News of the Week; March 20, 2019

DIGITAL

  1. Supreme Court rules key part of law against child-luring via internet is unconstitutional
  2. Canada Supreme Court Rules That Privacy is Not An “All-or-Nothing Concept” 
  3. R. v. Morrison (2019 SCC 15)
  4. 49 Dead and Dozens Wounded in New Zealand Terror Attacks That Were Livestreamed on Facebook
  5. Facebook: No one reported NZ shooting video during 17-minute livestream 
  6. The New Zealand Massacre Was Made to Go Viral: The attack marks a grim new age of social media-fueled terrorism.
  7. Social media sites struggle to contain video of New Zealand shooting
  8. One Video Of The Christchurch Massacre Was Uploaded To YouTube Every Second
  9. New Zealand ISPs Say They’re Blocking Sites That Fail to Remove Christchurch Shooting Video
  10. NZ declares massacre video “objectionable,” arrests people who shared it
  11. 4chan, 8chan blocked by Australian and NZ ISPs for hosting shooting video
  12. If You Think Big Internet Companies Are Somehow To Blame For The New Zealand Massacre, You’re Wrong
  13. Americans Built Tech for China’s Sinister “Re-Education Camps”: MIT and Yale – and possibly Microsoft – are helping build China’s surveillance state.
  14. Vladimir Putin signs sweeping Internet-censorship bills: Publishing “unreliable socially significant information” can lead to big fines.
  15. Terrified Of The Internet, Putin Signs Laws Making It Illegal To Criticize Government Leaders Online
  16. Court Dismissed Lawsuit Brought Against Social Media Companies Alleging An Anti-Conservative Conspiracy
  17. People Call On YouTube, Facebook, Twitter To More Stringently Monitor Hate Content Following Christchurch Shooting
  18. Using Networks To Govern Network Problems
  19. FTC Takes Hard Line On Fake Paid Reviews
  20. YouTube Creators Are Trying To Move On From ‘Subscribe To Pewdiepie’
  21. Arizona Woman Who Ran Popular Kids’ YouTube Channel Arrested On 7 Counts Of Child Abuse
  22. YouTuber Adam22 Held At Gunpoint While Livestreaming, Suspect In Custody
  23. YouTube Tattooist Romeo Lacoste On Inappropriate Messages To Young Fans: “Some Are Real, And Some Are Fabricated”
  24. After YouTube Disables Comments On ‘Special Books By Special Kids’ Organization’s Channel, Founders Say It’s Discrimination
  25. YouTube Will Require Content Owners To Give Timestamps When They Copyright Claim A Video
  26. Blackpink are first K-Pop artist with 20m YouTube subscribers
  27. YouTube creators are using a hilarious tactic to combat copyright policies
  28. Axel Voss Says Maybe YouTube Shouldn’t Exist
  29. Sephora Severs Product Partnership With YouTuber Olivia Jade In Wake Of College Bribery Scandal
  30. Lilly Singh Lands Late-Night TV Slot On NBC, Will Host ‘A Little Late With Lilly Singh’
  31. Disney now owns 21st Century Fox, X-Men, and most of Hulu
  32. LSO bencher candidates leverage Twitter to promote platform, engage readers
  33. Devin Nunes’ ludicrous $250 million lawsuit against Twitter, explained
  34. “He’s literally suing an imaginary cow”: Late-night hosts mock Nunes
  35. Rep. Devin Nunes Sues Internet Cow For Saying Mean Things About Him Online
  36. @DevinCow Now Has More Twitter Followers Than Devin Nunes
  37. US Huawei Blackballing Efforts Stall Due To Lack Of ‘Actual Facts’
  38. Court Tosses Antitrust Claims That Internet Giants Are Biased Against Conservatives–Freedom Watch v. Google (Eric Goldman)
  39. Thai Government Uses Fake News Law To Lock Up Opposing Party Leaders
  40. Political agreement reached on Online Platform Regulation
  41. Google Hit With $1.7 Billion Fine in Europe for Abusing Advertising Dominance
  42. The EU fines Google $1.69 billion for bundling search and advertising: Showing Google Ads above Custom Search results lands the company in hot water.
  43. How Google influences the conversation in Washington
  44. Social Video App ‘Firework’ Emerges From Beta, Enabling Creators To Film Horizontal And Vertical Clips Simultaneously
  45. Spotify vs. Apple: the latest updates
  46. Spotify’s EU antitrust complaint could be a serious threat to Apple
  47. Ahead of Streaming Launch, Apple’s Iron-Clad Secrecy Is Reportedly Stressing Out Hollywood
  48. Apple Objects To Norway Political Party’s Logo Claiming Potential Customer Confusion Over Trademark
  49. Apple Watch accurately spotted heart condition 34% of the time in study
  50. How Canadian Copyright Reform Could Support the Government’s Supercluster Investment (Michael Geist)
  51. News Organization Like Reuters Supporting The EU Copyright Directive Is A Shameful Support For Censorship
