1. Nintendo found guilty of patent infringement over glasses-free 3DS technology: http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/13/4100924/nintendo-guilty-of-patent-infringement-3ds-technology
2. Major vulnerability in EA’s Origin platform lets hackers overtake PCs: http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/19/4124456/major-vulnerability-ea-origin-hackers-overtake-gamer-pcs
3. Defeating mobile game clones: Why copyright protection is not enough: http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/16/defeating-mobile-game-clones-why-copyright-protection-is-not-enough/
4. Research: Playing Shooters Improves Visual Search: http://gamepolitics.com/2013/03/15/research-playing-shooters-improves-visual-search#.UUTATKXR1Lw
5. Video Games and Societal Violence: Cause for Urgent Action or a Bridge Too Far?: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-levine/video-games-and-societal-_b_2859598.html
6. Reading, Writing and Video Games: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/sunday-review/reading-writing-and-video-games.html?nl=technology&emc=edit_tu_20130318
7. Modder Shows How SimCity Can Be Played Offline: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2013/03/14/modder-shows-how-simcity-can-be-played-offline#.UUK0CKXR1Ly
8. (U.S.) Supreme Court Rules That First Sale Doctrine Not Limited by Geography: http://www.gamepolitics.com/2013/03/19/supreme-court-rules-first-sale-doctrine-not-limited-geography#.UUj8zqXR1Lw
+ Issues in Kirtsaeng ‘Significant’: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/56444-grimmelmann-issues-in-kirtsaeng-too-signifcant-to-end-with-supreme-court.html
+ Link to decision in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons (SCOTUS): http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/11-697_d1o2.pdf
9. Appeals court rejects record label’s effort to neuter DMCA safe harbor: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/appeals-court-rejects-record-labels-effort-to-neuter-dmca-safe-harbor/
+ Link to Veoh (US 9th Circuit) decision: http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2013/03/14/09-55902.pdf
10. (U.S.) Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Appeal in $222,000 File-Sharing Case: http://torrentfreak.com/supreme-court-refuses-to-hear-appeal-in-222000-file-sharing-case-130318/
11. Hacker Case Leads to Calls for Better Law: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/technology/outcry-over-computer-crime-indictment-of-matthew-keys.html?nl=technology&emc=edit_tu_20130318&_r=0
12. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY REGIME IN CANADA – Report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (March 2013): http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/HOC/Committee/411/INDU/Reports/RP6038442/411_INDU_Rpt03_PDF/411_INDU_Rpt03-e.pdf
13. The head of the Copyright Office says the law is broken — but can she fix it in time?: http://mobile.theverge.com/2013/3/20/4126936/copyright-register-today-will-embark-on-mission-to-overhaul-us
+ Register Of Copyright Suggests That Personal Downloading Should Not Be Seen As ‘Piracy’: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130320/13493222399/register-copyright-suggests-that-personal-downloading-should-not-be-seen-as-piracy.shtml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
14. MIT And Aaron Swartz’s Lawyers Argue Over Releasing Evidence: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130320/00571422386/mit-aaron-swartzs-lawyers-argue-over-releasing-evidence.shtml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
15. Privacy is dead: http://www.technollama.co.uk/privacy-is-dead
16. Collateral Censorship and Freedom of the Press – Christina Mulligan: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2224058
17. Jonathan Zittrain on Google Glass (audio): http://stitcher.com/s/player.php?eid=22175195&refid=eml20130104
18. Elon Musk Refuses To File Patents At His High-Tech Private Space Company: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-some-companies-are-not-filing-patents-2013-3#ixzz2NjKy6h8W
19. SC5 pays salaries in Bitcoin: http://blog.sc5.fi/2013/03/sc5-pays-salaries-in-bitcoin/
+ US regulator: Bitcoin exchanges must comply with money-laundering laws: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/us-regulator-bitcoin-exchanges-must-comply-with-money-laundering-laws/
And in the not really relevant category:
20. Applicants face significant hurdles in registering flavour and scent trademarks in the U.S.: http://www.canadiantechnologyiplaw.com/2013/03/articles/intellectual-property/trademarks/applicants-face-significant-hurdles-in-registering-flavour-and-scent-trademarks-in-the-us/
And in the sometimes all you have is sarcasm department:
21. BREAKING: Girls Play Video Games, Local News Discovers: http://m.kotaku.com/5991151/breaking-girls-play-video-games-local-news-discovers
jon
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In some slightly disturbing news:
My high school has been mapped for a shooter game
http://www.cbc.ca/player/Shows/ID/2353625861/
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/22/port-moody-school-shooting-video-game_n_2932803.html
I don’t think there is anything disturbing about that! I can understand how people misinterpret it though, and in fact it could have been done for shock value. I learned map making for original halflife/garry’s mod when I was in highschool and I modeled my house, the park and playground i grew up on, my friend’s houses, etc. I never got around to my school but it would have been understandable if I had. I played counter-strike on on all the maps I made but that in zero way correlates with wanting to shoot up my house! Map making is hard for a beginners and making your school to play in is a fun exercise.
I am kinda with Merrick on this one, but I definitely see why you might find that disturbing Arshana. The fact guns are used to kill people is a pretty disturbing concept in itself. When someone makes a map that represents a real life location, they are adding another layer of realism to the game and tearing down the disconnect between reality and virtual reality. Playing a shooter in your school may serve you of the disturbing nature of gun violence, but ultimately those maps are no different than maps based on a fictitious location. I might be wrong, but I bet if the guns in that game were replaced with water pistols or paintball guns you wouldn’t be as upset.
Completely agree with you both Merrick and Jacob. I wasn’t creeped out by the mapping, thats completely legitimate but as Jacob pointed out, the fact that it was a fps instead of water pistols etc. I can see how mapping out familiar areas for gameplay can be a fun and interesting challenge but I suppose because I went there and the threat of gun violence was not always a hypothetical during my years there it hit a bit close for comfort.
I don’t think people who play the game are going to turn around and shoot up the school! Instead, the timing seemed insensitive given recent school shootings and the school’s history.
TechDirt has a comment on your school map that explores all sides of the issue (including the feeling of “that’s scary”) quite well – “Counter-Strike Map Of School Causes Outrage”: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130326/05410822461/counter-strike-map-school-causes-outrage.shtml
jon