[eccr] QuickLinks 281 - 31 August 2003

> QuickLinks 281 - 31 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. UK - Amount of children's TV programming has tripled since 1997
> 2. UK - BBC chief warns over Murdoch dominance
>
>    Competition
> 3. UK - Tories would close BBC website
>
>    Computer crime
> 4. AU - EFA submission re IIA Cybercrime Code
> 5. How to fight online child porn
> 6. UK - Child porn cases may face collapse
> 7. UK - Crime gangs 'contribute to internet child porn surge'
> 8. UK - Paedophile unit under review
>
>    Consumer protection
> 9. UK - Oftel confirms new measures to protect consumers against
> nuisance calls
>
>    Content regulation
> 10. IN - Watch what you surf, Net police are here
> 11. PK - Cable TV vows boycott
> 12. UK - Nude scenes on TV increase after watershed
>
>    Copyright, trademarks and patents
> 13. EU - Software patent protest to block Web sites
> 14. EU - Le Parlement européen reporte le vote sur le brevet logiciel
> 15. US - RIAA Discloses Some Methods of Tracking
> 16. US - RIAA turns up heat on subpoena fighter
> 17. US - Ruling against DVD-copy code
> 18. US - To Fight Music Piracy, Industry Goes to Schools
>
>    Data Protection (privacy)
> 19. Big Brother Awards International
> 20. DE - Anonymisier-Dienst JAP ist wieder anonym
> 21. DE - Datenschutz-Gütesiegel für Computer-Programme
> 22. IT - Regulator stamps guidelines on photo messaging
> 23. US - Verizon wins fight over use of data: Court blocks privacy 
> rules
>
>    Domain names
> 24. EU - Avoid .eu domain scams, firms warned
> 25. US - Sites Reconsider X-Rated Domain
>
>    e-Government
> 26. 2003-09-04 Cancún: On-line Chat with Pascal Lamy
>
>    Interception
> 27. Anti-Terrorism Laws and Data Retention: War is over?
>
>    Junk mail (spam)
> 28. DE - Heise stellt Strafanzeige gegen Spammer
> 29. KR - Spam mail declines for first time in 3 years
> 30. UK - Text service fights mobile spam
> 31. US - AOL Sued For Over-Zealous Blocking
> 32. US - Transcripts of FTC Spam Forum posted
>
>    Liability, jurisdiction and applicable law
> 33. US - New ruling protects ISPs, Web operators
> 34. US - RIAA, studios gain P2P legal aid
> 35. Web quandary for regulators
>
>    Mobile and wireless
> 36. UK - Mobile phone video service bypasses 3G
>
>    Protection of minors
> 37. UK - DibDabDoo.com: New kid-safe search tool
>
>    Rating and filtering
> 38. AU - Software company calls for net filtering legislation
>
>    Security and encryption
> 39. Why people write computer viruses
> 40. ISPs Add Filters to Anti-Virus Arsenal
> 41. US - FBI arrests MSBlast worm suspect
>
>    Telecommunications
> 42. UK -  Oftel sets out regulatory framework under new EC Directives
> 43. US - Phone Companies Challenge FCC Rule
>
> Market & Technology
>
>    Market
> 44. AOL launches blogging service
> 45. Japan leads mobile game craze
> 46. Mobile gaming 'set to explode'
> 47. UK - BBC archive to be opened on Internet
> 48. UK - Text messages play games with TV
>
>    Statistics
> 49. ES - Spain's Surfing Surge
> 50. US Demographics: Gamers Growing Up
>
>    Technology
> 51. RSS - A Primer for Publishers and Content Providers
> 52. With E-mail Dying, RSS Offers Alternative
>
> 1. UK - Amount of children's TV programming has tripled since 1997 
> (ITC)
> There are now more children's programmes on television than at anytime
> over the last eleven
> years, according to What Children Watch, new research by the
> Broadcasting Standards Commission
> and the Independent Television Commission.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16579.htm
>
> 2. UK - BBC chief warns over Murdoch dominance (Guardian)
> The BBC will be left to fight a lone battle against Rupert Murdoch's
> BSkyB if the government
> does not intervene to prevent the collapse of ITV as a public service
> broadcaster, the
> corporation's director general Greg Dyke warned. Mr Dyke warned of
> BSkyB's dominance of the
> digital TV world, and said five years of management failure at ITV had
> allowed the satellite
> broadcaster to forge ahead, opposed only by the BBC. He expressed
> concern about Sky's position
> as simultaneously a provider of Britain's biggest satellite television
> system; provider of
> programmes on that system; and controller of the price paid by other
> broadcasters who want to
> use it.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16588.htm
>
> 3. UK - Tories would close BBC website (BBC)
> The Conservative party would switch off a swath of the BBC's digital
> services, including its
> website and the youth channel BBC3, if it won the next general 
> election.
