Computer Law Commons^™

Openness, Intellectual Property And Standardization In The European Ict Sector, Carl Mair

IP Theory

No abstract provided.

The End Of Forgetting And "Administrative Rights" To Our Online Personas, Jamie R. Lund

IP Theory

No abstract provided.

Copy Game For High Score: The First Video Game Lawsuit, 20 J. Intell. Prop. L. 1 (2012), William K. Ford

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

Commentators and industry historians generally agree that the multi-billion dollar video game industry began forty years ago in November 1972 with Atari's release of Pong. Pong is among the simplest of video games: a version of ping pong or tennis requiring little more to play than a ball, two paddles, a scoring indicator, and a couple of memorable sounds. While it was not the first video game, Pong was the first video game hit. With unauthorized copying of a successful product occurring, it is not surprising that a lawsuit resulted in the fall of 1973, one that predates the more …

International And Canadian Law Rules Applicable To Cyber Attacks By State And Non-State Actors, Matthew E. Castel

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This essay, which contains a broad ranging overview of several important issues raised by the recent number of cyber attacks in Canada and elsewhere, begins with a definition of cyberspace and cyber war. It is followed by a brief survey of some cyber attacks that have occurred in Canada and elsewhere in recent years. The first part addresses the question whether present rules of international law applicable to armed attacks using kinetic weapons apply to the wide notion of cyber attacks by a state actor against the government and critical civilian infrastructures of another state and concludes that they do. …

Decoding First Amendment Coverage Of Computer Source Code In The Age Of Youtube, Facebook And The Arab Spring, Jorge Roig

Scholarly Works

Computer source code is the lifeblood of the Internet. It is also the brick and mortar of cyberspace. As such, it has been argued that the degree of control that a government can wield over code can be a powerful tool for controlling new technologies. With the advent and proliferation in the Internet of social networking media and platforms for the publication and sharing of user-generated content, the ability of individuals across the world to communicate with each other has reached truly revolutionary dimensions. The influence of Facebook in the popular revolutions of the Arab Spring has been well documented. …

The Evolution Of Consumer Privacy Law: How Privacy By Design Can Benefit From Insights In Commercial Law And Standardization, Muharem Kianieff

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article considers the effectiveness of the present privacy regimes in North America as it relates to the protection of consumer information that is gathered in the ordinary course of business. It is argued that the present moves towards a Privacy by Design approach shows great potential and can gain valuable insights from established doctrines in commercial and consumer protection law. Moreover, it is proposed that the aims of such an approach can be achieved by deeming personal information and behavioral data to be the property of the individual that it pertains to. It is then suggested that a regulatory …

Regulating The Cloud: A Comparative Analysis Of The Current And Proposed Privacy Frameworks In Canada And The European Union, David Krebs

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Cloud computing is a growing phenomenon and promises greater efficiency and reduced-cost computing. However, some of the basic technological and business-related features of the Cloud are at odds with personal data protection laws. Canada and the European Union share similar core values related to privacy/data protection, and both regions aim to increase their competitiveness regarding cloud computing. Having these two similarities in mind, this paper explores the current legal and stakeholder landscape in Canada and the European Union with respect to cloud computing, data protection and how adoption of the model can be advanced. The analysis shows that neither of …

Book Review: R.L. Campbell, Legal Issues In Electronic Commerce, Robert J. Currie

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The juncture of “law and technology” from a legal education point of view is an interesting one. Successfully engaging with law and technology requires stu- dents (of all ages and stripes) to absorb at least some of the substance of many discrete areas of law, as well as to assess how technology creates nexuses between them and challenges some of their underlying notions. As electronic commerce increasingly becomes the bread and butter of many law practices, this need comes into sharper relief — one has to grasp a large variety of fundamentals and simultaneously generate some insight as to where …

Communications Disruption And Censorship Under International Law: History Lessons, Jonathon Penney

