[eccr] QuickLinks 278 - 10 August 2003

>
> QuickLinks 278 - 10 August 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. EU / DE - DLM will Verbesserung der EG-Fernsehrichtlinie
> 2. UK - Encryption row delays BBC talks on showing US films
>
> Competition
> 3. EU - Commission gives Microsoft last opportunity to comment before
> concluding its antitrust probe
> 4. UK - State funding for broadband 'may breach EU law
> 5. UK - TV deal sees return of Match of the Day
>
> Computer crime
> 6. UK - Identity Theft: Do you know the signs?
> 7. US - Man jailed for linking to bomb sites
>
> Convergence of telecommunications, media and information technology
> 8. UK - Communications Act passed by Parliament
> 9. US - Media Ownership Rules Facing Appeals
>
> Copyright, trademarks and patents
> 10. EU - The Draft IP Enforcement Directive - A Threat to Competition
> and to Liberty
> 11. US - Court blocks some file-trading subpoenas
>
> Data Protection (privacy)
> 12. DE - Neue Regelungen für den Datenschutz rücken näher
> 13. Privacy: US, full marks, Europe, null points
> 14. UK birth certificates to morph into your life story, and more?
>
> Domain names
> 15. Do Domain Names Matter?
>
> e-Learning
> 16. DE - Kultusminister sucht Sponsoren für Internet im Unterricht
>
> Electronic commerce
> 17. EU / DE - Pharmacies en ligne : première affaire soumise à la Cour
> de justice CE
> 18. UK - Most e-commerce sites breach laws, says survey
>
> Information society and Internet policy
> 19. WSIS - Human Rights Caucus
> 20. CoE / EU: Commission proposes joining Council of Europe Convention
>
> Interception
> 21. UK - Snooping goes hi-tech
>
> Junk mail (spam)
> 22. Who profits from spam? Surprise
> 23. UK - Microsoft says sorry to 'spammer'
>
> Liability, jurisdiction and applicable law
> 24. DE - Deep linking wins court approval in Germany
> 25. KR - Supreme Court Says Setting Up Link to Adult Sites Is
> Violation of the Law
>
> Mobile and wireless
> 26. Iraq - US blocks French, German and Spanish companies from tender
> 27. UK bans iPod radio device
> 28. US - Teen abduction foiled by cell phone cam
>
> Protection of minors
> 29. DE - Kinderseiten-Netzwerk 'Seitenstark' startet
> Veranstaltungsreihe zum Thema Jugendschutz im Internet
> 30. IE - Minister concerned over children's 'net usage
> 31. US - Kinderzimmer des Internets
>
> Racism and xenophobia
> 32. CH - Unheimliche Patrioten im Netz
> 33. US - Alabanza Shuts Down Offensive Web Site
>
> Rating and filtering
> 34. EU - Film rating study
> 35. US - Rated C for confusing
>
> Security and encryption
> 36. AU - Internet ID plan draws scorn
> 37. US - Hackers get lesson in the law
>
> Self-regulation / codes of conduct
> 38. UK - Mobile operators draft code on access to porn
> 39. AU - Sour note on indemnities
> 40. DE - Erfurter Netcode
>
> Market & Technology
>
> Junk mail (spam)
> 41. How a good spam filter just got better
>
> Market
> 42. UK - Dixons to ditch Freeserve for AOL
>
> Security and encryption
> 43. US - Merrill Lynch boots outside ISPs
>
> Statistics
> 44. July spam captures exceed all of 2002
> 45. US - Bye, bye landline phones
> 46. US - Downloaders shrug off copyrights
> 47. US - Software piracy on the wane
>
> Forthcoming events
>
> 48. 2003-10-28 DE, Berlin - The Changing European Regulatory Framework
> in Telecommunications
> 49. 2003-11-08 IT, Rome - International Conference
> 50. 2003-11-26 AU, Sydney - Law Via the Internet 2003
>
> Useful addresses
>
> 51. Google's new News Alerts
> 52. Web Sites That Shorten Long URLs
>
> Editorial information
>
> 53. QuickLinks RSS feed now available
>
> 1. EU / DE - DLM will Verbesserung der EG-Fernsehrichtlinie (Digital
> Fernsehen)
> Mit zahlreichen Vorschlägen für eine Optimierung der Richtlinie
> 'Fernsehen ohne Grenzen' (EG-Fernsehrichtlinie) hat sich in dem
> laufenden Überprüfungsverfahren jetzt die Direktorenkonferenz der
> Landesmedienanstalten (DLM) zu Wort gemeldet.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16312.htm
>
> 2. UK - Encryption row delays BBC talks on showing US films (FT)
> The BBC is trying to placate the concerns of Hollywood film studios at
