Posts Tagged ‘videogames’

July 8 roundup

Intellectual property roundup

“Edge developer celebrates as Tim Langdell trademark finally cancelled”

“A California judge has cancelled Tim Langdell’s hold over the Edge trademark, ending a long-running dispute over the name with iOS developer Mobigame, EA and others. …Yesterday, Langdell responded by issuing a letter protesting the decision as ‘defective’.” [Eurogamer.net] We’ve reported several times on Langdell’s efforts to assert broad trademark rights over use of the word “Edge” in videogames and related items.

The Newtown blame chain

Who to blame after a freak atrocity? For many of those who’ve felt obliged to comment, the question seems rather who not to blame:

  • Lack of a national gun registry [cited by the New York Times, though the relevant weapon in Newtown was properly registered and posed no tracing difficulties to authorities; Jacob Sullum]
  • Non-prosecution of people who lie on gun applications [cited by NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg, though there’s no indication that anyone lied on a gun application in the Lanza case; Jacob Sullum again]
  • Lack of cops in schools [Eli Lehrer on one of the NRA’s bad ideas]
  • Violence in videogames [Jacob Sullum on another of the NRA’s bad ideas; more, Scott Shackford, Andrew Sullivan]
  • Advances for secular and socially liberal causes in the recent U.S. elections [Michael Potemra and Peter Wehner on the comments of James Dobson]
  • Congress, for its role in blocking an organized campaign to bankrupt gun makers through tort suits [Slate and, earlier, Erwin Chemerinsky, trying to revive this truly bad idea]
  • People who want to reform public education and the organization of teaching [Katherine Mangu-Ward, though the union advocates she cites are claiming something closer to “this proves we’re right” than to “school choice causes shootings.”]
  • In general, those terrible people who disagree with us [“Reading discussions on the web, you might come to believe that we don’t all share the goal of a society where the moral order is preserved, and where our children can be put on the bus to school without a qualm. But we do. We just disagree about how to make it happen.” — Dave Hoffman, Concur Op]

(& welcome Scott Greenfield, Jack Shafer readers)

March 7 roundup

  • Ray LaHood’s forgotten predecessor: “How One Bureaucrat Almost Succeeded in Banning Car Radios” [Mike Riggs, Reason]
  • “Some Recent Nonsense on Freedom of Religion in the Times” [Paul Horwitz, Prawfs]
  • Choice of Ben Stein as speaker for ABA Tech Show raises eyebrows [Derek Bambauer, InfoLaw]
  • “Oblivion video game ‘Abomb” becomes federal lawsuit” [Abnormal Use]
  • Tort causation: “Probability for thee, mere possibility for me” [David Oliver]
  • Washington state says it won’t pay for “unnecessary” Medicaid ER visits. Can you see the unintended consequences coming? [White Coat]
  • Utah says family can’t fundraise for son’s legal defense without permit [Standard-Examiner via Balko]

“Xbox games may have spurred synagogue attacks, lawyer says”

“A man accused of firebombing three New Jersey synagogues may have been influenced by violent Xbox video games that aggravated his mental issues, his attorney said Tuesday. … [Anthony] Graziano’s attorney, Robert Kalisch, speaking outside court after the hearing Tuesday morning, described Graziano as a young man with mental health issues who had few friends and played violent games on his Xbox.” [MSNBC, Patrick Scott Patterson/Examiner](& Elie Mystal, Above the Law)

January 26 roundup

June 30 roundup