The European Union is seeking ways to prevent memberstates using electronic surveillance systems for industrial espionage. The undertaking by justice and home affairs ministers came as Britain continued to maintain its own intelligence services had not used the Echelon surveillance system to steal contracts from its European partners. Ministers said they would charge EU experts with ensuring that tapping would not be used for commercial gain and promised to look at measures of prevention and protection against the abuse of new technologies. Echelon, set up during the Cold War, can intercept millions of telephone, fax and e-mail messages and involves collaboration between Britain, the US Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the EU has approved a new data privacy agreement with the US to be finalised by July. American financial, insurance, tourism and airline industries have pushed for the new "safe-harbor agreement" to ensure that they could use personal data collected on European consumers. Under the new agreement, US companies that meet EU standards for data protection would be granted the right to transfer and use the data.
Justice Delay: The judge in the Microsoft case has granted the US government more time in the trial after it unexpectedly said it might incorporate a few of Microsoft's suggestions into its proposal to split the firm. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson gave the Department of Justice until today to provide its observations about Microsoft's latest filing. After which Microsoft will have until Wednesday to add its views.
Mail Divorcee: An Egyptian court has refused to uphold a divorce notice sent by e-mail saying Islamic laws cannot be interpreted to accept electronic documents as evidence. The ruling is a blow to the woman, who had accepted the notice and remarried.
DON'T PLAY THAT MUSIC: Madonna is apparently fuming because her new single is being circulated over the Net - four months before its release date. Her record company is threatening legal action against any sites that allow the Music to be downloaded.
Net Pioneer Dies: Donald W Davies, whose pioneering work on data transmission contributed to the development of the Internet, has died. Working at the National Physical Laboratory, Davies is credited with coining the term "packet switching" in 1966 for data transmission fundamental to the workings of the Internet.
Book Smart: Barnes & Noble.com will offer online classes this summer on everything from astronomy to dieting. The e-tailer is building Barnes & Noble University with notHarvard.com, which specialises in creating Web classrooms.
And The Winner Is: Ireland's e-commerce movers and shakers are to give a helping hand to the homeless at the Web Ireland National Internet Business Awards 2000, in association with the IE Domain Registry. Nominations are being sought for the ceremony which will take place in the autumn. Details can be found at www.internetawards.ie.
Julia Robbers: Julia Roberts has won back her name from a cybersquatter in a case which could be of interest to the Taoiseach. She filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organisation against American entrepreneur Mr Russell Boyd of Princeton, New Jersey, who had been the first to register "juliaroberts.com". A UN arbitration panel ruled she had common law trademark rights in her name, and that Mr Boyd had "no rights or legitimate interest in the domain name" which he had registered in "bad faith".
E-asy Money: A British businessman has turned down an offer of $7 million for an Internet name he registered three years ago for just $100. Mr Peter Littke said that he could make more money by pressing on with plans to launch an Internet business in September than by selling the name e-buy.com to a company of the same name.
Speeding Up Sony: Sony wants to build upon the initial success of the PlayStation2 by increasing the rate of production of the chips used in the game consoles and, eventually, in third-party products. The company is investing $1.16 billion in new semiconductor production facilities in order to speed up the production of the PlayStation2.
Free Phone Calls: Net users can avail of free PC-totelephone calls after the introduction of a new service here by a Chicago-based company, Go2Call, www.Go2Call.com. It is offering the free service to Irish landline telephones from anywhere in the world and within Ireland provided callers have a Windows-based PC with sound card, speakers and microphone.
Opening The Gate: Gateway has chosen upstart chipmaker Transmeta to power two new devices for Net access, dealing a blow to the Intel and Microsoft hegemony. Gateway also plans to use a version of Linux developed by Transmeta in the devices.
Buying Boo: Fashionmall.com has acquired the domain name and fashion retailing business of boo.com following the sale of its e-commerce software to Bright Station. Few details about the acquisition were available over the weekend.
In Brief...Motorola have now manufactured 1 million mobile phones in their Swords plant and will produce over 5 million more this year. . . Hewlett-Packard are to become the primary Internet infrastructure provider for Amazon.com's online retail service. . . Nevada tele.com, the joint venture between Viridian and Energis, is to invest £5.1 million sterling and create 131 jobs in Northern Ireland over the next four years. . . Trintech and Baltimore Technologies have announced a partnership to develop ePaymentsolutions with enhanced security for mobile commerce. . .