Tag Archives: user rights

On Virtual Travel

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Jeremy Costin

Why would a denizen of a virtual world want to cross over into another virtual world, especially if she couldn’t bring her special powers, skills, or goods into that other world?  This was the question asked in a comment the … Continue reading →

Posted in Information Technology, Video Games, Virtual Worlds | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Richard Stallman came to Vancouver, and I upset him

Posted on February 19, 2009 by Jeremy Costin

Richard Stallman was in Vancouver two weeks ago. He performed, if I may describe his lectures like that, three times; I caught the first. I asked Stallman a question after it was over, and thoroughly annoyed him. I know that I annoyed him because he grew flustered, stamped his feet, turned away from me to the rest of the crowd and yelled at me. Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Liberties, Information Technology, Intellectual Property | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Are there benefits to “piracy”?

Posted on November 6, 2008 by Jeremy Costin

The pro-copyright lobby groups would have you believe that all unauthorized reproduction (and distribution), colloquially known (inaccurately) as piracy, is horrid for the industries concerned, and is destroying them. Many say that unauthorized copying actually benefits the concerned industries. Do you think this is true? If so, which industry benefits the most? I’ve created a poll and I would like you to let me know what you think. Feel free to comment to this post. Continue reading →

Posted in Business Law, Information Technology, Intellectual Property, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Alternatives to C-61: Statutory concerns for the protection and encouragement of creative works

Posted on August 24, 2008 by Jeremy Costin

I want to suggest an alternative paradigm to the statutory regime for creative works as intellectual property, a.k.a. copyright.  I’m not going to get into detailed explanations of the existing Copyleft and other alternative paradigms to copyright.  But I’m going … Continue reading →

Posted in Information Technology, Intellectual Property | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Michael Geist lauds CRIA; jeers RIAA’s “hassle” policy

Posted on March 10, 2008 by Jeremy Costin

The difference between commercial piracy and private copying was clear in the Copyright Act’s s.80, it was made clearer by BMG v. John Doe, and now we can see the difference in action. Professor Michael Geist compares the RIAA’s “hassle … Continue reading →

Posted in Intellectual Property | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

EULAs aren’t all bad

Posted on January 7, 2008 by Jeremy Costin

End-User License Agreements aren’t all bad. They are necessary for interration – that incorporation-like thing for virtual worlds that Castronova talks about – in order to set out and delimit the game space. It is when they violate Castronova’s closed/open … Continue reading →

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DMCA-Free Canada: a land of opportunity

Posted on January 3, 2008 by Jeremy Costin

Technological Protection Measures (TPMs) are the fortresses of code, silicon, and/or law that enforce Digital Rights Management (DRM). By not criminalizing (as a per se offense) the circumvention of TPMs, Canada keeps the doors open to innovation. Period. Innovation is … Continue reading →

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