Pirates of the Caribbean: US Intellectual Property Rights to Walk the Plank?

The government of Antigua and Barbuda has recently published a press release detailing their plans on establishing a statutory body to oversee the monetization and exploitation of the suspension of American intellectual property rights. The World Trade Organization (WTO) authorized the suspension of US IP rights in the small twin-island nation earlier this year. The organization overseeing these developments, the WTO Remedies Implementation Committee, is in the […]

EA Loses Battle to Put Athlete’s Likeness in Video Game

In a victory for athletes specifically, and proponents of personality rights generally, the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal has ruled against Electronic Arts (EA) in its use of former college quarterback Sam Keller’s likeness in the NCAA Football video game series. This news has costly implications for EA.

Mamma Mia: Nintendo Flexes Copyright Against YouTube Video Game Reviewers

Embarrassing marketing gaffe or reasonable exercise of legal rights?  Nintendo issues “Content ID match” claims on "Let’s Play" (LP) videos featuring their game franchises. Prolific YouTube user Zack Scott speaks out against the move.

Video Game Consoles: The Gift that Keeps on Giving (Personal Info)

'Twas the season for video games. And what better way to top up the coolest gift you gave over the holidays than with an accompanying list of privacy warnings for your loved one?

ESAC v. SOCAN – Battle Lines Drawn in Copyright Pentalogy

Entertainment Software Association of Canada v SOCAN was one of two 5-4 split decisions of the copyright pentalogy decisions released on July 12. Online media and software producers and distributors won a major victory. The Supreme Court ruled that the “communication to the public by telecommunication” right does not apply to downloads of a musical […]

Motorola is Done Playing Games, Attempting to Ban the Sale of the Xbox 360 in the US

In an effort to draw a line in the sand in the smartphone market, an “innocent bystander” has been caught in the legal crossfire. Following a successful sales ban of the Xbox 360 in Germany, Motorola set its sights on the gaming console’s home turf, and currently, things are not looking good for Microsoft in […]

You Better Watch Out…For These Five Supreme Court Of Canada Cases

Giuseppina D’Agostino is the Founder and Director of IP Osgoode, the Founder and Director of the new IP Intensive Program, and an Associate Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. This December copyright is coming to town!  Five historic hearings at the Supreme Court of Canada and a brand new copyright bill in Parliament have the […]

Sony's New Terms Of Service Seek To Eliminate Class Action Threat

Brent Randall is a JD candidate at the University of Ottawa. After a very difficult summer regarding the security of the personal information of Sony customers, the technology company has chosen to protect itself from class action litigation in the future.  In the Terms of Service (TOS) for the company’s Playstation Network, which is where […]

ASA Rules On Ad For Joke Phone Hacking App: Guess The Joke Is On You, Jamster

Satomi Aki is a JD candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the independent advertising watchdog of the UK, upheld On July 13, 2011, complaints against Jamster, a SMS mobile phone content provider, over their ad for a joke phone hacking app that was originally televised in April 2011.

European Court Of Justice And Online Gambling: Nothing New Under The Sun

Marco Bassini is the Managing Editor of MediaLaws, www.medialaws.eu, and a lawyer at Baker & McKenzie LLP's office in Milan. The re-posting of this analysis is part of a cross-posting collaboration with MediaLaws: Law and Policy of the Media in a Comparative Perspective. Another remarkable judgment on the matter of online gambling was delivered by the […]