ICANN Gets Down to Dot-Biz(ness)
4:00 p.m. 17.Nov.2000 PST
More top level domains on the World Wide Web means more names, more competition ... and, not surprisingly, more expense for companies that want to register as dot-biz. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
ICANN: The Winners Are ...
3:00 p.m. 16.Nov.2000 PST
Dot-com, dot-net and dot-org have seven new baby brothers and sisters. ICANN, the Internet's naming authority, finally picks the winners in a tense meeting. Oscar S. Cisneros reports from Marina Del Rey, California.
ICANN Down to Discussing Dots
4:40 p.m. 15.Nov.2000 PST
The next domains on the Web probably won't be dot-xxx or dot-kids. But dot-biz and dot-web receive preliminary votes of support as ICANN opens its doors to public input. Oscar S. Cisneros reports from Marina Del Rey, California.
TLDs Need Some TLC
9:25 a.m. 15.Nov.2000 PST
Intellectual property rights groups at the big ICANN meeting want to make sure they'll get their way when the new top level domains are announced. And the TLD applicants aren't resisting. Oscar S. Cisneros reports from Marina Del Rey, California.
Many Battles Behind ICANN's Scene
1:00 p.m. 14.Nov.2000 PST
You've got your ICANN, and you've got your IPC. Then there's the NCC and, needless to say, WIPO. What are they doing down in Marina del Rey (MDR)? Besides determining the next top-level domains (TLDs)? Why, figuring out the UDRP, of course. Oscar Cisneros
The Net Ain't Just for English
2:35 p.m. 13.Nov.2000 PST
Adding international characters to Internet domain names, such as those in Chinese or Arabic, could be just around the corner. But even advocates stress that their inclusion must come with a standards-based approach. Oscar Cisneros reports from Marina del
New Domains on ICANN's Agenda
2:00 a.m. 13.Nov.2000 PST
The Net's governing geeks meet this week in Marina Del Rey, California. Will they make .biz and other top level domains a reality? By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Domain Fights Could Get Nasty
2:00 a.m. 13.Nov.2000 PST
Sticky issues figure to muck up this week's ICANN meeting. For instance, does biz.com have a claim on .biz? Or does .bz have sway over .biz? This all may wind up in court. By Oscar Cisneros.
What To Do With Domain Disputes?
2:00 a.m. 13.Nov.2000 PST
On the eve of an important ICANN meeting, a Syracuse University professor questions current rules that tend to allow domain dispute resolutions to be 'bought and sold.' Oscar S. Cisneros reports from Marina Del Rey, California.
Streamlining Domain Squabbles
2:00 a.m. 26.Oct.2000 PDT
Websites preparing to do battle over ownership of domain names have new tools to help build their cases. Several groups are organizing the arbitration results so that arguments can be cited. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Slicing Up the Domain Name Pie
3:00 a.m. 16.Oct.2000 PDT
The geeks are in the kitchen and the question is how they will cut up the domain name pie. Trademark owners are calling first dibs, but it's too bad Acme can't get www.acmesucks.web. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Fear of a Pay-Per-Use World
3:00 a.m. 9.Oct.2000 PDT
Legal experts say the Digital Millennium Copyright Act gives too much power to copyright owners. Should they control the use of legally purchased books, movies and songs? A legal analysis by Oscar S. Cisneros.
ICANN Elections Under Way
3:00 a.m. 2.Oct.2000 PDT
The Internet's governing geeks are electing five of their 18 directors this month. Do you know who they are? Well, if you could have registered, you would have gotten a chance to vote. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
No Porn Wanted at .Kids
3:00 a.m. 2.Oct.2000 PDT
A company wanting to become the registrar of family-friendly domains -- where only porn-free websites would roam free -- has applied to ICANN to operate the .kids top-level domain. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
FCC Could Adopt Carnivore
3:00 a.m. 29.Sep.2000 PDT
Telecommunications industry experts will cautiously recommend the controversial Carnivore technology to the FCC as a method of limiting law enforcement's access to the meat of Net-style communications. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Internet Land Rush at TM Office
3:00 a.m. 18.Sep.2000 PDT
How do you register a domain name before the domain-name registry is created? A quick application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office might just do the trick. A legal analysis by Oscar S. Cisneros.
Some Dots Can't Be Trademarked
3:00 a.m. 18.Sep.2000 PDT
An alternative registry operator plans to appeal a judge's ruling that .web cannot be trademarked. Others want generic top-level domains to remain generic. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
How Much for .brooklynbridge?