> its decision to broadcast TV channels unencrypted. The concerns have
> stalled negotiations with the studios as the BBC seeks to secure
> broadcasting rights for Hollywood films.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16296.htm
>
> 3. EU - Commission gives Microsoft last opportunity to comment before
> concluding its antitrust probe (RAPID)
> The European Commission has given Microsoft a final opportunity to
> comment before it concludes its antitrust probe. The Commission has
> gathered additional evidence from a wide variety of consumers,
> suppliers and competitors. This evidence confirms the Commission's
> earlier finding that Microsoft is leveraging its dominant position
> from the PC into low-end servers and that Microsoft's tying of Windows
> Media Player to the Windows PC operating system weakens competition on
> the merits, stifles product innovation, and ultimately reduces
> consumer choice. The Commission also invites Microsoft to submit its
> comments on a series of remedies it intends to impose in order to
> bring the antitrust infringements it has identified to an end.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16304.htm
>
> 4. UK - State funding for broadband 'may breach EU law (FT)
> A pressure group lobbying for the roll out of high speed 'broadband'
> internet services across the UK has warned that £1bn of recently
> announced government spending for large broadband initiatives could
> breach European Union laws. Earlier this year the government announced
> that six companies, including BT Group and Telewest, were likely to be
> the main beneficiaries of £1bn earmarked for broadband projects
> following the publication of a shortlist of preferred suppliers. These
> companies were in a strong position to win the lion's share of the
> money to be distributed over the next five years."
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16305.htm
>
> 5. UK - TV deal sees return of Match of the Day (Guardian)
> Match of the Day, considered by many football fans to be one of the
> great institutions of the game, is set to return to television screens
> after the BBC won the right to show highlights of Premier League
> matches. The Premier League could however face opposition from the
> European Commission, which had stated it did not want one broadcaster
> to have the rights to all live matches. Four packages of live matches
> were available to broadcasters. The BBC did not bid for rights to any
> live games. See also New EC red card for Sky (Observer).
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16274.htm
>
> 6. UK - Identity Theft: Do you know the signs? (Fraud Advisory Panel)
> A Guide for businesses and individuals. The Panel's role is to alert
> the nation to the immense social and economic damage caused by fraud
> and help both public and private sectors to fight back. Established in
> 1998 through a public spirited initiative by the Institute of
> Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Panel exists to
> challenge complacency and supply remedies. The Panel is an independent
> body of volunteers drawn from the law and accountancy, banking,
> insurance, commerce, regulators, the police, government departments
> and public agencies.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16324.htm
>
> 7. US - Man jailed for linking to bomb sites (AP)
> A federal judge sentenced a man to a year in prison for creating an
> anarchist Web site with links to sites on how to build bombs. U.S.
> District Judge Stephen Wilson sentenced Sherman Austin to more than
> the prosecutor had recommended under a plea bargain. Austin, 20,
> pleaded guilty in February to distributing information related to
> explosives. Austin admitted posting links about bombs to enable
> people to build and use them during demonstrations against interstate
> and foreign trade. He told FBI agents he wanted the Web site to teach
> people about police brutality. Austin must also pay a $2,000 fine and
> is barred for three years from using a computer without approval.
> Wilson said he also may not associate with anyone from a group that
> "espouses physical force as a means of change".
