Information Policy

Environmental Performance Index 2008

The 2008 Environmental Peformance Index (EPI) ranks 149 countries on 25 indicators tracked across six established policy categories: Environmental Health, Air Pollution, Water Resources, Biodiversity and Habitat, Productive Natural Resources, and Climate Change. The EPI identifies broadly-accepted targets for environmental performance and measures how close each country comes to these goals. As a quantitative gauge of pollution control and natural resource management results, the Index provides a powerful tool for improving policymaking and shifting environmental decisionmaking onto firmer analytic foundations. Authors: Yale Center for Environmental law and Policy, Center for International Earth Science Information Network.

http://epi.yale.edu/Home

Last.fm to launch free, on-demand music streaming

A world where music lovers can listen to free music over the internet - legally - came a significant step closer today when Last.fm, the social music website, announced that it had record industry's approval to start an unprecedented new streaming service.

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3240760.ece

2008 Domain Name Wire Survey Input

It’s almost time for the 3rd Annual Domain Name Wire Survey. This annual survey helps get a finger on the pulse of the domain community, covering important trends and predictions for the future. Part of the survey includes selecting the best companies for particular services (e.g. registrar, parking). The number of domain service providers has exploded over the past couple years, and that’s where I need your help. For each of the categories below, please comment if I’ve left any major players off the list.

http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/18/2008-domain-survey-input/

210 million Internet users in China; 11.93 million domain names

The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the "21st Report of China Internet Development" on January 17th in Beijing. By December 31, 2007, the total number of Internet users in China reached 210 million (only 5 million less than the United States); ranked second in the world; and the number is expected to become the world's largest in early 2008. ... The development of basic Internet resources is also "doing its part." By the end of December 2007, there were 135 million IP addresses in China; but compared with the basic needs of each IP address for one Internet user, the gap remains large. The report revealed that China's total number of domain names reached 11.93 million; and the annual growth rate is as high as 190 percent. There are 9 million national domain .CN names, increasing four times over the same period in 2006; and the daily growth of 20,000 is miraculous in the history of the domain name.

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/90877/6341926.html

Development Of E-Commerce In The Bahamas

Alain Megias, IBLS The Bahamas, which is composed of 700 islands, is traditionally a tourist jurisdiction and financial center, which focus on e-commerce is relatively recent. The Bahamian Government has launched several ambitious programmes aimed at strengthening the position of the Bahamas as an international e-commerce center. Initially, the development of e-commerce was directed towards the diversification of the traditional business sector services. Indeed, the introduction of Information and Communication Technology infrastructure enabled the Bahamian financial sector to offer corporate and financial services to Internet businesses and back-office functions, thus maximizing investor returns in such businesses. After that, the development of e-commerce gradually came to be viewed as a tool for sustainable economic growth, with such measures as (i) the establishment in May 2002 of a Ministry of Financial Services and Investment, responsible for the promotion of e-commerce, (ii) the development of a reliable telecommunications infrastructure, (iii) the adoption of a legal and regulatory framework that inspires confidence and trust in electronic systems being used to conduct business, and (iv) the availability of Government services electronically.

http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=articles&id=A9D146ED-4009-4A30-96E7-43BFF9A85B5B