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Telephone Preference Service

Since June 2004 corporate subscribers have been able to register the telephone numbers that they do not wish to receive unsolicited direct marketing calls. It is also a legal obligation for anyone making direct marketing calls to ensure they do not call corporate subscribers who have registered their wish not to be called.

For information and registration click: TPS

(You will find that the registration screen splits the telephone number into categories that most of us have never heard of. The area code box is fine, but the number field will only accept 4 digits – if you enter the last 4 digits in field 3 and the previous ones in field 2, you will see on later screens that it works OK.)


'Do Not E-Mail' List Scam

The US Federal Trade Commission has issued a warning about a scam that offers to include your business in a 'National Do Not E-Mail' register. Whilst there are US and UK authorities who seek to reduce the amount of phone and fax messages and there are Spam laws in both countries, there is no such thing as a register to block email messages.

More details...


Landmark Legal Ruling on Domain Ownership

In a landmark case, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has just stated that domain names, despite their virtual nature, should be treated exactly as a "plot of land" would be.  (August 2003)

Full article...


Internet Yellow Pages

'Yellow Pages' is a term that is being used by more than the physical and online directory that UK readers are familiar with. Managing offers from publishers is one of those tasks that is fraught with cost danger.

One of the current round of Internet directories seeking entries is a German site which is offering free entries at the click of a couple of buttons.  But read the Terms and you will find that the free entry is for 2 years; you have no right of cancel the contract without paying a removal fee; and there is an escalating scale of charges for chasing the 'debt'. (April 2003)


Domain Name Registration Scam

We are getting lots of calls and emails from businesses who have received letters from a London-based company that are issuing professionally printed letters, with payment slips, extolling holders of .co.uk domains to register the .com equivalent.

Whilst we agree that for some businesses, holding both versions can make sense, the charges proposed by this company are up to 10 times the normal commercial rate.

We have also had reports of an email which purports to be a reminder renewal about a small subscription to a very likely-sounding search engine service.  Even experienced web developers have had to double check this one.

Please do not be taken in by these letters and emails.  Contact us if you need advice. (February 2003)


.uk.co Domains Disappear

Thousands of UK businesses have lost access to their web sites and email after their domain names were rendered useless.

Net Registrar, the UK operator of the .uk.co domain names, has failed to achieve reactivation of thousands of websites that have vanished from the internet after the domain name administrator - the University de los Andes, Columbia - shut down the domains.

Legal action is being pursued by Net Register, who have been quoted as describing the university's move was an "unmitigated disaster" for both the company and its customers.

This situation highlights the problems in dealing "second-level" domains that have been created more or less as a money making venture.  No matter what safeguards there may be in contracts, it is unlikely that companies hit by this type of problem will get full redress for the disruption to their business.  (February 2003)


Data Protection: Snooping on staff to be banned.

Covert surveillance of email and Internet use is seen as illegal except in cases of suspected criminal activity, under a draft code of practice issued by the government body responsible for data protection. But, even when staff are told that they will be monitored, a specific business purpose must be established and an assessment of the impact on privacy made.

Trade unions have welcomed the code, but bodies representing employers have criticised the guidelines as unrealistic and far too biased towards the employee.

The guidelines can be downloaded here:

http://www.dataprotection.gov.uk/dpr/dpdoc.nsf


Internet abuse tops workforce disciplinary list

Email and internet abuse has become the biggest workplace disciplinary issue according to a new survey.

In the past 12 months, the number of disciplinary cases for email and internet abuse at work exceeded those for dishonesty, violence and health & safety breaches combined! Sending pornographic emails emerged as one of the top three reasons for sacking, with nearly 40% of disciplinary cases resulting in dismissal.

Source: Computing Magazine


Software Licensing: New police powers

The police now have the power to raid businesses suspected of using unlicensed software.  Under the Copyright Design and Patents Act 2002, businesses can be fined up to £5,000 per item and risk potentially damaging publicity.

But a recent survey by Computer Weekly/Harvey Nash shows that only 13% of IT managers plan to review their software licensing procedures.  This leaves 87% believing that their procedures are sound or presumably they say "It won't happen to me?"