[eccr] QuickLinks 271 - 18 May 2003

QuickLinks 271 - 18 May 2003

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

Legal and regulatory issues

Audiovisual
1. DE - Hamburgisches Mediengesetz wird neu gefasst
2. EU - Cannes Film Festival 2003: European Day
3. EU - Member States differ over review of Television Without
Frontiers Directive

Computer crime
4. SV / NO - Child porn bust may be biggest ever
5. UA - Computer Crime Research Center
6. UK - Townshend placed on sex offenders register
7. US - Cybercrime's Scope: Interpreting "Access" and "Authorization"
in Computer Misuse Statutes
8. US hackers top ICC's annual review of cybercrime

Consumer protection
9. UK - Virgin Wine gives consumers fairer online deal
10. US - Gov't Cracks Down on Internet Scammers

Content regulation
11. AU - Drop in concern about violence on television
12. UK - Puttnam warns that Ofcom could sink into black hole

Copyright, trademarks and patents
13. ICC - Roadmap flags latest developments in intellectual property
14. Public Domain - Conference proceedings
15. US - RIAA admits it sent erroneous letters
16. US - The mood among campus file-swappers
17. US - Universal sues Bertelsmann for piracy

Data Protection (privacy)
18. EU - Data protection: Commission report shows that EU law is
achieving its main aims

Domain names
19. DE - Gericht verbietet Domains mit Städtenamen
20. UK - Easyart wins domain name fight

Electronic commerce
21. PayPal Stops Sex Merchandise Payments

Hotlines
22. AU - NetAlert gets extra $1.5m

Information society and Internet policy
23. US - Citizens Urge FCC to Retain Current Media Ownership Rules

Interception
24. DE - Justizministerin bezeichnet Telefonüberwachung als maßvoll
25. UK - Extent of snooping revealed

Junk mail (spam)
26. US - Feds prime new antispam weapon
27. US - NY Attorney General Says 'Buffalo Spammer' Arrested
28. US - SEC Sues Spammer for Alleged Web Fraud

Liability, jurisdiction and applicable law
29. CH - Blocking order to ISPs lifted
30. DE - Gericht präzisiert Haftung für Betreiber von Internet-Foren

Protection of minors
31. US - Kid-Friendly Web Zone Will Be Online in September
32. Escaping or Connecting?: Characteristics of Youth Who Form Close
Online Relationships
33. JN - Bill to regulate online personals
34. UK - Porn blocks urged on hi-tech mobiles
35. US - Parents Support Kids Playing Video Games - Study

Racism and xenophobia
36. CA - CIRA Responds to Allegations of Racial Discrimination
37. US - Internet giant pulls Zundel's Web site

Self-regulation / codes of conduct
38. EU - Website Quality Labelling

Taxation and tariffs
39. Administration Urges Keeping Online-Tax Ban

Market & Technology

Market
40. DE - T-Online edges into profit
41. Music - Don't ignore middle-aged downloaders

Mobile and wireless
42. IT- Mafia turns to 3G video phones
43. T-Mobile jettisons Microsoft smart phone
44. UK - Mobile phones seen as 'essential'
45. US - Nokia turns phones into credit cards

Quality of information
46. "Klingon Language Interpreter" Urban Legend

Forthcoming events

47. 2003-06-16 BE, Brussels - Digital Media is Alive and Kicking: The
money-makers of Europe's eEconomy
48. 2003-10-24 - EU/CoE- European Day of Civil Justice
49. 2003-11-06 FR, Nice - Deuxièmes journées internationales du droit
du commerce électronique

Useful addresses

50. Survey: The IT Industry

1. DE - Hamburgisches Mediengesetz wird neu gefasst (Pressemeldung)
Mehr Selbstkontrolle, Eigenverantwortung und Medienpraxis. Der Senat
hat eine weitgehende und grundlegende Novellierung des hamburgischen
Medienrechts beschlossen. Die gesetzlichen Rahmenbedingungen gerade
am Medienstandort Hamburg werden für die privaten Rundfunkveranstalter
endlich auf die praktischen und rechtlichen Erfordernisse des für die
Bundesrepublik typischen dualen Rundfunksystems zurückgeführt.
Eigenverantwortung und Selbstkontrolle der privaten Sender sollen an
die Stelle veralteter Vorschriften treten.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15916.htm