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16287.htm
>
> 8. UK - Communications Act passed by Parliament (out-law.com)
> The Communications Act 2003, a law that updates and simplifies the
> regulatory framework for the telecoms industry and reforms the rules
> for media ownership, was passed by Parliament. The passing of the Act
> ensures that the UK meets its responsibilities under a series of EU
> Directives, due to be implemented by Member States by 25th July. The
> Act's main provisions include the transferral of functions to a single
> powerful regulator - the Office of Communications (OFCOM) - replacing
> the existing five regulators (the Independent Television Commission,
> Radio Authority, Office of Telecommunications, Broadcasting Standards
> Commission, Radiocommunications Agency).
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16326.htm
>
> 9. US - Media Ownership Rules Facing Appeals (Washington Post)
> Legal challenges to a Federal Communications Commission overhaul of
> media ownership rules emerged, with the regulations under fire both
> for allowing too few and too many mergers. The filings with the U.S.
> Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia were triggered by the
> publication of the FCC's final rules in the Federal Register. The
> regulations will go into effect on Sept. 4.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16288.htm
>
> 10. EU - The Draft IP Enforcement Directive - A Threat to Competition
> and to Liberty (Foundation for Information Policy Research)
> by Ross Anderson. The EU's draft IP Enforcement Directive - the
> `EuroDMCA' - sets out to make it dramatically easier to enforce
> copyrights, patents, and trademarks in Europe, and to punish people
> who tamper with technical mechanisms designed to prevent copying or
> counterfeiting. The directive has been welcomed by the music and film
> industries. But it divides the computer industry - Microsoft is for,
> while Sun is against - and the telecomms industry is strongly opposed.
> Supermarkets also stand to lose. Resistance is building, for example
> in the European press. Online liberties are also at risk, as well as
> commercial interests.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16323.htm
>
> 11. US - Court blocks some file-trading subpoenas (CNET News.com)
> A Massachusetts court has blocked several recording industry subpoenas
> that are aimed at college song swappers, saying the universities
> involved are not immediately required to divulge the alleged file
> traders' identities, on the technical legal grounds that the RIAA had
> filed the subpoenas in the wrong court.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16273.htm
>
> 12. DE - Neue Regelungen für den Datenschutz rücken näher (Heise)
> Die langjährigen Pläne der Regierungskoalition, das Datenschutzrecht
> zu modernisieren und zu vereinfachen, sollen in dieser
> Legislaturperiode endlich konkretere Formen annehmen. Dass dies jedoch
> alles andere als leicht ist, zeigte sich auf einer Fachtagung der
> Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Anfang der Woche in Berlin. Nicht nur das
> Telekommunikationsgesetz (TKG) und das Bundesdatenschutzgesetz (BDSG)
> müssen geändert werden, auch die Regelungen für die Neuen Medien, wie
> sie etwa im Teledienstegesetz und Mediendienste-Staatsvertrag
> getroffen wurden, stehen zur Debatte.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16307.htm
>
> 13. Privacy: US, full marks, Europe, null points (The Register)
> According to a recently released report, US consumer privacy policies
> are better than those in EU - a notion that not everyone agrees with.
> see Enforced Standards Versus Evolution by General Acceptance - A
> Comparative Study of E-Commerce Privacy Disclosure and Practice in The
> U.S. and The U.K. (AEI-Brookings Joint Center).
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16302.htm
>
> 14. UK birth certificates to morph into your life story, and more?
