm

67. USA - Groups Challenge FCC On High-Speed Cable Ruling (Newsbytes)
Verizon Communications and a handful of consumer groups filed suit
to overturn a decision by the Federal Communications Commission that
would exempt high-speed cable Internet service from telephone-style
regulations.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13412.htm

68. Terror's Confounding Online Trail (New York Times)
Even against a superior arsenal of technology, there are still
plenty of ways for terrorists to avoid detection.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13420.htm

69. USA - Interactive TV Arrives, Sort of (New York Times)
After decades of false starts, interactive television is creeping
into millions of American living rooms.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13389.htm

70. Hotels enter online booking fray (AP)
While online spending for hotels remains small compared to airline
tickets, the marketplace is growing fast - annual sales are expected
to reach $7.7 billion by 2006, or double the forecast for 2002. Yet
many of the nation's leading hotel chains have little to celebrate
because consolidators and Internet travel companies control as much
as 95 percent of these sales. Ready to defend themselves and to try
to recapture lost revenues, five major hotel firms will begin a joint
online-distribution venture in late spring or early summer called the
Hotel Distribution Network, or HDS.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13368.htm

71. Bloggers slip the surly bonds of print (FT)
Louise Kehoe examines the rise to prominence of web logs - an
anarchic form of online journalism.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13392.htm

72. Bertelsmann makes bid for control of Napster (FT)
Thomas Middelhoff, chief executive of Bertelsmann, the German media
group, has offered between $15m and $20m to take control of Napster,
the internet music file-sharing service paralysed by billion-dollar
lawsuits and feuding minority investors. see also Shareholder
Infighting Stymies Napster Buyout Bid (Newsbytes).
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13372.htm

73. IBM beefs up digital rights software (CNET News.com)
IBM will announce new digital rights management (DRM) software that
allows companies to protect everything from music files to videos.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13369.htm

74. Service changes baffle Yahoo customers (CNET News.com)
A flurry of changes in Yahoo's Web-based services has customers
spinning in confusion over the status of their accounts and
preferences.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13398.htm

75. Websites are watching what visitors do very closely (BBC)
Websites are using increasingly sophisticated methods to watch what
surfers are doing and to make e-commerce pay.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13380.htm

76. Millions of web pages disappear every year (BBC)
Millions of web pages disappear every year, as sites are updated or
go out of business. Now there is a project to save a slice of
Britain's internet heritage
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13422.htm

77. Search engines try to become 'Google killer' (AP)
A souped-up search engine called Teoma, owned by Ask Jeeves, is
taking dead aim at Google, widely regarded as the best way to find
anything on the Web.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13407.htm

78. UK - Online retailers report strong growth (BBC)
A quiet revolution is taking place on the internet despite the
recent demise of several dot.com ventures, according to the online
retailing industry in the UK.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13385.htm

79. USA - Study: More Americans become e-citizens (CNN)
The number of Americans seeking information from government Web
sites increased by 70 percent, rising to 68 million people, within
the last two years, accrding to the report The Rise of the E-Citizen:
How People Use Government Agencies' Web Sites (Pew Internet &
American Life Project) . see also Tourism, Research, Health Issues
Drive E-Government Surge (Nwewsbytes).
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13403.htm

80. Web Search Patterns Are Evolving - Study (NUA)
The way people use search engines to navigate the Internet is
evolving, but according to a new study by Pennsylvania State Univers,
a next-generation box of Web searching tools is needed. In 1997, the
most frequently searched topic category was "entertainment or
recreation," which accounted for 19.9 percent of the sampled
searches. "Sex and pornography" was second at 16.8 percent. Two years
later, "sex and pornography" had dropped to fifth place at just 7.5
percent of searches. In 2001, "sex and pornography" was in fifth
place with 8.5 percent.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem13402.htm

QuickLinks
Links to news items about legal and regulatory aspects of Internet
and the information society, particularly those relating to
information content, and market and technology.



QuickLinks is edited by Richard Swetenham
(richard.swetenham /at/ cec.eu.int) - Main Sources and Contributors: Michael
Geist BNA - ILN, David Goldstein,  Gerhard Heine.


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