  52. The 2012 Web Blackout Helped Stop SOPA/PIPA And Then ACTA; Here Comes The 2019 Version To Stop Article 13
  53. Proposed EU Copyright Directive shifts balance of responsibilities between rights holders and platforms
  54. As Recording Industry Announces Massive Growth, Why Do We Need Article 13 Again?
  55. Internet Blackout Coming To Show The EU Parliament It’s Not Just ‘Bots’ Concerned About Article 13
  56. Silicon Valley’s Fingerprints Are All Over the College Bribery Scandal
  57. Ethics before algorithms: Technology needs to be used ethically and sometimes not at all
  58. Europe’s silver bullet in global AI battle: Ethics – EU experts hope ‘trust’ will prove to be the bloc’s competitive edge.
  59. Bill Gates Compares Artificial Intelligence to Nuclear Weapons
  60. There’s a Power Struggle Inside Google to Control Superhuman AI: If DeepMind builds a superhuman AI, who will control it?
  61. A Quarter of Europeans Trust AI More Than Politicians: They’d rather ditch human politicians and put robots in charge, according to new research.
  62. Washington Prison Management Software Setting People Free Too Early, Keeping Other People Locked Up Too Long
  63. New Google App Describes Objects To Blind People
  64. When Google Fiber Abandons Your City as a Failed Experiment
  65. Supreme Court Reverses Google Settlement But Ducks Ruling on Its Fairness 
  66. Facebook Had A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 
  67. Mark Zuckerberg discovers privacy
  68. Facebook Blames Protracted Outage on a ‘Server Configuration Change’
  69. Insights: Has All Of “Social Media,” Not Just Facebook, Reached A Pivot Point?
  70. Online ‘Reputation Management’ Company Brags About Abusing Copyright Law To Take Down Bad Reviews
  71. Bogus DMCA Takedown Targeting Indian Copyright Blog Demonstrates The Problems Of Notice And Takedown
  72. Japanese Government Puts Restrictive Copyright Amendments On Hold Over ‘Internet Atrophy’ Worries
  73. $900 Robot Commits Adorable Seppuku, Showing Again How In The Modern Era You Don’t Own What You Buy
  74. Ninth Circuit Tells Online Services: Section 230 Isn’t For You
  75. It’s time to start caring about “VR cinema,” and SXSW’s stunners are proof
  76. Oculus grabs Beat Saber as an Oculus Quest launch title
  77. Oculus “phasing out” Rift, launching $399 Rift S this spring
  78. Oculus: “It’s no longer a burden to get into virtual reality”
  79. Do Adjacent Organic Search Results Constitute Trademark Infringement? Of Course Not…But…–America CAN! v. CDF (Eric Goldman)
  80. Viacom’s Awesomeness Inks Deals To Distribute 18 Flagship Series, Films Internationally
  81. Netflix Won’t Be Integrated Into Apple’s Forthcoming Video Service, CEO Says
  82. ‘Subscription Fatigue’: Nearly Half of U.S. Consumers Frustrated by Streaming Explosion, Study Finds
  83. Two Examples of How Courts Interpret Emojis (Eric Gold
  84. More Kardashian Drama: A Legal Fight Over Ownership of the Kimoji Emoji Set–Liebensohn v. Kardashian
  85. Insider is finding new revenue on Snapchat from old Facebook news-feed videos
  86. Facebook’s ‘Red Table Talk’ Garners Daytime Emmy Nomination
  87. Myspace apparently lost 12 years’ worth of music, and almost no one noticed
  88. Snapchat ramps up UK pitch, but ad buyers remain unconvinced
  89. Instagram just took advantage of Amazon’s biggest weakness: Amazon’s failure in “discovery shopping” is Instagram’s opportunity, as its users can now shop inside the app.
  90. Art Law & More Instagram 
  91. Republican Devin Nunes sues Twitter, users over attacks 
  92. No, Twitter Is Not Completely Removing Likes And Retweets — But Here’s Why It’s Hiding Them
  93. Twitter wants workforce to be at least 5% black, 5% Latinx by the end of this year
  94. When online harassment doesn’t follow the rules
  95. Security Researcher Discovers Flaws In Yelp-For-MAGAs App, Developer Threatens To Report Him To The Deep State
  96. Patreon Launches Tiered Pricing for Creators, Introduces Rates for Micropayments 
  97. Patreon Launches 3 New Creator Plans — ‘Lite’, ‘Pro’, And ‘Premium’ — That Vary By Features And Fees
  98. Kickstarter employees launch unionization effort
  99. Building an inclusive studio culture begins with retention 
  100. Tech support: law firms lining up to take advantage of tech boom
  101. Plenty of likes for defamation reform in a digital world
  102. Can I Use This Song In My Podcast? It Depends. 
  103. D-Wave 2000Q hands-on: Steep learning curve for quantum computing: Reconceptualizing a problem is the hard part, but the end is rewarding.
  104. California Becomes 20th State To Push ‘Right to Repair’ Legislation