> (The Register)
> To little fanfare last month the UK's Office of National Statistics
> announced proposals for the creation of a central electronic database
> containing birth, death and marriage records. Announcing the
> publication of 'Civil Registration: Delivering Vital Change,' and a
> consultation process running through until 31st October, the ONS
> listed key changes as including the ability to register births and
> deaths online, in person and by telephone, greater choice as regards
> marriage ceremonies and 'new arrangements for access to registration
> information.' The creation of a centrally-held 'through life record'
> for everybody however appears not to have been deemed a key change of
> sufficient moment to make it to the press release. "
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16303.htm
>
> 15. Do Domain Names Matter? (CircleID)
> by Francis Hwang. A 2-part series article arguing that the
> decentralization of the Internet will allow the DNS to recede to its
> earlier, uncontroversial role, before all the lawsuits and screaming
> matches at ICANN board meetings.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16279.htm
>
> 16. DE - Kultusminister sucht Sponsoren für Internet im Unterricht
> (Heise)
> Wegen der desolaten Haushaltslage will sich das Land Niedersachen aus
> der Finanzierung des Projektes n-21 -- Schulen in Niedersachsen online
> zurückziehen. Kultusminister Bernd Busemann hofft daher auf größere
> Unterstützung privater Sponsoren für das Anfang 2000 noch unter der
> früheren Landesregierung gestartete Aktionsprogramm. Um die Schulen im
> Land auch künftig mit Internet oder Multimedia auszustatten und
> innovative Konzepte zu fördern, sei das Engagement von Handel und
> Handwerk, Unternehmen und Freiberuflern unerlässlich.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16300.htm
>
> 17. EU / DE - Pharmacies en ligne : première affaire soumise à la Cour
> de justice CE (droit-technologie.org)
> Une législation nationale peut-elle interdire la vente transfrontière
> via l?internet de produits pharmaceutiques. La Cour de justice
> européenne va trancher cette question importante. L'avocat général a
> rendu son avis que nous commentons ici. La Cour est amenée à se
> pencher sur la question suite à une question préjudicielle posée par
> le Landgericht Frankfurt am Main dans une affaire qui oppose les
> membres de l'Apothekerverband (fédérations et associations de
> pharmaciens des Länder) à la pharmacie néerlandaise 0800 DocMorris NV
> (« DocMorris »).
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16301.htm
>
> 18. UK - Most e-commerce sites breach laws, says survey (Out-law)
> Most UK e-commerce sites do not comply with at least one basic legal
> requirement, 95% fail to provide a "reasonable" level of customer
> service, 72% fail data protection requirements, and 63% breach
> distance selling rules, according to research commissioned by on-line
> legal documents provider Clickdocs. The research was carried out among
> a random selection of web sites from 20 different market segments, all
> selling on-line to UK consumers.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16290.htm
>
> 19. WSIS - Human Rights Caucus (IRIS)
> Civil society members participating in PrepCom1 of the World Summit on
> the Information Society (Geneva, July 1-5) have decided to organize
> themselves in sub-committees, working groups and regional as well as
> thematic caucuses. One representative from each group participates in
> the Civil Society Coordination Group (CSCG). The Human rights caucus
> has been proposed by the French NGO IRIS, in order to ensure that this
> question is duly taken into account in the WSIS process, by
> governments as well as by NGOs. In French and English
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16320.htm
>
> 20. CoE / EU: Commission proposes joining Council of Europe Convention
> (RAPID)
> The European Commission has adopted a draft decision to sign
> Convention 180 of the Council of Europe on behalf of the EU. This
> Convention establishes an international mechanism for the prior
> notification of national rules on online services, based on the EU
> system of legislative transparency in this area introduced by
> Directive 98/34/EC. The Convention's aim is to enhance the
> transparency and coherence of national rules on information society
> services as far as possible since these services are by definition
> often provided across borders.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16316.htm
>
> 21. UK - Snooping goes hi-tech (BBC)
> Britain seems to be turning into a nation of electronic eavesdroppers.
> Research by security firm Symantec has shown that some people sneak a
> look at the text messages and e-mails of their partner if they suspect
> them of being unfaithful. They will also scour electronic address
> books for names they do not recognise or which look suspicious. Even
> at work many of those questioned would, given the opportunity, peek at
> confidential information about friends and colleagues they found on
> corporate networks.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16306.htm
>
> 22. Who profits from spam? Surprise (MSNBC)
> by Bob Sullivan. There wouldn't be spam if there wasn't money in spam.