> The party's culture
> spokesman, John Whittingdale, told Guardian Unlimited Politics he was
> 'not persuaded' of the
> case for a public service website and that he was 'not convinced the 
> BBC
> needs to do all the
> things it is doing at the present', including providing 'more and more
> channels'. see also BBC
> news site facing extinction? (The Register).
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16556.htm
>
> 4. AU - EFA submission re IIA Cybercrime Code (EFA)
> This is a submission in response to the draft Cybercrime Code of
> Practice issued for public
> consultation by the Internet Industry Association of Australia ('IIA')
> on 21 July 2003. The
> Code fails to acknowledge the fundamental human right to privacy as a
> principle underlying the
> Code. The provisions of the Code are not, as claimed, "within the 
> spirit
> and letter of
> relevant privacy legislation" nor the IIA draft Privacy Code. The Code
> seeks to establish a de
> facto extension of the interception of telecommunications regime
> currently governed by the
> Telecommunications (Interception) Act 1979.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16581.htm
>
> 5. How to fight online child porn (BBC)
> We need to think carefully before we overreact to reports of online
> child abuse, argues
> technology analyst Bill Thompson.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16558.htm
>
> 6. UK - Child porn cases may face collapse (Leeds Today)
> As part of Operation Ore, dozens of people have been either jailed or
> fined and put on the sex
> offenders' register after they admitted paying for and downloading 
> child
> porn from the
> Internet. But now calls have made for the cases to be reviewed 
> following
> the collapse of the
> case against Soham detective Brian Stevens, who was accused of
> possessing and distributing
> child porn. The case collapsed because of flawed evidence from one of
> the star witnesses,
> Brian Underhill. The traffic police officer turned computer crime 
> expert
> has been involved in
> more than 600 of the 1,600 prosecutions brought by UK police as part of
> Operation Ore. In
> total his firm, Celt Limited, has dealt with 1,022 cases.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16559.htm
>
> 7. UK - Crime gangs 'contribute to internet child porn surge' 
> (Guardian)
> Crime gangs are contributing to a surge in internet child porn,
> according to the  National
> Criminal Intelligence Service's (NCIS) annual assessment of serious and
> organised crime. The
> study says the number of websites showing child porn - often featuring
> images of what is
> believed to be actual abuse - rose by 64% last year. The NCIS report
> says most child sex
> offenders act alone or in secretive networks that distribute images
> freely. But the potential
> profits to be made from selling images of child abuse online have also
> attracted 'serious and
> organised criminals'. This has enabled a 'rapid growth in the
> publication of computer-based
> images of child abuse and their global distribution'. As a result,
> computer-based images of
> child abuse have now largely replaced printed material. see Sex 
> offences
> against children,
> including online abuse (NCIS).
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16565.htm
>
> 8. UK - Paedophile unit under review (BBC)
> Scotland Yard is putting a limit on the amount of time officers spend 
> in
> its specialist
> paedophile unit amid fears over their mental health.  Nine detectives
> from the unit are being
> transferred to other departments. The unit tracks down Britain's worst
> child sex offenders and
> their work involves looking at images of children being tortured,
> humiliated and sexually
> abused. Concerns have been raised about the welfare of officers who 
> have
> to carry out these
> tasks routinely. In future, service will be limited to three years.