2. EU - Cannes Film Festival 2003: European Day (RAPID)
The Cannes Film Festival and the European Commission are joining
forces to organise for the first time this year a European Day, which
will bring together Ministers of Culture and cinema professionals from
the 15 existing Member States and from the new Member States to
discuss ways and means of promoting European cinema and intensifying
relations with other world cinemas. European Day on 15 May will close
with the award of the fourth edition of the EU's MEDIA Prize, set up
to reward film distribution within the spirit of the MEDIA programme.
Fifteen films with MEDIA support are in the running this year at
Cannes.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15937.htm

3. EU - Member States differ over review of Television Without
Frontiers Directive (EurActiv.com)
Based on a document from the Presidency, the Council held an exchange
of views on the Commission's plans to review the Television Without
Frontiers Directive on 6 May. During their latest review of the
Commission's Television Without Frontiers (TWF) Directive, the
ministers of culture of the 15 current and 10 new EU Member States
discussed the key issues of: access to events of major importance
(i.e., that such events should be broadcast free and cannot be tied to
exclusive pay television rights); television advertising and the need
to adapt associated regulations to new technologies; ways to make
television coverage of major events accessible to all viewers (i.e.,
exclusive rights holders would be obliged to provide "brief
extracts"). By the end of 2003, the Commission will publish a
Communication on future audiovisual policy. The Commission will stage
another public hearing on the TWF Directive on 23-25 June 2003 The
focus of the hearing will be the promotion of cultural diversity and
of competitiveness of the European programme industry; the protection
of minors and public order; the right to reply; and the application of
the relevant regulations. Minutes of 2503rd Council meeting -
EDUCATION, YOUTH AND CULTURE - Brussels, 5 and 6 May 2003
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15934.htm

4. SV / NO - Child porn bust may be biggest ever (Aftenposten)
Swedish police believe the child porn case uncovered by Kripos,
Norway's National Bureau of Crime Investigation, can be one of the
biggest in Internet history. Over 40 young girls may have been
victimized. "In recent years there have been many child porn cases
involving the Internet, but this has dimensions that make it unique.
We believe that over 40 young girls may have been abused and
photographed. There are many indications that this is the most
significant case of this type in the world," said Per-Olov Forslund,
head of Sweden's national police squad in charge of fighting child
pornography. see also Raid hits child porn producers (Aftenposten).
Police in Sweden and Norway launched a combined action on what they
believe could be a pedophile network that has produced and distributed
child pornography around the world. Dozens of Swedish children may
have been abused. Two arrests were made as police descended in
Fredrikstad, Norway and Swedish capital Stockholm. Computer hard disks
were confiscated and will be examined for pornographic images.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15925.htm

5. UA - Computer Crime Research Center (CCRC)
Founded in 2001, the Computer Crime Research Center (CCRC) is an
independent institute dedicated to the research of cyber-crime, cyber-
terrorism and other issues in computer crime. The CCRC is a non-profit
organization comprised of professionals dedicated to education in the
field of cyber-crime and cyber-terrorism prevention and investigation.
CCRC members include Ukrainian and international researchers. Research
is carried out within the framework of the joint US-Ukrainian
scientific-research program of the Computer Crime Research Center at
the Humanitarian University (ZIGMU), Zaporozhye, Ukraine and the
Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at the American
University, Washington, DC, USA. Website in Russian and English.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15898.htm

6. UK - Townshend placed on sex offenders register (The Guardian)
The rock star Pete Townshend was yesterday cautioned by police and
placed on the sex offenders register for five years following his
admission that he accessed child pornography on the internet.
Townshend, 57, received the caution at Kingston police station in
south-west London for "accessing a website containing child abuse
images".
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15947.htm

7. US - Cybercrime's Scope: Interpreting "Access" and "Authorization"
in Computer Misuse Statutes (New York University Law Review)
by Orin S. Kerr, George Washington University Law School. In the last
twenty-five years, the federal government and all fifty states have
enacted new criminal laws that prohibit unauthorized access to
computers. These new laws attempt to draw a line between criminality
and free conduct in cyberspace. No one knows what it means to "access"
a computer, however, nor when access becomes "unauthorized." This
Article presents a comprehensive inquiry into the meaning of
unauthorized access statutes. Full text.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15948.htm

8. US hackers top ICC's annual review of cybercrime (Press Release)
More than sixty percent of the world's cybercrime originates in the
US, with hacking and fraud at the top of the offences, the ICC's
annual Cybercrime Review has found. The review, produced by ICC's
Cybercrime Unit provides detailed analysis of the major cybercrime
events from January 2002 through to March 2003.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15926.htm

