TELECOM Digest     Tue, 15 Nov 2005 23:18:00 EST    Volume 24 : Issue 521

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    USA Wants Wiretap on Internet Calls Expanded (Jeremy Pelofsky)
    Negotiators Agree on Crime-Fighting Forum (Andrew Sullivan)
    Appeals Court Denies Stay on Internet Phone 911 Rule (Reuters News Wire)
    Chinese Immigrants Charged in Data Theft/Spy Case (Jeremiah Marquez)
    I2hub Latest P2P Site to Shut Down (Brooks Bolieky)
    Re: Comcast, Verizon Wage Licensing War/Towns in Cable Crossfire (K O'cann)

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we
are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because
we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands
against crime.   Geoffrey Welsh

               ===========================

See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details
and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jeremy Pelofsky <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: USA Wants Wiretap on Internet Calls Expanded
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:19:10 -0600


By Jeremy Pelofsky
U.S. law enforcement authorities want expanded ability to tap any
phone call between an Internet phone and a traditional phone if needed
for an investigation, according to documents filed this week.

The U.S. Justice Department urged communications regulators to require
Internet phone companies to provide the ability to conduct
surveillance on services that offer only outgoing calls or incoming
calls to or from the traditional phone network.

With the growth of high-speed Internet services, several companies
like privately-held Vonage Holdings Corp. and Skype, which eBay
Inc. recently bought, are now offering low-priced Internet telephone
service as an alternative.

There are approximately 3.6 million U.S. customers who have signed up
for two-way Internet phone service, known as Voice Over Internet
Protocol, or VOIP, according to a new survey by TeleGeography
Research.

The group projects 4.4 million U.S. subscribers by the end of the year
and close to 20 million by 2010. The Communications Assistance for Law
Enforcement Act (CALEA) passed by Congress in 1994 was aimed at
preserving the ability of authorities to conduct court-ordered
wiretaps as technology advanced.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission in August ruled that
companies like Vonage must offer law enforcement authorities the
ability to conduct surveillance on Internet phone services that can
both make and receive calls to and from the traditional phone network.

However, Skype offers independent one-way services, SkypeOut which
permits outbound calls that can connect to the traditional phone
network, and SkypeIn which receives calls from the phone network and
gives the customer a phone number.

COMMENTS FILED

Without referring to Skype, the Justice Department asked that CALEA be
extended to services that "enable customers to place calls to or
receive calls from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)."

The agency filed comments on Monday with the FCC, which is weighing
how to apply the law to new communications services.

Skype argued against applying the surveillance law beyond two-way
Internet phone services, noting that the FCC decision was aimed at
those that replace traditional phone service.

"Many software-based VOIP products are used not to replace traditional
telephony, but as a component of electronic messaging and other
information services, which Congress clearly indicated was not covered
by CALEA," Skype said.

The FCC decision in August also extended the surveillance law to
broadband Internet access, a move that raised concerns by educational
institutions like Cornell University which said the agency overstepped
its bounds.

"If Cornell is not providing services for hire, it should be exempt
from CALEA," the university said in comments to the FCC filed on
Friday.  "Congress expressly excluded 'private networks' from CALEA's
reach."

The FCC said in its order that private networks would not be subject
to the wiretap requirements but those that are connected with a public
network would have to comply with the law.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Andy Sullivan <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Negotiators Agree on Crime-Fighting Forum
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 16:33:24 -0600


By Andy Sullivan

Negotiators agreed on Tuesday to set up a global forum to discuss
online crime, but appeared unlikely to resolve a dispute about control
of the Internet ahead of a U.N. technology summit.

In talks before 50 heads of state arrive for the World Summit on the
Information Society on Wednesday, negotiators said their work would
likely lead to a crime-fighting forum that could help law enforcers
track down online criminals who operate across borders.

But they did not seem set to approve language that would force the
United States to give up its exclusive oversight of the domain-name
system that guides traffic across the Internet.

The work proceeded slowly as negotiators debated whether to describe
an Internet body as a "framework" or "mechanism" in one paragraph,
before settling on "framework and mechanisms."

"This was supposed to be a compromise text but now it has been changed
and bruised beyond recognition," Ambassador Masood Kahn, the Pakistani
diplomat who served as a referee, said after reviewing 12 different
versions of another paragraph.

The summit was launched two years ago to bridge the technology gap
between rich and poor countries, but the U.S. control over the
domain-name system has become a sticking point for countries like Iran
and Brazil, who argue the system should be managed by the United
Nations or some other global body.

