Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) are domain names represented by local language characters. Such domain names could contain letters or characters from non-ASCII scripts (for example, Arabic or Chinese). Many efforts are ongoing in the Internet community to make domain names available in character sets other than ASCII.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recognized World Anti-Counterfeiting Day, on the same day that the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony from federal government officials regarding trade enforcement and the protection of intellectual property.
“Because intellectual property theft cripples innovation, the U.S. and its allies share the responsibility of cracking down on this illegal activity,” said David Hirschmann, president and CEO of the Chamber’’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC). “Protecting intellectual property is essential for consumer safety, job creation and asserting America’’s leadership in developing solutions to global challenges.”
CEOs must make cyber security a top priority or their businesses could fall victim to industrial espionage, which it is estimated is costing business worldwide over 100 billion each year. That is the conclusion of the report Cyber Attack: A Risk Management Primer for CEOs and Directors released today by the British-North American Committee (BNAC).
“The unique identifiers and domain name system coordinated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) serve as the Internet’s foundation - and make possible the 1.5 billion in global e-commerce that flowed over the Internet last year.
U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab announced today that the United States will contribute nearly $1 million for trade-related technical assistance (TRTA) to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This latest contribution will bring total U.S. trade assistance for the Doha Development Agenda to almost $8 million since the launch of negotiations in November 2001.
“A successful Doha Round of trade negotiations will contribute to development and lift millions out of poverty around the world, Ambassador Schwab said. ” This contribution will help many of our trading partners around the world to participate fully in these negotiations and in the global marketplace.
The Turkish Article 301 of the Criminal Code has been used in numerous cases against writers and journalists. It is titled on insulting being a Turk, the Republic, the organs and institutions of the State. The law has drawn a great deal of interest and criticism since it was passed on June 1, 2005. In fact, a lack of free speech is one of the core reasons that the EU has blocked Turkish succession to the treaty.
According to the European Union (EU), data on computers can provide essential evidence of a crime and can reveal the means by which a crime is committed. To this end, the European Commission established a projectcalled ‘Cyber Tools On-Line Search for Evidence (CTOSE).’ CTOSE is a legal project designed to study authentication methods for electronic evidence in cybercrime cases so that this evidence may be admissible in court proceedings. The project helps to identify, secure, integrate and present electronic evidence related to online criminal offenses and also ensures the legal admissibility of such information. This article illustrates the reader on the CTOSE project and its implementation in the European Union.
Players protection is the primary concern of Danish gaming law. To accomplish players protection, Denmark seeks to establish a Government licensing monopoly in lottery and betting and enact strict rules for casino gambling. An example of Denmark’s Government intervention in the gambling market is the strict control and regulation on casinos. Denmark controls casino gambling by legally
restricting the number of operators in the Danish casino market. The new field of Internet gambling, which has raised much regulatory concern worldwide, is yet to be handled by specific Danish law. Notwithstanding, Internet gambling is not beyond the reach of current Danish law, as it is included by
explanatory to Article 10 of The Games, Lotteries and Betting Act. This article informs readers on those Danish laws concerning lotteries, betting, and other forms of gambling and explores the issue of whether Internet gambling is legal under Danish laws.
The software industry is booming worldwide. China’s software industry, one of the fastest growing markets, generated US$80.8 billion (580 billion Yuan) in revenue in 2007. Security software is the most profitable among software categories. Experts predict that the security software industry in China will grow at a compound average growth rate of 10.5 from 2007 to 2012. The panorama is similar for the United States (US) software industry; Microsoft, IBM, Maximizer Software, and other US
software companies reported record profits for the year 2007. Hence, as the software industry expands so does consumer complaints. If software products are defective and damage consumers’ computers or software, who does pay for these damages?
Council Directive 84/450/EEC regulates misleading and comparative advertising in the European Union. Even though must European Union (EU) Member States have adopted this Directive within their domestic legislation, some conflicts between Directive 84/450/ECC and domestic marketing laws arise. This article illustrates on the conflicts between the EU Directive on misleading and comparative advertising and its Austrian counterpart.
EU Taxation and Customs Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs today welcomed the European Parliament’s vote on a resolution on Customs Union, which recognises the important role of customs and reiterates Parliament’s support for the implementation of a common European Customs Strategy beyond 2013. The EP Resolution comes in the run-up to the 40th anniversary of European Customs Union on 1st July 2008.
Online sales increased at a double-digit pace for the sixth consecutive year in 2007. Total private and public sector Internet sales hit an estimated $62.7 billion, up 26% from 2006.
Despite the continued strong growth, e-commerce still represents a relatively small fraction of total economic activity. In 2007, online sales of private sector firms accounted for just under 2% of total operating revenue, although this was still an increase from less than 1% five years earlier.
EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva today announced the results of a new EU wide survey on e-commerce and cross border trade. The figures show that even though e-commerce is taking off at national level, cross-border e-commerce is failing to keep pace. From 2006 to 2008, the share of all EU consumers that have bought at least one item over the internet has increased significantly (from 27% to 33%) whilst cross border e-commerce is stable (6% to 7%). The pattern is similar for those with internet access at home - 56% of consumers with internet at home have made a purchase (in any country including their own) by e-commerce compared to 50% in 2006, while only 13% (of those with internet access at home) made a cross-border e-commerce purchase compared to 12% in 2006.
As today’’s technology-driven world provides a new arena for criminals and other unscrupulous actors, the Cyber Crime Project works to provide the necessary training and technical assistance to prosecutors in Attorney General Offices to enable them to successfully investigate and prosecute computer-based crimes. Funded through a cooperative effort between NAAG and the National Center for Justice and the Rule of Law at the University of Mississippi, the Project develops and conducts training seminars throughout the year at the University. Hedda Litwin, NAAG”s Cyber Crime and Violence Against Women Counsel, is responsible for the trainings. As of year end 2005, over 415 prosecutors from Attorneys General offices have attended the trainings. The Project also produces a Cyber Crime e-newsletter for prosecutors six times a year.
Indonesia has recently passed a bill covering the Internet that focuses upon both web content and business transactions, although the Government admitted one goal of the new legislation was to ‘block porn sites.’ Clamor from some circles for the Government to crack down upon lewd websites is stronger in Indonesia than in the West, given its majority Muslim population and their official emphasis on decency. A former Dutch colony, Indonesia is the world’s most expansive archipelagic state and contains the world’s largest Islamic population.
This large Asian country is considered an up and coming economic power, having thrown off decades of corrupt tyranny and the mismanagement of state industries and related mis-development of key resources. With 18% living in poverty and 10% unemployed, Indonesia needs years of strong growth to seriously address jobs growth. Indonesia is located in southeastern Asia, radiating an archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Indonesia is about three times the size of Texas and has about 235 million residents. These questions will be answered about the new law: What Does the Bill Say About Consumer Protection?; What About Cyber Squatting?; What Are the Rules on Electronic Contracts?; How Does the Law Define Offences of Cyber-Crime?; What Are the Punishments for Cyber-Crimes?
Individual Robert Tur has filed a suit against YouTube for posting his video of Reginald Denny being beaten during the 1992 Los Angeles riots without his permission. Song writer Richard Silver has filed suit against YouTube for posting a video containing his dance steps to the ‘Electric Slide’ without his permission. Recently, Viacom (which includes Paramount Pictures, Dreamworks, and MTV) has filed a suit against YouTube for use of unauthorized clips of their entertainment programming.
The number of suits arising due to violation of copyright issues should not only be a huge concern to those artists claiming this unauthorized use, but also those individuals posting videos on YouTube, or internet sites of the same nature, who innocently assume they are merely expressing their freedom of speech and end up slapped with a lawsuit alleging they have committed a crime they
never knew existed. More importantly, on June 28th, 2007, YouTube released their international version, ‘youtube.es’, to nine countries: Brazil, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, and the UK. This can only mean more lawsuits but now at an international level.
There is an old saying: “With the birth of every hero, a new evil is born.” In the context of E commerce, a new evil is the advent of the tax haven, which is proving to be an evil force in the form of tax avoidance. This corrupt technique hampers the revenue systems of modern states and undermines its ability to provide the facilities and services to its citizens. Techniques of fund depletion are deployed as sophisticated tools and various financial schemes, taking advantage of liberal privacy laws in various tax havens. This summary presents the most common tax avoidance strategies and how businesses are repatriating offshore e-commerce funds.
Traditional advertising rules gained relevance in the online commercial world. Greater advertisement exposure and especial government enforcement units are some of the reasons that prompted assessment of advertising rules when advertising online. Most countries have applied traditional
advertisement rules to online advertisement; particularly, those rules regarding unlawful and deceptive advertising. This article explores Spain’s traditional unlawful advertising rules equally apply to Internet advertisement.
Recently, the United States (US) Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed two important legal questions regarding text messaging in employer-provided pagers. First, the court decided whether Arch Wireless Operating Company Inc., a company providing text messaging services for the Ontario Police Department, violated the Stored Communications Act, 18 U.S.C. 2701-2711 (1986); and second, whether the City of Ontario, the Ontario Police Department, and others violated a police
officer’s privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment to the United States (U.S.) Constitution and Article I, 1 of the California Constitution.