> However the move has come
> under attack from critics who say it will leave the unit lacking the
> experienced staff it
> desperately needs.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16585.htm
>
> 9. UK - Oftel confirms new measures to protect consumers against
> nuisance calls (Press
> Release)
> Oftel has confirmed new measures to protect consumers from the misuse 
> of
> electronic
> communications networks or services that can result in the making of
> nuisance calls. Under the
> Communications Act, Oftel may now take action against any persons who
> misuse networks or
> services in a way that causes annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety, but
> falls short of being a
> criminal offence or breaking data protection legislation.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16540.htm
>
> 10. IN - Watch what you surf, Net police are here (Times of India)
> The Government of India has outlined an official procedure for blocking
> websites. Order No.
> GSR529(E) permits the blacking out of websites promoting hate content,
> slander or defamation
> of others, promoting gambling, promoting racism, violence and terrorism
> and other such
> material, in addition to promoting pornography, including child
> pornography and violent sex,
> and adds: "Blocking of such websites may be equated to balanced flow of
> information and not
> censorship." Various agencies can submit a complaint to the director of
> Cert-In, a new
> organisation which has been set up by the government to address IT
> security issues. A
> committee comprising bureaucrats from Cert-In, the department of
> information technology and
> the law or home ministry meet and take on the spot decision on whether
> the website is to be
> blocked or not. Neither the producers of the website nor those with a
> contrary point of view
> are to be given a hearing.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16548.htm
>
> 11. PK - Cable TV vows boycott (BBC)
> Pakistan's cable TV operators say they will refuse to broadcast 
> national
> channels in protest
> at being prevented from showing Indian programmes. The Cable Operators'
> Association of
> Pakistan's boycott will also include foreign news channels such as the
> BBC and CNN. Pakistan
> banned Indian channels in March 2002 during a period of tense ties with
> its neighbour.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16566.htm
>
> 12. UK - Nude scenes on TV increase after watershed (BBC)
> Scenes including nudity and sexual activity on terrestrial television
> have increased during
> the past four years, according to research by TV watchdogs. Sex scenes
> have more than doubled
> from 6% to 14% since 1999, says the survey by the Broadcasting 
> Standards
> Commission (BSC), the
> Independent Television Commission (ITC) and the BBC. see also Press 
> Release.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16580.htm
>
> 13. EU - Software patent protest to block Web sites (ZDNet UK)
> More than 600 Web sites are to take part in an online protest against a
> proposed European law
> on software patents, timed to coincide with a real-life protest in
> Brussels on August 27.
> Those rallying against the proposal - including some of Europe's most
> prominent scientists and
> software businesses - believe its current draft would open the door to
> the patenting of
> software and business processes, effectively shutting out software
> competition from small and
> medium-sized developers.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16576.htm
>
> 14. EU - Le Parlement européen reporte le vote sur le brevet logiciel
> (transfert.net)
> Les présidents des groupes politiques au Parlement européen ont décidé
> de reporter le vote du
> projet de directive sur la brevetabilité des logiciels. Programmé pour
> la séance plénière qui
> démarre le 1er septembre, l'examen du texte porté par la députée
> travailliste Arlene McCarthy
> n'aura donc pas lieu avant le 22 septembre. Déchirés en leur sein entre
> partisans et
> adversaires du brevet logiciel, plusieurs groupes politiques veulent
> mettre à profit ce report
> pour tenter de dégager des positions claires sur la question.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16549.htm
>
> 15. US - RIAA Discloses Some Methods of Tracking (AP)
> The recording industry is providing its most detailed glimpse into some
> of the detective-style
> techniques it has employed as part of its secretive campaign against
> online music swappers.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16543.htm
>
> 16. US - RIAA turns up heat on subpoena fighter (CNET News.com)
> The Recording Industry Association of America leveled a full legal
> barrage at "Jane Doe", the
> sole Kazaa user fighting its attempts to identify file swappers, saying
> she was indisputably a
> major copyright infringer.  'It is now clear that her objections have
> been either previously
> rejected by this court or are totally irrelevant to a subpoena
> enforcement proceeding,' the
> RIAA wrote in its brief. She 'will be able to raise whatever arguments
> she wants in the
> copyright infringement action that is sure to follow.'