> So to understand what primes the spam economy, MSNBC.com answered a
> single unsolicited commercial e-mail. The truth about spam is this:
> While the dirty work is done by secretive, faceless computer jockeys
> who are constantly evading authorities, lots of companies with names
> you know profit, at least tangentially, from their efforts. [Ed.
> Highly recommended]
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16277.htm
>
> 23. UK - Microsoft says sorry to 'spammer' (BBC)
> Microsoft has apologised to a British man it had accused of sending
> out huge amounts of junk email, or 'spam'. The software giant issued
> an 'unreserved apology' to Simon Grainger from Merseyside, whom it had
> served with a writ, accusing him of stealing e-mail addresses of its
> customers to send them spam."
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16278.htm
>
> 24. DE - Deep linking wins court approval in Germany (out-law.com)
> The German Federal Supreme Court ruled that deep links from a news
> search engine direct to articles in a publisher’s web site do not
> violate German copyright or competition law. see report in the German
> American Law Journal (in English) and Pressemitteilung
> (Bundesgerichtshof).
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16309.htm
>
> 25. KR - Supreme Court Says Setting Up Link to Adult Sites Is
> Violation of the Law (donga.com)
> Setting up link to an adult Web site constitutes violation of the law,
> which bans indiscreet distribution of adult materials, the Korean
> Supreme Court ruled. Internet link can be viewed as an act of offering
> the content of other Web sites to users through a simple click, the
> court ruled. Setting up link on his own Web site is, therefore,
> equivalent to displaying adult content himself rather than merely
> introducing other sites.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16282.htm
>
> 26. Iraq - US blocks French, German and Spanish companies from tender
> (Cellular News)
> Details published about the tender for Iraq's new cellular licenses
> has shown that several of Europe's leading mobile phone companies will
> be barred for competing in the tender. The rules reveal a ban on any
> company that is more than 5% owned by a national government. This ban
> will block France's Orange and Germany's T-Mobile from entering bids.
> Adding this unusual shareholder limit effectively bans the two
> networks, both with substantial government ownership from bidding.
> Unfortunately, the ruling also blocks Spain's Telefonica from bidding
> - even though Spain's government was supportive of the Iraq war.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16319.htm
>
> 27. UK bans iPod radio device (BBC)
> A gadget that lets you send songs from Apple's iPod music player to an
> FM radio has fallen foul of UK laws. The UK distributor said use of
> the device was prohibited under the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949.
> The act forbids the use of radio equipment without a licence or an
> exemption. The iTrip transmits at very low power on an FM frequency
> and so in theory could interfere with broadcasts from a radio station.
> There are no restrictions on its use in the US, but in the UK FM
> broadcasts are allocated for the exclusive use of licensed
> broadcasters
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16276.htm
>
> 28. US - Teen abduction foiled by cell phone cam (CNN)
> A quick-thinking 15-year-old boy used his Sprint cell phone camera to
> take pictures of a man who allegedly tried to lure him into his car,
> leading to the man's arrest, police said.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16310.htm
>
> 29. DE - Kinderseiten-Netzwerk 'Seitenstark' startet
> Veranstaltungsreihe zum Thema Jugendschutz im Internet
> (Pressemitteilung)
> Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft vernetzter Kinderseiten 'Seitenstark' hat den
> Startschuss zu einer Veranstaltungsreihe zum Thema Jugendschutz im
> Internet gegeben. Die nun in Hamburg zu Ende gegangene erste
> Veranstaltung mit dem Titel 'Jugendschutz 2003: Filtern oder
> Vernetzen?' beschäftigte sich mit den Konsequenzen der Einführung des
> neuen Jugendmedienschutzgesetzes.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16294.htm
>
> 30. IE - Minister concerned over children's 'net usage (RTE news)
> Irish Minister of State Brian Lenihan has expressed concern at the
