Blaise Alleyne

314 posts
A technologist, musician, writer, speaker, and activist based in Toronto.

Unlocking An iPhone Is Not Freedom; Zittrain Argues For Civic Technologies

Cato Unbound has an outstanding online debate going on right now about Lawrence Lessig’s book Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace as it hits 10 years. Declan McCullagh started things off with a post entitled, “What Larry Didn’t Get,” offering a libertarian critique of Lessig’s approach and accusing him of […]

Cat Stevens Claims Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” Was Copied From His Song, Not Satriani’s

This post originally appeared on Techdirt. When guitarist Joe Satriani sued Coldplay for copyright infringement last December, Techdirt readers were quick to point out lots of other songs that sound similar (a great example of the importance of the conversation). Keyz noted that both songs sound a lot like a […]

Coldplay Denies Copying Satriani In Federal Court Filing

This post originally appeared on Techdirt. Last December, guitarist Joe Satriani sued Coldplay for copyright infringement over a similar sounding melody. The story generated a lot of discussion here, as people dug up countless examples of other songs with similar melodies (some predating Satriani’s tune) to support the argument that […]

News Station Falls For April Fool’s Prank, Turns to DMCA As Remedy

This post originally appeared on Techdirt. Improv Everywhere, a comedic performance art group based in New York, has a history of pulling off hilarious and impressive “scenes of chaos and joy.” Running “missions” such as the annual “No Pants Subway Ride,” a food court musical, sending 80 people into Best […]

Principal Installs Cellphone Jammer But Forgets To Check If It’s Legal

This post originally appeared on Techdirt. Many educators are having trouble figuring out how to handle electronic devices in the classroom. Some have been educating students on the negative effects, encouraging them to regulate their own use. Others have even highlighted possible applications for mobile devices in the classroom. Though, […]

Surprise, Surprise: Canadians Aren’t Interested In ISP Levies

This post originally appeared on Techdirt Michael Geist points to two new polls released by Angus Reid Strategies, which show that Canadians are overwhelmingly against the idea of ISP levies. It should come as no surprise that 79% of people surveyed about the possible Canadian content levy on new media […]