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16542.htm
>
> 17. US - Ruling against DVD-copy code (CNet News.com)
> The California Supreme Court has ruled that a Web publisher could be
> barred from posting DVD-
> copying code online without infringing on his free speech rights. The
> state's high court
> overturned an earlier decision that said blocking Web publishers from
> posting the
> controversial piece of software called DeCSS, which can be used to help
> decrypt and copy DVDs,
> would violate their First Amendment rights.  see also California 
> Supreme
> Court Upholds Free
> Speech in DVD Case  (EFF). DVD Copy Control Association, Inc. v. Andrew
> Bunner.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16583.htm
>
> 18. US - To Fight Music Piracy, Industry Goes to Schools (Washington 
> Post)
> Frustrated record executives who have watched industry profits tumble
> about 10 percent
> annually for the past few years, a decrease they blame on digital 
> piracy
> rampant on college
> campuses. Accordingly, the recording industry has decided to put more
> pressure to curb illegal
> file-sharing on college administrators, many of whom have traditionally
> resisted industry
> pleas to monitor or restrict student Internet use.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16544.htm
>
> 19. Big Brother Awards International (Eponymous)
> Government agencies and private companies are increasingly violating 
> the
> privacy of people
> everywhere. Enormous amounts of personal data are being collected,
> stored and processed -
> often illegally - in the pursuit of more efficient marketing, greater
> social control, and more
> powerful mechanisms for monitoring of the citizen. Every year Privacy
> International and a
> growing number of affiliate human rights groups present the Big Brother
> Awards to government
> agencies, private companies and individuals who have excelled in the
> violation of our privacy.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16560.htm
>
> 20. DE - Anonymisier-Dienst JAP ist wieder anonym (Heise)
> Das Landgericht Frankfurt am Main ordnete an, die Vollziehung des
> richterlichen Beschlusses
> gegen die AN.ON-Projektpartner auszusetzen. Sowohl das Unabhängige
> Landesdatenschutzzentrum
> (ULD) in Kiel als auch die TU Dresden schalteten nach dem Entscheid des
> Gerichts sofort die
> Protokollierungsfunktion wieder ab. Die Projektverantwortlichen sehen
> die Entscheidung als
> einen 'ersten Teilerfolg' in ihrer juristischen Auseinandersetzung mit
> dem Bundeskriminalamt
> (BKA). Auf Antrag des BKA hatte das Amtsgericht Frankfurt verfügt, 
> dass der
> Anonymisierungsdienst AN.ON den Zugriff auf eine bestimmte IP-Nummer
> protokollieren musste.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16563.htm
>
> 21. DE - Datenschutz-Gütesiegel für Computer-Programme (Heise)
> Das schleswig-holsteinische Datenschutzzentrum will besonders gute
> Computer-Programme
> verstärkt mit einem  Gütesiegel auszeichnen.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16562.htm
>
> 22. IT - Regulator stamps guidelines on photo messaging (ITU)
> The Italian data-protection authority has introduced a set of 
> guidelines
> governing how MMS
> services and camera phones can be used. The guidelines have been issued
> to ensure that camera
> phones do not infringe individuals' rights to privacy. The regulations
> state that it is
> prohibited to disseminate a photo captured on a phone to a wide 
> audience
> - for example, by
> uploading it to a web site - without the prior permission of the person
> in the photo. The
> ruling would nip in the bud the nascent market for moblogging - posting
> photos directly from a
> handset to a web site.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16574.htm
>
> 23. US - Verizon wins fight over use of data: Court blocks privacy 
> rules
> (Seattle Times)
> In a case that pits privacy against free speech, a Seattle federal 
> judge
> has permanently
> blocked state regulators from enforcing rules intended to safeguard
> call-detail information
> for more than 700,000 Verizon customers in Washington. In her ruling,
> U.S. District Judge
> Barbara Rothstein agreed there is a substantial state interest 'in
> protecting against the
> unconsented use' of sensitive 'call-detail' information, which includes
> when, where and to
> whom a call is placed, and how long calls last.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16555.htm