3:00 a.m. 11.Sep.2000 PDT
Cyber-wildcatters are buying up domain names in registries that have yet to be created and may never be. Confusion reigns, as evidenced by the fact three people believe they own www.sex.web. Buyers beware. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Attorney for $3 -- Can I get $2?
3:00 a.m. 5.Sep.2000 PDT
Legal services are the latest in the Net's reverse auction craze. Proponents hope for cheaper services, but legal experts worry about the ethical issues. By Oscar S. Cisneros
Intel: Broadcom Is Patently Wrong
3:00 a.m. 1.Sep.2000 PDT
Continuing its legal battle with Broadcom, Intel files a complaint in U.S. District Court, alleging the networking-equipment manufacturer infringed on its patents. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
FCC Wiretap Order Overturned
3:00 a.m. 17.Aug.2000 PDT
A federal appeals court on wiretapping promises to curb the ability of law enforcement agencies to get access to Internet-style communications, taking a bite out of Carnivore. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Legal Tips For Your 'Sucks' Site
3:00 a.m. 14.Aug.2000 PDT
So you've always wanted to air your beefs about So-and-So Corp., eh? Law experts have some advice on how to steer clear of a lawsuit. A legal analysis by Oscar S. Cisneros.
These Wires Were Made for Tapping
3:00 a.m. 14.Aug.2000 PDT
A standards body has released an updated specification that gives telecom players a way to comply with federal wiretap laws. But critics say the FCC's treatment violates the Fourth Amendment. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Phone Giant Gonged for ID Seizure
11:15 a.m. 10.Aug.2000 PDT
Verizon has to pay $250,000 and agree to a set of terms as part of a settlement with the state of Pennsylvania in a case involving Bell Atlantic's unwarranted use of thousands of consumers' identities. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
States: Labels Fixed CD Prices
3:15 p.m. 8.Aug.2000 PDT
Twenty-eight states file suit against the big record labels and two music retailers, accusing them of conspiring to fix CD prices. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Surfers Need to Roam Porn-Free
1:35 p.m. 4.Aug.2000 PDT
Adult sites and technologists testify that building new kid-friendly Internet zones is more feasible than trying to filter out smut. Oscar S. Cisneros reports from the COPA hearings in San Jose, California.
Anti-Porn Law Worth Another Look
2:50 p.m. 3.Aug.2000 PDT
A COPA commissioner says that changes in technology and the proliferation of porn makes the controversial law worth revisiting. Witnesses testify about filtering and creating a Web red-light district. Oscar Cisneros reports from San Jose, California.
Beating Down Your Biggest Fan
3:00 a.m. 3.Aug.2000 PDT
DaimlerChrysler won a big victory against one of its biggest fans when a mediator granted it ownership of dodgeviper.com. Now the fan site's operator is fighting back. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Discussing Domains
12:00 p.m. 2.Aug.2000 PDT
Want to be master of your domain? It'll cost you. Reporter Oscar S. Cisneros explains the issues behind ICANN's accepting suggestions for new top-level domains.
Is .biz the .com of the Future?
3:00 a.m. 2.Aug.2000 PDT
ICANN has voted to add new generic top-level domains and trademark owners are scrambling to get a first shot at registration. But should they get cuts in line for generic words? By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Harvard Fights 'Not' Knockoff
2:15 p.m. 1.Aug.2000 PDT
The venerable university countersues to stop notHarvard.com from using its trademark in their domain name. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
EBay Forgives no Trespasses
12:15 p.m. 31.Jul.2000 PDT
EBay wants auction crawler site Bidder's Edge to stop crawling eBay servers for listings. Reporter Oscar S. Cisneros explains the legal implications of eBay's no-trespass claim.
EBay Fights Spiders on the Web
3:00 a.m. 31.Jul.2000 PDT
EBay wins an injunction against Bidder's Edge forbidding the auction aggregator from crawling eBay's site. Could this mean the end of Web searching as we know it? By Oscar S. Cisneros.
EBay Accused of Monopolization
3:00 a.m. 31.Jul.2000 PDT
A court refused to throw out antitrust claims leveled by Bidder's Edge against auction giant eBay. Did eBay run afoul of antitrust laws when it erected a no-trespass sign on its servers? By Oscar S. Cisneros.
