Week 9 guest Jennifer Kelly of Fenwick & West LLP has a legal cameo (@ about the 6 minute mark) in this well done short film dealing with the double edged sword of video game clone wars
jon
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News of the Week; May 1, 2013
1. SEGA, Gearbox sued in class action lawsuit over Aliens-CM: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-05-01-sega-gearbox-sued-in-class-action-lawsuit-over-aliens-cm?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=european-daily
2. Electronic Arts Faces Jury Trial Over ‘Madden NFL’: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/electronic-arts-faces-jury-trial-447243?buffer_share=0590c&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer%253A%252Bwkeithrobinson%252Bon%252Btwitter
3. Greenheart Games Trolls Pirates With Altered Cracked Version Of Game Dev Tycoon: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130429/07360222878/greenheart-games-trolls-pirates-with-altered-cracked-version-game-dev-tycoon.shtml
4. Experts – Chris Christie’s Video Game Proposals Would Face Uphill Legal Battles: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2013/04/24/experts-chris-christies-video-game-proposals-would-face-uphill-legal-battles#.UXhpGpVC5Lw
5. In Defense of Violent Video Games: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2013/04/29/no-link-between-violent-video-games-effects-and-school-shootings
6. Scientology Spoof Takes Grand Theft Auto V Ads Viral: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123598-Scientology-Spoof-Takes-Grand-Theft-Auto-V-Ads-Viral
7. Is the end near for used video games? http://www.statesman.com/news/business/is-the-end-near-for-used-video-games/nXWh3/
8. Riot: Don’t ban your players, reform them: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-26-riot-dont-ban-your-players-reform-them?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=european-daily
9. GTFO: Don’t film the trolls: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-26-gtfo-dont-film-the-trolls?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=european-daily
10. IDC expects paying mobile gamers to pass paying handheld gamers this year: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-25-idc-expects-paying-mobile-gamers-to-pass-handhelds-this-year?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=european-daily
11. Court Rules in Artist’s Favor: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/arts/design/appeals-court-ruling-favors-richard-prince-in-copyright-case.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1367262745-0VYciVLsAKUHOU4sz2VLGQ
+ Appropriation Artist Richard Prince Prevails Against Photographer at Appeals Court: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/appropriation-artist-richard-prince-prevails-446479
+ USCA decision in Patrick Cariou v. Richard Prince, et al.: http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/5da8dc66-179e-4dc0-94cc-09e213bfffe3/1/doc/11-1197_complete_opn.pdf#xml=http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/5da8dc66-179e-4dc0-94cc-09e213bfffe3/1/hilite/
12. Court Ruling Takes a Stand on Essential High-Tech Patents: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/court-ruling-takes-a-stand-on-essential-high-tech-patents/?nl=technology&emc=edit_tu_20130429
13. Google Transparency Report shows censorship spike, details takedown requests: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/25/google-transparency-report-shows-censorship-spike/
14. Pushing the boundaries of copyright protection? Card, board and football games: http://ipkitten.blogspot.ca/2013/04/pushing-boundaries-of-copyright.html?m=1
15. Disruptions: Brain Computer Interfaces Inch Closer to Mainstream: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/disruptions-no-words-no-gestures-just-your-brain-as-a-control-pad/?nl=technology&emc=edit_tu_20130429
jon
Prof. Lawrence Lessig’s talk on “Free Culture” in William Fisher’s HBR Copyright course
As good of a primer about the cultural causes and legal consequences of free culture in the digital age as anyone is likely to find. Excellent Q&A after the main presentation as well.
jon
Kind piece on “Video Game Law” @ Flexible Learning site & some thank you’s
Link to: “Video Game Law” Offers Lectures and Rich Course Content Online | Flexible Learning
Posting the article is just a good excuse to say thank you to a great number of people who encouraged and supported the current incarnations and experimentations of Video Game Law as a course. The order which follows is more or less chronological:
David Duff of the Faculty of Law for green-lighting the course.
Richard Smith, Director of the Centre for Digital Media for actively encouraging and providing perspective and support in respect of the pedagogic and technological directions of the course. Richard also provided much needed academic coaching.
Associate Dean Benjamin Goold and through him the entire UBC Faculty of Law for unfailing and profound support for the course and its unorthodoxies. Ben’s faith in the enterprise and his ability to remain kind and full of humour while suffering my constant barrage of emails on matters large and small was awe-inspiring.
The Lew Fund for its support.
The UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning & Technology for being an incredible facilitator of ideas, support and inspiration. Jeff Miller for seeing and encouraging the potential of the course. The amazing Novak Rogic for leading me to the creation of website, making it happen and sitting with me every two weeks to improve, refine and evolve the directions of the on-line presence of the course. Also Will Engle for his ideas and encouragement, and the unfailingly professional Saeed Dyanatkar who was so much more then our camera-person.
To all the students in the class for bringing their best and being so patient with a course reboot which was of necessity a work in progress. You were a terrific class filled with amazing individuals.
Roch Ripley for his understanding, support and kindness – not to mention his academic counter-points which greatly benefited the class. As well as for marshalling the logistical support of Gowlings whenever needed.
Dan Silverman of the Faculty of Law for help, suggestions and always working to make things better on the tech side of things.
Jia Lang who T.A.’d, Helene Love of the Faculty, and Ken Cavalier who is doing his Doctorate in intellectual property law, for their support of the course, their presence in the classes and generously sharing knowledge and perspectives.
