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Amazon’s Kindle and the Doctrine of Exhaustion

Amazon’s Kindle and the Doctrine of Exhaustion

With much fanfare last Monday, Amazon.com released their wireless e-book reader that uses e-ink technology and allows users to purchase books wirelessly over Sprint's cellular network in the United States. Though the product lacks the immaculate design of some other consumer electronics (read: the iPhone), it nevertheless hit the spot for many as the product […]

I.B.M. to offer Office Software Free in challenge to Microsoft’s Line

I.B.M. to offer Office Software Free in challenge to Microsoft’s Line

IBM is going to offer free programs to compete with Microsoft’s Office programs. A new attempt for some good old Microsoft-bashing, IBM failed in 1990 to compete head-on with its OS/2 system, and an ambitious plan to challenge one of the most lucrative businesses for Microsoft. The more important question here is, not if IBM […]

CRIA Suddenly Against Private Copying Levy It Lobbied So Hard For

CRIA Suddenly Against Private Copying Levy It Lobbied So Hard For

With the recent Copyright Board preliminary decision which incorporates digital recorders as an audio recording medium[1]; you would think that the CRIA would be jumping for joy as the inclusion of digital recorders would generate more revenue. Furthermore, the CRIA has been lobbying for a private copying levy for years. However, this was not the […]

Micropayment: Striking a Balance at the Crossroads of Information Policy

Micropayment: Striking a Balance at the Crossroads of Information Policy

Over a decade ago, the seminal article, “The Digital Silk Road,” by Norman Hardy and Eric Dean Tribble[1] conceptualized the Internet as “a flee-market where cash and anonymity prevail.” This vision helped spark a flurry of activity and multiple attempts to develop a successful model for collecting payments for small online transactions. After numerous failed […]

Anything Under the Sun Made by Man

Anything Under the Sun Made by Man

In June 2007, the BBC reported, that scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute had applied to patent the method they plan to use to create their synthetic organism. According to the article, the Institute is claiming exclusive ownership of a set of 381 essential genes believed necessary to keep an organism alive and the […]

Verizon Communications, Inc. v. Vonage Holdings Corp: a Victory for Vonage or a Retreat by the Courts?

Verizon Communications, Inc. v. Vonage Holdings Corp: a Victory for Vonage or a Retreat by the Courts?

In March 2007, the district court in Alexandria, Virginia held that Vonage, a company which uses voice over IP technology, had infringed claims of three patents owned by Verizon Communications, and that those patents were not invalid as obvious. The judgement awarded $58,000,000 in damages and a royalty of 5.5% on any future infringing sales […]

Save Face or Facebook? Why You May Want to Think Twice Before Posting Private Information Online.

Save Face or Facebook? Why You May Want to Think Twice Before Posting Private Information Online.

A recent CBC news story showed several Canada Border Service agents having posted damaging comments and pictures on their Facebook profiles. The pictures showed them partying and drinking while in uniform, and the remarks revealed an inability to discern between certain foreign passports. While the article will undoubtedly raise issues of national security, it should […]

Canada to Criminalize Identity Theft

Canada to Criminalize Identity Theft

Canada is getting serious on identity theft! Will sharpening the teeth of the criminal law be enough? To clarify the news headlines, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson’s has announced that proposed legislation intends to criminalize preparatory offences, such as gathering and/or trafficking confidential personal information for the purposes of deceit or fraud. While preparatory offences will […]

Tipping the Scale Too Far: User Versus Owner Rights in the iPhone Debate

Tipping the Scale Too Far: User Versus Owner Rights in the iPhone Debate

Like many cell phone customers, you might be irritated that your service provider locks you in.  Shortly after Apple released its iPhone, hackers developed unlocking software so the popular phone could be used on networks other than AT&T.  Since it has not been made official that the iPhone is coming to Canada, many buyers are […]