The United States says an international bureaucracy would stifle
innovation and create uncertainty that could scare away investors,
though it does not oppose an international forum to discuss crime and
other online issues, as long as it does not have regulatory powers.

While such a forum could be productive it must not be allowed to take
on any formal powers that could usurp the United States' position,
U.S. Assistant Commerce Secretary Michael Gallagher told Reuters.

But the European Union will continue to push for more international
control of the domain-name system in meetings after the summit next
year, one EU official said.

"Oversight is a taboo word for the United States," said the official,
who declined to be named.

The head of the International Telecommunications Union, the U.N. body
sponsoring the summit, said the increased attention would ensure the
United States runs the domain-name system responsibly even if no
agreement was reached.

"When we started this process seven years ago ... nobody knew that one
country was managing everything. Now it is transparent, and you are
discussing," ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi told a news
conference.

(Additional reporting by Astrid Wendlandt)

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited. 

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Reuters News Wire <reuters@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: Appeals Court Denies Stay on Web Phone 911 Rule
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 16:35:59 -0600


A U.S. appeals court has refused to put on hold requirements that
Internet telephone providers offer customers full 911 emergency call
services by November 28, a provider said on Tuesday.

The Federal Communications Commission in May ordered that companies
like Vonage Holdings Corp., the biggest U.S. Internet phone company,
ensure customers who dial 911 are connected to a dispatcher who
receives the caller's location and phone number.

Those requirements are due to take effect on November 28. But several
smaller Internet phone companies argued that the deadline was
unreasonable, noting that the wireless industry has had much longer to
make full emergency 911 services available.

"We will still proceed with our appeal and still believe that the
FCC's E911 Order for VoIP Service Providers is arbitrary and
capricious," said Jason Talley, president and chief executive of Nuvio
Corp., an Internet phone provider.

Nuvio was one of the companies who challenged the rules and sought an
injunction against the FCC. Vonage was not involved in the
lawsuit. Their request was turned down by the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia.

The FCC recently clarified its decision and said companies did not
have to cut off subscribers who did not have full 911 service, but
said the carriers could not advertise or add customers in areas where
full 911 service was not available.

An FCC spokesman had no immediate comment.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Jeremiah Marquez <ap@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Chinese Immigrants Charged in Data Theft/Spy Case
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:14:58 -0600


By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ, Associated Press Writer

A Chinese-American engineer and two family members who allegedly
conspired to steal sensitive information about Navy warships and
smuggle it to China were indicted Tuesday on federal charges,
authorities said.

The grand jury indictment charges Chi Mak, 65, his wife and brother
with acting as agents of a foreign government without prior
notification to the U.S. attorney general, according to the
U.S. attorney's office.

Federal officials said Mak took computer disks from Anaheim defense
contractor Power Paragon, where he was lead engineer on a sensitive
research project involving propulsion systems for Navy warships.

He and his wife, Rebecca Laiwah Chiu, 62, then copied the information
to CDs and delivered them to Tai Wang Mak, 56, who was scheduled to
fly to Hong Kong on Oct. 28 with his wife, Fuk Heung Li, an FBI
affidavit said.

 From there, the brother allegedly planned to travel to Guangzhou, China, to
meet a contact.

Ronald Kaye, Chi Mak's attorney, said he had not yet seen the
indictment, but noted his client was presumed innocent. His brother's
attorney, John Early, had no immediate comment.

Chiu's attorney, Stanley Greenberg, said she was a loyal American
citizen and suggested the charges might be trumped up.

"In recent years the government has brought similar charges but when
called to proof, those cases resulted in little or nothing," Greenberg
said. "I believe this case will follow that same pattern."

All four suspects were arrested on Oct. 28. Though Li was accused in
an FBI affidavit of aiding the others, she was not indicted Tuesday.

Chi Mak and his wife are naturalized U.S. citizens originally from
China.  Mak's brother is a Chinese national and director for the
Phoenix North American Chinese Channel. The brother's wife also is a
Chinese national.

Although it is not alleged in the indictment, authorities have said
they recovered restricted documents on the DDX Destroyer -- known as
the "destroyer of the future" -- that had been produced by the Naval
Surface Warfare Center, and that Chinese officials were eager to 
examine these documents.

Also seized were documents on how to reconfigure a damaged ship after
an attack, as well as two lists in Chinese that asked Chi Mak to get
documents dealing with submarine torpedoes, electromagnetic artillery,
early warning technology to detect incoming missiles and defenses
against nuclear attack, prosecutors said.

