InternetNZ appoints Chief Executive Officer
Vikram was previously with the State Services Commission since November 2004 in three roles: Manager Strategy and Innovation; Programme Manager Future Services; and Principal Advisor ICT. Prior to this he was Business Technology Manager – Projects at Telecom New Zealand from 2001 to 2004.
Vikram Kumar says “An open and uncaptureable Internet is vital for New Zealand. InternetNZ is making a valuable contribution to protecting and promoting the Internet. I am looking forward to this opportunity to work with Council, members, government, and the community to address the challenges and opportunities the Internet provides us all.”
InternetNZ rejects centrally operated filtering for New Zealand
InternetNZ has today released a position paper that responds to the development by the Department of Internal Affairs of the “Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System”.
The position paper rejects centralised filtering as an acceptable approach for New Zealand to take. It sets out the basis for this position, and calls on the Department to conduct a thorough study of the extent of access of child abuse material on the Internet and the best ways of addressing it.
“InternetNZ supports a safe environment for people online, and absolutely deplores the availability and use of child abuse material,” says InternetNZ Policy Director Jordan Carter.
“However, a government filtering system, centrally operated, is not the answer. It risks leaving parents feeling that the Government is providing a safe environment, but it cannot deliver on that promise. The filter would only help at the margin, and child abuse material would still be available on the Internet. Read more
Internet reaches critical turning point
(Published on behalf of the New Zealand IPv6 Taskforce)
The global Internet has reached a critical turning point and New Zealand industry needs to sit up and take notice.
The global NRO (Number Resource Organisation) and the APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Centre) have announced that a critical milestone has been reached, with more than 90 percent of IPv4 Internet addresses having now been allocated. Full exhaustion of the IPv4 space is now anticipated to occur during 2011. Read more
InternetNZ releases copyright submission
InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) has released its submission to the Minister of Commerce on illegal peer-to-peer file sharing.
The submission is in response to a December 2009 discussion paper that made a series of recommendations for amendments to the Copyright Act.
It is available online at www.internetnz.net.nz/issues/submissions/2010. Read more
R v the Internet: video & audio available
Video and audio recordings from the recently-held ‘R v the Internet Seminar’ are now available at http://www.r2.co.nz/20091203.
The Seminar, co-hosted by InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc), the Law Commission and the Ministry of Justice, focused on issues around suppression orders, contempt of court and the Internet.
80 legal, media and Internet professionals attended to hear speeches from Attorney-General Hon Chris Finlayson, Solicitor-General David Collins and other high-profile New Zealand legal figures.
Two panel sessions were held, with a range of topics discussed such as the undermining of suppression orders online and lack of jurisdiction over Internet material hosted outside New Zealand. Read more
InternetNZ highlights Linux Conference
Hundreds of open source software aficionados will congregate in Wellington this January for the Linux.conf.au conference (LCA2010).
InternetNZ is a leading sponsor of LCA2010, which brings together Australasian and international open source practitioners who contribute to the Linux operating system and other open source projects.
Keynote speeches will be delivered by several high-profile open source exponents including technology writer Glyn Moody, New York-based media professor Gabriella Coleman, MIT researcher Benjamin “Mako” Hill and New Zealand technologist Nathan Torkington.
Other speakers include Australian computer programmer Andrew Tridgell, free software advocate Rusty Russell, HP Linux CTO Bdale Garbee and Debian developer Keith Packard. Read more
InternetNZ welcomes improvements to Section 92A
InternetNZ has welcomed today’s announcement by Hon Simon Power of proposed improvements to section 92A of the Copyright Act 1994.
“The Government has taken on board many of the concerns we raised, concerns that were widely felt across the sector,” says Jordan Carter, Policy Director at InternetNZ.
“At the heart of the proposed legislation is a notice-and-notice system which InternetNZ has argued for since the original legislation was drafted in 2007. Mr Power has recognised that this approach should lead to a large fall in illegal peer-to-peer filesharing. InternetNZ agrees.
“InternetNZ will consider the detail in today’s cabinet paper in more depth and offer further comment,” concludes Carter.
The Browser - November 2009
The November 2009 issue of The Browser - InternetNZ’s monthly newsletter - is now available online at:
www.internetnz.net.nz/media/browser/2009
Legal professionals to assemble for Internet seminar
A lineup of high-profile legal professionals, including Attorney-General Hon Christopher Finlayson, Solicitor-General David Collins QC and Judge David Harvey will assemble in Wellington this Thursday, 3 December for the R v the Internet Seminar.
The seminar is being held to discuss a range of issues around suppression orders, contempt of court and the Internet. Full event details and a copy of the programme can be found online at www.internetnz.net.nz .
Solicitor-General David Collins QC will speak on the complex issue of managing contempt in the online world, and Judge David Harvey will deliver a talk entitled ‘Suppressing Online Media’. Read more