9. UK - Virgin Wine gives consumers fairer online deal (Press Release)
Virgin Wine Online has amended or deleted terms and conditions
regarding delivery and cancellation rights, and terms that limited
Virgin Wine Online's liability. following concerns raised by the
Office of Fair Trading (OFT) .
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15921.htm

10. US - Gov't Cracks Down on Internet Scammers (Washington Post)
Federal authorities have arrested 130 online scammers and seized more
than $17 million in assets as part of a continuing assault on Internet
crime. The sweep is part of "Operation E-Con," an ongoing
investigation involving 89,000 victims and losses of more than $176
million. The crimes included multimillion-dollar swindles, online
auction scams, identity theft, business-opportunity frauds, and
intellectual property theft and piracy.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15908.htm

11. AU - Drop in concern about violence on television (ABA)
A national survey has found that the level of concern about the
portrayal of violence on free-to-air television has decreased over the
past decade, but that violence remains the main concern of viewers. In
2002, 14 per cent of adults spontaneously mentioned violence as a
concern compared to 25 per cent in 1989 when a similar survey was
conducted. The Australian Broadcasting Authority today released the
results of the study it commissioned on community attitudes towards
the portrayal of violence on free-to-air television.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15936.htm

12. UK - Puttnam warns that Ofcom could sink into black hole
(Guardian)
Lord Puttnam warned the government that it was "facing a black hole at
the centre of the regulatory universe" unless it made special
provisions for the funding of new media and telecoms super-regulator
Ofcom. The Labour peer, who chaired the joint scrutiny committee
looking into the communications bill, issued the warning as the House
of Lords continued to debate amendments to the legislation. The peers
have been granted an extra two days to debate changes to the bill,
which is moving at a snail's pace through the House of Lords.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15909.htm

13. ICC - Roadmap flags latest developments in intellectual property
(Press release)
The International Chamber of Commerce's 2003 Intellectual Property
Roadmap provides an overview for businesses and government officials
of the newest developments in IP rights and protection. Compiled by
the more than 240 IP experts who make up the ICC's Commission on
Intellectual Property, this year's roadmap analyses such emerging IP
issues as information products, indigenous rights and biotechnology
and genetic rights.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15897.htm

14. Public Domain - Conference proceedings (Law and Contemporary
Problems)
Volume 66 Winter/Spring 2003 Numbers 1 & 2. Papers from a Conference
organized at Duke University School of Law in November 2001. see
Foreword: The Opposite Of Property? by James Boyle.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15945.htm

15. US - RIAA admits it sent erroneous letters (MSNBC)
The music industry¹s antipiracy efforts took an embarrassing turn when
the Recording Industry Association of America acknowledged it has
erroneously sent dozens of copyright infringement notices.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15929.htm

16. US - The mood among campus file-swappers (CNET News.com)
At a leading music company, I came closer to understanding the real
problem that the labels have with P2P services. They do not
necessarily see a threat in teens downloading free music and then not
buying the tracks. Instead, they are worried about the possible
breakdown of their current hegemony over music creation and
distribution. Until they find an Internet strategy that leaves them
comfortable, they will stymie any technological advancement.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15932.htm

17. US - Universal sues Bertelsmann for piracy (Reuters)
Universal Music Group is seeking to join a $17 billion suit brought by
music publishers against Bertelsmann, alleging it aided the once-
popular Napster Internet music service in piracy.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15938.htm

18. EU - Data protection: Commission report shows that EU law is
achieving its main aims (RAPID)
The 1995 Data Protection Directive has broadly achieved its aim of
ensuring strong protection for privacy while making it easier for
personal data to be moved around the EU, according to a European
Commission report on the transposition of Directive 95/46/EC.
However, late implementation by Member States and differences in the
ways the Directive is applied at national level have prevented
Europe's economy from getting the full benefit of the Directive. The
report proposes a work plan to reduce those differences, based on co-
operation among Member States and between Member States and the
Commission, followed by a review in 2005 of whether amendments to the
Directive are necessary.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15907.htm