CREATIVITY

  1. NMPA Publishers File $150M Lawsuit Against Peloton Over Unlicensed Music by Drake, Ariana Grande & More
  2. Peloton is being sued for using music without permission in its video fitness classes
  3. Competition Bureau Releases Updated Enforcement Guidelines on Abuse of Dominance and Intellectual Property
  4. So you think you can dance? Copyright protection of dance moves
  5. Protected or Unprotected: The Supreme Court Hears Iancu v. Brunetti 
  6. Supreme Court Clarifies the Rules for Enforcing Copyrights
  7. NYC’s New Tourist Trap Claims the Rights to Every Photo You Take Inside of It
  8. Miss Vanjie! Miss Vanjie!: What RuPaul’s Drag Race Can Teach Us About Fair Use Under Copyright
  9. Florida College Asked Local Sheriff To Declare Faculty Member’s Artwork Obscene
  10. Monster Energy Loses Trademark Opposition As UK IPO Mentions That The Letter ‘M’ Isn’t Distinctive
  11. Captain Marvel Presents Complicated Political Messages Worth Examining
  12. Report: James Gunn has been un-fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
  13. Holy Rocket Raccoon! James Gunn Is Back onGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 [Updated]
  14. James Gunn Is Doing Both Guardians 3 and Suicide Squad 2
  15. Adnan Virk Agrees Not To Sue ESPN After He Gets New Job
  16. Report: In Bollywood, Movie Piracy Is Largely Carried Out By Rival Publishing Houses

MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS & NET NEUTRALITY

  1. Cable lobby seeks better reputation by dropping “cable” from its name: American Cable Association is now “America’s Communications Association.”
  2. Verizon Confirms That Yes, 5G Will Cost You Extra
  3. NBA commissioner ‘surprised’ by changes after AT&T, Time Warner merger: “They are going to have to retool their packages so they are able to connect directly with that younger fan base,” said the head of the NBA.
  4. ISPs strike deal with Vermont to suspend state net neutrality law
  5. Hearing On New Net Neutrality Law Once Again Conjures Up A Greatest Hits Of Nonsense
  6. Ajit Pai’s plan for phone location data never mentions the word “privacy”
  7. AT&T and Comcast claim “anti-robocalling milestone” with new Caller ID tech
  8. Why, Exactly, Do We Still Trust Telecom Megamerger ‘Synergy’ Promises?
  9. It Ends Today: FCC’s Disastrous Solicited Fax TCPA Rules Now Officially Withdrawn 
  10. Smartphone Stops Arrow When Absurdly Lucky Man Tries to Photograph Attacker