> level of internet usage by children given the amount of paedophiles
> accessing the web. He says more awareness is needed but added there
> are no immediate plans to regulate the industry in Ireland. Mr Lenihan
> was speaking at the release of the Internet Advisory Board Report
> 2000-2002 and said surveys show that awareness of the dangers in
> Ireland is high compared to other countries. see also Protecting
> Children online - what parents can do to help.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16318.htm
>
> 31. US - Kinderzimmer des Internets (Frankfurter Rundschau)
> Jugendfreie Angebote sind in den USA künftig am Adressenende
> '.kids.us' zu erkennen - Experten sind skeptisch.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16293.htm
>
> 32. CH - Unheimliche Patrioten im Netz (Tagblatt)
> Schweizer Rechtsextreme nutzen das Internet für ihre Zwecke Auch die
> rund 1000 Schweizer Rechtsextremisten haben ihren Platz im Netz
> gefunden. Unter den wachsamen Augen einer neuen Internet-Polizei
> mobilisieren sie auf ihren Seiten zu Konzerten und Demonstrationen.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16291.htm
>
> 33. US - Alabanza Shuts Down Offensive Web Site (Web Host Industry
> Review)
> The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced that its request to have an
> offensive Web site shut down was granted by the host of the domain,
> Baltimore-based Alabanza Corporation (alabanza.com). The ADL said the
> offending site, hoozajew.org, contained anti-semitic content.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16327.htm
>
> 34. EU - Film rating study (Europa)
> Empirical Study on the Practice of the Rating of Films Distributed in
> Cinemas, Television, DVD and Videocassettes in the EU and EEA Member
> States. Prepared on behalf of the European Commission by Olsberg|SPI
> and KEA European Affairs. Final Report May 2003.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16311.htm
>
> 35. US - Rated C for confusing (Boston Globe)
> Quick -- what does 14 DSL mean? How about FV? Which is higher, M or T?
> And can you define ''mild thematic elements''? If you're like most
> parents, these terms from the industry-sponsored rating systems for
> television, video games, and movies leave you in the dark. Common
> Sense Media is proposing is a single uniform system for rating movies,
> TV shows, games, music, and even books.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16317.htm
>
> 36. AU - Internet ID plan draws scorn (ZDNet Australia)
> A plan to require identity checks for Australian email users has been
> branded 'ludicrous' by Electronic Frontiers Australia. The group also
> moved to debunk claims made by an ex-NCA agent, acting as a witness
> before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime
> Commission, that such ID checks for Internet access are mandatory in
> France in a supplementary submission to the committee. "We advise
> that such a requirement has not been enacted in France, nor was such a
> requirement introduced into the French Parliament in 1999/2000 [nor
> has it been since then]," it said. See Parliamentary Inquiry into
> Cybercrime (Parliament of Australia)
> Joint-Committee: Submissions List. see Electronic Frontiers Australia,
> Australian Broadcasting Authority and Australian Crime Commission.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16295.htm
>
> 37. US - Hackers get lesson in the law (CNET News.com)
> Security researchers and black-hat hackers could face legal troubles
> if they publish detailed information about vulnerabilities and
> exploits. Jennifer Granick, director of Stanford University's Center
> for Internet and Society, warned the audience at the Black Hat
> security conference that they could run afoul of recent laws like the
> Digital Millennium Copyright Act, as well as centuries-old common law
> restrictions.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16308.htm
>
> 38. UK - Mobile operators draft code on access to porn (FT)
> Mobile operators are looking to prevent minors from accessing adult
> content on their mobile phones in an attempt to avert a backlash from
> regulators and child protection groups over the increasing
> proliferation of pornography on mobile phones. With many of the latest
> handsets incorporating colour screens and internet access, the UK's
> leading mobile operators have drafted an industry code of practice. It
