Book publishers blast Amazon’s plan to control domain names

Two industry groups argue that the retailer’s plan to control several generic top-level domains, including .book, .author, and .read, would be anti-competitive. Amazon’s effort to control dozens of new generic top-level Internet domain names is drawing fire from a pair of publishing industry groups. The Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers oppose the …

ISPs plan to hijack browsers and limit Internet access to combat copyright piracy

Comcast has confirmed that it will prevent repeat file sharers from browsing the Web until they call the company to resolve the matter. The move is part of a Copyright Alert System that was recently rolled out by several major Internet service providers(ISPs). The system has earned the nickname “six strikes,” due to its series …

China requires Internet users to register names

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government tightened Internet controls Friday with approval of a law that requires users to register their names after a flood of online complaints about official abuses rattled Communist Party leaders. Authorities say the law will strengthen protections for personal information. But it also is likely to curtail the Internet’s status as …

A NEW SEASON OF COOPERATION BETWEEN ICANN AND ITU

The World Conference on International Telecommunications (#WCIT-12) currently taking place in Dubai is now in full swing. A number of high ranking officials and dignitaries are in attendance at the conference, including Mohamed Nasser Al-Ghanim, Director-General of the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and Chairman of the Conference; Fadi Chehadé, President and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and …

The Internet Society on Syria’s Internet Shutdown

On behalf of Lynn St. Amour, President and CEO, and the Internet Society Board of Trustees: Emerging reports from various organizations and individuals indicate that international Internet connectivity was shut off in Syria today. The Internet is an open, global medium for communication, idea exchange, empowerment, and innovation. Access to the global Internet is a …