NotHarvard.com Sues Harvard
3:00 a.m. 31.Jul.2000 PDT
In a preemptive strike, notHarvard.com is suing Harvard University and asking the court to declare its name legal. Will notHarvard.com not be notHarvard.com soon? By Oscar S. Cisneros
AOL Settles Accessibility Suit
3:00 a.m. 28.Jul.2000 PDT
AOL promises to make the next version of its client software more accessible to the blind. In return, the National Federation of the Blind has put off its suit against the company. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Spammer Pays Up at EBay
3:00 a.m. 28.Jul.2000 PDT
A cool $1.2 million is the price ReverseAuction is paying eBay for spamming the company's users and trespassing on its servers. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Mattel: Don't Play With Barbie
3:00 a.m. 27.Jul.2000 PDT
Critics have complained that a federal anticybersquatting law favors big corporations and threatens free speech on the Net. The law helped Mattel shut down barbiesplaypen.com. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
ICANN't Believe That Domain Name
3:00 a.m. 27.Jul.2000 PDT
Microsoft's many foes and critics could have done a lot with the domain name microsoft.org, but thanks to a new domain-name dispute arbitration system, the domain is in the company's hands. Critics want the system overhauled. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Yesmail Fights Blacklist Threat
3:00 a.m. 18.Jul.2000 PDT
Did the Mail Abuse Prevention System overstep its boundaries by threatening to put a permissive email marketer on its blacklist? Yesmail says it did, and went to court to prevent it from happening. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Datek's Price Isn't Always Right
3:05 p.m. 13.Jan.2000 PST
Customers say numbers on the day trading Web site are often way off base. At least one trader says he's lost money and is considering legal action. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
ISPs Accuse China of Infowar
12:00 p.m. 30.Jul.1999 PST
Two Canadian ISPs fend off sustained network attacks that they say originated with a government institution in China. They call the attacks an act of political infowar. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Diverting the Digital Streams
9:01 a.m. 30.Jul.1999 PST
Should Web sites pay to capture music streamed on another site? At least one Net music entrepreneur, tallying his losses, calls these deep linkers parasites. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Unmasking Anonymous Posters
3:00 a.m. 29.Jul.1999 PST
Companies are using an old legal tool, the subpoena, to expose anonymous posters on Internet discussion boards. Privacy advocates cry foul. Users, too. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Universal: Don't Link to Us
3:00 a.m. 27.Jul.1999 PST
A Web site operator who links to movie trailers gets the big no-no from Universal. The movie studio says links to its servers are by invitation only. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Shrink-Wrap Licenses Grow Teeth
1:02 p.m. 23.Jul.1999 PST
A group of legal bigwigs considers a law that would validate those pesky shrink-wrap software licenses. Almost everybody thinks it's a bad idea. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
.Web (TM)?
3:00 a.m. 21.Jul.1999 PST
No one knows which new top-level domains will be added to the Web. But that's not stopping two companies from registering them as trademarks. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
EMI to Sell CDs on Demand
12:00 p.m. 20.Jul.1999 PST
Coming to a music store near you: kiosks that download tunes and spit out freshly minted CDs at your request. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Peep Cams? Not in My Backyard!
3:00 a.m. 17.Jul.1999 PST
A Florida city says a group of college women can't stream videos of themselves taking showers to the Web because they live in a residential area. They say they live on the Net. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Radio Protests Stream in MP3
6:04 p.m. 16.Jul.1999 PST
When the owners of an indie radio station tried to silence their staff's criticisms, they didn't expect protesters to take their qualms live onto the Net. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Texas-Sized $$$ for Tech Centers
3:00 a.m. 16.Jul.1999 PST
Community access centers connect the poor with computer and Internet literacy. And Texas hooks up the tech centers with US$10 million. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Audiohighway: We Own Net Music
12:01 p.m. 14.Jul.1999 PST
A digital audio content company has a message for those companies developing portable digital audio players such as the Rio: We've got the patent, and you don't. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
NAACP, AT&T Talk Net Literacy
12:00 p.m. 13.Jul.1999 PST
AT&T plants seed money to get blacks and Latinos Net literate. The NAACP and the Urban League will carry out the plan. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Asking Jeeves to Pay Up
3:00 a.m. 13.Jul.1999 PST
Now that Ask Jeeves coffers are brimming with IPO cash, it's attracting some unwanted attention. It's being sued by a company that claims a patent on natural language searches. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Good Deeds and Better Technology
3:00 a.m. 12.Jul.1999 PST
When it comes to the Net, a few nonprofit organizations rock the house. Most could use some help. Philanthropic tech experts have some ideas. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
News for Nonprofits
3:00 a.m. 12.Jul.1999 PST
The Philanthropy Journal Online covers the tech-savvy portion of the nonprofit world. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
No Cash for Rocket Crash
12:03 p.m. 9.Jul.1999 PST
Who's gonna pay for the fallout of a Russian Proton rocket crash? So far it's the people of Kazakhstan, who are paying with their health and safety. By Oscar S. Cisneros
Linux Streams QuickTime
12:03 p.m. 8.Jul.1999 PST
Linux developers bring Apple's QuickTime Streaming Server to the open source platform. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Getting the 411 in a Flash
12:01 p.m. 6.Jul.1999 PST
A new mobile-phone service that can track your location will find you the closest burger shack and steer you away from traffic jams. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Publisher Must Lay Down the Law
3:00 a.m. 6.Jul.1999 PST
For years, West Publishing claimed to own the text of the law because it printed the law. Its court battles with a scrappy tech company have put the law back into the hands of the public. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Bills Would Fence Off the Facts
3:00 a.m. 6.Jul.1999 PST
Database owners with big bucks want protection for their goods. But will the US Constitution allow them to privatize public information and ideas? By Oscar S. Cisneros.