19. DE - Gericht verbietet Domains mit Städtenamen (Heise)
Die Verwendung der Webadresse tauchschule-dortmund.de ist unzulässig.
Laut Urteil des Oberlandesgerichts Hamm (OLG) liegt in der Benutzung
eine wettbewerbsrechtliche Irreführung der Verbraucher. Damit gab das
Gericht in zweiter Instanz der Klage der gleichfalls in Dortmund
ansässigen Tauchschule Schneider statt, die vom derzeitigen Domain-
Inhaber und Konkurrenten Bernd Wolsing die Unterlassung verlangt
hatte.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15904.htm

20. UK - Easyart wins domain name fight (BBC)
Easyart, the online seller of artwork, has won its fight to hang onto
its domain name in the face of the threat of legal action from Stelios
Haji-Ioannou's Easygroup. Easygroup, the company behind the Easyjet
budget airline and Easycar motor rental service, had accused Easyart
of "passing off" - riding on its coat-tails with a similar domain
name.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15919.htm

21. PayPal Stops Sex Merchandise Payments (AP)
It could soon be easier to buy adult videos at your local sex shop
than through the Internet. PayPal, a subsidiary of eBay that processes
payments anywhere in cyberspace, will stop taking payments for most
adult-themed merchandise over the next five weeks. Other electronic
payment services, including Yahoo! and Visa USA, have also tightened
restrictions on sexually explicit items
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15941.htm

22. AU - NetAlert gets extra $1.5m (Australian IT)
The federal Government has allocated a total of $2 million over the
next four years to regulate internet content and 190x phone services
in this year's Budget. The government agency charged with monitoring
internet censorship laws, NetAlert, had its future secured with the
new federal Budget. NetAlert was created in 2000 to monitor complaints
about internet content and raise awareness of federal internet
censorship laws introduced that year. Earlier this year it claimed it
would not be able to continue operating without a This year's federal
Budget allocated $500,000 per year for the next three years for the
agency. The money comes from existing funds budgeted for the
Australian Broadcasting Authority, NetAlert's parent agency.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15928.htm

23. US - Citizens Urge FCC to Retain Current Media Ownership Rules
(FMC)
The Federal Communications Commission has virtually no evidence of
citizen backing for their controversial media ownership plan,
according to an analysis of comments filed in the FCC. The Future of
Music Coalition today released a survey of the comments available for
public review in the Broadcast Ownership rulemaking. Citizen response
to these proposed rule changes is overwhelmingly negative. As of May
8, 2003, 9065 citizens unaffiliated to a corporation, organization or
association opposed changing existing media ownership rules that would
pave the way for further consolidation, while only 11 unaffiliated
citizens supported changing the rules.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15901.htm

24. DE - Justizministerin bezeichnet Telefonüberwachung als maßvoll
(Heise)
Bundesjustizministerin Brigitte Zypries hat die Kritik des
Bundesdatenschutzbeauftragten Joachim Jacob an der steigenden Zahl von
Telefonüberwachungen zurückgewiesen. Die Telefonüberwachung habe sich
als "unverzichtbares und effizientes Mittel" zur Strafverfolgung
erwiesen, sagte Zypries bei der Präsentation eines Forschungsberichtes
über Praxis und Nutzen der Überwachungsmethode. Jacob hatte in der
vergangenen Woche kritisiert, es gebe keine Begründung für die
wachsende Zahl der Überwachungen. siehe Pressemitteilung des
Bundesjustizministeriums. Siehe auch Gutachten zur Rechtwirklichkeit
und Effizienz der Überwachung der Telekommunikation nach den §§ 100a,
100b StPO und anderer verdeckter Ermittlungsmaßnahmen" des Max-Planck-
Instituts für ausländisches und internationales Strafrecht in
Freiburg. siehe auch BMWA veröffentlicht Studie zur Überwachung der
Telekommunikation in G7-Staaten (Pressemitteilung). Die WIK-Consult
hat die Ergebnisse einer vom Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und
Arbeit in Auftrag gegebenen Studie zum Thema "Rechtlicher Rahmen für
das Angebot von Telekommunikations-Diensten (TK-Diensten) und den
Betrieb von TK-Anlagen in den G7-Staaten in Bezug auf die
Sicherstellung der Überwachbarkeit der Telekommunikation" vorgestellt.
Kurzfassung (PDF, 180 KB) Langfassung (PDF, 424 KB). siehe auch
Telefonüberwachung kommt immer mehr in Schwung.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15902.htm

