ryanjblack.bsky.social
Games lawyer at DLA Piper; tech and general nerd.
40 posts
229 followers
280 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter
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Fellow VIC 20 starter! I recently dusted one off (from ebay) complete with a cassette tape player and the 8kb (from 3kb!) expander. I even wrote a little program on it. 10/10 by 1983 standards but was not that fun haha.
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I have to ask …
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Lol
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At least @mgeist.bsky.social they took your commentary seriously! I think you were 1 of the 1st to highlight that Bill C-63 was bill in two parts, one relatively good and one hugely problematic.
My colleagues and I cited you in our piece on it! www.dlapiper.com/en-ca/insigh...
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12/X Standard disclaimer: This is not legal advice, I'm not your lawyer, etc. Consult your own :)
If anyone finds these interesting, let me know and I'm happy to do more!
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11/X So the next time you see a STQ, just remember: it's a silly Canadian anachronistic thing that is still required to ensure that the contest-runner doesn't go to jail. (More realistically, one of those provincial gaming monopolies/authorities will come knocking on your door.)
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10/X What happens if STQ fails? Yikes, is that contest runner in a difficult position! They want the positive vibes of awarding a prize/winner, but someone just failed a math question. The legal answer is clearly to deny the prize: the person doesn't win until they correctly answer the STQ.
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9/X That's why contest rules commonly require the skill-testing question (STQ) be something difficult that needs to be answered without a calculator and in a time-limited fashion. Because with enough time and with computational assistance, almost EVERY math question would not be skill-testing.
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8/X So at least a 4-step, multi-digit math question is skill. We've seen contest-runners push those boundaries (1+1=?, A question about a 2024 contest very clearly resulting in the answer 2024 i.e. What is 2000 + 24) and, likely, cross back from skill to no skill.
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7/X You may have seen a math "skill-testing question", often used. This is because a relatively (relatively... 80s) modern case held as skill:
1) multiply 228 times 21
2) add 10,824 to the answer from Step 1;
3) divide the answer from Step 2 by 12; and
4) subtract 1121 from the answer to Step 3.
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6/X A whole (ancient) body of Canadian caselaw fights about what is/isn't skill-testing. For a flavour of how oddly historical they are, 2 cases from 1902/1958 establish that shooting a turkey from a particular distance IS NOT skill (50 yards in 5 shots), while a greater distance/less shots may be.
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5/X If a Canadian contest has both a truly free entry alternative (i.e., competitor doesn't have to "pay money or other valuable consideration") AND a genuine skill component (i.e., it is a game of "mixed skill and chance", then it is NOT- illegal under this section of the Criminal Code.
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4/X A second part of our Criminal Code says that games of "mixed chance and skill" are also illegal, but there's a catch! They are only illegal when the competitor has to pay money or other valuable consideration to enter the contest. So, clever reader, I think you know where this is going...
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3/X Why do we usually want to avoid a contest of pure chance? Because our Criminal Code essentially renders games of chance illegal unless operated or managed by a province. It's pretty oblique wording, but the net is: it's a jailable no-no (later exceptions allow provinces to conduct/manage these).
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2/X WHOLE THREADS potentially, but my fave: Most contests avoid illegality in Canada with a free entry alternative (nothing valuable given by the entrant), common to many US jurisdictions. But, uniquely Canadian is our SKILL-TESTING QUESTION requirement, to ensure the contest isn't PURE chance.
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Im just glad that there will be a second movie in the rotation cuz my daughter has a Moana obsession (!)
I loved the first movie but 100+ times….
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Tell the world, stop the war
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It is absolute eugenic darwinism and its disgusting.
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Getting immunity to a thing by… getting the thing… is pretty bold!
Have never understood the natural immunity argument. The whole point if immunity is to minimize the chance of getting it!
Getting it to avoid getting it never made any sense (either for chicken pox or COVID).
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Cries in BC lawyer
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Ouch right in the backlog.
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You are missed.
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Remember, the capitulationists will be out there.
Don't capitulate.
Don't do cutesy Wisconsin Winnebago tarrifs.
If he wants to impose a 25% tax on his own consumers, just let him. That won't end well for him.
And be ready to hit him in the balls if he does.
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Did you compose the opening music whose 3 channel beat/bassline has been stuck in my head for nearly 35 dang years???
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Canadian raises his hand!
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It was not even close and I can’t believe that result even after a point deduction.
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AND i just reactivated Bluesky lol
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We will find an excuse to cross the border!!!
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"You do not have a word" lol.
Please keep writing about Akbox. And Soony. And Mintando.
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And no, her feet aren't huge. She just loves wearing our clothes