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

With Internet censorship on the rise around the world, a variety of tools have proliferated to assist Internet users to circumvent such censorship. However, there are few studies examining the implications of censorship circumvention under international law, and its related politics. This paper aims to help fill some of that void, with an examination of case studies wherein global communications technologies have been disrupted or censored — telegram cable cutting and censorship, high frequency radio jamming, and direct broadcast satellite blocking — and how the world community responded to that disruption or censorship through international law and law making. In …

Cross-Border Extended Collective Licensing: A Solution To Online Dissemination Of Europe’S Cultural Heritage, Johan Axhamn, Lucie Guibault

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

The ever increasing use of the Internet and of digitisation technologies have opened up new possibilities for distributing and accessing creative content online, including for cultural heritage institutions. However, the digitisation and dissemination of a substantial proportion of the collections held by European cultural institutions may be considerably hindered due to high transaction costs related to clearance of copyright and related rights. This holds equally true for the cultural institutions taking part in the Europeana project. This study examines whether the Nordic “extended collective licensing” (ECL) model could provide a viable solution to the problems of digitisation and dissemination of …

In Defence Of A Defence - A Demonstrable Legitimate And Non-Infringing Purpose As A Full Defence To Anti-Circumvention Legislation, Andrew Yolles

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In this essay, I will argue that making a demonstrable lawful and non-infringing purpose a full defence to copyright infringement by circumvention of a TPM addresses many of the concerns raised by the currently proposed legislation, while avoiding the pitfalls of directly linking anti-circumvention laws with actual copyright infringement. As the ratification of the WIPO Internet treaties is the foremost concern for this legislation, I will begin with a discussion as to how this model can successfully implement the treaties’ anti-circumvention provisions where the Bill C-60 model may have failed. I will then explain why this model strikes a better …

Book Review: William F. Patry, How To Fix Copyright, Graham Reynolds

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In How to Fix Copyright, William F. Patry, one of America’s leading experts on copyright, calls for a “top-to-bottom, systemic overhaul” of copyright laws. For a Canadian readership in the midst of our own process of copyright reform, such a call to action is both timely and relevant.

Patent Litigation And The Internet, John R. Allison, Emerson H. Tiller, Samantha Zyontz, Tristan Bligh

Faculty Scholarship

Patent infringement litigation has not only increased dramatically in frequency over the past few decades,¹ but also has also seen striking growth in both stakes and cost.² Although a relatively rich literature has added much to our understanding of the nature, causes, and consequences of patent litigation during the past two decades,³ many interesting questions remain inadequately addressed. The nuances of and trends in patent litigation in different technology fields and industries, for example, are still understudied.⁴ Litigation of patents on new technologies has likewise received a dearth of attention. Here we seek to help begin …

Institutional Liability In The E-Health Era, James Williams, Craig Kuziemsky

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper examines the jurisprudence on institutional liability for medical er- ror. We argue that the existing jurisprudence relies on assumptions that have been made obsolete by technological advances. In particular, we concentrate on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the health care domain. As we demonstrate, the use of these tools does not merely increase efficiency and support new health care functions; among other effects, ICT can have a profound influence on how health care practitioners make observations, exercise judgment and perform tasks. These tools influence human capabilities (at both the individual and systems level) in …

Overcoming The Digital Tsunami In E-Discovery: Is Visual Analysis The Answer?, Victoria L. Lemieux, Jason R. Baron

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

New technologies are generating potentially discoverable evidence in electronic form in ever increasing volumes. As a result, traditional techniques of document search and retrieval in pursuit of electronic discovery in litigation are becoming less viable. One potential new technological solution to the e-discovery search and retrieval challenge is Visual Analysis (VA). VA is a technology that combines the computational power of the computer with graphical representations of large datasets to enable interactive analytic capabilities. This article provides an overview of VA technology and how it is being applied in the analysis of e-mail and other electronic documents in the field …

The Internet And Protection Of Children Online: Time For Change, Jill Scott

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article explores the risks for children online and their privacy, with particular focus on the implications of widespread collection, use and retention of data about them. It touches on international standards and national laws that impact Internet activities and the special risk to children’s privacy in today’s ubiquitous computing environment. This is a complex topic that transcends national boundaries and involves both legal and policy issues confronting governments across the world.