25. UK - Extent of snooping revealed (BBC)
Police and other officials in the UK are making around a million
requests for access to data held by net and telephone companies each
year, according to figures compiled from the government, legal experts
and the internet industry. The findings were announced at a public
debate into government proposals to widen powers for internet snooping
held in London. But a Home Office spokesman disputed the figures,
estimating that the number of requests were half that suggested. The
requests include telephone billing data, e-mail logs and customer
details, which privacy experts estimate could amount to a billion
individual items of data, ranging from credit card numbers to numbers
dialled. see also UK - Whistle blown over extent of UK data seizures
(ZDNet UK).
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15912.htm

26. US - Feds prime new antispam weapon (CNET News.com)
Federal and state law enforcement agencies pledged to take an
aggressive new approach to fighting spam: identifying "open relay"
mail servers that serve as conduits for massive quantities of junk e-
mail. The agencies - in tandem with officials from Australia, Canada
and Japan - have sent letters to operators of over 1,000 e-mail
servers around the globe warning that an open relay "creates problems
for consumers worldwide, for law enforcement and for your
organization."
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15899.htm

27. US - NY Attorney General Says 'Buffalo Spammer' Arrested (Reuters)
The man known as the "Buffalo Spammer," who has allegedly sent 825
million unwanted e-mails, has been arrested and arraigned, New York
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said. Carmack was charged with:
stealing the identity of two residents to open Internet access
accounts with EarthLink Inc. ; falsifying the business records of
EarthLink; forging the headers of e-mail sent from the EarthLink
accounts; and possessing a software program designed to create the
forged e-mails.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15918.htm

28. US - SEC Sues Spammer for Alleged Web Fraud (AP)
Regulators filed fraud charges against a 20-year-old Kentucky man who
allegedly scammed money from would-be investors by creating a Web site
for a fictitious federal agency. The Securities and Exchange
Commission lawsuit, filed in U.S. District court in Tennessee, charged
K.C. Smith with raising $102,554 through bogus Web sites and about 9
million unsolicited e-mail messages. Smith even used the SEC's own
seal to convince investors the scheme was legitimate, according to the
lawsuit.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15917.htm

29. CH - Blocking order to ISPs lifted (disLEXia)
Unnoticed by the international scene ISPs in Switzerland fought a
blocking order by a court adressing the blocking of three web sites.
The court argued that the sites contained deliberate insults and asked
for DNS-Tampering and blocking at proxy level. Some providers complied
but ISPs appealed and the court lifted the blocking order..
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15924.htm

30. DE - Gericht präzisiert Haftung für Betreiber von Internet-Foren
(Heise)
Das Landgericht Köln hat in einem Urteil zur Frage der
Meinungsfreiheit in Internetforen und der Haftung des Betreibers für
Forumseinträge Stellung genommen.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15903.htm

31. US - Kid-Friendly Web Zone Will Be Online in September (Reuters)
NeuStar plans in September to launch a "child-friendly" Internet zone
free of violence, pornography and other adult material. The ".kids.us"
Internet domain will be open to U.S. residents and businesses on Sept.
4, while registered trademark holders will be able to reserve their
marks during a special preregistration period from June 17 to Aug. 15.
Last fall Congress directed NeuStar to set up the domain after
previous attempts to shield children from inappropriate material
online failed to survive court challenges. Web sites within the
".kids.us" domain will be screened to ensure that they do not carry
foul language, pornography, graphic violence and other material
inappropriate for children 13 and younger. Nor will these sites
include certain interactive features, such as chat rooms and instant
messaging, or links to Web sites outside the domain.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15930.htm

32. Escaping or Connecting?: Characteristics of Youth Who Form Close
Online Relationships (Journal of Adolescence)
by Janis Wolak, Kimberley J. Mitchell, and David Finkelhor, University
of New Hampshire.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15911.htm

33. JN - Bill to regulate online personals (Kyodo News)
The House of Representatives passed a bill to regulate Internet
personals sites with the aim of stopping child prostitution and other
crimes. If enacted into law, the legislation will ban users from
posting messages on sites to approach people under 18 for sex with or
without an offer of money. Violators, regardless of age and sex, will
be subject to a fine of up to 1 million yen.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15920.htm

34. UK - Porn blocks urged on hi-tech mobiles (Observer)
Safeguards are now being drawn up by the mobile phone industry to
cover high-tech handsets which allow users to get online from their
mobiles, rather than having to log on to a computer. Parents will soon
be offered phones with 'blocking' devices to prevent children
stumbling across explicit websites and unsuitable online 'chatrooms'.
In the meantime families should think carefully about buying advanced
models for teenagers, said Jack Wraith, chair of the Mobile Industry
Crime Action Forum.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15939.htm