Traditional advertising rules gained relevance in the online commercial world. Greater advertisement exposure and especial government enforcement units are some of the reasons that prompted assessment of advertising rules when advertising online. Most countries have applied traditional
advertisement rules to online advertisement; particularly, those rules regarding unlawful and deceptive advertising. This article explores Spain’s traditional unlawful advertising rules equally apply to Internet advertisement.
Recently, the United States (US) Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed two important legal questions regarding text messaging in employer-provided pagers. First, the court decided whether Arch Wireless Operating Company Inc., a company providing text messaging services for the Ontario Police Department, violated the Stored Communications Act, 18 U.S.C. 2701-2711 (1986); and second, whether the City of Ontario, the Ontario Police Department, and others violated a police
officer’s privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment to the United States (U.S.) Constitution and Article I, 1 of the California Constitution.
The FBI and its partner, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), have received reports of phishing attacks targeting users of EPPICards. The EPPICard is similar to a debit card. EPPICards are issued by a state agency for the purpose of receiving child-support payments. The cards are currently used in 15 states.
Individuals have reported receiving e-mail or text messages indicating a problem with their account.
Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Se?n Power, T.D. today launched www.infomar.ie a new website which will provide information on the nature of the seabed, physical habitats and water depths which has been gathered through INFOMAR (Integrated Mapping for the Sustainable Development of Ireland’’s Marine Resource), Ireland”s national marine mapping programme.
The European Commission has recognised that the Bailiwick of Jersey provides an adequate level of protection of personal data. This will allow personal data to flow freely from the EU to Jersey, without additional safeguards being needed to meet the requirements of the EU Data Protection Directive. The Commission’’s decision was taken in the light of advice from Member States” supervisory authorities.
Fully 46% of all Americans have used the internet, email or cell phone text messaging to get news about the campaign, share their views and mobilize others.
Further, the proportion of Americans going online on a typical day at the tail end of the primary season to get political news or information has more than doubled since a comparable point in the 2004 race?from 8% of all adults in spring 2004 to 17% of all adults in spring 2008.
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act makes it illegal to anonymously annoy people by using a computer, which the lawmakers insist is only meant to be applied to email harassment. But suspicious Internet enthusiasts are concerned the new law could be used for blogs, destroying free speech and shutting down their voices. To study the new US law of Internet Cyberstalking, these
questions will be raised: What was the Purpose for this Law? How Does the Law Criminalize Annoyance? How Does the Law Describe Cyberstalking? What Does ‘Annoy’ Mean in This law? Why Are First Amendment People Up in Arms Over the New Law?
The U.K. Gambling Commission is in 2007 implementing the Gambling Act of 2005 that was drafted to standardize all forms of British wagering under a single law, including Internet, and whose main goal is to keep a criminal element out of the new casinos through the central role of careful licensing. This article answers these questions, What Kind of Gambling License does Britain Confer?, What Powers Does the Commission Have?, What Information do they Require?, What Types of Games are Legal in Britain, Including in the Online Arena?, What Fees are Charged to Open an Internet Casino?, What Importance is a Criminal Past or Associations Play in Licensing?
The Plaintiff, a processing service for Internet credit card transactions claimed that MasterCard Internationals refund policy with regard to fraud violated the Sherman Act. Under such policy, Internet merchants were barred from disputing a claim of fraud. The court observed that as other payment card brands were available in the market that provided partners with more favorable terms, Internet merchants had a choice to cease accepting the MasterCard’s payment cards or, in the alternative, they could inform customers that they preferred other brand as the said refund system was burdensome. As a result, the court held that the Plaintiff did not have standing because it could not show that it suffered an antitrust injury and dismissed the Plaintiffs claim.
The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 (IMBRA) does not ‘exclusively’ regulate online dating sites (or online marriage brokers) and it is not intended to protect online-dating U.S. citizen brides.
Indeed as its name suggests, IMBRA imposes law requirements on ‘international marriage’ brokers and intents to protect ‘immigrant women’ that may become victims of domestic abuse. As we stated in our 2007-article titled: Are Online Dating Sites Regulated by Federal Law?, there is no US Federal law specifically regulating online dating sites, yet. Laws specifically regulating online matching sites have been enacted at a state level.
The European Union (EU) Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament is the community law concerning the processing of data and protection of privacy in electronic communications. As any other EU Directive, Member states must incorporate Directives’ precepts within their domestic legislation. An interesting issue arouse when an individual filed a petition for partial annulment of Directive 2002/58/EC before the Fourth Chamber (Court of First Instance of the European Communities) and, on appeal, the European Court of Justice rendered its final decision holding that this individual did not have standing to seek annulment of the EU Directive.