>
> 24. EU - Avoid .eu domain scams, firms warned (silicon.com)
> Businesses are being warned to steer clear of firms offering
> pre-registration for the new .eu
> domain names. The .eu top-level domains are set to be introduced by the
> end of this year and
> the European Commission has appointed a non-profit European Registry 
> for
> Internet Domains
> (EURID) to establish registration and dispute resolution processes. It
> is expected that a
> phased launch will include a 'sunrise' period to allow trademark 
> holders
> and public bodies to
> register their names ahead of the general public. But some domain name
> resellers are already
> offering pre-registration to buy a .eu domain, even though they cannot
> guarantee securing it
> or whether the customer will even qualify.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16550.htm
>
> 25. US - Sites Reconsider X-Rated Domain (Wired)
> Spooked by a new law authorizing harsh penalties for deceptive online
> porn publishers, adult
> webmasters are reconsidering a proposal for a top-level domain of their
> own. The plan calls
> for adding a new dot-xxx suffix to the Internet's root directory, to be
> used exclusively by
> adult-oriented websites. Although it is not a new idea in porn circles,
> backers say the
> proposal is beginning to generate more support as the adult
> entertainment industry toys with
> the possibility of greater self-regulation.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16587.htm
>
> 26. 2003-09-04 Cancún: On-line Chat with Pascal Lamy (Europa)
> The Cancún Ministerial Conference, 10-14 September, represents the half
> way point in our work
> on the Doha Development Agenda, and is a key staging post towards
> completion of this
> multilateral trade round by the end of 2004. Cancún has to be a 
> success.
> If all countries are
> to benefit fully from global trade, we need improved market access for
> agricultural products,
> industrial goods and services. Trade must expand not just between the
> developed and developing
> world but also between developing countries ("south-south trade"). We
> all know the task set
> before us in Cancún. We must now make sure that we deliver: let's make
> trade work for all!
> Tell us what YOU think about these important issues. Join EU Trade
> Commissioner Pascal Lamy in
> an on-line chat September 4 2003 from 18H00 to 20H00. Your views are
> important to us.
> Questions may be sent in all 11 languages in advance to:
> (chat-lamy /at/ cec.eu.int). Questions
> should be as short as possible, 256 characters maximum.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16547.htm
>
> 27. Anti-Terrorism Laws and Data Retention: War is over? (Northern
> Ireland Legal Quarterly)
> by Clive Walker and Yaman Akdeniz. The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and
> Security Act 2001 signals a
> determined response to the attacks of September 11th. One aspect
> involves the facilitation of
> the use of electronic surveillance in order to prevent, detect or
> prosecute the perpetrators
> of terrorism. The role of Part XI of the 2001 Act is to augment 
> existing
> surveillance powers
> in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. This papers plots
> the relationships
> between those two statutes and also their relationship to data
> protection laws. Delays and
> difficulties in enforcement are noted and are related to a process of
> return to greater
> normality after an initial period of panic.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16561.htm
>
> 28. DE - Heise stellt Strafanzeige gegen Spammer (Heise)
> Der Heise Zeitschriften Verlag hat beim Landeskriminalamt Hannover
> Strafanzeige gegen einen
> Versender von Spam-Mails gestellt, der massenhaft unerwünschte
> E-Mail-Werbung mit der
> gefälschten Absenderangabe heise.de verschickt hatte. Er warb darin für
> einen nach
> Schneeballprinzip organisierten Vertrieb von Prospekten über
> 'erfolgreiches Internet-
> Marketing' und versprach ein Einkommen von 'mehr als 250.000 Euro in 
> den
> ersten sechs
> Monaten'.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16564.htm
>
> 29. KR - Spam mail declines for first time in 3 years (Korea Herald)
> The number of spam messages in Korea dropped for the first time in 
> three
> years, thanks to the
> government's stepped-up efforts to stem unsolicited commercial e-mail.