All of the guest speakers in the course with special mention to those who travelled considerable distance to join us live (Jennifer Kelley of Fenwick & West LLP in San Francisco and Alan Bruggeman of Microsoft in Redmond, Washington).
Larry Bafia, Patrick Pennefather and George Johnson, colleagues at the Centre for Digital Media, who indulged my pretty constant desire to discuss and debate issues and subjects of the course.
Prof. Kimberly Voll, possibly the best pure teacher I have ever seen, for always providing inspiration and intellectual back-up when I was trying to figure out how to present complex materials.
My wife Corinne and our children Jeremy, Dara & Avrel for the support that really matters.
Apologies to all I have missed.
jon
News of the Week; April 24, 2013
1. EA Convinces California Court to Cancel ‘Edge’ Trademarks: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2013/04/19/ea-convinces-california-court-cancel-edge-trademarks#.UXRn3pVC5Lx
2. Can you sell second hand games legally? Should you? – Jas Purewal: http://www.gamesbrief.com/2013/04/can-you-sell-second-hand-games-legally-should-you/
3. Film to be distributed via games console for first time: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/21651921
4. Microsoft to pay Japanese Xbox owners with Points for a million hours of playtime: http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/17/4233928/xbox-owners-free-microsoft-points-for-playing-japan
5. Activision Buys Competition: http://yearofbacklogs.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/activision-buys-competition/
6. UK Interactive Entertainment CEO defends games as culture before EU tax investigation: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/uk-interactive-entertainment-ceo-defends-games-as-culture-before/
7. Video games may encourage healthy behavior: http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2013/04/23/video-games-may-encourage-healthy-behavior/
8. Rutgers Player-Authors Survey: http://player-authors.rutgers.edu/2013/04/18/rutgers-player-authors-survey/
9. Thrown for a Curve in Rhode Island: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/business/curt-schilling-rhode-island-and-the-fall-of-38-studios.html?nl=technology&emc=edit_tu_20130422
10. A Breakdown of Canada’s Videogame Industry, the Third Biggest in the World: http://www.techvibes.com/blog/canadas-video-game-industry-2013-03-25
11. IGDA Strongly Opposes CISPA: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2013/04/19/igda-strongly-opposes-cispa#.UXRoUJVC5Lx
12. YouTube defeats Viacom copyright lawsuit – again: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57580355-93/youtube-defeats-viacom-copyright-lawsuit-again/
+ Link to Viacom v YouTube District Court decision: http://www.scribd.com/doc/136780319/Youtube
13. UMG Wins Copyright Ruling in Case Against Grooveshark: http://variety.com/2013/music/news/umg-wins-copyright-ruling-in-case-against-grooveshark-1200410119/
14. PRIVACY AND SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE AGE OF BIG DATA – Report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (House of Commons, Canada): http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/HOC/Committee/411/ETHI/Reports/RP6094136/411_ETHI_Rpt05_PDF/411_ETHI_Rpt05-e.pdf
15. Ex-Google ad engineer fights back against advertisers with anti-tracking software: http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/16/4232370/ex-google-ad-engineer-fights-back-against-advertisers-with-anti
16. Why You’ll Soon Be Paying Sales Taxes on All of Your Internet Purchases–Amazon v. NY Taxation Department: http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2013/04/why_youll_soon.htm
17. The Google Shortcut to Trademark Law – Lisa Larrimore Ouellette: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2195989
jon
Cafe where you can hire waitress to play with you
I am always interested in cosplay cafes. Not only males can enjoy this kind of service, I also enjoy playing it with girlfriends. Indeed, when I was in junior high, I played RPG’s with my girlfriends. We discussed strategies and that was fun.
http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/04/pay-women-to-play-video-games-with-you-in-china/
Greg Lastowka on Publicity Rights, EA & Ryan Hart
Terrific Gamasutra article which ties to the topics from Week 9 from Prof. Greg Lastowka of Rutgers Law School. He argues that EA should prevail in defending Ryan Hart’s legal action arising from not be compensated for use of aspects of his image in EA’s NCAA Football. As his title “The Erosion of Creative Freedom? The Battle Over Publicity Rights” suggests, the danger Prof. Lastowka sees are the impacts on creative freedom, and he suggests that the inequities suffered by Hart are for best for the NCAA to deal with, not the Courts. A highly recommended read. Find it here: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/173890/the_erosion_of_creative_freedom_.php
Thoughts, reactions?
jon
Virtual currency – Bitcoin
The Bitcoin Implosion: 5 Signs of an Investing Bubble: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/bitcoin-implosion-5-signs-investing-bubble-142629328.html
Bitcoin mining costs real world money: http://www.slashgear.com/bitcoin-mining-costs-real-world-money-15277822/
“scripted” Issue on Post Mortem Privacy
scripted is a journal of law, technology & society available online. The most current issue has post mortem privacy as its theme, a subject that came up in class particularly in Week 5’s talk and thereafter. For anyone doing a paper trenching on the territory and indeed for anyone interested here is a direct link to the issue: http://script-ed.org/?page_id=32
jon
Andy Baio on Remix Culture & the Law
http://vimeo.com/62839607
An interesting and articulate piece regarding the real world impacts of copyright on “remix” creators was recently posted. The talk was given in Portland in January by Andy Baio, a writer and coder who had some particularly interesting experiences involving litigation initiated by the photographer Steven Meisel. All of which relates directly to one of the key questions in the course – whether even reforming fair dealing/use would be enough or whether something akin to a “Right to Create” needs to be established?
Thoughts/reactions/comments?
jon