SURVEILLANCE & PRIVACY

  1. Appeals Court: Stored Communications Act Privacy Protections Cover Opened And Read Emails
  2. Federal Court Blocks Washington State’s Unconstitutional Cyberstalking Law
  3. Sharing Computers and Sharing Space: Privacy interests persist
  4. United States Federal Trade Commission strikes one for children’s privacy
  5. Burn After Reading? – DOJ Loosens Previous Ban on Secretive Messaging Apps
  6. How hackers pulled off a $20 million bank heist
  7. “Severe” ransomware attack cripples big aluminum producer
  8. Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Hearing on GDPR and CCPA
  9. A new rash of highly covert card-skimming malware infects ecommerce sites
  10. Nasty WinRAR bug is being actively exploited to install hard-to-detect malware
  11. Travelers Beware – Compelled to Open Your Phone?
  12. Urgent Message: Privacy Shield Notices Need Updating Before No-Deal Brexit Withdrawal Date

GAMES

  1. Community management post-Christchurch massacre | Opinion: Veteran product manager James Kozanecki says the industry can no longer dismiss toxic behavior as harmless trolling 
  2. The Culling: Origins’ servers are being switched off in May
  3. ‘No console required’: Google unveils streaming game platform, ‘Stadia’
  4. Google jumps into gaming with Google Stadia streaming service, coming “in 2019”
  5. Google Reveals Stadia Streaming Console
  6. Google unveils first details of Stadia streaming service
  7. Google’s new Stadia streaming service will let you play video games without downloading them
  8. Hands on with Google Stadia: It works, but is that enough?: Playing Assassin’s Creed on a Chromebook is neat but only part of the story.
  9. Google Stadia supports the Xbox Adaptive Controller
  10. Google Is Better Positioned For Cloud Streaming Than Anyone, But Don’t Expect The World Just Yet: Google isn’t afraid to shut down projects when they don’t work.
  11. ‘Care more about your streamers’ advises Magic: The Gathering Arena dev
  12. Google Made Chromecast Cool Again
  13. Google’s New Cloud Gaming Platform ‘Stadia’ Comes With Major Features Built Specifically For YouTubers
  14. Google Stadia has promise, but GDC failed to address its biggest obstacles | Opinion: The GI team weighs in on bandwidth, business models, and the potential link between accessibility and diversity
  15. Stadia’s biz dev director talks challenges, opportunities in new age of cloud games
  16. Phil Harrison: Stadia starts an “inevitable and one-way shift” away from consoles: Google VP also addresses concerns about bandwidth caps and those cryptic game teases shown before the keynote
  17. Opinion: Chez Stadia – Google’s new cloud platform
  18. Snapchat Said to Launch Gaming Inside Its App 
  19. Snapchat Will Reportedly Launch An In-App Gaming Platform Next Month
  20. Snapchat to unveil gaming platform next month – Report
  21. Report: Snapchat’s rumored game platform to be announced in April
  22. Axiom Verge getting its physical Wii U release after ongoing legal battle
  23. The high cost of a Wii U retail release: Limited Run Games and BadLand Publishing give their sides of the falling out over a Wii U physical version of Axiom Verge, and why it’s finally launching
  24. Axiom Verge producer files suit against BadLand Publishing for $200k: Dan Adelman alleges publisher hasn’t paid share of European distribution earnings, flaked on promise of healthcare fund for developer’s ill son
  25. Four Indian cities ban PUBG Mobile: Battle royale game suspected of triggering violent behaviour, police have already arrested players
  26. Mukti: Acknowledging the grim reality of human trafficking in India – UnderDogs founder and CEO Vaibhav Chavan discusses his hope to raise awareness of a growing problem
  27. Loot boxes aren’t the problem but how we use them is, says legal expert: “The key is how we use these mechanics, not whether we use them,” says Will Bucher
  28. Epic says its Game Store is not spying on you
  29. Epic’s Tim Sweeney addressees privacy concerns for the Epic Games Store
  30. Julian Gollop defends Epic Games Store exclusivity for Phoenix Point: Developer assures that refunds will be offered to those who don’t want to use Epic, or Steam keys if they wait a year
  31. Epic Games Store roadmap outlines cloud saves, achievements, user reviews
