Daily News Links

• Dishonest use of identity information will become a crime under new laws, with penalties of up to five years jail for a range of offences including on-selling personal data.  The proposed identity crime code also recommends that victims of identity theft be provided with court-issued certificates to help individuals repair financial damage and tarnished credit ratings.  Read more here (from Australian IT).
• China's infamous movie pirates have done it again -- Spider-Man 3 is already being sold on Beijing's streets almost two weeks ahead of its US premier.  Costing just over $1 apiece, the pirated DVDs appear to be of the actual movie, complete with a picture of the hero in a new, black spider suit which he wears for some of the film.  Read more here (from Reuters).
• Yahoo, The Huffington Post, and Slate will host two online-only presidential debates during the 2008 campaign, moderated by Charlie Rose. With a possible combined audience of millions, these first-ever online debates could serve not only the candidates, but a group of select advertisers as well.   Read more here (from Media Post).
• By next year, Trend Micro predicts more malicious attacks will hit Internet users via the Web than via e-mail.  Read more here (from CNET News.com).
• With criminal and terror groups already capable users of internet protocol communications, security and law enforcement officials are keeping a watchful eye on next generation networks.  Read more here (from Australian IT).
• Monitoring children's internet use is the responsibility of their parents, Prime Minister John Howard said following the deaths of two girls who discussed suicide on their websites.  Read more here (from the Sydney Morning Herald).
• Microsoft responded yesterday to EU allegations that it is overcharging rivals for information that would make their products work better with Windows. The software maker also repeated its request for more guidance on what regulators consider to be an acceptable price. The EU had given Microsoft until last night to come through with a response on the fees it seeks from competitors to share computer information, and threatened daily fines that could go as high as $4 million a day. It said it will consider the company's reply and decide whether to impose a daily penalty.  Read more here (from SiliconValley.com).
• In the next several months, Second Life avatars may find their long-awaited voice, said Philip Rosedale, CEO of Linden Lab, publisher of the virtual world. Many Second Life members have long desired to bring voice to their text-based avatars. And last month, Second Life launched a small beta trial with integrated voice. Rosedale said during a keynote speech at Gartner Symposium ITxpo that he hopes to see voice officially launched in Second Life within the next several months.  Read more here (from CNET News.com).
• Qtrax aims to turn peer-to-peer networks into a legitimate business, and is partnering with Sony BMG Music Entertainment to carry the label's full catalog of recordings. Ad support is part of the plan.  Read more here (from Media Post).
• Pay television provider Foxtel has begun experimenting with a broadband video-on-demand service that may let customers view its paid content on televisions belonging to non-subscribers.  Read more here (from Australian IT).