35. US - Parents Support Kids Playing Video Games - Study (Reuters)
Fighting to head off tighter regulation of violent video games, the
trade group that represents game publishers said new research showed
most parents view their children's game playing as positive and nearly
all monitor what they buy. Parents say they are with their children
when games are purchased nearly 90 percent of the time, according to
the survey conducted on behalf of the Interactive Digital Software
Association. In addition, 60 percent of parents say they play video
games with their kids at least once a month, and two-thirds of parents
believe games have a positive effect on their children's lives, the
IDSA said.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15922.htm

36. CA - CIRA Responds to Allegations of Racial Discrimination (Press
Release)
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has learned that
an organization named CiraWatch posted an article alleging that CIRA¹s
validation process for domain name registrations discriminated against
certain ethnic communities. CIRA has responded to the article's
allegations by serving the operator of the www.cirawatch.com website
with a notice pursuant to Section 5 of the Libel and Slander Act,
R.S.O. 1990, c.L-12. CIRA has a zero tolerance policy with respect to
any form of racial discrimination.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15923.htm

37. US - Internet giant pulls Zundel's Web site (National Post)
QWest , a large U.S. Internet service provider, has pulled the plug on
Ernst Zundel's controversial Web site after the Canadian Human Rights
Commission warned the site contained hate literature. The site,
however, re-emerged on another U.S. host server. Mr. Zundel is in
detention in Canada pending a Federal Court review of the government's
declaration that he is a threat to national security, an order
requiring removal to his native Germany.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15927.htm

38. EU - Website Quality Labelling (PCMLP)
Support for Cooperation and Coordination Projects in Europe.
Stimulating the development of trustmarks for websites and enhancing
trust in e-business and internet is a noble goal, but not an easy one.
Trustmarks for websites to be successful need to have a strong basis,
a strong, well recognised brand and a financially sustainable business
model. In other words: a successful trustmark requires a lot of money
and support. Without good marketing and a strong brand trustmarks will
not be recognised and have little effect in practice. A paper written
for the IAPCODE project funded by the Safer Internet Action Plan,
administered by the European Commission.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15946.htm

39. Administration Urges Keeping Online-Tax Ban (Washington Post)
The administration is asking Congress to continue its five-year-old
moratorium on Internet taxes. The moratorium prevents state and local
governments from placing new taxes on Internet access. It also says
that states and localities cannot place new taxes on goods or services
bought online if they're not taxed offline. The moratorium does not
prohibit states from collecting online sales taxes, a popular
misconception. States can collect sales taxes on Internet purchases if
the merchant has a business location in the state and the customer is
also located there.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15915.htm

40. DE - T-Online edges into profit (BBC)
T-Online, Germany's biggest internet service provider, is back in
profit, helped by an increase in the number of broadband customers
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15935.htm

41. Music - Don't ignore middle-aged downloaders (Guardian)
Record companies targeting teenagers with new music download services
may be forced to think again. Latest figures revealed that there were
as many music fans in their middle ages downloading music as there are
those under 24, The research, by Vivendi Universal-owned legal
download service MP3.com, shows that 24% of its users are over 45,
while a further quarter are aged 25 to 43 and 23% aged between 18 and
24. Separate new research from Forrester also provides some rare cheer
for the record industry, predicting that online downloads will be
worth £900m by 2007, 13% of the European market, as broadband
connections become more widespread and consumers become used to buying
tracks online.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15910.htm

42. IT- Mafia turns to 3G video phones (BBC)
Italian gangsters have come up with the idea of using third-
generation (3G) video phones to manipulate the vote in forthcoming
regional elections. Mafia groups have traditionally tried to influence
elections in Italy to hold some sway over successful candidates. In
the past they have used a combination of the carrot and stick,
offering bribes or threatening violence. The 3G phones would be used
by a voter in the polling booth to send back images proving they had
cast their ballot as instructed.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15913.htm

43. T-Mobile jettisons Microsoft smart phone (Reuters)
T-Mobile International, Europe's second largest mobile phone operator,
has shelved plans to introduce a smart phone powered by Microsoft
software. T-Mobile announced in February plans to introduce the phone
with Microsoft's Smartphone software this summer in a move analysts
saw as a blow to mobile handset industry leader Nokia. But industry
sources said the phone software still has "fundamental problems''
leading to high failure rates.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15900.htm