  32. Epic responds to accusations of Steam data mining: Sweeney says issue stems from “our rush to implement social features in the early days of Fortnite”
  33. Epic offers support for third-party key sales — but not for exclusives: Tim Sweeney reveals Epic Game Store roadmap, but concedes it will have to compete on games to compensate for lack of features
  34. Devs can now sell Epic Game Store keys on the Humble Store
  35. Epic Games announces $100m MegaGrants program, launches free Online Services tools
  36. Epic expands its dev grants program with $100M in Epic MegaGrants
  37. Quantic Dream, Ubisoft lead next wave of Epic Games Store exclusives
  38. Remedy, Quantic Dream, and other devs sign on for Epic Games Store exclusives
  39. Google unveils first-party game studio led by Jade Raymond
  40. Epic CEO: “You’re going to see lower prices” on Epic Games Store
  41. “Energizing Times”: Microsoft to “go big” at E3 in response to Google Stadia
  42. Games for Change debuts new accelerator program for ‘social impact’ games
  43. Carlos Santana Smashed A TV With A Bat Because The Phillies Were Playing Fortnite During Games
  44. Kicking off the streaming wars | Opinion: GDC 2019: Industry giants have decided that the medium’s future lies in streaming – but success is far from assured even for enormous players like Google and Amazon
  45. Steam Link Anywhere beta drops Steam Link’s local-wifi-only restriction
  46. Any Steam game can now use Valve’s low-latency, DoS-proofed networking
  47. Steam Link Anywhere lets you take your PC gaming with you
  48. Steam devs can now use the networking APIs created forCS:GO and Dota 2
  49. Steam removes “off-topic review bombs” from overall game review scores
  50. Steam user reviews will no longer count ‘off-topic review bombs’
  51. Microsoft is bringing Xbox Live to iOS and Android
  52. Xbox Live is coming to iOS and Android, but not Switch (yet) – GDC 2019: Microsoft reveals new cloud services and packages for games studios
  53. Cuphead is heading to the Nintendo Switch with Xbox Live support
  54. Cuphead will bring Xbox Live to Switch: Microsoft plans to add features from its online service to Nintendo’s platform with a post-launch update to StudioMDHR game
  55. Minecraft is joining Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass lineup
  56. Pokemon Go’s PvP was designed to appeal to players new and old–and it worked
  57. Facebook launching new Gaming Tab: Update will make all gaming content accessible from main navigation, serve as new hub for streaming
  58. Nvidia moves toward global rollout for GeForce Now cloud platform
  59. Unity unveils new ties to Nvidia RTX pipeline, takes shots at Unreal
  60. Epic lays plans for Unreal Engine ray tracing and physics revamps
  61. Unity and Nvidia partner to launch real-time raytracing tech 
  62. Unity partners with Havok to roll out new physics systems
  63. Unity partners with Tencent for China, cloud gaming services
  64. Unity partnering with Tencent to help its devs make waves in China
  65. Tencent shares reach six month high after difficult 2018
  66. Tencent Music financials reveal revenues grew by 72.9% in 2018
  67. Devs share an inside look at Armello’s games-as-a-service success
  68. How indie devs can form their own worker cooperative
  69. 3 indie leaders share tips on keeping your small studio afloat without a hit
  70. Call of Duty Mobile announced for iOS, Android, made by China’s Tencent
  71. Call of Duty: Mobile will launch outside of China: Activision and Tencent unveil free-to-play title, confirm launch in North America, South America and Europe
  72. The next Zelda game on Switch is an indie mash-up with Crypt of the Necrodancer
  73. Suda51: Grasshopper team “stronger” for Travis Strikes Again experience – Grasshopper’s CEO may use the experience for a full sequel to the divisive Switch spin-off
  74. Unknown Nintendo Game Gets Digitized With Museum’s Help, Showing The Importance Of Copyright Exceptions
  75. UK Charts: Slow start for The Division 2: However, Ubisoft’s new action game makes No.1
  76. Atari VCS console delayed following spec boost: Console will now be cooler and quieter, the manufacturer states
  77. Discord evolves verified servers with new community tools
  78. When and what to culturalize?: Netmarble US president Simon Sim lays out the Marvel Future Fight company’s approach to adapting games and monetization for new markets