> will require mobile operators to provide access control tools on
> mobiles to prevent unauthorised users from viewing adult or other
> unsuitable material. Interested parties are being invited to submit
> consultations on the draft code by September 8.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16297.htm
>
> 39. AU - Sour note on indemnities (Australian IT)
> An indemnity program for internet service providers (ISPs) who are
> ordered to take down websites by music and movie industry
> investigators is still on ice, despite a resumption of talks on an
> online copyright code of conduct. The music industry had pulled out of
> talks but is now back at the table. It is opposing an indemnity and is
> only lukewarm on a proposal for a government-sponsored statutory
> immunity. (Notice and take-down)
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16284.htm
>
> 40. DE - Erfurter Netcode (Verein Erfurter Netcode)
> Immer mehr junge Surfer entdecken das Internet. Doch auf welche
> Inhalte stoßen Kinder und Jugendliche beim Surfen durchs Netz? Die
> evangelische und katholische Rundfunkarbeit initiiert zusammen mit der
> Landeshauptstadt Erfurt und weiteren Partnern den Verein 'Erfurter
> Netcode e.V.' - eine Qualitätsinitiative für Internetangebote für
> Kinder. Eine entscheidende Vorarbeit wurde vom Kinderkanal sowie
> Internetredaktionen von ARD und ZDF geleistet. Dessen Anliegen als
> öffentlich-rechtlicher Fernsehsender ist es, Medienkompetenz zu
> vermitteln und zu fördern. Kernpunkt des 'Erfurter Netcodes' ist ein
> Codex, der Qualitätskriterien formuliert, die durch Forschung und
> ethischen Diskurs fortgeschrieben werden. Ziel ist es, mit neuen
> Qualitätsstandards kindgerechte Seiten zu fördern.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16292.htm
>
> 41. How a good spam filter just got better (AnchorDesk)
> by David Coursey. Over the next six weeks or so, we'll be seeing some
> new and improved tools for dealing with spam, from companies whose
> names you'd recognize but which I've promised not to reveal. I'm about
> to start testing this software and will have reports soon after its
> formal release. Meanwhile, there's a new version of Mailblocks
> available, a program I've already written about. Version 2.0 of the
> challenge-response system was released last week. As much as may be
> possible, it solves the problem I've had with using such systems to
> reduce spam.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16281.htm
>
> 42. UK - Dixons to ditch Freeserve for AOL (Guardian)
> High street electronics giant Dixons is poised to sign a £10m deal
> with AOL, terminating its five year relationship with rival Freeserve,
> the internet service provider it sold to France Telecom two years ago.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16314.htm
>
> 43. US - Merrill Lynch boots outside ISPs (CNET News.com)
> Merrill Lynch will ban access to outside e-mail services from popular
> sites such as America Online, Yahoo and MSN, in response to regulatory
> requirements and to protect its network from viruses, according to a
> company memo. The policy shift will affect the 48,000 Merrill Lynch
> employees worldwide who use the company's Internet network. A Merrill
> Lynch representative said the policy is an extension of existing bans
> in departments such as the trading desk. Other investment banks, such
> as Goldman Sachs, have similar companywide policies.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16285.htm
>
> 44. July spam captures exceed all of 2002 (Silicon.com)
> Anybody still unconvinced about the scale of the spam epidemic should
> consider this fact: MessageLabs intercepted more spam in the last
> month than in the whole of 2002. While this is in part proof that
> filtering is more widely used, it is also an indication as to just how
> much spam is being sent and received each day. According to
> MessageLabs spam accounted for 50 per cent of all e-mail again during
> July. MessageLabs' anti-spam service scanned more than 156.6 million
> e-mails during July. Of those 79.7 million were identified as spam and
> intercepted.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16321.htm
>
> 45. US - Bye, bye landline phones (CNN)
> In number, cell phones are creeping up on landline phones. They
> already comprise about 43 percent of all U.S. phones, according to the
> International Telecommunication Union, up from 37 percent in 2000.
