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Why we Game: Simulations
While researching for my paper, I ran across the idea that there is a spectrum of gaming. On one side is simulation, which attempts to be as real as possible. On the other side is fantasy, which takes advantage of the medium to allow people to enjoy situations and worlds not confined by social, physical […]
Second hand sales of Video Games
In today’s guest lecture with Jas Purewal, one of the topics we explored was the legality of second hand sales of video games. It was an interesting topic. On my first impression, it seemed only logical that we should be able to resell video games we have purchased. We can resell cars, bikes, houses, chairs, […]
Project Oculus: Our Virtual Reality Classroom
Our class experiment with Oculus Rift DK2’s went smoothly thanks Jesse Joudray of VRChat LLC. Seven participating students equipped with Oculus Rifts’ took in the class from an entirely different part of the law school, while the rest of […]
Video-Blog News of the Week; November 5, 2014
This week a brief exploration of the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s petition for DMCA exemptions including one for users who want to play abandoned video games. jon
Jack Thompson is Never Coming Back
For those not in the know, Jack Thompson is a former lawyer and demagogue who argued that video games directly caused violence. He was eventually disbarred for the unethical actions taken during his anti-gaming crusade. Thompson was around at the same time politicians like Joe Lieberman and Hilary Clinton were arguing for restrictions on the […]
Video-Blog News of the Week; October 29, 2014
This week I wander (carefully) into tender territory reflecting on possible common denominators IMHO among the #gamergate, Jian Gohmeshi and TWU Law situations. If anyone is interested, the slides from a talk to my Media Law class at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism regarding the Gohmeshi situation can be found here: http://medialaw.journalism.ubc.ca/2014/10/29/class-9-partial-slides-ghomeshi/ Unfortunately, for […]
Remaking the Media: Remaking Democracy
This coming Saturday, 8 November 2014, there is a free talk by Dr. Michael Geist, the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, at the Vancouver Public Library Central Branch (350 W. Georgia Street), Alice MacKay Room. It is entitled “Remaking the Media: Remaking Democracy”. It goes from 12:00-1:00, and the library warns that […]
Video-Blog News of the Week; October 22, 2014
This week EULA’s, citizens and double standards of literalism. jon
EULAs and TOS as Adhesionary Contracts
As I understand, EULAs and TOS are a type of adhesionary contracts. The Legal Information Institute at Cornell University defines an adhesionary contract as “a standard form contract drafted by one party (usually a business with stronger bargaining power) and signed by the weaker party (usually a consumer in need of goods or services), who must adhere to […]
Why is law so slow to change in relation to technology?
My immediate reaction when this question was asked last week and this week was “because law is slow to change in relation to most things.” For example, last Friday (the 18th) was Persons Day, the 85th anniversary of the Persons Case. Sure took a while for that (now obvious and self-evident to most, I hope) […]