> Online marketers must
> ensure that their e-mail  advertisements are identified and set up a
> free hotline for
> recipients who wish to block them. A non-profit organization dubbed
> "National Movement for
> Clean Internet" has started distributing CD-ROMs containing software
> that would block spam e-
> mail and automatically filter Web pages with pornographic content.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16571.htm
>
> 30. UK - Text service fights mobile spam (BBC)
> Vodafone is looking at new ways to help its customers cut out annoying
> mobile spam. It has
> launched a trial service called VSpam which it hopes will make it 
> easier
> for people in the UK
> to report unsolicited text messages. When a Vodafone customer receives
> any text spam, they
> simply forward it for free to a short code number or by typing VSpam
> into their phones. An
> automated report is then created and kept as a record by both Vodafone
> and Independent
> Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information
> Services (ICSTIS), the
> premium rate services watchdog. The trial has been welcomed by ICSTIS,
> who have been working
> with mobile operators to find ways of stopping spammers who advertise
> services on premium rate
> numbers.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16570.htm
>
> 31. US - AOL Sued For Over-Zealous Blocking (Slashdot)
> America Online has been sued by CI Host, a Texas-based hosting company
> which says the Internet
> provider has unfairly labeled the company as a spammer. The suit 
> alleges
> that AOL has blocked
> CI Host customers' IP addresses CI Host has been awarded a temporary
> restraining order, though
> AOL has apparently not complied.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16577.htm
>
> 32. US - Transcripts of FTC Spam Forum posted (FTC)
> The Federal Trade Commission hosted a public forum in Washington, DC on
> April 30 - May 2, 2003
> to explore the issues regarding the proliferation of and potential
> solutions to unsolicited
> commercial email ('UCE' or 'spam'). The forum also looked at how the
> unique qualities of spam
> contribute to and hinder both fraud and its prosecution. Transcripts 
> are
> now online.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16568.htm
>
> 33. US - New ruling protects ISPs, Web operators (CNET News.com)
> Internet service providers and Web site operators are breathing a
> collective sigh of relief
> following a court decision that preserves a key aspect of their 
> immunity
> under the
> Communications Decency Act. The ruling  Carafano v. Metrosplash by the
> U.S. Court of Appeals
> for the 9th Circuit, overturns a decision by the U.S. District Court.
> That ruling alarmed ISPs
> and Web site operators, because it delineated the first significant
> exceptions to the
> Communications Decency Act (CDA), which absolves those businesses from
> responsibility for
> their customers' actions. Section 230 of the CDA carved out significant
> immunity for
> 'interactive computer services' for the behavior of their customers. 
> But
> the district court
> ruled that dating site Matchmaker could be held liable for information 
> a
> user posted because
> of the interactive nature of the questionnaire that generated the
> posting. The court of
> appeals disagreed. 'So long as a third party willingly provides the
> essential published
> content, the interactive computer service receives full immunity
> regardless of the specific
> editing or selection process,' the decision read. At issue was a
> fabricated Matchmaker profile
> of an actress Christianne Carafano. The posting mixed accurate
> information, including
> Carafano's name and address, with alleged falsehoods.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16553.htm
>
> 34. US - RIAA, studios gain P2P legal aid (CNET News.com)
> Hollywood studios and record labels are getting allies in their quest 
> to
> overturn a court
> ruling that said file-swapping software companies aren't responsible 
> for
> the copyright
> infringement of their users. Several groups, including a list of legal
> scholars, international
> copyright organizations, legal music services and other copyright 
> holder
> groups filed 'friend
> of the court' briefs, asking that an April ruling upholding the 
> legality
> of file-swapping
> services such as Grokster and StreamCast's Morpheus be overturned.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16567.htm
>
> 35. Web quandary for regulators (Toronto Star)
> by Michael Geist. The issue of Internet regulation has long been tied 
> to
> the question of
> Internet service-provider liability. ISPs were quickly identified as a
> 'choke point' that
> could be used to regulate Internet activity. Regulators have been busy
> searching for
> alternative choke points that can be used to regulate online activity.
> For example, financial
> institutions - the payment intermediary in most online gambling
> transactions - have been
> identified as a potential choke point and some have agreed to stop
> accrediting online gambling
> merchant accounts. Similarly, Google is regularly asked to remove links
> to controversial
> content. The true scope of intermediaries in the Internet context is
> only now being realized.