The case comes as China -- mindful of U.S. support for Taiwan -- is
seeking to strengthen its naval capabilities so it can function in the
open sea as opposed to hugging shallow coastal waters, prosecutors
have said.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

For more news from Associated Press please go to :
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html

------------------------------

From: Brooks Bolieki <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: I2hub Latest P2P Service to Shut Down
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:17:15 -0600


By Brooks Boliek

I2hub, the superfast Internet service popular with college students, shut
down Tuesday.

Logging onto i2hub.com http://www.i2hub.com/ brought up a Web page
with a ghostly image of a man walking away, with the words "Remember
i2hub" superimposed over the image and "RIP 03.14.2005-11.14.05"
written below it.  I2hub was one of seven peer-to-peer services that
received a cease-and-desist letter from the Recording Industry
Association of America. RIAA had said they would make an 'example' for
college students with I2hub.

The service follows Grokster, which shut down after losing the Supreme
Court case that decided P2P services could be held responsible for
copyright theft that occurs on the services.

It was unclear whether i2hub entered into a settlement agreement like
the one reached this month in the Grokster suit.

"We continue to be encouraged by the response of many of the illegal
peer-to-peer sites to the Supreme Court's unanimous Grokster
decision," an RIAA spokesperson said. "The message from the Court has
been heard, and we look forward to working with services that will
respect the laws protecting creators. Those who will not work with us
will see what happens to them and their users."

The music and movie industries have filed more than 600 infringement
lawsuits at 39 universities against users of the service, which
travels on the high-speed university network known as Internet2.

CAMPUS CAMPAIGN

Coincidentally, the Motion Picture Association of America on Tuesday
asked college students to make a film about the problem. The
association is sponsoring a nationwide anti-piracy public service
announcement contest for college students.

In a partnership with Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), an
international nonprofit that mobilizes university students to create
economic opportunities, the MPAA hopes that getting students to create
PSAs will help convince them to eschew copyright piracy.

"The MPAA is committed to educating students, parents and all
consumers to aggressively tackle the threat of piracy and stem the
disturbing societal trend of illegal activity online by students of
all ages," MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman said. "That is why we
have joined SIFE, partnering with some of our country's most creative,
bright and energetic students to engage them in this discussion and
enlist their help in the campaign on campuses."

The winner of the contest, open to students at colleges that have a SIFE
chapter, could pocket $3,000.

Glickman estimates that U.S. copyright industries account for 12
percent of gross domestic product and employ more than 11 million
workers. An interagency report last year estimated that counterfeit
and pirated goods cost the U.S. economy $250 billion per
year. Hard-goods piracy -- like DVDs -- cost the movie industry alone
more than $3 billion per year.

That money often finds its way into other illegal activities. On
November 10, a fatal car chase in Virginia involving a convicted felon
who was wanted on several criminal charges, including cocaine and meth
possession, yielded hundreds of pirated CDs and DVDs in the man's
trunk, MPAA field investigator Dennis Supik said.

"A lot of people we were arresting had drug conviction backgrounds,"
Supik said. "Actually, what they said was: 'This is the new drug on
the street."'

In 2003, Interpol Secretary General Ron Noble said in testimony before
the House International Relations Committee that the global trade in
narcotics is estimated at $322 billion, while the global trade in
counterfeit goods is estimated at $512 billion.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Kinon O'cann <Yes.it's.me.Bowser@giganews.com>
Subject: Re: Comcast, Verizon Wage Licensing War/Towns Caught in Crossfire
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 17:08:29 -0500


Comcast's best friend in this is Verizon. I had scheduled a move to
FOIS, but cancelled when I learned that Verizon blocks many incoming
ports, and although I can re-direct web and FTP traffic to other
ports, that's a game I'd rather not play. Verizon can also block other
ports, once they detect activity they don't like. I cancelled. I don't
understand this behavior by Verizon at all. The relationship betwenn
the customer and Verizon should be deadly simple: I pay for a
connection, and then use it however I want (like I do now). Verizon
limits speeds up and down, and that's their way of controlling network
saturation. Then I learned they don't allow servers, either. What a
joke. I pay for a connection, and they determine how I use it? No
chance. Wake up, Verizon!

FWIW, I only want to use web and FTP services to share digital pics
with my family, and it's way more convenient than trying to constantly
e-mail huge files.

------------------------------


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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #521
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