Section I provides a brief outline of the online risks for children arising from the scope of data collection and the regulatory challenges of the Internet as it …

Direct-To-Consumer Advertising Of Pharmaceuticals On Television: A Charter Challenge, Elvina C. Chow

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

The Supreme Court of Canada has consistently wrestled with the conflict between legislation designed to protect consumers’ health and the constitutional guarantee of the fundamental freedom of expression. This paper investigates the justification for the current regulatory framework for pharmaceutical advertising on television. Aware that the provisions in the FDA are able to withstand Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter) scrutiny, several possible policy initiations are nevertheless proposed.

The paper is divided into five separate sections. Having first introduced DTCA of pharmaceuticals on television in Section I, I will now turn to a more comprehensive examination of DTCA in Canada …

L'Impact D'Internet Sur Les Paradigmes De La Régulation De L'Audiovisuel, Gilles De Saint Exupéry

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Nous nous intéresserons particulièrement à la mutation du paradigme de la régulation de l’audiovisuel classique13 dû à plusieurs facteurs: pour être diffuseur sur les ondes hertzienne il fallait être titulaire d’une licence accordé par l’Etat, sur Internet tout le monde peut l’être à sa guise. Les moyens techniques et financiers ne sont plus une barrière à l’ entrée, le nombre de joueurs qui e ́ tait jusque-là restreint devient, en théorie, incalculable. Le mécanisme de responsabilité mis en place est remis en cause, par la dilution des frontières, l’anonymat, ou l’insolvabilité des diffuseurs. Les modèles d’affaires doivent être revus, le …

Electronic Discovery- Sedona Canada Is Inadequate On Records Management - Here's Sedona Canada In Amended Form, Ken Chasse

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

A paper record can exist without its records system; an electronic record cannot. To use, corrupt, or destroy a paper record, one needs physical access to the records system wherein it is stored. But to use, corrupt, or destroy an electronic record one merely needs electronic access to its records system, from anywhere. Therefore any set of rules or principles for controlling the use of electronic records for any purpose, including electronic discovery, should incorporate the established policies and practices of electronic records management.

As to cost, rules of electronic discovery are needed with which to punish par- ties with …

Lessons From Bilski, Haewon Chung

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In this paper, I will examine how the U.S. and Canadian courts have approached the patentability of intangible inventions and discuss whether any lessons can be learned from the U.S.’s patent dilemma. In section 2, I will review the American jurisprudence on patentability of intangible inventions. In section 3, I will discuss the potential impact Bilski may have on the American jurisprudence. Section 4 will assess the Canadian jurisprudence on patentability of intangible inventions. In section 5, I will discuss the Federal Court of Canada’s decision in Amazon/FCC. I argue that based on recent events in the American jurisprudence, Canadian …

Prohibiting Medical Method Patents: A Criticism Of The Status Quo, Mark S. Wilke

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Methods of medical treatment are not patentable in Canada. This means that inventions involving the performance of surgery, administration of medicine, or extraction of fluids or tissue for diagnostic tests cannot directly be protected under the current patent regime. However, this prohibition is not an absolute ban. Many medical innovations are patentable, including surgical tools and devices, drugs and other chemical compounds, medical “uses”, diagnostic assays and methods of treat- ing “natural” conditions. The practical reality is that the distinction between what is and what is not patentable is poorly defined. This uncertainty presents a steep challenge for inventors and …

Tax Implications For Non-Residents Conducting E-Commerce In Canada, Mike Nienhuis

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper focuses on taxation issues faced by non-resident e-commerce companies with no sustained presence in Canada apart from a web site. The tax liability of foreign corporations with a Canadian subsidiary, a physical Canadian office, or Canadian-based employees or agents will not be considered, even though there is substantial overlap in some of the relevant issues. By e-commerce companies we refer broadly to any firms conducting their primary business — whether business- to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) — by means of the internet.