44. UK - Mobile phones seen as 'essential' (BBC)
Research has found that mobile phones are becoming essential to the
management of our private and emotional lives. The three-year study
found that many people would be unable to live their lives without
their phone. The study, jointly carried out by the Henley Management
Centre and Teleconomy, looked into the sentimental attachment that
people have to their phones. see also y do tngrs luv 2 txt msg?
(Kluwer) by Grinter, R. E. and M. Eldridge. Proceedings of the
Seventh European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
ECSCW '01.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15914.htm

45. US - Nokia turns phones into credit cards (CNET News.com)
Nokia and MasterCard launched a trial of a new breed of mobile phone
technology this month that lets people use their Nokia phones as
credit cards. Nokia is distributing 500 new phones equipped with the
special payment technology as well as 1,500 free phone covers that can
snap onto current models in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas and the
home of Nokia's U.S. headquarters.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15931.htm

46. "Klingon Language Interpreter" Urban Legend (kuro5hin.org)
by Seth Finkelstein. Every once in a while, in order to remind myself
of the quality of information typically reported, I trace down the
source of a particularly ridiculous story. The "Klingon Language
Interpreter" myth, which is spawning now, provides an amusing case
study of the process of pack journalism.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15940.htm

47. 2003-06-16 BE, Brussels - Digital Media is Alive and Kicking: The
money-makers of Europe's eEconomy (EMF)
Brussels, 16-17 June 2003. The EMF's annual conference - co-organised
for the second year in a row with the European Multimedia
Associations' Convention (EMMAC) - is a major networking event. It is
the prime European meeting point for digital media companies &
associations, digital content owners & aggregators as well as
technology & network suppliers, their clients & users, public
institutions involved in Information Society policy making, Western
Europeans and Central Europeans. The conference's opening session will
focus on the opportunities of EU enlargement for the digital media
industries. It will then highlight eight of the most promising
segments/issues of Europe's eEconomy: -Electronic payments and the
legal framework for a single payment area -mCommerce -Video On Demand
and Pay Per View for PC and TV distribution -Content development for
multi-platform distribution -Obtaining licences and rights¹ clearances
-Distributing protected contents -Value Added Services for ISPs in the
European B-2-C market-place -Integration of value-added products &
services into B-2-B ISP-portfolios. Draft programme.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15942.htm

48. 2003-10-24 - EU/CoE- European Day of Civil Justice (RAPID)
The European Commission plans to hold, jointly with the Council of
Europe, a "European Day of Civil Justice" once a year throughout
Europe. The events planned in the Member States include guided tours,
open days, local conferences and meetings with members of the legal
professions and events for children. The date planned for the launch
of the "European Day of Civil Justice" is 24 October. The Commission
intends to organise a discussion forum on the Internet to give the
public direct answers to any question relating to Community policy on
the creation of a European area of civil justice, and also to find out
what their expectations are.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15906.htm

49. 2003-11-06 FR, Nice - Deuxièmes journées internationales du droit
du commerce électronique (EDHEC)
Nice (France), les 6 et 7 novembre 2003. L'organisation de ce colloque
a pour ambition d'enrichir le débat relatif aux enjeux juridiques liés
à l'essor du commerce électronique. Quatre grandes sessions
constituent les principaux axes de réflexion de ce colloque. Chaque
session se déroule sur une demi-journée comprenant plusieurs
interventions.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15933.htm

50. Survey: The IT Industry (Economist)
So far, information technology has thrived on exponentials. Now it has
to get back to earth. Given the current recession in IT, the idea of a
parallel digital universe where the laws of economic gravity do not
apply has been quietly abandoned. The sector is going through deep
structural changes which suggest that it is growing up or even,
horrors, maturing. see Paradise lost, Modifying Moore's law, Moving up
the stack, Techniques, not technology, At your service The fortune of
the commons, Cold killer application, Regulating rebels, Déjà vu all
over again.
http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem15943.htm

Main Sources and Contributors: Baker & McKenzie E-Law Alert, Michael
Geist BNA - ILN, cybertelecom.org, jugendschutz.net, Gerhard Heine,
David Goldstein, Net Family News, selfregulation.info,
saferinternet.org.

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)



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