> In a global, interconnected network, the question is no longer who is 
> an
> intermediary, but
> rather who isn't.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16572.htm
>
> 36. UK - Mobile phone video service bypasses 3G (Guardian)
> Mobile phone users will soon be able to view video clips of football,
> news, comedy and 'adult'
> content without upgrading to a third generation handset.  Flix, a new
> mobile content company,
> plans to launch a mobile video portal later this month that will work 
> on
> existing mobile
> networks and use technology developed by Finnish company Oplayo.  News
> clips will be provided
> by Reuters and GMTV, sports action will be supplied by NTL-owned 
> Premium
> TV and adult content
> by Soho Original.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16557.htm
>
> 37. UK - DibDabDoo.com: New kid-safe search tool (Net Family News)
> Well, the name 'Google' doesn't say 'search engine' at first glance
> either! DibDabDoo.com (aka
> 'Dib Dab Doo and Dilly too') is the newest child-friendly Web 
> directory.
> About three months
> old and based in the UK, the resource already has about 1 million links
> in its database,
> according to dad and Dib Dab Doo creator Irving Graham. Already, pages
> in the site are viewed
> by visitors about 10,000 times a day (one visitor often views multiple
> pages), and DibDabDoo
> does not advertise. see also Child-friendly Web searching.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16545.htm
>
> 38. AU - Software company calls for net filtering legislation (The Age)
> A maker of internet software called for legislation to regulate the use
> of internet filtering
> and spying programs in the workplace.  SurfControl provides tools to
> businesses which allow
> them to keep out unwanted content from the internet.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16573.htm
>
> 39. Why people write computer viruses (BBC)
> Millions of inboxes and networks have been brought to their knees by a
> triple whammy of
> computer viruses. So who are the people behind these creations that can
> wreak havoc on the
> net?  The kind of person who creates such disruption differs in age,
> income, location,
> social/peer interaction, educational level, likes, dislikes and
> communication style, according
> to Sarah Gordon, renowned expert in computer viruses and security
> technology.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16586.htm
>
> 40. ISPs Add Filters to Anti-Virus Arsenal (Washington Post)
> In an attempt to minimize the damage caused by computer viruses, some 
> of
> the world's largest
> Internet service providers are planning to scan all e-mail attachments
> before they reach their
> customers' inboxes.  Comprehensive scanning could cost ISPs millions of
> dollars, but after
> repeated e-mail attacks capped by the latest version of the "Sobig"
> virus, customers are
> beginning to expect it, industry experts said.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16554.htm
>
> 41. US - FBI arrests MSBlast worm suspect (CNET News.com)
> Federal law enforcement officials have arrested a suspect in the 
> MSBlast
> worm attack that
> compromised hundreds of thousands of computers earlier this month.
> 18-year-old Jeffrey Lee
> Parson of Minneapolis was arrested and charged with one count of
> intentionally damaging a
> protected computer. Parson allegedly created MSBlast.B, a variation 
> that
> differed from the
> original worm mainly in that two files had been renamed--one with
> Parson's screen name,
> 'teekid'--and a couple of profane messages aimed at Microsoft and Bill
> Gates had been added.