In the first section we outline the framework for Canada’s taxation of non-residents conducting business in …

Location-Based Services And Privacy, Teresa Scassa, Anca Sattler

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In this paper we begin by describing location-based services, their evolution and their future directions. We then outline privacy issues raised by such services. In Part III we consider how current Canadian data protection laws apply to location-based services, and indicate where such laws fall short of addressing the full range of issues raised by location-based services. Part IV of the paper explores some technological methods to address the privacy challenges raised by location-based services. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations.

The Board's Responsibility For Information Technology Governance, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 313 (2011), Lawrence J. Trautman, Kara Altenbaumer-Price

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

With accusations that boards of directors of financial institutions were asleep at the wheel while their companies engaged in risky behavior that erased millions of dollars of shareholder value and plunged the country into recession, increasing pressure is now being placed on public company boards to shoulder the burden of risk oversight for the companies they serve. This article provides an overview of some of the main considerations relative to every director’s duty to govern IT risk. In particular, this comment will address directors’ roles in the risk oversight of the corporations they serve, their role in governance of IT, …

The Need For Better Analysis Of High Capacity Services, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 343 (2011), George S. Ford, Lawrence J. Spiwak

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In 1999, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) began to grant incumbent local exchange carriers (“LECs”) pricing flexibility on special access services in some Metropolitan Statistical Areas (“MSAs”) when specific evidence of competitive alternatives is present. The propriety of that deregulatory move by the FCC has been criticized by the purchasers of such services ever since. Proponents of special access price regulation rely on three central arguments to support a retreat to strict price regulation: (1) the market(s) for special access and similar services is unduly concentrated; (2) rates of return on special access services, computed using FCC ARMIS data, are …

My Teacher Sux! [Censored]: Protecting Students' Right To Free Speech On The Internet, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 385 (2011), Katherine Hokenson

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This comment will discusses the problem posed by student speech made on the Internet, how free speech issues are generally addressed by courts, the Supreme Court cases that have specifically addressed the First Amendment rights of students, and factors that courts dealing with student speech made on the Internet have attempted to use in their decisions. The comment will further look at how courts have analyzed online student speech cases in light of available Supreme Court precedent, and will propose that the Court adopt a hybrid of the Tinker test when addressing student speech made on the Internet, which will …

Schools: Where Fewer Rights Are Reasonable? Why The Reasonableness Standard Is Inappropriate To Measure The Use Of Rfid Tracking Devices On Students, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 411 (2011), Alexandra C. Hirsch

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In an unsuccessful attempt to heighten security, schools are implementing a technology that offers access to children’s personal information and minute-by-minute location. Although not entirely new, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology use has recently been expanding within the school arena. Skeptics knowledgeable about the downfalls of the technology, however, have reason to be concerned. In order to understand the true urgency of this issue, this comment will explain the background of RFID technology, specifically what RFID tags are, how they are used, their purposes, and how they have become unsafe. Included will be an explanation of the reasons that schools …

Bugs For Sale: Legal And Ethical Proprieties Of The Market In Software Vulnerabilities, 28 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 451 (2011), Taiwo A. Oriola

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The pertinent questions therefore are: first, could software vulnerabilities be obviated simply by ameliorating factors responsible for market failure as canvassed by the literature on the economics of software security, drawing on the strength of the theory of information asymmetry, or are vulnerabilities inevitable irrespective of market dynamics and solutions? Second, to what extent is vulnerabilities research or the surreptitious exploitation of software vulnerabilities by hackers tantamount to trespass, and what are the legal implications, if any? Third, to what extent is the peddling of software vulnerabilities valid or enforceable in law? Fourth, what are the implications of software vulnerabilities …

The Protection Of Digital Information And Prevention Of Its Unauthorized Access And Use In Criminal Law, 28 J. Marshall Computer & Info. L. 523 (2011), Moonho Song, Carrie Leonetti

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Stuxnet As Cyberwarfare: Applying The Law Of War To The Virtual Battlefield, 29 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 1 (2011), John Richardson

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.