Information Policy

Over 1,500 domain names handed to hotels group in single ruling

A hotels group has gained control of over 1,500 domain names, using a dispute resolution process to take control of them from one man in Germany who controls over 70,000 domain names.

The single case, heard by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)'s arbitration centre, transferred 1,519 domain names to the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), refusing to transfer just 10 of the names. The hotels group had withdrawn claims relating to 13 other domain names.

The case was taken by the Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation and Six Continents Hotels, both of which are owned by the IHG. The man who had registered the domain names was German resident Daniel Kirchhof.

WIPO's Uniform Domain Resolution Policy (UDRP) allows for the taking of one case to settle many disputes as long as the domain names are held by the same person. The rules also allow companies to take a joint case against a holder of domain names if they are related and have a common interest in the case.

The WIPO panel said that it accepted the taking of the action by two related companies over 1,500 domain names was acceptable.

http://www.out-law.com/page-10705

Twitter rolls out new focus on local news

Twitter has launched a new "Local Trends" filter lets member see what others are talking about in their local city, state or country. As Twitter spokeswoman Jenna Sampson explained on the San Francisco company's blog, Twitter members can use the Local Trends filter to see what's making news in their area instead of just what's hot around the world. "Local Trends will allow you to learn more about the nuances in our world and discover even more relevant topics that might matter to you," she wrote. Not every local place has a filter, but Twitter is working on that. For starters, the countries available are the United States, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, United Kingdom. London's The Independent newspaper also suggested a Web site, Trendsmap.com, that displays top trending Twitter topics by geographic areas on a Google map.

http://www.ejc.net/media_news/twitter_rolls_out_new_focus_on_local_news/

Tata Communications Plans Investment of US$50 mil. in Global Media Businesses

India-based Tata Communications today announced the establishment of Global Media and Entertainment Solutions (GMES) group and a planned investment of around US$50 million in the newly-formed global media and entertainment solutions business over the next two years. The company also launched its dedicated global video network, Video Connect, and unveiled its media management platform, Mosaic, which Tata Communications recently acquired from BT Group. Video Connect is designed to help broadcasters, studios and production houses deliver video content flexibly and cost-effectively to media hotspots worldwide, said the company. It added that the Mosaic platform, with its cloud-based media management, aims to help media customers improve cross-enterprise collaboration for content creation, management and multi-format delivery.

Significance: As part of the GMES portfolio, Video Connect and Mosaic, will complement Tata Communications' existing media and entertainment services. Through the GMES group, Tata Communications aims to maximise the opportunities that digital media provides by enabling end-to-end management, distribution and delivery of content over its life cycle from production to distribution. The company, part of the diversified Tata group, has been expanding across the world, particularly in the emerging markets, through the Tata Global Network, a Tier-1 IP network with connectivity to more than 200 countries. Its latest foray into the media and entertainment segment is driven by its desire to capitalise on the rising demand of converged telecoms and media services.

https://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/140/38699?7649

Europeans' Privacy will be big challenge in next decade, says EU Commissioner

Our privacy faces new challenges: behavioural advertising can use your internet history to better market products; social networking sites used by 41.7 million Europeans allow personal information like photos to be seen by others; and the 6 billion smart chips used today can trace your movements. The European Commission today – Data Protection Day – warned that data protection rules must be updated to keep abreast of technological change to ensure the right to privacy, legal certainty for industry, and the take-up of new technologies. EU rules say that a person's information can only be used on legitimate grounds, with their prior consent. With the Lisbon Treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights now in force, the Commission today said it wants to create a clear, modern set of rules for the whole EU guaranteeing a high level of personal data protection and privacy, starting with a reform of the 1995 EU Data Protection Directive.

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/63&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Nokia Unveils Mobile Wireless Sensor Concept Using Radar

Nokia has demonstrated a new radar concept for use with mobile handsets, which it claims could be used for a range of applications in sport, entertainment, or personal safety. The mobile radar, developed at Nokia's Helsinki Research Center, demonstrated how an active radar sensor can be used to measure speed and direction of movement of approaching objects, as a traditional radar aerospace would. The Nokia concept essentially uses electromagnetic waves, to provide a different type of mobile wireless sensing. The radar could enable new ways for users to interact with their device, for example via gesture control. However, Finnish handset giant Nokia is not thought to be working on a military application for the concept, so don't expect to be shooting down MiGs from your phone at any point soon.

Nokia is aiming to boost the profit margin at its key Devices and Services unit to 14% in 2010, from an expected 12% this year, as it shifts its focus towards new technologies and the services sector, in particular its online apps portal Ovi. The world number-one handset vendor has also said it is targeting the smartphone market this year, as it expects the high-end to amount to a bigger share of its device sales, where the vendor expects competition to remain fierce as it takes on the likes of RIM's BlackBerry stable and Apple's iPhone.

https://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/150/38723?7649