Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is arguably one of the most important bits of legislation that impacts the internet. Without it a lot of what we all consume and interact with online would probably cease to exist. While it is a US law its impact is global. For the last couple of years the legislation has been under constant attack from both sides of the aisle … [Read more...] about Video: Section 230 Explained
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Is Lady Gaga A Trademark Bully?
In the last couple of days there's been some media coverage in Ireland of a case involving a small Irish business and Lady Gaga. Some people are crying foul and accusing Lady Gaga and her lawyers of being heavy-handed and that their actions were tantamount to bullying. While the Irish Independent's coverage of the story is comprehensive I wanted to dig a little deeper as … [Read more...] about Is Lady Gaga A Trademark Bully?
ICANN Publish Data Retention Waiver Details
ICANN has published details of the process that registrars signing the 2013 RAA will need to follow in order to be granted a waiver. Under the 2013 contract registrars will have to collect and retain a lot more data in relation to their customers, which could be in conflict with national laws governing data protection and data privacy. The process that ICANN has outlined … [Read more...] about ICANN Publish Data Retention Waiver Details
Big Brands Shooting Themselves In The Foot?
One of the topics that keeps coming up in ICANN policy discussions and as part of the new TLD application process is "transparency". ICANN, and the internet community in general, has had plenty of issues in the past with "bad actors" who have caused a lot of issues for everyone (think of many of the registrars who have lost accreditation in the last couple of years for … [Read more...] about Big Brands Shooting Themselves In The Foot?
IEDR Annual Report 2008 – More Fluff
So what does a ccTLD operator do when they're worried about cashflow?They go off and spend thousands on a glossy annual report obviously!The IEDR's annual report and review for 2008 is the glossiest one they've produced to date. As usual it contains plenty of fluff while ignoring anything of substance.In the Chairman's introductory statement they reveal that:"The board has … [Read more...] about IEDR Annual Report 2008 – More Fluff
The Battle Over Whois Policy Continues
One of the sessions I attended at the ICANN meeting in Lisbon earlier this year centred on whois. It became abundantly clear to me that the various stakeholders had very different views and objectives on how to treat and publish registrant data.I wouldn't care to get into the finer points of the arguments, as the parties involved have done so time and again without reaching an … [Read more...] about The Battle Over Whois Policy Continues