> Meanwhile, the number of U.S. landline phones has dropped by more than
> 5 million, or nearly 3 percent, since 2000, the Federal Communications
> Commission reported in June. The United States hasn't been the
> quickest to adapt. Already, more than half the phones in the world are
> cellular. Cell phones overtook landlines earliest in some developing
> countries that hadn't laid ground lines by the time cellular
> technology arrived. In Cambodia, for instance, nearly 90 percent of
> phones are cellular. Cell phones started outnumbering traditional
> phones in European countries in the late 1990s, partly because phone
> pricing systems favored wireless. Typically, Europeans don't have
> unlimited local calls on their home phones - one big advantage of
> landline service in America.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16286.htm
>
> 46. US - Downloaders shrug off copyrights (MSNBC)
> Two-thirds of Internet users who download music don't care whether
> they're violating copyright laws, according to a new survey that
> highlights the uphill enforcement battle facing the recording
> industry. The survey by the nonprofit Pew Internet and American Life
> Project estimated that roughly 35 million American adults use file-
> sharing software, about 29 percent of Internet users. see Music
> Downloading, File-sharing and Copyright: A Pew Internet Project Data
> Memo
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16322.htm
>
> 47. US - Software piracy on the wane (CNET News.com)
> The latest report from the Business Software Alliance concludes that
> software piracy declined in the United States during 2002. The special
> interest group, an antipiracy organization that's comprised of members
> such as Apple Computer, Cisco Systems and Microsoft, released results
> of its state-by-state analysis of software piracy across the United
> States on Tuesday. According to BSA's report, the nation's piracy rate
> dropped 2 percentage points in 2002 compared with 2001, to 23 percent.
> The International Planning and Research (IPR) conducted the study for
> BSA."
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16283.htm
>
> 48. 2003-10-28 DE, Berlin - The Changing European Regulatory Framework
> in Telecommunications (WIK)
> The new European regulatory framework for telecommunications aims at
> harmonising regulation across the EU based on flexible rules. Covering
> all electronic networks and services, it takes into account the
> convergence of platforms. The relevant directives should be
> implemented in the Member States by July 2003. The WIK-conference will
> refer to the most relevant questions in the ongoing discussion
> regarding the changing European regulatory framework in
> telecommunications. The conference will give an overview on the
> progress of implementing the European framework in the member
> countries. The implementation process will be evaluated from different
> players in the telecommunications market.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16289.htm
>
> 49. 2003-11-08 IT, Rome - International Conference (Educaunet
> Newsletter)
> On 8 November 2003, all the actors of the educational world will be
> brought together in Rome to debate about youths and the Internet:
> parents, head teachers, teachers, pupils, but also political decision
> makers and media education professionals. The international conference
> organised in Rome, on November 8th, by the European Parents
> Association EPA and the Italian parents association A.Ge., focuses on
> two directions: to stimulate the interest of the general public and to
> create a synergy between the various adult actors who surround and
> accompany the child. The programme of the conference and a
> registration form will be available on the site www.educaunet.org at
> the end of September.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16299.htm
>
> 50. 2003-11-26 AU, Sydney - Law Via the Internet 2003 (AustLII)
> 5th Conference on Computerisation of Law via the Internet. The
> Australasian Legal Information Institute, one of the largest free
> access law sites on the web, will host the fifth Law via the Internet
> conference on 26-28 November 2003. Call for Papers deadline 22 August
> 2003.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16313.htm
>
> 51. Google's new News Alerts (CyberJournalist.net)
> Google has invented another great tool: Google News Alerts, which are
> e-mailed to you when news articles appear online that match the topics
> you specify. What makes Google's so powerful is that Google News
> trolls 4,500 news sources continuously throughout the day.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16275.htm
>
> 52. Web Sites That Shorten Long URLs (notling.com)
> The following free web sites can take a long URL and give you back a
> shorter URL without requiring registration. Any of these services will
> do a good job, but if you want to study them before you pick one, here
> is an informal survey of the competitive landscape.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16280.htm
>
> 53. QuickLinks RSS feed now available (QuickLinks)
> QuickLinks is now available as an RSS feed. see also Awasu, a free
> Windows news-reader recommended by PC Magazine, News Readers (Google
> Directory) and list of aggregators and newsreaders (Harvard Law
> School). Using these is quite straightforward. Available
> documentation tends to be written for publishers or programmers rather
> than the non-technical user and so makes it sound much more difficult
> than it is. For the technically minded, see What is RSS? and RSS
> Tutorial for Content Publishers and Webmasters.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16298.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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