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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀

@ryanjblack.bsky.social
260 followers 280 following 40 posts

Games lawyer at DLA Piper; tech and general nerd.

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Reposted by Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀
Brandon J Huffman @huff.mn · 07/01/2025
Very excited to be bringing this lawyer roundtable back again this year with @ryanjblack.bsky.social @abogamer.bsky.social @angeloalcid.com and Yan Perng! schedule.gdconf.com/session/ask-... #GDC2025 @officialgdc.bsky.social
schedule.gdconf.com
Ask Game Lawyers Anything Roundtable | 2025 Schedule | Game Developers Conference (GDC)
Attend 750 sessions for game designers, programmers, artists, producers, audio, business, and marketing professionals over 5 days at GDC.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
There is a LESS THAN 0% chance that the CEO of a few companies worth USD Trillion+ is achieving rankings in grind-fest games like Path of Exile 2 and Diablo IV without (a) cheating or (b) being entirely derelict in those fiduciary duties. There aren't more >24h/day to "get gud."
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 07/12/2024
media.tenor.com
big bird from sesame street sits at a table with cups and says one of these things is not like the other
ALT: big bird from sesame street sits at a table with cups and says one of these things is not like the other
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 07/12/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 07/12/2024
I have to ask …
Tom Nichols????
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
Lol
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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...
dlapiper.com
New Canadian law attempts to create a safer online world | DLA Piper
In an attempt to usher in rigorous online protections for internet users, Canada's Online Harms Act was introduced in the House of Commons of ‎Canada on February 26, 2024 . While the Act emphasizes th...
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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.)
206 (1) Every person is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years or is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction who
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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...
disposes of any goods, wares or merchandise by any game of chance or any game of mixed chance and skill in which the contestant or competitor pays money or other valuable consideration;
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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).
206 (1) Every person is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years or is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction who

(a) makes, prints, advertises or publishes, or causes or procures to be made, printed, advertised or published, any proposal, scheme or plan for advancing, lending, giving, selling or in any way disposing of any property by lots, cards, tickets or any mode of chance whatever;

(b) sells, barters, exchanges or otherwise disposes of, or causes or procures, or aids or assists in, the sale, barter, exchange or other disposal of, or offers for sale, barter or exchange, any lot, card, ticket or other means or device for advancing, lending, giving, selling or otherwise disposing of any property by lots, tickets or any mode of chance whatever;

(c) knowingly sends, transmits, mails, ships, delivers or allows to be sent, transmitted, mailed, shipped or delivered, or knowingly accepts for carriage or transport or conveys any article that is used or intended for use in carrying out any device, proposal, scheme or plan for advancing, lending, giving, selling or otherwise disposing of any property by any mode of chance whatever;

(d) conducts or manages any scheme, contrivance or operation of any kind for the purpose of determining who, or the holders of what lots, tickets, numbers or chances, are the winners of any property so proposed to be advanced, lent, given, sold or disposed of;
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
1/X One of my favourite lawyer jobs is explaining Canadian contests/sweepstakes laws. It involves history (gov't has largely left ancient Criminal Code alone), case law oddities, experience, good lawyering/drafting, solid understanding of what client is trying to accomplish... 10/10 lawyering fun!
Silver trophy
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 01/12/2024
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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Reposted by Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀
Sara Ghebremusse @saraghebremusse.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
My departing remarks, delivered at a farewell event in June 2023. @carolmliao.bsky.social's been trying to get these out of me for a year now.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
Tell the world, stop the war
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
Here, vaccine saves daughters, sisters & mothers >25. 54-60 per year down to 13-15. Incredible. Yes in effect, but also laying bare monstrous GBD/“let er rip”/natural immunity folks (cough NIH Dr B). Pandemic IFR of COVID >25 is 0.001. Sounds small, but would be 105k dead Americans. Monstrous.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
I mean, money laundering and funneling funds for crimes, scams, and criminal organizations is a “practical application” of Bitcoin, just not one I would encourage.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
It is absolute eugenic darwinism and its disgusting.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Cries in BC lawyer
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Reposted by Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀
Nute @nutedawn.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
You all MOCKED George Lucas and said this was boring or dumb but who’s laughing now???
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Ouch right in the backlog.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
You are missed.
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Reposted by Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀
Kevin Milligan @kevinmilligan.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
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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Reposted by Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀
the corghoul from cowboy beBOO! 👻 @realqrampage.fightins.online · 25/11/2024
this is so true! Taco Bell was there for me with 133 of their world class hot sauce packets when I was dying in a hospital bed ❤️ thank you Taco Bell, I truly got to Live Más (because I had a cardiac arrest and then came back)
a very sick, swollen-faced, jaundiced me sitting in a hospital bed and smiling while holding a bowl of way too many Taco Bell hot sauce packets. I am smiling because it distracted me from the fact that I was dying
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Reposted by Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀
Dr. Jen Gunter @drjengunter.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
I feel this piece with my whole heart, of what is left of it open.substack.com/pub/stroopwa...
open.substack.com
What went wrong is everyone can fuck off
The final votes weren’t even tallied before people took to social media, and what’s left of the barren media landscape, to crow about what Harris had done wrong, and the points were many.
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Reposted by Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀
Tyler Black, MD @tylerblack.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
We are going to have to at some point have honest conversations about weaponized disinformation as a threat to human life. Adult, mature conversations. Not ones that say "but my free speech" or quote some slaveowner from the 1700s. Ones that recognize that disinformation kills.
Scary graphic of "disinformation kills"
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
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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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
Canadian raises his hand!
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
I guess I should update this post now that I’ve reactivated Bluesky. She remains the best thing that has ever happened, and I’ve grown in ways I never thought I could.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
It was not even close and I can’t believe that result even after a point deduction.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
Hi folks. Glad to be in The Good Place. For now.
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Reposted by Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀
Tyler Black, MD @tylerblack.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Hey world, I'm joining blue sky. Does anyone know if there are good cross-posting apps as I still post on the bad place?
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
AND i just reactivated Bluesky lol
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 07/07/2023
So jazzed, or symphonied, or whatever.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 05/07/2023
Absolutely thrilled to have been recognized by Lexpert in their special edition on Canadian Tech and Health Sciences lawyers. Amazing cohort here at DLA Piper. www.dlapiper.com/en-ca/news/2023/06…
dlapiper.com
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 03/07/2023
Well THIS gives me hope. All-Star Superman instead of the dark brooding stuff please!
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Reposted by Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀
Tyler Black, MD @tylerblack.bsky.social · 03/07/2023
I blame video games for all French Riots French Revolution? People trying to change the world a la Space Channel 5 July Revolution? Spillover from a Mario Kart tournament Champagne Riots? More like Single Player Campaign riots gamerant.com/french-president-macro…
gamerant.com
French President Macron Says Rioters Have Been 'Intoxicated' by Video Games
France's President Macron blames video games and social media for the three nights of violent clashes that followed a controversial police shooting.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 03/07/2023
We will find an excuse to cross the border!!!
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 03/07/2023
"You do not have a word" lol. Please keep writing about Akbox. And Soony. And Mintando.
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 03/07/2023
And no, her feet aren't huge. She just loves wearing our clothes
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Ryan Black 🇨🇦⚖️🎮🏀 @ryanjblack.bsky.social · 03/07/2023
Well, my first post on this place so I figured I'd make it positive. Which for me right now, is 100pct all about my daughter. She is two-and-a-half and the last 7 months since she joined our lives have been joyous, trying, and beautiful. Seeing the world through a toddler's eyes is pretty cool. 🤩
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