With the convergence of telecommunications and information technology, the adaptation of old media products to the digital world and the development of competing new media products, lawyers who advised the old media players need to adapt to meet the needs of their morphing clients.

An excellent example of judicial law-making is the recent case of Jones v. Tsige, when the Ontario Court of Appeal created a right to sue for invasion of privacy.

In today's complex world with our many specializations, collaborative research is often a necessity. One of the reasons why many such projects fail to achieve full success is that the participants do not properly prepare for the problems that are inherent in the process.

GRAND seeks to explore the role of design in the research, development and deployment of technology. It also aims to address the social, legal, economic and cultural aspects of new media.

Who should we look to for inspiration?

More and more of our lives, our personal interests, our hobbies and activities are leaving an electronic trail.

Unwittingly we entrust this trail to the people who design, implement and manage data security for the numerous online enterprises with whom we interact.

Can we trust these people to do a good job?

Social Media Policies are becoming quite common among Canadian professional firms and corporations. The policies are intended to encourage the use of Social Media while at the same time minimizing any potential risks to the firm. What might these risks be, you may ask.

It is an article of faith for Intellectual Property (IP) lawyers that IP protection promotes creativity and is necessary for strong cultural industries. However, two recent experiences have caused me to pause and reflect on these sacrosanct dictums.
Might there be circumstances where IP protection frustrates or at least is not required for creativity?

As someone interested in social networking, you undoubtedly have seen "The Social Network", the Academy Award nominated film about the founding of Facebook. What I want to suggest is that you think of it as a way to learn about the legal dangers that threaten start-up companies.