> The B variant achieved only modest distribution in comparison to the
> original worm and the
> recent D variant.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16541.htm
>
> 42. UK -  Oftel sets out regulatory framework under new EC Directives
> (Press Release)
> Oftel has notified the European Commission of its proposals for
> regulation in several key
> telecoms markets. Oftel published initial conclusions of a number of
> market reviews, which set
> out Oftel's proposals for replacing existing regulation with new
> measures under the new EC
> Directives on electronic communications.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16539.htm
>
> 43. US - Phone Companies Challenge FCC Rule (Washington Post)
> The nation's largest telephone companies asked a federal court to throw
> out new Federal
> Communications Commission regulations that they say unfairly allow
> competitors to lease parts
> of their networks at deep discounts.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16546.htm
>
> 44. AOL launches blogging service (CNET News.com)
> America Online has launched a new feature called AOL Journals in an
> effort to piggyback on the
> grassroots popularity of Web logs, or 'blogs.' The service lets people
> publish their own daily
> musings and complement their text with photos and picture albums. Users
> can also arrange their
> journals by topics, such as sports, relationships or books. AOL will
> offer the new feature as
> part of its proprietary online service, but users will be able to 
> update
> their blogs through
> the AOL Web site, AOL Instant Messenger and their cell phones.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16575.htm
>
> 45. Japan leads mobile game craze (BBC)
> Game makers have been offered a glimpse of the latest in games for
> mobile phones, with
> insights into the sort of things keeping Japanese thumbs busy. They
> include virtual pets which
> are fed by photos, pronunciation puzzles and games that are the quality
> of PlayStation One
> titles.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16551.htm
>
> 46. Mobile gaming 'set to explode' (BBC)
> People are going to spend millions of pounds to play games on their
> mobiles by next year, say
> experts. Mobile gaming is seen by many as the next big thing, as phones
> become more powerful
> and come with colour screens.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16582.htm
>
> 47. UK - BBC archive to be opened on Internet (BBC)
> Greg Dyke, director general of the BBC, has announced plans to give the
> public full access to
> all the corporation's programme archives. Mr Dyke said that everyone
> would in future be able
> to download BBC radio and TV programmes from the internet. The service,
> the BBC Creative
> Archive, would be free and available to everyone, as long as they were
> not intending to use
> the material for commercial purposes, Mr Dyke added.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16584.htm
>
> 48. UK - Text messages play games with TV (BBC)
> Your TV and mobile are coming closer together, with game shows played 
> by
> text message set to
> grow, say experts. Voting via SMS is already immensely popular in
> programmes such as Pop Idol,
> Fame Academy and Big Brother. But soon you could be shooting, kicking 
> or
> punching other people
> on screen over a mobile handset.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16569.htm
>
> 49. ES - Spain's Surfing Surge (CyberAtlas)
> Spain is enjoying an Internet penetration surge, with
> Nielsen//NetRatings reporting that usage
> has risen from roughly 25 percent in 2002 to 33 percent, and nearly 
> half
> of the estimated 14
> million surfers access the Web every month.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16537.htm
>
> 50. US Demographics: Gamers Growing Up (CyberAtlas)
> Research from an Entertainment Software Association (ESA) survey,
> conducted by Peter D. Hart
> Research Associates, found that a range of age groups are getting in on
> the action, and the
> activity is becoming quite popular with women. The ESA, formerly the
> Interactive Digital
> Software Association (IDSA), found an increase in the number of 50+ 
> game
> players at 17 percent
> - up from 13 percent in 2000 - with the average gaming age at 29. The
> average age of the gamer
> in 2000 was 28.  see also Girl Gamers Go Online (CyberAtlas) and Let 
> the
> games begin (Pew
> Internet Project) Gaming technology and entertainment among college
> students.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16538.htm
>
> 51. RSS - A Primer for Publishers and Content Providers (EEVL)
> This document is aimed at publishers and content providers with the
> intention of introducing &
> explaining the concepts behind RSS and addressing some commonly
> expressed concerns. It is
> primarily intended for a non-technical audience who require an overview
> of RSS in order to
> allow them to make decisions regarding the possible use of the
> technology. However, the
> guidelines do provide recommendations for good practice, case studies 
> on
> RSS production and
> links to tools and specifications which will provide useful starting
> points for those tasked
> with actually producing RSS feeds.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16578.htm
>
> 52. With E-mail Dying, RSS Offers Alternative (Editor and Publisher)
> Who'd have thought that things could get this bad? E-mail - long touted
> as the 'killer app' of
> the Internet and the best online channel for publishers - is rapidly
> being decimated by
> spammers and virus writers. Yes, 'decimated' is an accurate word. The
> evidence is quickly
> mounting that e-mail is no longer an efficient means for ethical
> publishers to reach
> subscribers.
> http://www.qlinks.net/items/qlitem16552.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 is edited by Richard Swetenham (richard.swetenham /at/ cec.eu.int)
>
  
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