AOL in Nonprofits Game
10:00 a.m. 5.Jul.1999 PST
This fall, America Online will roll out a new portal that connects individuals and investors with charitable organizations -- but nonprofit Guidestar may have beat AOL to the punch. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Network Solutions Cracked
1:04 p.m. 2.Jul.1999 PST
The company that has taken care of the Internet's root servers takes a hit from crackers, who redirect its traffic to other sites. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Securing Digital Ditties
3:00 a.m. 1.Jul.1999 PST
Zip, Clik, and Jaz go the tunes: Liquid Audio's updated player secures removable media and meets the music industry's new requirements. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Micro Devices Get Nuked
3:00 a.m. 1.Jul.1999 PST
Researchers get funding to build nuclear batteries as thin as a human hair. The miniature power cells will use radioactive decay for energy. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Watershed for Digital Music
12:01 p.m. 28.Jun.1999 PST
The music industry's standard for safeguarding digital music against piracy is complete and awaiting final approval. Detractors still think it's an industry power grab. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
IBM Axes 1,100 Valley Jobs
12:02 p.m. 25.Jun.1999 PST
IBM eliminates about 10 percent of its workforce in its San Jose, California, disk-drive development facilities. The job cuts sting, but this means faster development and lower costs, says the company. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
A Prescription for Trouble
3:00 a.m. 21.Jun.1999 PST
Medical boards are cracking down on doctors who carelessly dispense prescription-strength drugs over the Net. New rules are on the way, and more busts are inevitable. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Flash Dips a Toe in Java, MP3
3:00 p.m. 17.Jun.1999 PST
Macromedia upgrades the music in its animation software. Developers can now stream MP3 files in Flash, but the new player won't compete with Winamp. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Expanding the Universe of Ideas
3:00 a.m. 17.Jun.1999 PST
A new public license balances the open-source community's altruism and creative juju with the open market's steely-eyed regard for the bottom line. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
ISPs Say Spam Study Full of Fat
12:01 p.m. 15.Jun.1999 PST
The leading trade association of Internet service providers says a new study of the true costs of spam doesn't quite add up. Spam sucks, they say, but not that much. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
MP3 Protector Steps Forward
2:03 p.m. 14.Jun.1999 PST
Fearing that the music recording industry will torpedo MP3 at its first opportunity, a British group declares its intention to protect the technology. By Oscar S. Cisneros.
Web Publishing the Microsoft Way
3:00 a.m. 10.Jun.1999 PST
Office 2000 ships Thursday, with features that leverage Microsoft's server and browser software. But will Web standards be rendered irrelevant? By Oscar Cisneros.
Three-Way Quake Release
4:03 p.m. 11.Jan.1999 PST
There's something for everybody in Quake 3: PC, Mac, and Linux versions of the popular game will be released all at once. By Oscar Cisneros.
The Death of a Thousand Clicks
3:00 a.m. 11.Jan.1999 PST
A new user has arrived at your e-commerce Web site, her fingers still hovering over her mouse. Will she scroll down or click the back button? By Oscar Cisneros.
Zapping the High School Market
12:01 p.m. 21.Oct.1998 PST
A company is offering high schools free computer equipment and wireless Net access in exchange for the privilege of serving students marketing messages. By Oscar Cisneros.
