Course Details and Announcements

Welcome to the 2021 Cohort of Video Game Law @ Allard

Welcome to the 2021 Cohort of Video Game Law @ Allard

If you are a gamer, this past year could definitely feel like a dystopian video-game. In fact for those who remember the “Corrupted blood incident” (AKA World of Warcraft pandemic) of 2005, it might seem that life has imitated art. That pandemic in WoW quickly killed lower-level characters and significantly altered traditional gameplay, as players […]

Welcome to the 2020 Video Game Law Cohort

Welcome to the 2020 Video Game Law Cohort

Thanks for coming in this most unusual year. It all may seem fitting given that video game law often appears to be a most unusual subject. But perhaps what’s most unusual about video games is how usual  they have in fact become in our lives and across our devices. All the more so during COVID…check […]

UBC Open Education Champions

UBC Open Education Champions

On Tuesday October 22, 2019, the UBC Vancouver Alma Mater Society, the VP Academic and Provost, and the UBC Library held a reception to congratulate faculty and staff for being nominated as UBC Open Education Resource Champions. An open education champion was defined as someone who has made a significant contribution to the use of […]

Presentation Outline: Legal Issues of Valve (Digital Game Reselling + Geoblocking)

Presentation Outline: Legal Issues of Valve (Digital Game Reselling + Geoblocking)

  Dear Class, We would like to briefly inform you about the topic of our presentation next Wednesday. We will discuss the very current and important decision from France in the matter of UFC Que Choisir v. S.A.R.L. Valve. The topic is the resale of digital video games by customers of the Steam platform. According […]

Presentation Outline – 23 October 2019

Presentation Outline – 23 October 2019

Hello all, On Wednesday 23rd October, I’ll be presenting on the application of copyright law to video game livestreams and recorded playthroughs (“Let’s Plays”), which are commonly uploaded on internet platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. I’ll be covering the following points: Overview of Let’s Plays and livestreams on YouTube and Twitch; Applying copyright law […]

Ian Verchere: Class 6 Guest

Ian Verchere: Class 6 Guest

Ian Verchere is (IMHO) the most influential active creator of games in B.C. He has been a force to reckon with for decades, and if we are lucky enough, will be for decades to come. He has been a “must-see” part of this course for many years. His talks are always deeply and passionately rooted […]

Guests for Class 3

Guests for Class 3

Happy to report that Brian Dartnell (left) and Perry Bahniwal (right) of the Legal Department of Electronic Arts will be joining us tomorrow to provide some insights into the issues video game company counsel deal with day-to-day. Brian is Vice President, Legal Affairs at EA. He has been at EA almost 14 years, working out […]

Gambling in Video Games – Loot Boxes

Gambling in Video Games – Loot Boxes

  Gambling in Video Games – Loot Boxes There is news regarding the dealing with Loot Boxes in Video Games. A few days ago the UK MP stated that in their opinion the use of Loot Boxes should be banned for children and that Loot Boxes are gambling and should be regulated according to the […]

Video & Slides of Mary Meeker’s 2017 Internet Trends Report

Video & Slides of Mary Meeker’s 2017 Internet Trends Report

Sorry about not being able to figure out how to get the sound from the internet up so that it was truly listenable today. It would be great if you could watch Mary Meeker’s talk from 9:13 to 17:02 on the above video. That corresponds to Slide 80 to Slide 150 on the deck  just […]

Interactive Entertainment Law Review 2:1

Interactive Entertainment Law Review 2:1

Volume 2, Issue 1 of the Interactive Entertainment Law Review published by Edward Elgar is available. The aim of the Interactive Entertainment Law Review is to serve as a peer-reviewed hub for legal analysis of interactive entertainment, video games, virtual/augmented/mixed realities, social media, and all related and emergent forms of digital interactive entertainment. The Journal is published twice […]