  79. Update: Lucasfilm Games job postings apparently not linked to studio revival
  80. Chet Faliszek and Kimberly Voll form co-op game studio Stray Bombay
  81. Chet Faliszek and Kimberly Voll form Stray Bombay Company: Former Valve writer and Riot Games designer launch their own co-op focused development studio
  82. Former Valve designer, writer dishes on his new “co-op” game studio – Joined by ex-Riot dev: “Chet said one sentence. I said, ‘Oh my god. That’s the game.'”
  83. Left 4 Dead’s developers are Back 4 Blood with new spiritual successor
  84. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery grosses $110m in first year: Mobile RPG becomes most successful game from Jam City
  85. Netflix Getting Its First Capcom Anime Series
  86. Wargaming announces new IP in built with Amazon game tech: World of Tanks developers partners with Frag Lab on “next generation” free-to-play shooter
  87. Mega Crit’s Slay the Spire has sold 1.5m copies
  88. A Letter To The Apex Legends Player I Probably Disappointed
  89. EA opens ‘multi-million dollar’ esports broadcast studio
  90. EA builds its own esports broadcast studio: New facility “signals EA’s commitment to competitive gaming for years to come,” will host tournaments, esports-focused shows
  91. NPD: Anthem was the best-selling game in February
  92. EA: People want inclusive games with friendlier communities
  93. Team spaces in Call of Duty esports league reportedly cost $25m each: Preparations begin for franchised, city-based competition around Activision’s flagship shooter
  94. The Simpsons Producers Worked With Riot Games On An Upcoming Esports Episode
  95. 5th Planet closes Nottingham studio: CEO says “now is the time to take the consequences” for underperforming games as it lays off 14 people
  96. Doodle Jump Space Chase dev’s closure was third wave of layoffs since November: 5th Planet Games repeatedly slashed headcount at its Nottingham studio before shutting it down outright
  97. “We need to move away from short-form VR experiences”: NDreams’ VP of development Tom Gillo discusses the company’s plans to become a AAA VR developer
  98. ‘Beat Saber’ Sells Over One Million Copies
  99. Beat Saber has crossed 1 million sales in under a year
  100. Beat Saber sells over 1m copies: Milestone was reached in February across PSVR, Steam, and Oculus Home
  101. Oculus Quest’s powerful, portable VR, as proven by the fun of Beat Saber
  102. The Oculus Rift S is a new PC VR headset with built-in tracking
  103. Hands-on with the new $399 Oculus Rift S: More pixels, zero webcams, better fit
  104. Rohrer: Make fewer consumable games, more ‘unique situation generators’
  105. The U.S. Army is building a giant VR battlefield to train soldiers virtually
  106. Corporations, not consumers, drive demand for HP’s new VR headset
  107. God of War leads BAFTA Games Award nominations
  108. God of War leads BAFTA nominations: Sony’s epic in the running for 10 prizes, while Red Dead Redemption 2, Florence and Return of the Obra Dinn are up for six
  109. Blind Squirrel lands $5M in funding to self-publish its first game, Drifters
  110. Shadow Warrior developer Flying Wild Hog acquired by Supernova 
  111. Bomber Crew dev Runner Deck acquired by Catalis
  112. Double Eleven acquires VooFoo Studios: UK developer and publisher adds Mantis Burn Racing studio for undisclosed fee
  113. Turtle Beach acquires PC peripherals company Roccat
  114. Asteri acquires Prima Games: Strategy guide brand leaves behind physical releases, looks to help developers gather player feedback on unfinished titles
  115. UK games retail: Prices continue to rise as supermarket power wanes
  116. Blog: Engaging players through ritual
  117. Wargroove dev demystifies game development by involving its community
  118. Video: Unpopular opinion: All narrative is linear
  119. How Neopets has influenced a generation of game developers
  120. Games for Change Accelerator to offer funding and support for social impact games
  121. Blockchain Games and Collectibles – Patents and Other Legal Issues 
  122. U.S. Patent No. 7,628,688: Game apparatus, game control method, recording medium and program 
  123. Former EA and THQ exec Danny Bilson to helm USC Games program
  124. Return of the Obra Dinn takes Grand Prize at the 21st IGF Awards!
  125. God of War wins Game of the Year at the 2019 Game Developers Choice Awards

Jon